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With graduation upon us, there are many emotions parents are feeling. The excitement of making it to the finish line. The overwhelming number of graduation activities, and, if your child is leaving the house, the uncertainty of what the future holds.

In this episode, I share an excerpt about empty-nesting from my brand new book, Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond. I share my experience with graduations, the next phase of life, and how to own our feelings without hesitation. 

This phase is an emotional roller coaster. Let it be ok not to be ok. 

Want more? Check out the Call to Actions this week, including purchasing the book! 

www.edu-Me.net 
https://bit.ly/navigateschoolandbeyond

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I'm so excited to share that my first book is releasing TODAY!! Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond is a journey through parenthood of my experiences, lessons, and challenges of raising 4 children.

As an educator and parent,  I learned many strategies along the way and this book allows you to take our daily activities, gain some perspective, and, hopefully, understand that our parenting challenges are all normal.

This week, we have 2 guests to share how their suggestions, ideas, and support helped this book come to fruition.

Dr. Daryl Ward, my friend, and children's high school principal joins us to discuss how he guided me and even experienced several of the events I relay. And how the book may be beneficial to parents. He also has written the afterword for the book which culminated in the book and our work together. Contact him for your writing needs at www.theleadingpoints.com

Aparna Verma, my sister-in-law (actually more a sister), is a commercial artist and designed the book cover in Parent Power. She brought her creativity, inspiration, and vision to light (literally) by the lightbulb image and the filaments depicting double 'P's' for Parent Power. She shares how she came to this image and what the color combinations chosen mean. To contact her for your creative needs, email her at [email protected].

The book is available now on Amazon at Parent Power and retail bookstores nationwide! 

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Teachers and administrators are the true backbones of our education system. Each day they head to work to impart knowledge, create a safe environment, and motivate their students. It takes heart and passion to teach. And a positive work environment creates a sense of belonging and desire to invest in student success.

In this episode, we have the distinct honor of speaking with Dr. Danny Steele, principal at Pell City High School in Alabama. Danny's positive approach to helping his faculty and staff navigate teaching trickles down to his students. Sometimes there are big achievements to celebrate, but Danny shares that even the small ones are important because we never know how they will impact the student.

Danny shares that parents have a stake in student success and provides several strategies for parents to partner with schools to ensure their child is gaining the skills they need.

This episode is eye-opening, student-focused, and teacher and parent-approved.

Prior to Danny's current position, he has served as an Assistant Professor of Instructional Leadership, principal, assistant principal, teacher, and coach.  In 2005, Steele was recognized as the “Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year” for the state of Alabama.  And in 2016, he was recognized  as Alabama’s “Secondary Principal of the Year.”  He has presented at numerous state and national conferences and spoken in school districts around the country.  He has written two books with Todd Whitaker which were released in 2019.  Steele has an undergraduate degree in History from Covenant College (Lookout Mountain, GA); he has an M.A. in History from the University of Alabama, Birmingham; he has an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Administration and an Educational Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership – both from Samford University.  He resides with his wife and three children in Birmingham, Alabama. Follow Danny on Twitter at @steelethoughts and he can be reached at http://www.steelethoughts.com/.


Time Stamps:
0:24 - Introduction
3:58 - Danny's Book, The Total Teacher
4:39 - Reflect on things that matter
6:12 - Teaching is not a hobby, it's a profession
7:31 - Teachers want to work where they are valued
10:28 - Parent involvement/engagement
11:31 - Shared values between parents and schools
13:59 - Some parents feel alienated walking into schools
16:21 - Parent reaching out to teachers
19:17 - 100 positive phone calls in 100 days
25:27 - Challenges of managing overwhelmed students during the pandemic
33:45 - Students re-socializing into schools
36:19 - Students need interaction
37:27 - Words of wisdom/closing

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We are rounding the corner on the most unusual school year in our lifetime. It's been a yo-yo as to whether our children are in school full-time/part-time/or virtual. Yet, the one thing we know well is that we, the parent, need to partner with our teachers and administrators more than ever.

Kerry Graham, a high school English teacher, joins us this week to share how she encourages her students to become as independent as they can be along with providing strategies for parents to share the responsibility of their child's education.

Her practical advice, the challenges she sees her lovelies (students) face, and her desire to create productive citizens will inspire you!

Kerry Graham lives, teaches, writes, and kayaks in Baltimore, MD, USA. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Education, Kerry prioritizes laughter, compassion, and self-expression in her English classroom. She's grateful for and humbled by her ten years as a public school teacher. You can reach her on FB, IG, and Twitter @mskerrygraham.

Time Stamps:
1:05 - Intro
5:49 - Talking Shop
7:01 - Effective student time management for classroom success
9:47 - Window of opportunity and life skills
14:50 - A safe place to fail
15:35 - Human life skills
16:39 - Best intentions between schools and home
20:12 - Communication is key
24:24 - Gradual release of responsibility
26:05 - Alleviate student stress
29:36 - Creating support at home
33:13 - Words of wisdom
34:36 - Punam's story
37:40 - Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond available on Amazon now!
39:04 - Closing

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The end of the school year is around the corner and we have all become accustomed to this new normal.
 
In this episode, we speak with Jibin Park who shares how teachers have navigated the year, how his students have adjusted, and how they have mostly kept on their academic track through this most unusual year.
 
You'll enjoy the honest conversation we have about baseball (he's a Dodgers fan and I'm a Braves fan), my lack of understanding of economics, and, yes, education.
 
Jibin Park is an AP Economics instructor at Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights, CA. He served as an AP Economics Reader for the College Board from 2007-2012, and also completed a lecture series for AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, and AP Government on www.educator.com. He also teaches AP Economics and AP US History at IvyMax Academy in Irvine, California. In addition, Mr. Park is a contracted AP Economics tutor for hire on wyzant.com. Jibin holds an M.A. in education from Claremont Graduate University, and completed graduate coursework in economics at Cal State Fullerton. He graduated with a degree in economics and government from Claremont McKenna College, and pitched four years for the Claremont-Mudd Stags baseball team under Coach Randy Town. 

Time Stamps:
0:55 - Intro
6:11- Jibin's background
9:10 - Keeping seniors motivated on Zoom
11:32 - How students approach finals through remote learning
16:02 - Balancing personal/personal life as a Zoom teacher
18:33 - Decrease in parent engagement
21:54 - Academic performance steady/social interactions challenging
24:25 - Students' secondary plans
28:30 - Praise for Los Altos HS and principal Jeff Hess
29:08 - Wyzant.com
34:33 - Differences in social interaction at elementary and high school level
38:43 - Closing

[email protected]
www.wyzant.com

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So many times, we only look at our differences. Our skin color, our physical limitations, our academic challenges, and we make judgments based on them. And then, we 'pigeon-hole' them into what we believe they should be.

Dr. Bibinaz Pirayesh, educational therapist and founder of The Learning Tree, joins us this week to discuss how we can embrace our children's differences, advocate for them in school, and how to find balance in our lives.

This powerful conversation gives you an opportunity to reflect on your own parenting style, find some perspective, and make your family's lives less stressful. Bibi's calm methodology and approach will allow us to gain some perspective.

Dr. Pirayesh holds a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and Education from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master's degree in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University where her work focused primarily on children’s development of mathematical thinking and cognitive neuroscience. She works with children grades 1-12 and covers a wide range of learning difficulties including dyslexia, ADHD, and spectrum disorders. Dr. Pirayesh completed her doctoral work at Loyola Marymount University where she is also Faculty and is involved with a number of service organizations including The Association of Educational Therapists.

Time Stamps: 
1:35 - Introduction
3:09 - What is an educational therapist?
6:25 -  What have we gained this past year?
9:00 - Teaching in a box
12:40 - Systemic issues when we see those who are different
14:15 - Team approach to education
16:37 - Differences make us nervous
21:52 - Strategies to get parents involved
22:43 - Do LESS!
24:32 - Punam is guilty!
26:44 - Finding balance
28:00 - Where parents get their superpower
29:23 - Guilt and Fear fuel parents schedules
32:15 -Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond (releasing May 4)
33:02 - Parent expectations of themselves is insane
34:57 - Children bully themselves in their minds
36:20 - Closing

Resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bibi-pirayesh-b771331/
www.laeducationaltherapy.com
www.aetonline.org

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Many of us did not grow up with social media yet it has overtaken our lives as well as our children's. Between phones, iPads, computers, and video games, we have an addiction that many of us are victims of. 

But what are these devices doing to our children's behavior, social skills, and brain development? Larissa Mills joins us in the studio this week to share her research and startling findings. 

Larissa, in her role as a teacher, parent, and coach, observed a dramatic increase in unwanted and even violent behaviour in children. She saw a possible link between this negative behaviour and the increase in children's cell phone use. This inspired her to start a research proposal to investigate the link further. In her preliminary interviews with school administrators, teachers, and early childhood educators, there was a resounding consensus indicating a negative change in children's behaviour since the introduction of handheld devices in the classroom and at home. Her focus quickly expanded to include how parents balance and monitor their children's use of cell phones and devices. Today, this negative, violent behaviour is still occurring and becoming increasingly worse.  Larissa fears that if parents don't heed the medical guidelines, children will be unteachable in the classroom.

Time Stamps: 
1:14 - Introduction
2:35 - The 21st Century addiction: Phones
6:25 - Did you know 60% of parents are bullying others
7:03 - Parents' legal responsibility for their children's phones
11:16 - Disruption in sleep cycle
12:21 - Single most challenge facing parents with social media
14:17 - Dr. John Hutton, Cleveland Clinic, says linguistic part of the brain not developing
16:41 - Scariest stat yet
19:22 - Nothing good happens after midnight
23:47 - 3 C's of challenges professionals see in children
24:07 - Delays in development and affecting mental health
27:16 - Increase in admission of those with gaming addictions in addiction facilities
31:04 -  5 routines necessary to balance children's days
34:52 - Closing/Words of wisdom

Find Larissa Mills at www.iParentgen.com

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As we continue our series on bullying, Berthine Crevecoeur West joins us this week to discuss how she has created a business of educating business and children about cultural competence. 
Berthine was born in the US but her family hails from Haiti. Her first language is French and she learned English when she started school. Not understanding she was 'different', her teacher asked her mother to only speak with her in English. She was treated differently, even in the Black community.

As Berthine grew up, she realized she did not want this to be her fate so she created Westbridge Solutions to change the paradigm of how we teach and work with those coming from different backgrounds. Her expertise, novel approach to teaching cultural competence has changed the way ethnic groups are approached. 

Berthine Crèvecoeur West believes the power of knowledge is transformational. She founded Westbridge Solutions on the core competencies of planning and organization, cultural awareness, and collaborative working. Clients of Westbridge would agree that being a catalyst in these competencies enabled their organizations to deliver outstanding service. Berthine received both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from St. John’s University in Jamaica, NY. Prior to becoming the CEO of Westbridge Solutions, LLC, Berthine worked in the corporate and healthcare sectors as a multilingual professional. Her passion for learning and sharing knowledge with others led to her role as a trainer and public speaker. Berthine Crèvecoeur West is a best-selling author, award-nominated podcast host of The Global Fluency Podcast and Founder of Global Fluency Magazine. She has been featured on CBS, FOX and NBC, as well as other domestic and international media. All of her projects continue her drive towards positive cultural change on a global scale.

Contact Berthine at https://www.westbridgesolutions.com

Time Stamps: 

1:10 - Intro
3:40 - Cultural Competence/Paradigm Shift
7:45 - Berthine is the 'other'
9:19 - Discriminated against her own 
11:22 - Berthine becomes the first Nationally Certified Healthcare Interpreter in GA
14:15 - Pendulum of cultural competence moving slower than immigration rate
18:01 - Lead with logic and facts
23:23 - The impact of Ahmaud Arbrey 
28:00 - How do we help parents understand cultural competence
33:45 - Golden Rule

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Dwarfism is a genetic or medical condition that allows a person to be short in stature. We may look at these individuals and see them as different, treat them differently. 

Christophe Zajac-Denek, host of the podcast I'm Kinda a Big Deal, joins us in the studio this week to discuss his life as a dwarf and how he has overcome multiple surgeries to become a successful competitive surfer, an actor, and a podcaster. His podcast is about the unique lives of people affected by dwarfism. He interviews little people and we talk about the successes, the struggles, the funny, and the real day-to-day experiences we, as little people, face. His goal is to build a bridge between little people and the average height world.

He reminds us that regardless of our size, color, or any other discriminatory characteristic, we can accomplish anything we'd like. 

His laughter and stick-to-it-ness will inspire you to keep focusing on your goals, regardless of what stands in your way.

He was born with Cartlidge Hair Hypoplasia and started seeing a dwarfism specialist at age 2. He's had 2 reconstructive leg surgeries (ages 6, 16) and a spinal fusion (age 17, fused from T1-L4). I'm 4'4" tall. 

Went to college at Michigan State University.

Began working as a TV producer for local community stations.

Started a rock band in which I played drums. We toured the US and Europe for 6 years. Lots of press in Detroit and opened for Iggy Pop, Motion City Soundtrack, My Chemical Romance, Ok GO, and more.

Christophe left the band and moved to Hollywood to pursue music and ended up getting work in the acting/film industry as an actor/stuntman for various productions.

Notable productions I've worked on: Twin Peaks, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Oz: The Great And Powerful, Fresh Off The Boat, My Dinner With Herve, Insidious 4.

Listen to Christophe's podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/im-kind-of-a-big-deal/id1484411273

To learn more about dwarfism, check out this site: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dwarfism/symptoms-causes/syc-20371969

Time Stamps: 
1:12 - Intro
3:27 - Little people have to grow up before anyone else
8:25 - How tall is Christophe?
9:15 - Friendships growing up
11:20 - Encountering people in the wild
14:08 - Children have no judgment
15:51 - Adult life and self-confidence
20:27 - Educate/re-educate parents
21:47  - I'm Kinda a Big Deal
24:01 - The 'E' words
26:49 - Judge someone based on their character
28:35 - Ally, Christophe's special guest
30:05 - Punam's Freshman story
32:24 - Christophe, the drummer
35:56 - Parting words of wisdom

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The past year has been difficult for everyone. The constant fluidity in our lives, concern for family members, and trying to maintain some type of normalcy have all been challenging. But if you are an Asian American, you are facing intense scrutiny, bullying, and crimes.

Unfortunately, the backlash against Asian American Pacific Islanders has risen with the political climate of phrases such as "Kung Flu" and 'China Virus".  

It is such an honor to have Dr. Russell Jeung, professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, join me in the studio this week to discuss how Asian Americans are being bullied and what we can do about it. 

Teaching our children to appreciate and embrace physical and cultural differences is crucial for a homogeneous society. 

As an AA, I'm saddened to watch the increased violence and hatred among any group of people, but especially those from my heritage. This is a learning opportunity for everyone. For Asian Americans to teach about our culture, and our hopes and dreams. For those who want to understand, be inclusive, to embrace our differences, this episode is for you.

Dr. Jeung is a rock star in his work and has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, KTLA, and Time magazine to name a few.

Time Stamps:

2:09 - Introduction of Dr. Russell Jeung
5:02 - AAPIs, mental health, and COVID
6:30 - AAPI youth are disproportionately discriminated against
9:24  - 3 ways AAPIs are being attacked
14:08 - What can parents do to mitigate this hate
15:00 - How AAPI parents can talk to their children
16:49 - How non-Asians can talk to their children
18:27 - AAs and cyberbullying
23:40 - Women and girls being targeted more
24:17 - Help the Cause of Stop AAPI Hate
29:57 - Empower parents to empower their children
31:47 - Words of wisdom from Dr. Jeung

www.stopaapihate.org

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