When is a seating chart more than a seating chart? I tell a story about internalized seating charts at the beginning of the year. UnboundED President and CEO Lacey Robinson talks about her new book Justice Seekers and the historical connection between Black self-determination and literacy.

How does Sunday school prepare Black folks to lead children in classrooms? Author and teacher Matthew Kay talks about how it influenced him. Excerpt from Episode 9.

Evanston Township High School teacher Tamie Holmes reflects on the supportive learning community in Maywood, Il that helped her grow.

Alexs Pate talks about how the journey to find a child's innocence can be liberating for Black teachers. "Your freedom is connected to their freedom." Outtake from episode 2: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/abdel-shakur6/episodes/Episode-2-Alexs-Pate--Innocence--and-Getting-to-the-Good-env2gq

I swear I was about to lose my job, but then a student helped me not lose my purpose. Plus, I talk to my ETHS colleague Steven Speight, a chemistry teacher who talks about an essential element to good science: community.

Dr. Sunni Ali discusses how he was influenced by the Black scholar teachers at Howard University. From episode 10 https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/WAcrvpGOuBb

Ross Gay grew up in a family of teachers, some in the classroom, some outside. He shares the lessons he learned in visits to his father's family in Youngstown, OH.

From Episode 5 https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/29Tbi60HaBb

A poem about what it means to mind your business in the hallway. From episode 11. https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/bg57EwF9TAb

My dad, Gilgamesh, taught me how to love chess, but even more importantly how to love possibility.

It's the end of the year and I talk about the most important job a Black teacher has around this time: landing the daggone plane. Plus, I talk to Carlos Thomas, a fellow English teacher and phenomenal basketball coach, about the importance of standing on your square and helping students find their own.