In this podcast episode I speak with Kelsey Oakes. Kelsey teaches first and second grade at Lucy Craft Laney Elementary School in the Minneapolis Public School District. The student population at Lucy Laney is 96% students of color, 85% of which are black; and 87% of the students receive free or reduced lunch. Regardless of the demographics, Lucy Laney sees consistent gains in their academic performance year after year.

Kelsey went through Constructing the Innocent Classroom with her school in 2015 and has been practicing since then. As she continues to engage the good of each child, she is also preparing for transitioning students in and out of her classroom next year. Kelsey shares with us how she connects with incoming kids and collaborates with colleagues to build relationships with students moving into and out of their classrooms in the fall. She also reminds us that it’s never too late to start connecting with a child.