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#48 | Teaching Through Fear, Faith & Forgiveness – w/ Dr. José Luis Vilson – EduColor Executive Director
Do you ever feel like you’re carrying the weight of your students’ futures on your shoulders?
That tension, between hope and exhaustion, between responsibility and grace, is familiar territory for Dr. José Luis Vilson, Executive Director of EduColor and author of This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education.
In this powerful episode of unMASKing with Male Educators, Dr. Vilson joins host Ashanti Branch to talk about the humanity behind teaching, the unseen emotions, the quiet anger, and the relentless faith that change is possible through education. Together, they unpack the “mask” educators wear to stay strong for their students, and what lies beneath: doubt, exhaustion, but also deep love and purpose.
Dr. Vilson shares his journey from computer science to classroom teaching, his struggle with imposter syndrome, and how he channels empathy and community to sustain his work. This is a conversation about purpose, healing, and redefining what it means to teach with heart.
Timestamps
(0:00) Welcome & introduction
(1:00) Dr. Vilson on identity and purpose
(3:45) The mission behind becoming a teacher
(7:20) Teaching as spiritual and moral work
(10:45) The mask: what students see vs. what we hide
(18:15) Fear, insecurity, and anger behind the classroom door
(23:30) Carrying loss and responsibility as educators
(30:00) Teaching as spiritual and legacy work
(33:00) Listening to young people, and learning from them
(42:00) Helping students see themselves in the future
(49:00) AI, forgiveness, and the future of teaching
(53:00) Finding community and collective strength
Connect with Dr. José Luis Vilson
Website – www.thejosevilson.com
EduColor – a collective for equity and justice in education
This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education
Connect with Ashanti Branch:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/
Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/
Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support
Connect with Ever Forward Club:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub
Twitter: https://twitter.com/everforwardclub
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/
#unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #doace #UNWME #diaryofaconfusededucator
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By Ashanti Branch - Taking Off The Mask
4.9
3737 ratings
Do you ever feel like you’re carrying the weight of your students’ futures on your shoulders?
That tension, between hope and exhaustion, between responsibility and grace, is familiar territory for Dr. José Luis Vilson, Executive Director of EduColor and author of This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education.
In this powerful episode of unMASKing with Male Educators, Dr. Vilson joins host Ashanti Branch to talk about the humanity behind teaching, the unseen emotions, the quiet anger, and the relentless faith that change is possible through education. Together, they unpack the “mask” educators wear to stay strong for their students, and what lies beneath: doubt, exhaustion, but also deep love and purpose.
Dr. Vilson shares his journey from computer science to classroom teaching, his struggle with imposter syndrome, and how he channels empathy and community to sustain his work. This is a conversation about purpose, healing, and redefining what it means to teach with heart.
Timestamps
(0:00) Welcome & introduction
(1:00) Dr. Vilson on identity and purpose
(3:45) The mission behind becoming a teacher
(7:20) Teaching as spiritual and moral work
(10:45) The mask: what students see vs. what we hide
(18:15) Fear, insecurity, and anger behind the classroom door
(23:30) Carrying loss and responsibility as educators
(30:00) Teaching as spiritual and legacy work
(33:00) Listening to young people, and learning from them
(42:00) Helping students see themselves in the future
(49:00) AI, forgiveness, and the future of teaching
(53:00) Finding community and collective strength
Connect with Dr. José Luis Vilson
Website – www.thejosevilson.com
EduColor – a collective for equity and justice in education
This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education
Connect with Ashanti Branch:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/
Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/
Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support
Connect with Ever Forward Club:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub
Twitter: https://twitter.com/everforwardclub
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/
#unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #doace #UNWME #diaryofaconfusededucator