Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE

For the first episode of 2024, I caught up with Ashley Moore to learn about her early teaching career and her long journey from the classroom to the principalship. To learn more about Ashley's work, you can follow her on Instagram (@principal_mo) and Twitter (@Principal_Mo).

BIO:

At Empowerment Academy, students learn while laughing, having fun and trying new things. Principal Moore’s out-of-the-box thinking creates new ways to make learning enjoyable for both students and staff. Her emphasis on arts integration and hands-on creativity in the classroom means that students dance, rhyme and make art to better understand math equations and to build literacy skills. Principal Moore has been known to don a costume and pop into classroom after classroom, bringing joy and laughter to each room. The logic is clear: students learn more effectively when having fun.

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In this week's episode, I welcomed Dr. Laureen Adams to the podcast to share about her early upbringing in California, her father's influence on her work as an educator, living and working in Ghana, her views on liberatory education, and much more! To learn more about Laureen's work, you can visit her website at laureenadams.com or you can follow her on Instagram (@laureenadamsphd).

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In this episode, I welcome back my good friend Dr. Courtney E. Rose to talk about the release of her debut book, "Woven Together", the importance of teacher prioritizing their identity development, her mother's influence in shaping her educator identity, and so much more! To learn more about Dr. Rose, you can visit her website at drcourtneyrose.com or follow her on Instagram (@drcourtneyrose)

BIO:

Dr. Courtney Rose is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Educational Policy Studies department at Florida International University. the Founder of Ivy Rose Consulting. Dr. Rose earned an Ed.D. in Curriculum & Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University, an M.Ed. in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Florida. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Dr. Rose taught Math & Science for three years in the Duval County Public School system in Jacksonville, FL (two years of which were completed during her commitment as a Teach for America corps member). During her years in Jacksonville, she also spent two summers working as a Corps Member Advisor, helping to develop incoming Teach for America Corps members working with a team to prepare and facilitate various professional development experiences.

Currently, her research and work interests include the development and implementation of innovative approaches to social justice-oriented, critical and culturally relevant instructional practices and curricular designs with the goal of (re)humanizing education. Dr. Rose emphasizes critical self-reflection in all of her teacher education/development work. Her upcoming book, Woven Together: How Unpacking Your Teacher Identity Creates a Stronger Learning Community, published by Jossey-Bass/Wiley, serves as a guide and resource in engaging in this reflective process. Through the inclusion of teacher narratives (including her own personal experiences) and reflective journal prompts/activities, Woven Together provides teachers and school/district leaders  with the opportunity to reflect on the core experiences and beliefs that served as the threads of their teacher identity and the tools to weave together more humanized learning communities for and with their students.

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In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing the Anti-Racist Art Educators Collective, represented by Paula Liz, Vernon Faines, Dr. Reji Mathew, Dr. Lori Santos, and Anjali Wells.

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In this episode, I had the honor of chatting with one of my favorite educated couples, Nita and Mike Creekmore. In our conversation, they shared about their early upbringings, how they first met in college as friends and reconnected years later, how they navigate the world of education as husband and wife, their new book, "Every Connection Matters", and much more! To learn more about the Creekmores, you can connect with them with the following information:

MIKE:

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In this episode, I had the honor of speaking with educator-turned-therapist Jess Cleeves about the ups and downs of her educator journey, her introduction to clinical therapy, and the three maladies that negatively impact teacher performance and quality of life. To learn more about Jess's work, you can visit her website at jesscleeves.com or follow her on LinkedIn.

BIO:

Before becoming a classroom teacher, Jess worked with learners in informal contexts from after-school programs for 1st-3rd graders to outdoor programming for incarcerated students. After earning her MAT in secondary science education at Stanford's Teacher Prep program (STEP), Jess taught in impacted and marginalized communities in California, Colorado, and Utah, supporting all ages and stages of students from middle school through experienced in-service educators. Jess earned a second Master's of Social Work at the University of Utah while she served as the Associate Director for Equitable Instruction and Clinical Support at the Center for Science and Mathematics Education. Her current work includes a clinical therapy practice and supporting educators through workshops and consultation.

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In this episode, I had the honor of welcoming multi-award winning educator and author Keisha Rembert on the podcast to talk about her educator journey, her new book, "The Antiracist ELA Classroom", her transition from teaching in the classroom to entering the world of academia, and so much more! To learn more about Keisha's work, you can follow her on Instagram and Twitter (@klrembert).

In 2019, Rembert was named Illinois History Teacher of the Year as well as the 2019 National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) Outstanding Middle-Level English Educator. Her commitment to advocacy and equity is best reflected in her published works, myriad nationally recognized presentations, consultant work and as a Teach Plus Policy Alum, her work with the Illinois State Board of Education’s Diverse Learner and Teacher Ready Network and as a Master Teacher for the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

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In this episode, I had a chance to chat with reading specialist Shannon Moore In our conversation, Shannon shares about how she developed a love for reading as a child and rediscovered that love as an adult, her educator journey, and why the Science of Reading is the best approach for teaching students how to read. To learn more about Shannon's work, you can visit her website at mooreliteracyleaps.com or follow her on Instagram (@mooreliteracyleaps⁠)

BIO:

Shannon Moore earned a master of arts in teaching and an education specialist certification in reading. She has held many roles as an educator, including classroom teacher, interventionist, instructional coach, consultant, reading specialist, and private tutor.

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In this episode, I had a chance to catch up with my good friend and 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year Briana Morales. In our conversation, Briana shares about her early childhood, overcoming family trauma, the teacher who inspired her to become a teacher, her work with TeachPlus, and so much more! To learn more about Briana's work, you can follow her on LinkedIn or on Instagram (@queenh0neyb)

BIO:

Briana Morales is a proud Latina and freedom fighter for students in alternative education, where she has spent her career loving and learning alongside students furthest from justice in East St. Louis, IL. She focuses on empowering her students with personalized, competency-based education where their cultural funds of knowledge are honored and students work at their own pace to master content rather than traditional learning that focuses on seat time and completion of work. Briana was honored as a 2021 NCTE Early Career Educator of Color and has shared the journey she and her students have embarked on to turn pain into power through narrative poetry of witness both locally and nationally. Her commitment as a school board member for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, School District #428 has allowed her to elevate the voices of justice-impacted youth. She is deeply passionate about creating healing-centered spaces where Black and brown students can feel seen, heard, and, one day, be free to be their authentic selves. Her love offering toward this future is her nonprofit, (Sister)Hood of Hope, Inc., dedicated to honoring brighter futures for girls of color everywhere by empowering them through the community of sisterhood. She earned her BA in secondary English education from St. Ambrose University and her MEd in curriculum and instruction from American College of Education. She is currently pursuing an EdD in diversity and equity in education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Briana is the 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year.

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In this episode, I had the honor of welcoming Dr. Jen Fry to the podcast to learn about her early childhood, how she developed her love for sports, making the transition from college coach to a career in speaking and educating the masses about social justice issues within the sports arena, and so much more! To learn more about Jen's work, you can visit her website at jenfrytalks.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter (@jenfrytalks).

BIO:

Recently, Jen co-founded Hyreable, a career development company helping BIPOC professionals in the world of sports. She is also moving her group movement platform, Coordle, to market. Coordle is an intuitive, feature-rich app and web platform that serves as a central hub for all your real-time information, communication, logistics, and needs as you move your group.

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