Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE

In this episode, I welcomed my good friend Sharla Stevens and the Ancestors to the show to talk about her personal journey in education, how her HBCU experience shaped her development as an educator, the inspiration behind the founding of her company, Healing Racism in Schools, and so much more!  To learn more about Sharla's work, you can follow her on Instagram (@healingracisminschools), Facebook (The Antiracist Educator - Fighting White Supremacy in Schools) and LinkedIn.  You can also visit her company website at sharlastevensconsulting.com 

BIO: Sharla Stevens is a passionate educator eager to see our schools deliver on their promise to educate ALL children. In her 20+ year career in education, she has seen the ways that white supremacy causes great harm in our schools. As a mother of 2, her mission became even more urgent! She created her business, Healing Racism in Schools, LLC to provide school leaders with the anti-racism training necessary to serve ALL students.

In this special episode, I had the honor of welcoming Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz to the podcast to share about her personal journey in academia, her best-selling poetry book "Love from the Vortex", the love lessons she has learned from her past relationships, her evolving work around racial literacy development, and much more!  If you're a lover of love, this episode is tailor made for you!  To learn more about Dr. Sealey-Ruiz's work, you can visit her website at yolandasealeyruiz.com or follow her on Instagram (@yolie_sealeyruiz) and on Twitter (@RuizSealey).  

BIO: Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz is an award-winning Associate Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on racial literacy in teacher education, Black girl literacies, and Black and Latinx male high school students. A sought-after speaker on issues of race, culturally responsive pedagogy, and diversity, Sealey-Ruiz works with K-12 and higher education school communities to increase their racial literacy knowledge and move toward more equitable school experiences for their Black and Latinx students. Sealey-Ruiz appeared in Spike Lee’s “2 Fists Up: We Gon’ Be Alright”, a documentary about the Black Lives Matter movement and the campus protests at Mizzou. Her co-authored book [with Dr. Detra Price-Dennis] Advancing Racial Literacies in Teacher Education: Toward Activism for Equity in Digital Spaces will be published in April 2021.  Her first full-length collection of poetry Love from the Vortex & Other Poems (Kalediscope Vibrations LLC) was published in March, 2020, and her sophomore book of poetry, The Peace Chronicles will be released in Summer 2021.

In this episode, I virtually made my way to Toronto, Canada to have a conversation with Sylvia Duckworth.  In our conversation, Sylvia shares her personal journey as an educator, the future of ed tech in this virtual learning era, the benefits of sketchnoting as a useful tool for students & teachers in the classroom, and how she has evolved in her engagement in antiracist work during her retirement.  To learn more about Sylvia's work, you can visit her website at sylviaduckworth.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter (@sylviaduckworth).   

BIO: Sylvia Duckworth is an award-winning teacher and sketchnoting enthusiast from Toronto, Canada. She is a Google Certified Innovator, Trainer and Apple Distinguished Educator and frequent keynote speaker at educational events. She is the author of two books: "Sketchnotes for Educators" and "How to Sketchnote: A Step-by-Step Manual for Teachers and Students". She blogs and shares her teaching resources at sylviaduckworth.com. To see samples of the drawings in "Sketchnotes for Educators", please visit https://sites.google.com/view/sketchnotesforeducators/home. For more information on ""How to Sketchnote: A Step-by-Step Manual for Teachers and Students", please visit https://sylviaduckworth.com/how-to-sketchnote-a-step-by-step-manual/

In this episode, I had the honor of welcoming Latania Marr y Ortega to talk about her personal journey in educator, her Chicana heritage, the emergence of bilingualism, her doctoral work on the community cultural wealth of culturally linguistically diverse families, and much more!  To learn more about Latania's work, you can follow her on Instagram (@_my_own_muse) and Twitter (@LMarr98)!  

BIO: Latania Marr y Ortega is an Ed.D Candidate at Kansas State University (K-State) where she facilitates Teaching English as a Second Language courses in the Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy (CIMA). Most recently, she assisted in organizing and facilitating the inaugural conference, "Beyond Envisioning Equity: Situating Teachers of Color Voices".  A New Mexico native, Latania has been an educator for 19 years. She taught in a dual language elementary school program where she also was an instructor in the University of New Mexico (UNM) Family Literacy program in Albuquerque, NM. She continued her work with families when she taught adult ESL programs during her time as a secondary English Language Arts Teacher. Her passion to advocate for and engage BIPOC families in our school communities has continued by sharing strategies to current and future teachers to use the Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005) to drive instruction as well as resist the injustice and systemic racism that is prevalent in our school systems.  Latania proudly earned her MA in Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies (emphasis: Bilingual Education) at UNM. She earned her BA in Elem.Ed (minors:Bilingual/TESOL & Sociology) from New Mexico Highlands University.

For this special episode, I had the privilege of speaking with laryngologist Dr. Sandra Stinnett.  In our conversation, we discussed the importance of teachers exercising vocal health, the correlations between voice disorders and teacher burnout, the need for school districts to invest in sound-field amplification devices for teachers, and so much more!  To learn more about Dr. Stinnett's work, you can follow her on Instagram & Tiktok (@thevoiceboxdoctor), as well as on Twitter (@thevoiceboxdoc).   

BIO:  Dr. Sandra Stinnett, popularly known as "The Voice Box Doctor", is most recently from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD where she completed her fellowship in Neurolaryngology (study of the voice box). She received her Medical Degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and was then accepted into the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital - Department of Otolaryngology where she completed her internship and residency training.   She is a classically trained pianist and has performed in venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall and Cami Hall. She is also a vocalist with experience in performing, recording and leading worship in her local church. Dr. Stinnett joins the University of Tennessee Health Science Center as Assistant Professor and Director of the Division of Laryngology. She is passionate about creating an awareness for vocal hygiene and prevention in the Memphis community and providing state of the art care in this field. Her areas of expertise include the full spectrum of disorders of the voice which range from management of the professional voice, treatment of neurological conditions of the larynx, benign and malignant conditions of the vocal folds, vocal fold paralysis, endoscopic airway and reconstruction as well as swallowing disorders. She also is particularly interested in endoscopic and office-based approaches, in addition to the use of laser treatment in laryngeal disorders.

In this episode, I'm honored to welcome Trisha Moquino to the podcast to talk about her personal journey in education, the inspiration behind the founding of the Keres Children's Learning Center and the Indigenous Montessori Institute, and what actionable steps that educators, school districts, and teacher education programs need to take to center the cultural, historical, and lived experiences of Indigenous People with fidelity.  To learn more about Trisha's work, you can visit her personal website at indigenouscheerleader.com or the Keres Children's Learning Center website at kclcmontessori.org.  You can also follow Trisha on Instagram with the handles @indigenouseducators and @indigenouscheerleader.  

BIO: Trisha Moquino (Cochiti, Ohkay Owhingeh, Kewa) is the co-founder of Keres Children's Learning Center (KCLC), a Keres-immersion early childhood classroom using Montessori pedagogy that includes a Montessori dual-language Elementary classroom. The vision for a school supporting Keres language and cultural learning and academic development came largely from Moquino’s master’s thesis in Bilingual Education at the University of New Mexico.   

For the last 3 years, Moquino has been working with her KCLC colleagues and Montessori Partners to build the Indigenous Montessori Institute (IMI), a teacher training program that uses indigenous knowledge systems and Montessori philosophy to approach education reform.   Before KCLC and IMI, Moquino taught in public, private, and BIE schools, but realized she was perpetuating an educational system that didn’t work for many Indigenous children, propelling her to develop a different approach to education for her own and other Pueblo children.   

Moquino is a founding board member of Montessori for Social Justice and is a Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow with the First Nations Development Institute. She has a Montessori Elementary I certification from the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies and completed her Primary training with United Montessori Association.

In this episode, I had the honor of having Dr. Tyra Good on the podcast to share about her upbringing in Pittsburgh, PA, how her time at an HBCU (i.e. Howard University) shaped her development as an educator, and the current work she's doing as the founding executive director of the Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE) at Elms College in Chicopee, MA.  To learn more about Dr. Good's work, you can follow her on all social media platforms with the handle @tyrathegooddr or visit the Center for Equity in Urban Education website at https://www.elms.edu/ceue/.  

BIO: Dr. Tyra Good is the founding executive director of the Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE) at Elms College. Good has more than 10 years of experience teaching education, and, most recently, she was assistant professor of practice in education at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA. Good is the founder and chief academic consultant for GOOD Knowledge Connections and the founder of the Black Educators Network (BEN) of Greater Pittsburgh. The BEN is a strategic team of K-12, Higher Education, and community educators working across school district and community lines to help ensure the academic and personal success of African-American youth from underserved communities.  

For her dedication and commitment to diversifying the teaching pipeline and preparing pre-service teachers to work in urban settings, Good has received a myriad of award recognitions. Most recently, she was awarded a 2019 National Deeper Learning Equity Fellowship through Big Picture Learning and Internationals Network for Public Schools. Deeper Learning Equity Fellows are exceptional leaders, education practitioners, policy advocates, and researchers who are committed to expanding Deeper Learning educational practices aimed at improving public education opportunities for underserved communities.  

Dr. Good received her bachelor’s in business management from Howard University, a master of arts in teaching from Chatham University, and a doctorate in educational leadership and evaluation from Duquesne University.

In this episode, I'm honored to have the good brother Justis Lopez on the podcast.  In our conversation, he shares his personal journey in education, the inspiration behind the founding of his company, Just Experience, the evolution of hip-hop pedagogy in K-12 education, and the reason why "happyvism" is the key for centering youth voice and creating liberatory spaces within our education system.  To learn more about Justis' work, you can visit the Just Experience website at justexperienceus.com or the Project Happyvism website at projecthappyvism.com.  You can also follow him on Instagram (@social_justis) and Facebook!   

BIO: Justis Lopez is an educator, consultant, activist, youth advocate, and a  proud native of Manchester, CT. A first-generation college student, Lopez enrolled at the University of Connecticut through the TRIO program and graduated with a Master's Degree in Curriculum & Instruction. Upon graduating from the University of Connecticut, Lopez returned to his alma mater, Manchester High School, as a social studies teacher for a few years before moving to New York to work as a high school Government & Politics teacher and taught hip-hop & civics classes in the South Bronx, an experience that he says transformed him.  

He then continued work at a consulting startup he began during his time at UConn, Just Experience LLC, a multiplatform company that seeks to create spaces of joy to entertain and empower others. His consulting work extends to several higher education institutions and K-12 schools, along with the Council for Opportunity in Education, where he had previously served as the Director of Alumni Relations.  Most recently, Lopez, along with his business partner Ryan Parker, launched Project Happyvism, which is a project centered on choosing joy and self-love as a radical form of activism.  Aside from the Project Happyvism, Lopez currently serves as an adjunct professor of Education at Stephen F. Austin State University and plans to return to school to pursue a Master's Degree in Educational Entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania.

In this episode, I'm honored to have the dynamic duo of Claudine Miles & Kimberlie Milton of Restore More on the podcast.  In our conversation, they shared their personal journeys in education, the inspiration behind the founding of Restore More, and why it's important for K-12 school districts to center social-emotional learning, antiracism, and restorative practices to improve the educational experiences of their students.  To learn more about Restore More, you can visit their website at werestoremore.com or you can follow them on all social media platforms with the handle @werestoremore.  

BIO: Claudine Miles holds an English Degree from Hampton University, and an Educational Leadership degree from Georgia State University. As a proud TFA alum her work started at KIPP WAYS ACADEMY, a Title I. public charter in SW Atlanta. During her 10 years there, she served in several roles including: 6th grade Science Teacher, Grade Level Chair, Gifted Coordinator, Upper School Dean, and Dean of Restorative Practices. She’s won Teacher of the year and led her school to winning Charter School of The Year in 2016.   

Kimberlie Milton is a graduate of Jackson State University in Jackson, MS where she received her Bachelor’s degree in chemistry. After graduating in 2002, Ms. Milton joined the Teach for America program and began teaching at L.J. Price Middle School in Atlanta Public Schools. During this time, she completed the Mercer University Tift College of Education Master’s program with an emphasis in Middle School Education.  Over the past 20 years, Ms. Milton has served in several capacities in the education management arena across the nation. From assistant principal to regional director, Ms. Milton has been committed to developing an effective learning atmosphere for colleagues, parents, and scholars.   

In 2018, Claudine and Kimberlie co-founded a consulting firm called Restore More, which helps organizations build capacity with Restorative Practices, Self-Awareness, and Social-Emotional health. The central mission is to continue sharing wellness strategies nationwide to uplift communities of color.

In this episode, I had the incredible honor of welcoming Dr. Bree Picower to the podcast.  In our conversation, she shares her personal journey in education, her inspiration behind publishing her newest book, "Reading, Writing & Racism", how she has evolved as a social justice teacher educator over the span of her 20+ year career, and so much more!  To learn more about Dr. Picower's work, you can visit her website at breepicower.com or follow her on Instagram (@bossssy13), Twitter (@drbreebree), and Facebook!

BIO: Dr. Bree Picower is an Associate Professor at Montclair State University in the College of Education and Human Development. She is the Co-Director of the Urban Teacher Residency, Newark Teacher Project and the Critical Urban Education Speaker Series with Dr. Tanya Maloney at MSU.  Her newest book, Reading, Writing and Racism, is an unflinching examination of recent examples of viral racist curriculum and what it means for our educational institutions to take responsibility for addressing teachers’ understandings of race.

Along with co-editors Edwin Mayorga and Ujju Aggarwal, she released a 2nd edition of  What’s Race Got To Do With It? How current school reform maintains racial and economic inequality.  Her co-edited book with Rita Kohli, Confronting Racism in Teacher Education: Counternarratives of Critical Practice, examined patterns of institutional racism by amplifying the voices of non-dominant teacher educators.  In her first book, Practice What You Teach: Social Justice Education in the Classroom and the Streets, she explored a developmental continuum toward teacher activism.

Published widely in academic journals, her scholarship focuses on issues of race, racism and education.  Her students’ social justice curriculum is featured at UsingTheirWords.org.  Across all areas of work, Dr. Picower works to create spaces for educators to sharpen their political analysis and act for educational justice and was awarded the Scholar Activist of 2013 by the Critical Educators for Social Justice SIG of the American Educational Research Association.  She has taught in public elementary schools in Oakland, California and New York City.