Category: Collaboration
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“We need to get away from delivering education, to staging experiences.” – Bernd
In this episode, I speak with Bernd, an educator and author—about the rich inner world he possessed ever since he could remember, and how his interests in the arts carved his path towards a career that integrates theater, communication, and education. We talk about the elements of our education systems that need to be reformed,…
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“When we use math in the world, it’s always in a collaborative environment.” – Kentaro
In this episode, I speak with Kentaro, a math teacher, curriculum developer, and teacher trainer—about his early memories of being an internally motivated child and student. I ask him about the cultural and socioeconomic differences between his home life growing up, and the private high school he went to after attending public schools through the…
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“I am because we are. If you don’t work well with others, figure it out. How can you connect more dots? Who can you build with” – Charli
In this episode, I speak with Dr. Charli Kemp, an educator and social impact-maker, about her high school memories of selling candy, evading tardy sweeps by hanging out in the counselor’s office, and negotiating her grades with her teachers…before becoming an educator herself. We talk about her nonlinear journey of discovering her place in education…
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“Be more open to the ideas that children bring. They learn better when they’re interested.” – Marie
In this episode, I speak with Marie, a homeschooling mom of two, about her earliest memories of attending schools in Canada, including at a French private school for kindergarten, and an alternative one for her final year of high school. We also discuss her journey of making the decision to homeschool her children, to ultimately…
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Advocacy, leadership, and an ability to find the strengths of every student and their families
In this episode, I speak with Antoinette—the current principal of the elementary school I attended in the late 80s and early 90s. We talk a little about how her early memories of standing up for other people and correcting injustices in school and society might have led her to a career in education, in both…
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Communication, opportunities, and the freedom to connect with like-minded peers
In this episode, I speak with Yonny—a paralegal and immigration justice advocate—about his earliest memories of growing up in Mexico, and being raised by his grandparents for most of his childhood. He compares the education systems between Mexico and the United States, and how the differences informed the types of activities he chose to pursue.…
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Connection, project based learning, and an understanding of how our brains work
In this episode, I speak with Megan—a special education teacher and advocate for the disability community—about her memories of testing gifted at an early age, and her discovery of what giftedness means when she went through her special education credentialing program, over a decade later. We talk about the structural issues with our heavily standardized…
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Inclusion, differentiated support, and a plan for leading with our strengths
In this episode, I speak with Tim—an educator, podcaster, and the Director of Communications for the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. We talk about his journey from considering a career in family counseling to becoming a special education teacher working with families and then schools for 16 years. We also discuss the shift in his…
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Intercultural awareness, belonging, and the safety to express our identities
In this episode, I chat with SJ—a former classroom teacher, LGBTQ+ Inclusion Expert, and DEIB trainer—about their experience being “the new kid.” We talk about how their experience of moving across states every few years impacted their social relationships, and how their biracial and transgender identities didn’t make it easier. We discuss what led them…
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Positive reinforcement, creativity, and the audacity to question authority
In this episode, I interview Lauren—a poet, musician, voice coach, and mom—about her earliest memories of being creative. She talks about the influence her family and societal messaging had on the development of her voice, how schools limited her freedom, and what it took to recover her creative confidence. My first question to her was…