Outrageous Love the Podcast: Our Journeys to Responsiveness

Dr. Hollie's riff on celebrating 5 years!

Learn more about CLR and Dr. Hollie at www.culturallyresponsive.org and Twitter @validateaffirm

Here Linda's interview

Learn more about CLR and Dr. Hollie at www.culturallyresponsive.org and Twitter @validateaffirm

Hear Kim's Interview...

Learn more about CLR and Dr. Hollie at www.culturallyresponsive.org and Twitter @validateaffirm

In April 2020, we launched the first episode of Outrageous Love the Podcast. We had no idea that 4 years and over 25,000 downloads later,  we we would be still launching. Thank you VABB nation! This episode celebrates 5 years of outrageous love and the over 40 educators who have shared their journeys to responsiveness with us. Thanks to all the previous guests. Your stories have been inspirational, educational, and enlightening. This very special episode will continue our annual tradition of starting a new season with Dr. Hollie's personal episode, which means that he brings on someone from his personal space. This time, we have his two master teachers from 31 years ago.  The amazing Linda Wolvek and the incredible Kim Dallape both share their influential and impactful journeys to responsiveness. They also share their memories of Dr. Hollie when he was a first year teacher.

Learn more about CLR and Dr. Hollie at www.culturallyresponsive.org and Twitter @validateaffirm

We continue our PRIDE series, celebrating educators who are LGBTQA+ and PROUD, serving as models and advocates for their students. In this final installment, we meet Theresa Hopkins. LGBTQA+ Advocate. Arts Teacher. Artist. Awesome. Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Theresa is a long time educator, who has been validating and affirming her students since the first day she walked into the classroom, over 25 years ago. She is always taught in African American students in Title 1 schools. Theresa has run the Art Academy for over 10 years. Most importantly, Theresa has been authentic with who she is not only as an educator but as a person. It has not been easy and took her a while to come to it. You want to hear how she did it - a most fascinating, inspiring, and empowering journey to responsiveness. See her on Instagram at  Art Academy   @jeffersonartacademy; art gallery @ellipsisstudiostl; her artist page @rychus_artis. And don't forget Dr. Hollie's two cents, as he reminds us of the purpose and importance of advocacy.

Learn more about CLR and Dr. Hollie at www.culturallyresponsive.org and Twitter @validateaffirm

We continue the highlighting and celebration of LGBTQIA+ CLR educators with Tsedale Forbes from the Ithaca City Schools. Tsedale identifies as non-binary (she/they) in an open, courageous, and inspiring way. Listen to Tsedale's journey from the Bronx, where the importance and value of advocacy was learned in a transformational way, to Ithaca where now as an educator she is empowering students to be advocates and courageous. Like the last PRIDE episode focus, you will be educated and enlightened. Dr. Hollie riffs on the power and the value to students of CLR educators modeling their cultural authenticity. 

Learn more about CLR and Dr. Hollie at www.culturallyresponsive.org and Twitter @validateaffirm

Part of being CLR is that we don't wait on designated months to celebrate culture. We believe that culture should be celebrated 365, 24/7 and we encourage "random acts" of cultural celebration. This episode we celebrate PRIDE and our  LGBTQIA+ community. Authentically representing is Ana Bialsky from city of Lowell, Massachusetts near Boston. But what started out as a celebration became testimony of living and speaking your truth and validating and affirm your students through advocacy, agency, and voice. In short, we need more Ana's in CLR. You will not be disappointed and you might want to be sitting down while listening. Dr. Hollie's two cents discusses what happens when there is honesty, openness, and transparency (and courage) in the room.  

Learn more about CLR and Dr. Hollie at www.culturallyresponsive.org and Twitter @validateaffirm

Our December episode traditionally features a "non-educator" educator, meaning that we hear journeys of folks who are serving as educators outside of the system or in a different career. Have you ever walked into your job and just quit? Have you ever thought about "leaving the system" because you realize that nothing to little is going to change? You decide to fight another way. Meet someone who has.  LeDominque Rhodes is an CLR educator from Missouri who did both. Now living in Texas and a semester away from her doctoral degree, soon to be Dr. Rhodes shares her journey to responsiveness and what led her to make a bold career move. Dr. Hollie riffs on what is predicted to a chaotic 2024 socially and politically and he poses this questions: Are we as CLR educators ready to get crazy with crazy?

Learn more about CLR and Dr. Hollie at www.culturallyresponsive.org and Twitter @validateaffirm

We round out the series, "Don't Call Me Karen," with Melissa Scadina, a CLR educator originally from San Jose, California. Melissa has been rolling with Dr. Hollie for over 15 years. Wherever she goes to teach, she has brought CLR with her, including her current stint in Brooklyn. Her story is an actual journey, not only metaphorical. If anybody embodies the spirit and purpose of CLRness, it is Melissa Scadina. Proof is her keen insight and perspective as it applies to the Karen issue. Dr. Hollie will reiterate why the focus on issue in the first place and re-challenge CLR educators to be willing to take on the tough topics for our students' sake and understanding.

Learn more about CLR and Dr. Hollie at www.culturallyresponsive.org and Twitter @validateaffirm

Meet Carrie Eicher, seasoned CLR educator and she is not a so-called Karen. Carrie Eicher's journey takes us from Minnesota to Great Britain back to Minnesota. In addition to international flavor, Eicher discusses her angle on the "Karen" phenomenon. As a white woman in education, she has had many vantage points that has led her to be insightful about her privilege and yet being a woman she has experienced sexism. All provocative stuff. You will want to listen in. Dr. Hollie's two cents sets it off by giving the origins of why we are focusing "Karen." You will be very interested in how the thought developed. Here is a hint: a 3rd grader.

Learn more about CLR and Dr. Hollie at www.culturallyresponsive.org and Twitter @validateaffirm