CALM Conversations about Teaching & Learning

Thank you for bringing your lovely ears right here for a bonus episode of CALM Conversations about Learning where we lean in to re-envision our children’s education with and for the folks who matter most: teachers, parents and of course, our young folks!

If you're a grandparent who's IN LOVE with your grandchild/ren, and you are GRAND-parenting (raising) your grandchild/ren, you are in the right place today!

In honor of Grandparents Day, I had a conversation with visionary grandparent Rukiya Michele about the magic --and the complexities of --grandparenting her granddaughter, Olivia.

Rukiya Michele, who is an educator, podcaster, YeYe (Yoruba for "Big Mama"), parent, entrepreneur and  my long-time friend and sister also shares her own journey as a granddaughter and what she envisions for her grandchild's' education.

Thank you for leaning in and listening to this humanizing and insightful perspective!

About: 

• Check out Rukiya Michele's podcast, "Soul Stories" wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!
• Follow her on Instagram @rukiyamichele. 

CTA:
Do the Podcast-Listener Thing: Follow. Subscribe. Rate. Review. 

Proof:
Statistics provided by https://www.fathersmatter.org
We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Hey Visionaries,

Thank you for leaning in and listening to episode 11 of CALM Conversations about Learning!

This episode kicks off the Lesson Pillar.  It’s  about the misuse of lessons and it's a detour from my usual structure. 

I share a piece that I wrote last year about my memory of the ninth grade to remind myself - and all us parent and educator visionaries- that we have to build this village for raising our children, for educating our children with a vision that sees them and guides them with love and regard.  

Conversation Points: 

• The current village that’s raising and educating our children is infected. 

• Doing what’s best for children should not involve lessons to demonstrate that we’re “right” or that we’re the one with the power. 

• We must be intentional and impactful about the lessons we want children to learn.

• The lesson can never be more important than the child.

• We must make the conscious choice to be visionary villagers. “It was good enough for me, so it’s good enough for my child” or “It happened to me and I turned out okay” is hardly ever true...and that’s your story, your experience- not your child’s or student’s story or experience. 

Visionary Homework:

Think of a particular school year that was especially challenging for you, whether personally or academically. Journal about that year. What made it challenging? Who were the adults that made you feel seen? Who were the adults that made you feel invisible? What did you learn from that school year? What was the lesson?

DM me on the INSTAGRAM @zenani116 if you’d like to share your experience. 

CTA: Do the Podcast-Listener Thing: Follow. Subscribe. Rate. Review. 

The Proof:

1. Remembering the Ninth Grade by d. Zenani Mzube

Thank you for bringing your ears right here for episode 10 of CALM Conversations about Learning where we lean in to re-envision our children’s education with and for the folks who matter most: teachers, parents and of course, our young folks!

This week’s conversation is with Renise Washington. Formerly a Special Education teacher, Renise is now the Employee Wellness Specialist for Manchester Public Schools in Connecticut and has been doing her part in healing educator-to-educator and educator-to-student relationships for five years as the Restorative Practices coordinator for the district. Last year she returned to school, as she aspires to become a therapist. 

Renise is also my daughter from another mother and I wanted her on the show to share her insights about building restorative schools and communities, as well as being self-restorative. In addition, she schools me about Cancel Culture and its complexities.

But most importantly, Renise fills this episode with sooo much love, light and hope. 

So, lean in and get yourself some!

Chunks & Nuggets Worth Summarizing: 

• It is important for students to be in relationship with their teachers.
• “Trauma grows you up.”
• “Teachers control the weather.”
• “This is a hard time to be well.”
• Let the first year of teacher programs be about doing the personal work, the human work.
• The Pandemic revealed the void where community belongs in schools.
• Self-love and our refusal to “feel like poo” is critical to our well-being.
• Teachers must become proactive about their well-being, their relationships and their joy.
• Assigning homework is a form of inequity.

Some Synthesizing and Internalizing:

•  Educators: 
  • There can be no real educating, if there is no real relating. Children need to know that they can trust you and that you see them. (I will rinse and repeat this sentiment until it’s bone dry.)
  • Stop asking for hacks and strategies to learn how to be human with our children. Instead, learn to become reflective educators who are brave enough to do the deeper work of unpacking your baggage and discovering what’s holding back your hearts.
  • Self-compassion begets compassion for others, so take care of yourselves.
  • Let the work be meaningful- for both you and the babies. 

You can follow Renise on Instagram @mz.washington18. 

References from the Conversation:

1. Calvin Terrell, founder/director of Social Centric Institute
2. Yolo Akili Robinson Founder & CEO of Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM)

Please and Thank You:  Follow. Subscribe. Rate. Review. 

Thank you for leaning in and listening to episode 9 of CALM Conversations about Learning!

This episode wraps up the Agenda pillar with THREE strategies that you can use to make  the learning agenda a WITH-able experience for your child or students. 

Conversation Points: 

The Agenda is a ritual that fosters trust, which leads to autonomy, audacity and accountability. 

A clear and concise  Agenda allows our learners to take more risks in their work, ask more questions, and collaborate more productively. 

But a concise and clear Agenda that has input from your child or students encourages them to take responsibility for and become more engaged with their work. 

So, here are my 3 tips for creating WITHable opportunities in planning the learning agenda- and remember, these tips can be modified for your use, whether you’re in the classroom or managing your child’s learning at home:

• TIP #1: Keep your agenda short and sweet.
• TIP #2: Always include a Restorative Starter Ritual.
• TIP #3: Remix and Stir for improved teaching and learning.

Visionary Homework:
Plan an agenda WITH your child or students that includes no more than 3 items-one of which could easily be remixed and stirred for improved teaching and learning and a Restorative Starter ritual- like 2 minutes of sitting still and quiet! 

I would LOVE to know what was on your WITH-able agenda- or help out if you could use some more ideas, so DM me on the INSTAGRAM @zenani116!

CTA: Do the Podcast-Listener Thing: Follow. Subscribe. Rate. Review. 

The Proof:

1. Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain by Zaretta Hammond

Thank you for bringing your ears right here for episode 8 of CALM Conversations about Learning where we lean in to re-envision our children’s education with and for the folks who matter most: teachers, parents and of course, our young folks!

This week’s conversation is with Kendra Madden who teaches sophomores and seniors at East Village Early College High School. This year, Kendra is a former colleague and will have been teaching for 20 years this school year. 

As the most organized and Well-Wonderful-CALM teacher that I know, I was curious about the adjustments that she had to make, the innovations that she implemented into Pandemic teaching this past year and how her teaching practice has been informed by these experiences and innovations. 

Kendra does not disappoint; she speaks candidly about the challenges of teaching during the Pandemic school year and what it means for children to be equitably educated. 

By the way, Kendra and I have had some spirited conversations  over the years and because we know that “better humor than a tumor” is REAL, you can expect some loud laughter throughout this convo. 

Please enjoy and empathize!

Chunks & Nuggets Worth Summarizing: 

• Best advice she’s ever been given was from her dad who advised her not to make  situations bigger than they are; to keep things small and manageable.
• The most important relationships in the classroom occur between the students.
• Teaching children about dead white guys and their worldviews without relevancy makes no sense.
• Teaching children to write for purposes that will never be utilized in the real world makes no sense. 
• The controversy surrounding Critical Race Theory (which is relevant and very much real world) makes no sense. 
• Stop talking about ‘Learning Loss’...the children have learned something this past year. Ask them what they’ve learned. 
• Students are courageously speaking up about what’s happening in their lives instead of hiding behind shame--and educators should be prepared to hold space for them. 

Synthesizing and Internalizing:

1. Effectively educating our children means knowing, respecting and loving the children who are standing in front of us, in THIS moment, in THIS time and in THIS truth. How we teach them  must make sense, must be relevant and must help them thrive in this world. We can’t just throw them the "You-Are-the-Future" bone and expect them to  retrieve it without hope, purpose or direction.
2. Before you make a thing (like Critical Race Theory) a THING, ask questions, investigate, and be open to what is true history rather than to what is safe history. 
3. Don’t be a Colonizer or a Colonizing Conspirator. Decolonize your minds and the children’s minds will follow. 
4. Lean in and listen to the children; allow them space and moments to lean in and listen to one another; let them narrate their histories.
5. Make equitable education happen by keeping your processes small, focused and manageable.

Follow Kendra Madden on Instagram @CaptainSulley. 

CTA: Do the Podcast-Listener Thing: Follow. Subscribe. Rate. Review. 

• This bonus episode breaks down the CALM Pillars, the structures that were my best practices for effective teaching and have now been repurposed for this podcast.
• Conversation Points: 
  • A VISION must be supported by VALUES. 
  • VALUES must be enacted for the VISION to become VIABLE.
  • Pillar 1 is the Check-in (1.) AKA the Relationship Pillar; promotes mutual empathy, respect and dignity; fosters connection, self-awareness and accountability;  creates safe and brave spaces; serves as the foundation for the other three pillars.
  • Pillar 2 is the Agenda, which builds trust  through routines and rituals
  • Pillar 3 is the Lesson and is ideally designed and taught with thoughtfulness and knowledge of students' strengths, challenges and cultural contexts.
  • Pillar 4 is Management, promoting student agency and accountability.
• DM me @zenani116 with YOUR Vision for your child's/students' education; I would LOVE to share it with other Visionary listeners! 

Please and Thank You: FOLLOW! SUBSCRIBE! SHARE! RATE! REVIEW!

PROOF:

1. The Restorative Practices Handbook for Teachers, Disciplinarians and Administrators by Bob Costello, Joshua Wachtel and Ted Wachtel

Thank you for leaning in and listening to episode 7 of CALM Conversations about Learning!

The A in CALM is for Agenda and we’ll be discussing the importance of having a daily agenda prepared not just as a tool for organizing learning time but for building trust.

In its simplest terms, an agenda is a list of items; a tool used to organize meetings. 

But you can also have an agenda; a motive, an underlying intention. 

This episode addresses both because having an agenda makes it possible to plan an effective agenda for children’s learning time. 

Conversation Points: 

• The Check-in creates safe and brave spaces for learning, which doesn’t just mean that the child feels safe in the learning environment but has the freedom of academic audacity and autonomy. 
• When a child can trust the adult teaching her, when she can trust the environment, and when she can trust certain details and events of her day, she is in a safe and brave space and this makes for effective learning.
• Systems and structures are necessary for creating safe and brave spaces for learning. 
• Being intentional about creating daily agendas builds trust.
• Zaretta Hammond, author of Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain argues that routines and rituals are crucial to fostering expectation and independence. 
• Routines and rituals are especially important for children who live in unstable households.   

Visionary Homework:

Create a bulleted agenda that outlines YOUR ideal peaceful and productive month. Whether it’s 30 days of parenting, 30 days of teaching or 30 days of YOU, what would your agenda start with? What kinds of routines and rituals would you implement? 

Please and Thank You:

Follow! Subscribe! Rate! Review! 

The Proof:

1. Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain by Zaretta Hammond

Thank you for leaning in and listening to episode 6 of CALM Conversations about Learning!

This conversation with my colleague and friend Andre Maglalang was so rich with insights about  what it means to teach and parent children as they navigate global citizenry and life-- that I had to drop my FIRST unedited episode--which, by the way, doesn’t include our pre-conversation about music! (But I did manage to infuse a little Hip Hop and Funk into the conversation.) 

Check below, where I summarize and synthesize to internalize!

Conversation Points: 

1. Economics isn’t merely about money; it’s about what motivates us humans… and that is, “what’s in it for me?” 
2. Teaching and parenting during the Pandemic was all about connection and logistics...and it wasn’t all that bad.
3. ZOOM can humanize the parent-teacher relationship-- if you’re paying attention. 
4. It is important to shake things up, and teaching a summer class has been restoring his sense of joy and  satisfying his need for collaboration as an educator.
5. History does matter, not just so that students can “learn from the past” but so that they can learn how to break repeating patterns that have occurred throughout history. 
6. He wants his students to appreciate this Pandemic and “leverage it” to make the world better...but he is not completely hopeful.
7. It is COOL to be a teacher (no autographs, please!).
8. Advice for new teachers: Have a sense of humor. Never hold a grudge.

Plus…What Herbie Hancock, Jazz and Funk musician, taught him about the power of innovation

Synthesizing and Internalizing: 

There is wisdom, not only in the art of teaching (AND parenting) but in understanding our place in history as we learn from this Pandemic. And a great part of this wisdom exists in our willingness to connect and innovate in meaningful ways. 

So, as we re-envision our children’s education, how will we model for them and encourage them to connect and innovate for humanity? 

P.S. Come join me on the Instagram, LIVE for a quick Visionary Check-in, next Wednesday, August  4th @ 11am! 

We won’t be in a Circle but we can still share and connect @zenani116!

Do the Podcast-Listener Thing:  Follow. Subscribe. Rate. Review. 

Proof:
Episode Title, “Don’t Sweat the Technique,” taken from song by Eric B. & Rakim, 1992

Thank you for leaning in and listening to episode 5 of CALM Conversations about Learning!

This episode is from me to you about the ULTIMATE in self-care: Checking in with yourself to assess your needs and getting those needs met, as well as locating your “nearest exit” no matter the situation...and speaking of which, I’ll be sharing about a recent situation that I am not proud of. But checking in and locating my nearest exit made it all better!

Plus, I have an invitation for you: Come join me on the Instagram, LIVE for a quick Visionary Check-in, next Wednesday, July 28th @ 11am-noon! 

We won’t be in a Circle but we can still share and connect @zenani116!

Conversation Points: 

• The power of performing a SELF Check-in
• Responding versus Reacting 
• What it means to locate your nearest exit 
• NOT “finding your happy place” 
• Why it’s called a “practice”

PLEASE and THANK YOU:

Follow! Subscribe! Rate! Review! 

Edited by Devonne Williams

Beats by Cipriana Bethea

The Proof:

1. The Restorative Practices Handbook for Teachers, Disciplinarians and Administrators by Bob Costello, Joshua Wachtel and Ted Wachtel

Description: 

Thank you for leaning in and listening to episode 4 of CALM Conversations about Learning!

C is for CHECK-IN...at least where the CALM Pillars are concerned! 

So, in this episode, I’ll take you on a mini-tour of what it means to be “restorative” and how Check-in Circles can deepen our relationships with our young people!  

Plus, there’ll be a little Visionary homework for you! WOOO HOOOOO!!

Conversation Points: 

• The origins of Restorative Practices
• What it means to be “restorative” 
• The power of the Check-in Circle 
• What REALLY matters is... 

Please and Thank You:

Follow! Subscribe! Rate! Review! 

The Proof:

1. The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education by Katherine Evans and Dorothy Vaandering
2. The Restorative Practices Handbook for Teachers, Disciplinarians and Administrators by Bob Costello, Joshua Wachtel and Ted Wachtel