Episode #280: Kyle David
Kyle H. David is the CEO of KDG, a professional technology services and business advisory firm. He has also been a Part-Time Lecturer at Muhlenberg College for nearly a decade. Kyle considers his day job to be “Chief Education Officer” and believes passionately about removing boundaries between academic and professional education. With credentials from Muhlenberg College, Cornell University, Harvard Business School, Kyle seamlessly blends the worlds of technology, business, entrepreneurship, and education.
Kyle is a seasoned technology entrepreneur and innovator. He has taken to teaching and educating with insights and driving innovation through customer experience. He is a teacher at Muhlenberg college. Kyle has certificates in strategic management from Cornell University and Disruptive innovation from Harvard. CEO of prof services org in Penn.
He teaches at Muhlenberg college in his current position but worked in Nepal Insitute of Management less than 1 year. His current job is as chief educational officer. Wants to make sure ppl don’t forget to improve themselves.
Trench story: as an adjunct is like at the bottom of the food chain. Kids entire lives have been in academia. It’s a paradigm shift for them. Often times, kids stumble. It’s about managing the stumbling point gracefully. It’s like learning to play basketball. Worrk w/ kids who were exchange students. Had to start to rebuild trust on 2 levels. Students had confidence breakers. It took him one-on-one listening. Kids were overconfident. Knowledge/intellect isn’t the same as execution and delivery. Build muscle memory w/ st’s. He’s helped develop them as intellectuals. It’s great to receive notes from past st’s. Their confidence is boosted. We allow them to flex their academic muscle.
Talk about being a technology entrepreneur and innovator. He simulates playing the game w/ business st’s. Examines fraud, etc. It’s the story that sucks you in. Likes to use stories w/ “teeth” to them. The game takes a concept that could be dull & puts it into context. Enron is a favorite case study. Many workers went to jail. Academic rigor comes from challenging norms. Seemingly mundane topics in business that have real-life impact. Allow ppl to see things from different dimensions.
Typical student you teach? 4th year students. Only teaches electives. They are a bit more risk tolerant. Want to learn something different than the basics. His reputation’s fun, tough, get a lot out of it. Real-world, practical application. He likes to challenge st’s to be uncomfortable. St’s act out case studies. Walk through practicalities of case studies. He’s been relating a lot to customer experience-it’s anyone you want to have a positive experience w/. 5 dimensions TOFUU- time, follow-through, understanding emotions, etc. If you follow pattern, you’ll get exceptional results. Helps ppl get out of mindset that interactions need to be for personal gain. We encourage st’s to network with people to get connections. We apply it w/ clients. Students can control a narrative in class that allows them to be wrong.
Example-a phone call from a student he had 6 yrs ago, who’s achieved corporate success. Loves hearing how st’s have moved through world. Give ppl tools they can run with.
Pre-recorded lectures on website: Geared around customer experience/ taking business to post-pandemic economy. Interpersonal relationships. What ratings really mean. Biggest is the one they do on business models. Access for free. www.kyledavidgroup.com
Student advisement-teachers who are listening who have H.S. or 2 yr college business students. When teachers tell students they’re good at something, they see a path to make it happen. It’s about getting ppl excited about business. It’s important to learn about the mechanics of business. Get them excited about studying business. You can be a plumber but need to know business.
Those words mean so much. He talks to students around where their thinking is oriented. Allow them to explore things-he advises seniors.
Out of everything: for part-time formal t’s/adjuncts- bring your whole self to the CR. You bring your career experience in.
Where can ppl find you? www.kyledavidgroup.com all lectures are listed there. He doesn’t do much social media. View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ak_ElXmOfgw
Episode #281: Caylee Carullo
Our guest today has been featured on Fox News for her positive behavior strategies. She’s the host of The Pre-K Teacher Family Podcast and her course, The Calm Classroom has helped teachers around the world reduce misbehavior by strengthening relationships.
Trench story: Her story revolves around becoming a teacher. Moved to Denver, got first job in DPS. Taught pre-school. Had tough behaviors she didn’t know how to respond to. No courses had prepared her for behaviors. It was hard to get kids to respond. Ppl who observed didn’t have suggestions. Was concerned as it was preschool-first teacher experience. Went on her own journey to figure it out. Hated feeling tense & on edge. Got behaviors in line. Spent 7 yrs trying to figure that out. She was given bad advice, like “don’t smile until X-mas”. She didn’t want to scare them into compliance. Firm stuff didn’t work. She looked for what felt good. Working on the relationships, that’s where everything starts.
Lead from story into: What do you do when you have a super disruptive/dangerous student in your class? bad behavior can throw off the whole day. Everything starts w/ relationship w/ child. All kids need a purpose. Give them something to look fwd to. Kids want belonging & significance. Ask simple non-contingent ?’s.
What’s your best piece of advice for a teacher who is having trouble controlling their classroom? She’ll go into how to specifically get through to the kids who hear you in a specific way. You need to come from a different angle. You need to say “I care about you, you matter”. Show them you’re on their team. Can approach them by saying you’re glad they’re in the class. Have kid help you w/ a special job. Show st you need them. Channel what they’re doing to set it up for the right way.
The worst kid in your class is ready to be your new favorite, I’m going to show you how to make it happen….so many of us find ourselves in these classrooms that are out of control and we feel like something is wrong with us… the problem is NOT YOU! Giving them a job to do, show them you care. Make the shift- change the way you’re framing things. They WILL step up. Reprogram self to realize all kids are good. Biggest thing is a teacher’s mindset. Kids feed off of it. You can bring them up or down. Equip your t’s w/ a positive mindset. Negative assumptions for the day will happen if you think they will. Kids is inherently good- their actions are separate. Don’t let them become something negative.
She shares de-escalation strategies. She has videos. Has an online course *for K-2*. 6 hours long. Does virtual trainings, some in person. Also has a podcast: Pre-K teacher family teacher podcast. The bigger the behaviors, the more the child needs connection. Course is 19 strategies no one is teaching. It’s about knowing how to say things that help kids listen- positive strategies. Don’t feel like it’s your fault as a teacher. What’s missing for t’s is often the action steps to use to handle a crisis.
She wants to make clear that she’s coming from a place of wanting to help, rather than asking them to do more. No one is preparing them for this job. Tough behaviors can throw everything off. Get kids working w/ you rather than against you. It’s lonely to not know what to do. In buildings, you can’t often get solutions.
Out of everything: when it comes to misbehaviors- you have to work on the relationships. Aim to connect with the child. You can’t overpower or force them. You have to connect with them the right way.
Where can ppl find you?
Join Caylee’s Email List (Tips, Freebies, & Behavior Support – straight to your inbox): https://skilled-crafter-5644.ck.page/a7be5dceda
THE CALM CLASSROOM COURSE: https://www.triedandtrueteacher.com/the-calm-classroom-course PROMO code: DANA
Caylee’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prekteachertips/
Caylee’s Podcast:
ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pre-k-teacher-family/id1497064603
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/5P0XpLfvef0K7uSNz7HCY8?si=iE7H2SKRQBqarCJLlnUDDw
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/triedandtrueteachertips
View this episode on You Tube: https://youtu.be/thG7FBue-fg
Episode #282: Dr. Marcy Roan
Marcy is a veteran educator who has spent most of her career as a coach of teachers and school leaders. Her experiences at the classroom, school, district, and state levels provide a unique perspective for educators looking to transform schools and drive student achievement. Dr. Roan is an accomplished school leader with proven results at the elementary and middle school levels in both Title 1 and non-Title 1 schools. Author of “Learning Rounds with Teachers”.
Trench story: does a lot of current work developing principal- it’s using instructional rounds to grow teachers. Her trench was being principal of a chronically underperforming school. Driving improvement, intentional, targeted focus. Learning needs to be front & center. There’s so much that can such your atention-easy to get sidetracked. Quality teaching & learning needs to be provided. Give kids what they need academically. This can pull a school out of low-performing pieces. She can be specific and talk about a board member, teacher, etc. This was pivotal for her as a leader. This is why she did for a while in her state dept. Is currently Chief Academic Officer. Not same district she used to work for. In one of the smaller districts. Current challenge is multiplicity of roles- how does she grows an academic dept. that includes K-12, state testing, CTE, etc. Biggest challenge for new principals is learning how to focus on what really matters thru having a quality education. It’s around the management of time. Creating systems & structures to not have a time suck.
Talk about your book “Learning Rounds with Teachers”, published in ‘22. It gives you a framework for starting. Budget is always a concern. Started when she was a principal. Started rounds during teacher’s planning periods with “early adopters” ½ to ¾ of the year. Gave other t’s info on how it was helping it was word of mouth. Didn’t get to see the breadth of the building. Continual learning during their rounds. Relative was sick. She observed how dr’s, nurses, etc. worked together. Based mostly as work she did as a principal, still does some consulting. There’s a benefit being the in AP role to sit back & watch how things happen. It helped her look at how different leaders lead. She used the process she saw in hospitals with her staff. Much of the research is doing it at district level. Used teacher’s expertise. You see who you should emulate. School leaders opened up their practices. In book there are links to get samples of how to use forms to observe. Debrief- talked about what they noticed. Reflective practice- what is the impact of the instructional decisions being made? This was 3 years in the making-then went to a MS. It was at a place that could be sustainable. If the t’s want to make sure it continues, principal Isn’t sure if this is still occuring in the building. Master schedule, etc. need to be set up to facilitate the practice. She was an AP for 3 yrs.
How would an AP start out with rounds? Often they get assigned with smaller groups of teachers they support. How can I build the instructional capacity of the teachers you’re assigned to? She’s on hiring teams for principals- APs don’t often get the opportunity to be instructional leader.
Cross-curricular rounds? You get the chance to see kids in other settings. It’s often about the instruction happening with the kid. Seeing them in different content areas have powers. It’s more powerful seeing it with your own eyes not just talking about it in t’s lounge.
Not scheduled for conferences next year at the time. Does offer PD-reach out to her.
Out of everything: not just in the learning rounds process, but in spaces you want to make change- there’s power in small improvements & slow gains. It’s easy to forget about the goals. go slow to go fast. Start right to get a good foundation going.
Where can ppl find you? FB @LeadLearners.net IG @lead.learners bit.ly/leadlearnersroan roanmarcy@gmail.com )
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1zwt6jISJ_I
Episode #283: Kathy Magnusson
Kathy Magnusson owner of Wildewood Learning As a trainer, coach, and speaker, Kathy has worked with educators and youth service professionals worldwide. She is a licensed public school teacher, social and emotional learning specialist, and certified Sources of Strength trainer. She has supported young people and the professionals serving them for over 25 years. Kathy has a master’s degree in education from the University of Minnesota and advanced training in adverse childhood experiences, creating trauma-sensitive practices, non-violent communication, and strengths-based education and leadership. She supports educators and youth service professionals in cultivating trauma-sensitive strength-based environments for all learners. Still works in schools 1/day a week.
Trench story: has been in edu a long time. When she was a science teacher MS/HS was in a small school with a 60-mile commute. Was burnt out, needed to do something different. Adopted her kids. Changed her job. Was hired PT to do “conflict resolution” grant opportunity @ elementary. It leaned into her strengths. Had to learn to talk about her feelings, didn’t do so growing up.
What does being trauma-informed looks like in education or at school levels? Will tie in resilience to that. How to build resilience w/in yourself and your students. Making schools a happier and healthier place. Post-traumatic growth. Kids who are now coming into preschool born in ‘19/20 didn’t have daycare experience necessarily. Parents weren’t necessarily involved to the fullest. Look for successes at the older levels. We’re so deficit-focused in edu system. Don’t spend too much time on weaknesses. Start w/ small wins, then they’ll become more positive.
How can you practically bring trauma-sensitive and strength-based practices into a school or organization? How do trauma-sensitive and strength-based practices support the resilience and wellbeing of our staff or students? How to tap into your employee’s strengths to increase wellbeing and resilience. We need to create a safe space in the CR, routines, etc. before diving into academics. Even in HS, start class w/ a connection circle. It helped w/ behaviors & trust of t’s. It takes time up front but pays off in the end.
A focus on protective factors to grow the strengths of youth When she talks about resilience, she talks about the individual skills you learn, grow & explicitly teach. Trusted adults. There’s research done around positive childhood experiences. Also creating belonging through culture & community connections. Trusted adult may be a coach, mentor, custodian. Then they have a person they feel comfortable going to. In Sources of Strength, they work w/ peer leaders. They find kids in the school who can be trained as leaders. Wide, diverse group of kids is best. Making it OK to ask for help. Keep up peer leader connection throughout the year. Have the buddy connect w/ them w/in the first couple days of school.
Strategies to navigate the waves of change *Could be title of podcast episode*: workshop topic she’s had. Talk about conferences you will be speaking at in Mar/Feb: MN association of children’s mental health. She does workshops online for free. 1 hour webinars. Guest speakers have also come on. Polyvagal theory in edu, etc. Is on her newsletter, if you subscribe, you’ll have access to these workshops.
She has a free giveaway: 5 ways to access the learning brain. Do this as part of a routine, give kids options. Then you have tools there. https://wildewoodlearning.com/learning-brain/
This link is a free download with 5 ideas for creating calm and connection in the classroom. When students feel safe and connected within the classroom then focus and learning can occur.
Out of everything: Strength piece about being brilliant. As an educator- how are you bringing that brilliance out?
Where can ppl find you? www.wildewoodlearning.com
YouTube/FB @wildewoodlearning LinkedIn@kathrynmagnusson
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6ccFqbe2YxQ
Episode #284: Becky Schnekser
Becky first joined the teaching world in 2006 as a fifth grade inclusion classroom teacher. She has always believed that authentic experiences yield the best and most effective learning opportunities. After all, we learned how to walk and talk by just…trying. We failed often but eventually, we learned these valuable skills and haven’t forgotten them along the way. We had natural relevance, we were surrounded by people who believed in us, didn’t allow us to give up, and celebrating each success along the way no matter how small! What if this mindset was the foundation for how we approach learning everyday?
She’s passionate about experiential learning, especially in the style of expeditions, hence why she teaches the way she teaches, wrote the book she wrote, and completes field expeditions annually.
Trenches story: 2017, had been teaching 11 yrs, 6 yrs in 5th grade inclusion. Wrote sci curriculum. All things set her up to be an instructional coach. Interviewed for it but wasn’t offered the role. At the pit of dissapointment, she was motivated to look at teaching differently. Something else was out there she hadn’t found. Got into Nat Geo certification program. This allow her to transform. Looked into field science. Got a grant to go to Caribbean Amazon then Galapagos.
Talk about how that led to you writing your book: Expedition Science: Empowering learners through exploration book for teachers about science education, making it experiential- came out in ‘21. Science expedition is still going. Came out of a blog. She connected w/ Adam Welcome. He encouraged her to do this. Mentored ppl online. Book is a work of heart. It’s about using exploration as a tool. Understanding how rocks are made. Examples revolve around science. Can use it in art, ss, math.
PD/Student talks: Could talk about it. Connects with teachers about creating lessons. “It’s an experience not a lesson” she says. Craft experiences for learners. How to shift your thinking to experience-based. Outdoor ed is also something she’s talked about recently. Tells how you can plan for outdoor learning. You don’t need man-made structures. W/ st’s she talks about following passions: “Relentlessly pursuing your passions”, what does it mean to be a woman in the world? Esp. being a woman in a STEM career.
Working w/ TB Speaker’s network: TB will do the logistics. She can be reached out to via her socials.
Other areas you want to highlight? Currently manages education dept at a local museum. Left last school in Dec. ‘22 to start Ph.d program. Coaches educators, building curriculum @ maritime discovery center. Maritime curriculum during the summer. Informal education is very similar to cr education. Are working on making long-term partnerships with schools. Helps create experiences for diff. grade levels. At museum, educators can do that. Want them to come in multiple x’s a year. 2nd graders go to outdoor school 4 days a year. Wants to transform to different grade levels. Missing in the classroom everywhere. Often, t’s don’t prepare kids ahead of a field trip to make it meaningful? Wants to bridge the communication between classroom teachers & museum educators.
Is doing Ph.D. work in environmental science & sustainability education, wants to be a professor for teachers who are preparing to go into the CR. Wants to either teach teacher candidates or in schools. 5+ years. Ideally in a science methods course. Continue momentum of excitement. Wants to go back to her alma matter.
Going to Antarctica in Nov.- will be there for the month, all women expedition. Did a Homeward Bound course through Australia. STEMM (w/ medicine). Has to craft what she wants to study. Will be based on a research vessel. Stopping in Port Lockroy. Women who are accepted go through year-long STEMM prep program. Helps build up women. When you complete it & fulfill requirements (check recording). Women get to strategize together. Build things together. All involves balance w/ women in leadership roles. Will see lots of wildlife like leopard seals. Will interact w/ scientists who are stationed there. Wants to get young kids interested to “hook” them at elementary school age. She wasn’t good at math them so got discouraged. Still liked science. Grew up w/ many negative thoughts. Needed opportunities to pursue science & math. Pursued as an adult. 60 women in the group for 22 days on ship. Ideally every day they’ll be stopping at stations. She’ll be blogging
Out of everything: always remember to relentlessly follow your passion, not matter
Where can ppl find you? expeditionschneckser.com @schnekser IG in reels, stories, etc. Will hop on podcasts when come back from Antarctica. (Elijah Carbahal’s or Dave Schmittou’s)
View this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Duvza_1Ldl8
Episode #285: Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket
Episode #285: Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket | The Out of the Trenches Podcast (podbean.com)
Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket is a wife, mother, principal, public speaker, and author. With decades as a teacher and leader in public education, she has earned the reputation as a strong instructional leader, passionate educational advocate, and dedicated mentor. As the Principal of a top ranked school in Maryland, she is a life-long learner who strives for excellence not only for herself, but also for everyone she serves. Dr. Edoho-Eket’s belief in fostering meaningful relationships serves as the foundation for everything she does, and her highly effective teaching and leadership style continues to inspire up and coming aspiring teacher leaders. During her educational career, she has proudly served as a classroom teacher, instructional team leader, mentor teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Her book, “The Principal’s Journey: Navigating the Path to School Leadership” provides a helpful and practical blueprint for educators to follow as they transition into new leadership roles.
Dr. Edoho-Eket holds a B.S. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Temple University, a M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from McDaniel College, and a Doctorate in Leadership and Professional Practice from Trevecca Nazarene University.
Trench story: began principalship during COVID, that fall in 2019 everything was working well. Didn’t see staff again remainder of the school year. Hybrid in spring ‘21. Trenches was figuring out how to support staff during COVID. Did a lot of soul searching. Wanted to make it work. Remembered her “why”. Grounded her. Needed to do the job that worked well for her. now in her 5th year at the school. Had a mentorship cohort- 9th new principals in district. Remained tight-knit community of learners. Relationships have come out of it.
Author of The Principal’s Journey , published Feb’23. What led you to writing it? Always had a concept for the book. Was on personal bucket list. Had read books about what to do when in the position not how to get there. Had read a ton herself, such as Principal Kafele’s. Called around, learned the process. During doctoral program, was writing dissertation for 2 yrs. Afterward put writing time on calendar. Put herself on a writing schedule, the kids are MS aged- did it @ night. Committed to it in 2022. Purpose was to help people become APs and principals. Wrote ‘here’s the process’ and what does the first year on the job look like. Really wanted to do it, be an author. Self-published When Kafele invited her on the show, it was a total explosion of ppl buying it., #3 on Amazon at the time. Hurdle is a variety of things. Resume, recommendations-she talks about the mentorship, could be a leader in central office. She impresses upon readers to find. She talks about taking initiatives, reaching out to take on projects. Make sure you challenge yourself in taking projects. There’s a pipeline issue right now w/ AP’s & principals- they’re leaving. We need good quality even if we have the quantity. Systems will be challenged.
Taught Kindergarten, was SAHM for a few years w/ twins (2 years), then moved into leadership. adored teaching that age-taught that level for 10 yrs. Early childhood t’s teach foundational skills. It’s fun to see how they’re being nurtured by t’s. Was given K as her placement out of college. Had a lot of misconceptions around students. Had a mentor teacher who’d taught generations of t’s. Took it w/ her into her position. Families from 1st year are out of college. Loves what the st’s are able to do. Whatever you do in K you can scale up. A lot of what we teach in K is timeless.
Also wants to highlight transition to principalship, surprises and blindspots, steep learning curve. After came back, took over 2nd grade. Got to know each child individually. Had a chance to open a new school again. The school had a group called “Aspiring Leaders”- they did goal setting. ILT leader- talked about qualities. Principal at new school said “you have the right experience to be a team leader”. Was a very different experience opening it as team leader. Mentor said “I can see you running a building”. Principal asked for her feedback a lot. Rachel asks staff for fdb now. Power of having a principal assert what qualities you have you don’t see.
3rd generation educator, had great principal in 2nd grade who had an influence on her. Grandma, aunt, mom. Grandma librarian, aunt taught. Mom has certification. Helped in a classroom as a youngster. 1st principal in her family. Every summer- went to schools, did bulletin boards, gradebooks, binders. Lined up their dolls, used pointers.
Mentoring ppl who are wanting to get into leadership, mainly onsite. Listeners can also reach out. Currently mentoring 4 ppl. Others are shadowing her (2) from other schools. Leadership intern, works closely w/ her. Is communicative & transparent.
Out of everything: continue to improve, set your goals, it’s a challenging job, you need to have the right support. Help ppl as part of your daily work
Where can ppl find you? Twitter @racheledohoechet @the_principals_journey
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/w5xiNV2HOyQ?si=v8T0a8zE1-p43GxZ
Episode #286: Smith Minard
https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-2s8pi-157accf
Smith Childs teaches Spanish at Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, where she also coaches tennis and helps lead outdoor and international trips. She earned her B.A. in Spanish and Sociology at Furman University, where she spent a semester abroad in Spain, completed undergraduate research on second language acquisition, and did an internship at the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in D.C. Her most recent accolade is becoming a bestselling author of her debut book “Embrace Your Story: A Young Woman’s Guide to Discover Who You Are, Where to Go, And Why You Matter.” A mentor for almost a decade and honorary big sister, Smith has logged thousands of hours spent with young women, hearing their stories, and helping guide them through life with tips and practical wisdom. She wants readers to know that they have what it takes to embrace their own story, no matter how messy it may seem. Smith is a Georgia native, loving life currently in the Pacific Northwest. When she’s not teaching or writing, she is finding joy in her journey by reveling in the little moments, like enjoying a great sunset, a good book in the sunshine, or a hike through the Cascades with her fiancé or closest friends.
Trenches story: Primarily a HS teacher. Last yr taught 4 classes 8th grade. Gave her respect for MS t’s. One day in particular was tough. Was in the corner of the CR about to cry. Called in a learning specialist. She was very helpful & affirming. Left a chime bell she could use to get attn. The use of the chime was a learning curve. Better to not have to use her voice.
Her first book is called “Embrace Your Story: A Young Woman’s Guide to Discover Who You Are, Where to Go, And Why You Matter”. Came out on Oct. 24 used self-publishing.com; geared towards young ADULTS, 16-22. Talks a lot about transitions you go through as young adult. Figuring about what you want to do w/ your life. Could be a tool for school counselors, some teachers. Some parents who buy it. There are a lot of student quotes. It walks young adults through transitions in life.
How long have you wanted to write a book? since she was a little girl, she journaled her whole life. Long-time goal. In her book, she implemented journal ?’s at the end of every chapt. Cool thing to talk to kids about. Fell b/w her two passions which is writing and young ppl.
What is the biggest problem teen girls are facing today? She has a whole chapt. about loneliness, isolation, having adults in their lives. They can feel alone even if they’re surrounded by others. There are pros & cons w/ social media. Has 2 chapters, one on how it can effect their health. Higher anxiety, depression, suicide rates. Anonymous letters w/ 200 st’s. “What do you wish adults knew about being your age?” Some girls can have strict boundaries, take app off their phone & take break. In her CR, she has a pocket phone “jail”.
How can girls make real and genuine friends? Trust and building solid relationships- she has a whole chapt. on that. Aligning values w/ friends. She has a chapt. on building community & aligning yourself w/ ppl of the same values. She talks about her own journey about 8-10th grade, b/w 2 friend groups. Self-evaluated how she felt w/ certain friend groups. You have to put yourself out there. Join clubs, go on school trips, etc.
How can we let go of comparison and people pleasing for good and live the life we’ve always wanted? She talks about it in her book from adult point of view and teens. Comparison & social media part. She can talk about some positive sides to social media. Gives tips on how to have a healthy relationship w/ it. Learn “what do I want”. Journal, don’t listen to other voices telling you what to do. Best way is through journaling, self-reflecting, having ppl rally around you.
What’s your craziest story from teaching high school? Spanish activities & things she does in her CR. Has taken st’s to Costa Rica. Follows “organic WL”, where it’s 100% in the Target Lang. They have to act it out, draw, etc. Community of trust. She tries to hook kids while it’s interesting to them.
What is the importance of faith in your life? Can talk about having affinity groups, they have Muslim, Jewish, Christian, BSU groups @ her school. Seattle is a very secular city, so when kids can express their faith, it’s impactful. For a few years at her school there’s been affinity groups. The affinity groups were decided on the school level. Some st’s have felt alone in their faith. 30 kids come to the Christian group every week.
Out of everything: biggest thing she tries to tell st’s- you won’t remember grades you got, you’ll remember relationships & how you made ppl feel. Joy, laughter in CR.
Where can ppl find you online: https://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Your-Story-Womans-Discover-ebook/dp/B0CHX1K17T?ref_=ast_author_mpb
My website: https://www.smithminard.com
Amazon Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ4F7DVN?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Amazon Link to review: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=glance-detail&asin=B0CJ4F7DVN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smith_childs/
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@smithminard
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/44511884.Smith_Minard
Sign up for my “Friday Recap” weekly email to your inbox: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/627adf9746c9ddac8218a266
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MzXPrn-uhSw
Episode #287: Dr. Terrance Ruth
Dr. Terrance Ruth received his PhD in Public Affairs from the University of Central Florida. He received his Master in Education from Nova Southeastern University and his BA from Oglethorpe University. He completed a national fellowship through Boston College with a certification in nonprofit leadership. Dr. Ruth is an advocate for public education, once serving as a teacher, principal and the parent of a son who attends public schools in Wake County. As a former Administrator for Wake county Public Schools who now serves as an Education Consultant to numerous nonprofits, he sits on several state wide boards.
Additionally, he led social justice organizations at the national, state and local levels with a reputation for being the implementation expert. He served as the NC NAACP Executive Director under Dr. Barber and Dr. Spearman and has served as National Director of Programming for the Repairers of the Breach. Recently he partnered with United Way of the Triangle to launch a community investment fund for local community organizers.
Dr. Ruth has work in K-12 schools across Florida and in Wake County. Currently, Terrance is a Professor at NCSU and is the former President of the Justice Love Foundation. He is deeply engaged in diversity, equity and inclusion work across the city of Raleigh and the Triangle. Dr. Ruth was a Raleigh Mayoral Candidate for November 2022.
Also, Terrance’s podcast recently reached the top 10% of podcasts globally with only 3 episodes out!
Dr. Ruth is leading a coalition of leaders to engage in local solutions through impact investing, design thinking, and creative collaborations. Right now he is facilitating a process to increase the use of faith based assets in improving the affordable housing stock. He is also working with United Way of the Triangle to offering a human centered design lens to the philanthropic network in the Triangle.
Terrance is a Raleigh, NC-based educator, community activist, podcast host, and dad. Son of two veterans, he has an amazing family story to share as well as how he balances being a dad with his busy career. Additional topics he loves to speak about are elementary education, social work, social justice, affordable housing, and how to make a big impact at a local level in your community. In 2022, Terrance ran for Mayor of Raleigh and sadly lost to the incumbent mayor. He’s happy to chat about that experience as well. Since ending the race, he has doubled down on his commitment to the Raleigh area and the causes he is passionate about.
Trench story: His background is in alternative edu. Educators and st’s coming from difficult background. Joined org where they train educators on ACIS- t’s are at intersection of quality learning environments. He’s a part of Public Schools NC in N. Carolina. Provides resiliency training for educators. In N Carolina, there are deep fears around bans on book for next year. Not so much CRT, but politicizing of the classroom. Shrinking of educator’s autonomy. He’s had several different roles in public ed. They’re seeing Many educators in NC have a voice. There’s a difficult season on the horizon. Was an evaluator for Race to the Top. Urban vs. suburban. A victory we’ll see politically is a state supt who’ll serve t’s more. Governor will be elected too. Many educators are going for school board seats. Local school board meetings are packed. Push for school board members who understand the context of schools.
Education Funding & the priorities. In NC they’re reengaging how their funding public. Leandro case- legal case over 20 yrs. old. Legislators want to stop flooding of charters in NC. Funding is decreasing, esp in rural areas. Oct. count, etc. His district is one of the largest in the country-Wade County is trying to retain st’s. They’re loosing $ to charters. There’s a different pressure than before. Sharp line. It’s happening at the state level. Very tenacious line. Will be #1 policy issue for governor & state supt. 2 organizations birthed out of the org that was taking over failing schools/districts. In response to that, another org tried to rescue-Spark NC, innovative to connect kids to future tech jobs. Created coalitions.
Inclusive Education- Most schools he supported in alt. ed were 95% in Black communities. Families are fighting w/ public schools, going to charters, losing hope in public ed. His district is one of fastest growing in country. What does it mean for public ed to serve Black & Brown community well? Definitely not unique to NC. They’ve zoomed in on IEP criteria. Racial & income disparities. Raleigh-low income, single parent, high crime, st’s of color. His passion has been around those types of schools. HighTech high- CEO of school, friend of his- innovative thinking school. Created hubs where communities designed together. Human-centered design model. Support community-designed hubs. Public schools can support alt. ways such as design thinking. They’re done some pilot testing where he’s at. They’re being rewarded for their thinking. Sort of like Black Wall Street. Disparities existed back during segregation. Prevention strategy. Organization called Recity-located in Durham, NC. Co-working space for non-profits. Instead of co-worked, they co-designed. Raw community members, ppl aren’t from colleges or are Ph.d’s. ReCity Labs- represents 22 organizations- design experience where they wrestled w/ challenges in their city. Leaned on org to think thru gun violence, literacy rates, etc.
Social work research – he’s a professor at the school of social work. He teaches research & evaluation & policy work. When he ran for mayor, was asked why an educator would run for office. When he was a principal, was schooled by a social worker. Worked through tenacious relationships. We need more human-centered ppl (educators & social workers) running for office. Powerful lens when you start to create policy. F.ex. Race to the Top policy he was a part of. Frameworks: Ella Baker (advisor for Dr. Martin Luther King)-if we create strong ppl, we don’t need a strong leader. How do we create strong st’s? Just leadership-desire is to allow authority to be decentralized. Many communities operate out of need. These help political candidates
Resiliency & Educating post-pandemic: this is a great opportunity to unleash innovation. How can educators rethink how a CR should look? Rethink NC looked at that. Model that’s customized to st- CTE certification. Rethink the difference b/w learning & being job-ready. Moment to understand role of mental health in learning. At his univ. there are mental health days. Rethink what a school day should be. AI tutor f. ex. How can we improve a learning landscape? he’s working w/ org’s where they have to convince public school districts. If educators are policy makers, there will be more changes in the future.
Out of everything: Quote: Do justice, do us right, love mercy, live humbly. Doing what’s right may be hard, being humble is also hard- we forget what progress looks like- not taking yourself too seriously.
Where can ppl find you? @truthforraleigh on FB, X, IG. His podcast-Illogical by Truth.
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1c1PvFrjVAk