The Counter Narrative: Changing the Way We Talk (and think) About Education

In this episode, I chat with Dana Goodier, who has 23 years of experience in education. She has taught World Languages and English and has worked at the middle and elementary school level as an administrator. Dana completed her doctorate degree (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership in early 2020. She often speaks at conferences, providing educators with techniques to minimize off-task behavior and to increase time on task. She also writes blogs for the Teach Better Team and is the author of Out of the Trenches: Stories of Resilient Educators, published by Road to Awesome, LLC. She is the host of the “Out of the Trenches” podcast, which features educators who share their stories of resiliency.  During our conversation, we focused on leadership and school culture in a post-pandemic world. Dana pointed out that administrators shouldn’t just focus on those for whom they are responsible for evaluating but should strive to create opportunities for building individual relationships with all staff members. She acknowledges that school leaders often become so consumed that this seemingly simple task is often forgotten but she also suggests that building those very relationships can not only help to diminish the issues they are addressing but that it also paves the way for building even stronger relationships. It’s cyclical.  Ready to hear some more? Let’s go! Follow her on Twitter @danagoodier and visit her website at: www.danagoodier.com

Nearly a year ago I announced that I was transitioning not only to a new school but to a new grade level. After spending nearly a decade leading schools at the elementary level, I opted to accept an invitation to become a high school administrator. This episode offers an insight into five fresh perspectives that I was able to achieve by shifting roles and stepping out of my comfort zone.

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Teacher appreciation week is traditionally a time dedicated to honoring the teachers in our lives and those impacting not only their fields but also the communities in which they serve. This episode is an open letter to those educators who need a word of encouragement, of inspiration, of gratitude. Thank you for all that you do.

In this episode, I chat with Maxwell Roach, the Founder of JonAyves Learning Club, a forward-thinking tutoring service that teaches children concepts such as long division as early as the age of 3. Max has traveled a diverse career trajectory, spanning the child care, music, food, technology, and education sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHRi). This has opened doors to an eclectic and wide range of opportunities, including performing as a musician, sharing stages with Beyoncé and the Rolling Stones, leading a multi-centre child care organization as CEO, and working as an Operations Director and Consultant for e-commerce tech companies globally. Maxwell is a serial entrepreneur who values the need to "fill the industry gaps" by way of disruption and modern solutions. During our conversation, we explored several topics including how the term tutor often has a negative connotation and that shifting semantics to personalized learning instructor adequately captures the work of this role. In fact, Maxwell points out that algorithms exist to personalize experiences across most social media platforms and we should investigate replicating similar experiences within our classrooms. We talked about the seemingly ironic push for increased SEL in our classroom noting that teachers are often not adequately prepared or trained to handle these sensitive mental health approaches resulting in increased stress which we attempt to address with … you guessed it … SEL approaches. We closed out the discussion with the proposition that education shouldn’t be about competition but instead should be focused on collaboration. How do we lower our defense mechanisms and develop solutions in a system that is often unfair and punishes deviations from the norm? Ready to hear more from this dynamic educator? Let’s go! Website - https://www.jonayves.com Books - https://www.jonayves.com/shop Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/@JonAyvesLearningClub Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/@JonAyvesTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/AJsHouseKids Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/JonAyvesTV Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellroach Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@AJsHouseKidsY outube - https://www.youtube.com/@JonAyvesTV TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@AJsHouseKids TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@JonAyvesTV

When was the last time that you allowed yourself to experience joy? When was the last time you truly celebrated an accomplishment? If you are struggling to recall that moment, you are not alone. We have been primed to consistently pursue whatever we define as success without acknowledging that this pursuit is futile in that success is a series of small wins that may never truly end. Thus our efforts to obtain this goal will only result in the production of additional milestones hence the term "hedonic treadmill." Recognizing the toll that this takes on our mental health, I wanted to share that this is something with which I struggle and implore listeners to find ways to both pursue their goals while also being intention about stepping off the treadmill to enjoy that which they have accomplished.

In this episode, I chat with CJ Reynolds, a West Philadelphia high school literature teacher, author, YouTuber, & public speaker. In his book, Teach Your Class Off, on his YouTube Channel, Real Rap With Reynolds, and on his Podcast, Sunday Night Teacher Talk, Reynolds offers an authentic glimpse into what it looks like to teach high school in the inner city. Using “Real Rap” to share teaching tips and strategies, Reynolds helps new and veteran teachers alike become the teacher they always dreamed of being. During our conversation, we talked about his usage of rap and hip hop in the classroom. Reynolds points out that this musical culture focuses on things that are “fresh” or relevant and that we, as educators, should mirror this in that we should not try to be cool but strive to be as relevant as possible. He explains that this is only possible by forming authentic relationships while also acknowledging that such practices feel dangerous because we need to be vulnerable and actually invest skin in the game.  Ready to hear more from one of the keynote speakers for this year’s Teach Better Conference? Let’s go!

For most of us, the dashboard warning lights in our vehicles are an indicator that something needs to be addressed. For some, those signals are ignored often leading to larger issues as time progresses. The same can be said for ourselves as well. Our bodies have warning signs to indicate that things are not going well and to serve as a reminder that we need to resolve them before we burn out.

In this episode, I chat with Andre St. George, an inspirational speaker, author, youth development coach, and business owner. He recently published a book titled: Living V.I.T.A.L - (From Adversity to Advantage). He has won numerous Toastmaster competitions and has also served as the president for one of the local chapters. Andre has conducted keynotes for various schools and organizations and is the creator of “Speak 2 Educate” an educational series focused on providing teens the cognitive skills needed to create change through learning how to lead, innovate, and inspire. Through his community efforts he has shown great dedication in raising up our future leaders of tomorrow. During our conversation, we talked about the role of leadership and Andre pointed out that we are all leaders in our own rights. It is necessary then for each of us to tap into our uniqueness and to identify our superpower. Andre points out that people are drawn to our energies and that their perceptions of us will depend greatly on how we see ourselves. To that end, he stresses that we must be the leader of ourselves before attempting to lead others.

On April 22, 1889, thousands of settlers, or Sooners, rushed into modern day Oklahoma in an attempt to settle "unassigned lands" and continue the European westward expansion of America. A moment that is commemorated across Oklahoma City, the '89 Land Run was foundational in the establishment of the state's eventual capitol and other major hubs. What is often not discussed, however, is how these "unassigned lands" came to be. Listen as I share my discoveries on the darker side of this momentous event and the Native American Nations that were ultimately decimated by this progression.