Educator Forever

Katherine Hamilton is the Vice President of Programs at Ensemble Learning, where she oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation of all programmatic activities. With nearly 15 years of experience in the K-12 education space, Katherine specializes in effective teaching and learning, instructional leadership, overarching strategy to ensure equity for all student groups.

In this episode, Katherine told me about her journey from being a math teacher in L.A. to instructional coaching and how to best serve multilingual learners. She also shares some great insight on why teachers should consider different career paths.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode122.

Nathaniel Turner is a TED speaker, author, lawyer, financial advisor, and a college and career readiness Alchemist. He is also the survivor of eight adverse childhood experiences and his challenges led him on a powerful road of self discovery, providing him the tools to show parents how to rise above childhood trials, tribulations and low societal expectations to help any child realize their hopes and dreams. Nathaniel does so by sharing The Life Template, a backwards design process that enabled him to raise a multilingual son who left the country at the age of 16 to pursue his dream of playing professional soccer.

Nathaniel talked to me about his life and his son’s success — he went on to earn a  a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University — and dove further into his life template. Surprise! A part of it requires parents and teachers working together.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode121.

Kathleen deLaski is the founder and board chair of the Education Design Lab, which works with colleges, states, and employers to design shorter, more targeted forms of higher education. The Lab has pioneered the "micro-pathway" model with community colleges and leads work across the ecosystem to help employers look beyond college degrees to validate skills. Kathleen also founded or co-founded four non profits, some of which serve the K-12 education ecosystem. Before entering the field of education, she worked for several years as a journalist and later became the first woman to serve as spokesperson for the Pentagon.

In this episode, I talk to deLAski about her new book, “Who Needs College Anymore?” and what she’s learned about how students feel about higher education. She identifies four categories of people who need college degrees and four who don't, advocating for micro-pathways and apprenticeships. She also discussed the evolving landscape of higher education and the importance of exposing students to various career pathways.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode120.

Jesse Hartman is the co-owner of Hartman Tutoring and has over 20 years of tutoring experience. Since he started tutoring back as a student at Emory University, he has prepared students for nearly every standardized test and tutored them in every subject available.

In tis episode, we discuss how Jesse sees himself as an “academic guide,” how he teaches his students learning tools that go beyond the test, and how he incorporates what he learned as a rapper into his work.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode119.

In last week's episode, I talked about seeing the possibilities that are in front of you in this new year. And I think that's such an important practice for us all, to try and see all the many, or at least many of the many possibilities in front of us. So often we can start to see things in our own life so narrowly that we don't see there are so many other ways that things can be.

I encourage you to really make it a practice of seeing these possibilities. And when you do, it can be so inspiring, but it can also be overwhelming, because it can be like, Well, where do I even start? And so in this episode, I want to talk about choosing the right path forward.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode118.

As we embark on this new year, I want you to think about what you really want. Then believe– KNOW– that this is possible. Before setting goals and making progress towards what we want to achieve, we need to really see the possibilities in front of us.

So often, we talk ourselves out of doing what we want to do. I talked myself out of building Educator Forever for years. People will think I’m trying to take teachers away from teaching, I thought. I have a young baby at home, I reasoned. I know nothing about building a business, I told myself.

But there will always be excuses. ALWAYS. And we can always move through them to do the things we want to do. So the first thing I want you to think about is: What do you really want to do?

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode117.

Dr. Bibi Pirayesh is a learning specialist and educational therapist who has been in private practice for over 15 years. works with children in grades one through 12, and covers a wide range of learning difficulties, including dyslexia, ADHD and spectrum disorders. While the emphasis of her work is on remediating learning disabilities in a one on one setting, she is also a sought after speaker and community advocate for children and families around learning rights.

In this episode, Dr. Pirayesh and I discuss the need for educators to resist oppressive systems and promote social justice, particularly in the context of disability. She also mentions her project, "Difference is Not Deficit," aimed at fostering community and radical love. Pirayesh also advises teachers to pursue educational therapy to enhance their teaching skills and better support students with learning disabilities.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode116.

Khiana Wheeler leveraged her 15-year career in banking to seamlessly transition into education, bringing strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills to her role as a middle school science teacher. Passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences, she pivoted to curriculum writing and instructional design, where she applies her unique blend of industry and teaching expertise to develop engaging, standards-aligned content.

In this episode Khiana and I discuss how she found joy in curriculum development, how her teaching experience has helped her career and the importance of freelancing. (Excuse us for some of the technical difficulties, we had Internet issues.)

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode115.

Cynthia Rapaido is a highly accomplished educator with over 30 years of experience in K-12 education. She’s spent time as a high school principal, assistant principal and teacher, and went on to do work many roles in higher education. With so much experience built up over the years, she recently put the lessons she learned into her book, “Step Up Your School Leadership Game.”

In our discussion, Cynthia emphasizes the importance of mentorship and networking in education. She also breaks down the strategies she’s developed, such as the Fruit Leadership Chart to foster better understanding and collaboration among teachers.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode114.

Dr Jewel White Williams has a doctorate in health sciences and certifications as a health education specialist, certified nursing assistant and EMT with over 22 years of experience as an English teacher and school administrator, Dr Jewel has a passion for both education and wellness. She blends her expertise in health sciences and education to empower communities fostering impactful wellness and self advocacy strategies.

In this episode, Dr. Jewel emphasizes the importance of self-care and wellness for educators, advocating for a three-pronged approach: foundational wellness, community engagement, and luxury care. In our discussion, she highlights the need for educators to prioritize their well-being and encourages them to explore new opportunities within the field.

For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode113.