The Center of Things

We continue our conversation from last week with Remel Derrick and Chris Daughtery, two African American men who provide their perspective on the subject of white privilege and the black experience in light of the protests that are taking place all around the world. 

In our first podcast recorded since we entered the world of the COVID 19 pandemic, we address the changes that the world has gone through in the last several months and especially in the last week. This is part 1 of 2 where we are discussing the recent protests over the killing of George Floyd as well as the other murders of black men and women. We talk about our own understanding of the black experience and white privilege.

In, yet another conversation recorded many moons ago, before the COVID 19 Pandemic hit us, we sit down with Nationally renowned high school speech and debate coach Julie Schniers about tough conversations that each of us have had to have on occasion and what our various styles of conflict management say about us. 

After an extended hiatus from Podcasting, Kyle and and Seth return to form with a brand new episode...that was recorded in September of 2019. Think of it like the long awaited next season of your favorite HBO or Netflix series. They always make you wait forever for the next season. 

Except, we've also changed the name! Speaking Of...

From here on we'll be expanding our topics beyond education toward whatever is on our minds or in the world. 

Brittany Tawater is more than just a band director, she is a Middle School Band director AND a high school color guard director AND she rocks the clarinet AND she is able to hold her own on an episode of TFAOT where Seth is at his most mischievous. The rails come off of this episode at times but Brittany keeps it focused and regales us with stories from the Middle School trenches as well as some fun ideas of how to use giant sized Teddy Bears and Taylor Swift music. 

Blake Minor is a theatre teacher in Fort Bend ISD in the Houston area and joins Seth and Kyle to talk about competition in the arts and how educators can use the form to better serve our students while keeping the awkward nature of arts contests in perspective. Blake has spoken about this extensively on his own podcast Minor Wisdom where he interviews movers and shakers in the world of high school theatre in the state.  Check out Blake's podcast Minor Wisdom at the link below:

https://minorwisdom.podbean.com/

Seth and Kyle have had a tough time finding time to record episode this year, but here they are, still at it and tackling the big topics. Like, competition in the arts, are the students in charge of schools? Should we fear them? Why is time moving so fast? Should Seth have to wear clothes?

Vance Campbell is a special education teacher living and working in the Los Angeles, California area, after having taught in both Texas and Colorado previously. Vance fills Kyle and Seth in on the misconceptions and challenges of teaching in the special education field and the differences between working with in a state with strong unions and Texas, a "right to work" state.

First year teacher Kevin Wright doesn't come off as the stereotypical first grade teacher. Regardless, through setbacks and detours he now  finds himself teaching 6 year olds. This good ole boy from a small town with a West Texas twang tells Kyle and Seth the story that brought him to elementary school and a few unexpected challenges he's experienced thus far. 

Kyle's two daughters call our guest Uncle Baba, because he happens to be his brother-in-law. But, Brandon Carr is much more than just a guy that little girls can convince to spend money in the toy department at Target. He happens to be the third member of The Finer Art of Teaching team, working the gears and buttons and tubes that allow us to have sound on each recording. He also happens to be an instructional technologist for the school district where Kyle and Seth teach, but spent about 3 years in the classroom.