By Kwame Sarfo-Mensah
The podcast currently has 177 episodes available.
For the first time in the podcast's history, I will be the interviewee and I've enlisted the help of my friends Dr. MaryAnn DeRosa and Maymouna Sakho to serve as co-hosts for this special episode. In this special episode, I open up about my childhood, my early origins as an educator, the making of my newest book "Learning to Relearn", and my life as a father and family man.
BIO:
MaryAnn DeRosa, Ed.D is a passionate progressive educator with over 20 years of experience working in the classroom as a lead classroom teacher, special educator, and instructional and SEL/Equity coach. As a teacher leader and teacher trainer, she leads rigorous and joyful professional development on topics including Social Emotional Learning, Equity and Inclusion, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Exceptional Learners, Multilingual Learners and Cultivating Creativity. With experience and deep knowledge of practice, MaryAnn designs content and curriculum that builds knowledge, fosters creativity and critical thinking skills within justice-centered engaging learning environments. MaryAnn has spent her career teaching in Washington DC public schools and in international schools in China, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and in Italy.
Maymouna Sakho is an educator, advocate, leader, supporter, and connector of people and ideas, who is passionate about serving others - particularly children - to reach their fullest potential. She currently serves as the Head of the Elementary Student Support Department at an international school in Africa. Prior to becoming an educator, Maymouna served as a financial and budget analyst, program director, student advisor, coach, and mentor. She holds a Master of Public Administration with a focus on nonprofit/financial management from New York University and a Master of Education from CUNY City College with a focus on Inclusion/Special Education. Maymouna's passion for working to create equitable and inclusive spaces comes from her experience of growing up betwen two culutres, having to learn a new language and system and find a place and voice for herself. Maymouna is the founder of SLC - dedicated to supporting individuals and organizations to innovate through embracing and implementing equitable and inclusive practices. She also serves as a mentor of the AIELOC Aspiring Leaders of Color Program, co-leads AIELOC's Learning Support Affinity Group, and chairs the SENIA Africa Board. Outside of her professional life, Maymouna is passionate about spending time with her famly and friends, traveling to new countries, cooking and exploring new places to eat and working with individuals with a vision and desire to contribute to the ever changing African landscape through education and advocacy.
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This week's episode features Ceci Gomez-Galvez, who shares about her early upbringing in Guatemala City, her parents' influence in her multilingual development, her passion for supporting multilingual learners, and much more! To learn more about Ceci's work, you can visit her website at https://cgomez.mystrikingly.com and follow her on Instagram, Twitter (@cecigomez_g) and LinkedIn.
Born and raised in Guatemala City, Ceci Gomez-Galvez grew up in a unique bilingual household nurtured by her family who valued languages equally. Inspired by her own upbringing and her extensive experience in international schools, Ceci now leads a support program for multilingual learners at Saigon South International School in Vietnam, based on practices that ensure culturally responsive teaching and equitable access.
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In this week's episode, I had a great conversation with Dr. Anashay Wright, who is the Chief Executive Disruptor and Visionary of Disruptive Partners Consulting. In our conversation, she opens up about her early upbringing in Atlanta, her mother's lasting influence in her life, finding her disruptive spirit as an educator, the future of AI, and building cross-racial solidarity with white allies. To learn more about Dr. Anashay's work, you can visit her website at https://disruptive.partners or follow her at @anashaydisrupts on Instagram and Twitter.
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In this week's episode, I welcome Charity Marcella Moran to the podcast to talk about growing up in Louisiana, developing a passion for project-based learning, co-writing her book, "Place-Based Learning: Connecting Inquiry, Community and Culture", her business ventures, and so much more! To learn more about Charity's work, you can visit her company website at iDoSchool.com or follow her on Instagram (@iamgr8n3ss) and LinkedIn.
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In this week's episode, I welcome Dr. Samara Susan Ryce to the podcast to talk about growing up in Trinidad and moving to the United States at a young age, her doctoral journey, raising neurodivergent children as a single parent, and her passion for mentoring early career teachers, and so much more! To learn more about Samara's work, you can follow her on Instagram (@dr_samara_ryce), Twitter (@DrSamaraRyce), and LinkedIn.
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To honor the guest's request for her identity to remain anonymous, there will be no video version of this week's episode.
This week's guest, AJ, shares about her journey as an international educator and open up about the challenges she faced in securing an international teaching job in Africa.
BIO:
An international educator with over 17 years of experience in cross-cultural education, AJ has taught in numerous countries across the USA, Asia, and Africa. She is known for implementing innovative teaching techniques that enhance student potential and motivate them to achieve their best.
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In this week's episode, I welcome Dr. Emily Meadows to the podcast to talk about her educator journey, her commitment to social justice, supporting LGBTQ+ students in international schools, the origins of the Whiteness Accountability Group for international educators, and much more! To learn more about Emily's work, you can visit her website at emilymeadows.org or follow her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@emilymeadowsorg)
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In this week's episode, I had the honor of interviewing Dr. MaryAnn Derosa to learn about her early upbringing overseas, growing up with interracial parents, her educator journey, the neuroscience behind multilingualism, and how international schools can bridge the connection with neurodiversity and DEIJ. To learn more about MaryAnn's work, you can visit her website at maryannderosa.com or follow her on LinkedIn.
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In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Heather Michel to learn about her early upbringing, her early years as an educator, her self-care journey, and her mission to support the mental health and wellness of teachers of color through her organization, "Teachers of Color Matter". To learn more about Dr. Michel's work, you can visit her website at teachersofcolormatter.com or follow her on Instagram (@teachersofcolor_matter) and LinkedIn.
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In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul to learn about her educator journey, her early foray into the music business, her new book, "Antiracist Reading Revolution", how her perspectives on literacy have shifted throughout her career, life as a mother, and much more! To learn more about Sonja's work, you can visit her website at sonjacherrypaul.com or follow her on Twitter (@sonjacherrypaul) and LinkedIn.
LINKS:
Instagram
The podcast currently has 177 episodes available.