The Teachers' Tribe Podcast

How has your heritage influenced your life? My culture and heritage inspires my teaching career and parenting. This week, I take you on a journey to the land of my birth, a paradise in the Caribbean Sea. Empathy, determination, respect, and resilience are ingrained in the people of Jamaica; and I reflect on how these qualities are transmitted to my classroom. This episode is a tribute to Jamaica’s 58th year of independence celebrated on August 6, 2020.

Check out my blog post for this podcast episode and leave a comment there about how you are impacted by your heritage.

LINKS

http://www.theteacherstribe.com/blog/my-heritage-inspires-my-teaching Blog Post

Jamaica Festival Song Competition Winner - Buju Banton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYIXWs9H2t4

Interview with Shelly-Ann Frazer-Pryce by Yendi Phillips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkhKpjC3ofw

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTeachersTribe

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teachers_tribe

YouTube: The Teachers’ Tribe

Teaching is a difficult yet rewarding profession; and those who choose to do it, need to have a strong sense of purpose and motivation. In this episode, I reflect on why I have stayed in the teaching profession for so long. Listen to some interesting stories from my teacher training years and experience teaching in the beautiful island of Jamaica. I gained some valuable lessons in my early years that have lasted throughout my entire career. You will find some useful tips and resources that will hopefully inspire you as you consider how you can find your personal joy as you teach your students or children as a teacher, parent or caregiver.

Check out my blog post to review the examples shared in this podcast episode. http://www.theteacherstribe.com/blog/the-joy-of-teaching

References

http://www.nea.org/tools/17054.htm National Education Association publication

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5HnvWdEMfI Akeelah and the Bee (Jump Rope Scene)

http://www.theteacherstribe.com/blog/greatness-alert Greatness Alert blog post

https://childrenssuccessfoundation.com/ Children’s Success Foundation website (Nurtured Heart Approach®)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw Rita Pierson’s TED Talk: Every Kid Needs a Champion

What childhood memories from school still bring smiles to your face when they come to your mind? It’s amazing how certain experiences stand out in our minds even after many years have passed. As parents, caregivers and educators, we are able to impact our children’s lives in so many ways.

Listen to this episode for tried and true examples of how that can be done. Let’s explore three important questions together as we reflect on how we can impact the lives of the children by facilitating the joy of learning.

Check out my blog post to review the examples shared in this podcast episode. www.theteacherstribe.com/blog/the-joy-of-learning

Kenny Rogers The Greatest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATQ5Tab3eXY

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ~Viktor E. Frankl

A global pandemic most certainly fit the description of a crisis situation. In this episode, I offer 5 tips to help you find ways to cope. As you listen, keep in mind that you have the power of choice and the freedom to determine what will work best for you. I anticipate that my recommendations will ignite your own thought process and help you to come up with strategies that you will be able to implement in your personal experiences.

The main purpose of this episode is to heighten the awareness of the general public about the needs of deaf people in our society. As someone who is not directly involved in the community, I had several misconceptions. In this episode, I speak with one of my colleagues - Jamie Smith, who is a media specialist and member of the deaf community; and Cameron Hogan, a college student, ASL signer and avid supporter of the community. It is my hope that our conversation will pique the interest of listeners and lead to more of us doing our part to provide support.

Professional development sessions are a part of teacher life. Some are engaging, interesting, and valuable; while others are not. In this episode, I highlight some of the benefits of teacher-led professional development and call for educators to reflect on how we can advocate for ourselves and share our expertise with our colleagues.

I have also provided another freebie on my blog this week to help you engage in processing your thoughts. (http://www.theteacherstribe.com/blog)

Education World article: https://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin459.shtml

Making Morning Meeting a priority is a great way to build relationships with students. James Comer reminds us that “No significant relationships occur without a significant relationship”. There is still much uncertainty surrounding the reopening of school buildings in the Fall; however, our students will still need to connect with us and rely on our support to navigate through their experiences. In this episode, I offer 3 tried and proven tips that will help you to make deeper connections with students through the Morning Meeting strategy. I am happy to share these ideas with you and provide a freebie on my blog - theteacherstribe.com.

The 2019-2020 school year was undoubtedly like none we’ve ever experienced before. It started out normally, but suddenly transformed into something unusual and unfortunately traumatic for many. The year 2020 marks my 25th year of teaching and I recognize that I am moving into a new season of my teaching career. The upcoming school year is still uncertain and that is difficult to accept; however, I am grateful for the hopeful perspective that I have and want to share with you. In this episode, I reflect on experiences and lessons from this school year and how I intend to use them to impact my role as an educator going forward. Thank you for being my sounding board today.

The middle school years are among the most complex times of our lives. As a parent, it can be difficult to figure out how children in that age group feel or understand what they are thinking. Once again, I went to the source and had a conversation with my youngest son, an 8th grader who has his sights set on high school in the Fall. I feel he has been impacted the most by the disruption to the school year. He won’t have the typical 8th grade promotion ceremony and will not have the opportunity to say goodbye to his friends because they will not be going to the same high school. This conversation revealed how some things that are not necessarily on an adult’s radar are important to teens. The things and experiences they value may appear insignificant to others, yet is an important part of who they are. The unabashed uncertainty that this 13-year-old brings to light is refreshing because he is not overwhelmed by it. Listen in and use it to spark a conversation with an early teen in your life.

Have you considered how high school students are coping with all the changes that have occurred as a result of the pandemic? Do you know how the teenager in your care is feeling? I thought about it and decided to go straight to the source. In this episode, I had a warm, easy-going conversation with my middle son who is a sophomore in high school. He talked honestly about his experiences, feelings and coping strategies and offered some sound advice along the way. I am thrilled to share the reflections of this 15-year-old and believe you will be encouraged by the wisdom and insights that he shares.