The Counter Narrative: Changing the Way We Talk (and think) About Education

What happens when trauma goes unaddressed? What happens when a community is denied the opportunity to access adequate health care? What happens when individuals are convinced that engaging in discussions around mental health is a sign of weakness? Join me as I reflect on how these issues perpetuate ongoing trauma within our communities and will continue to do so until they are truly addressed and resolved. 

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- Vote for my session, "The Problem with Color Blindness," to be included in SXSW EDU. Click here to vote.   -- We use some phrases in educational conversations so often that they have become almost cliche. Why they are still important to maximizing learning for our students, I fear that they have been reduced to little more than lip service. This is evident as those same conversations, while recognizing the need for such practices, also relies heavily on Discourse I conversation in which the students, their families, and even society is blamed for the lack of progress that we are making. My challenge to those who partake in such discussions is to consider shifting to Discourse II and examining the roles that we play in both the problems and the solutions. Using our recent Back 2 School Bash, I point out how we are attempting to actually move beyond conversation in order to support not just our students but their families and the surrounding community as well. I recognize that no approach will be fool proof but doing something is better than doing nothing.  -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- This episode is a podcast collaboration. Every once in a while, podcasters will team up and blend their two shows into one. Sometimes we trip over one another’s feet but in the end it's a wonderful blend of our two spaces. In this episode, I chat with Trevor Aleo and Kayla Duncan of Conceptually Speaking. If you haven’t heard their show, and you like what you hear today, be sure to check them out on nearly every platform where podcasts are found. For this show, we blended our two show’s formats by each bringing 3-5 concepts that we believe are critical while challenging the negative narratives that often permeate our educational spaces. From identifying and grounding ourselves in our purpose to being intentional about the work that we’re doing so that it is in alignment to focusing on the assets that our students and peers bring to the table, we explore the various facets that need to be in place for us to push back and begin flipping the script. Ready for two shows in one? Let’s go. Connect with Conceptually Speaking Click here to check out their podcast Click here to check out their website -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students. -- "Be a man!" "Stop being such a girl!" "Real men don't cry!" These toxic messages have been repeated time and time again to our young men and yet we wonder why they continue to struggle. During this episode I share some personal connections to these comments and disclose some of my past while imploring listeners to reconsider how we approach our young men who are experiencing mental health issues.  -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

In this episode, I chat with Dr. LaQuanta Nelson, a former guest of ours on Inside the Principal’s Office and The Boss (you’ll hear more about that later). She has served in education as a mentor, motivational speaker, teacher, assistant principal, and principal over the last 17 years and currently serves as Principal of Magnolia Middle School in Moss Point, Mississippi. Dr. Nelson believes in empowering scholars and all educators on their journey to greatness. She has found a true passion in working with turn-around schools. Dr. Nelson has presented and keynoted at conferences and events at the state, regional and national level. She has served on boards such as the Mississippi Department of Education Principals’ Advisory Group, MDE Middle School Task Force and the Mississippi Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation. During our conversation, we talk about the expectations that we have for our students and how they manifest. We need to recognize the power that our words have not just on our students but on the community as whole. Dr. Nelson also points out that these positive expectations can, and will, reflect authentic caring and ultimately transform the self-efficacy for schools. She shares how her own experiences with tough love allows her to love on her kids and their families and the powerful results that stem from those relationships. We close out with some practical ideas for closing the year strong when so many educators are exhausted and ready to give up. Are you ready to learn with The Boss?

What do Star Wars and Mental Health have in common? Apparently a lot more than I originally thought. Though I am a fan of the series and recognized the iconic quotes that can easily be attributed to most areas of life, I never stopped to consider their connection to mental health.  Considering that I recorded this on May 4th and that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, it made sense to combine the two into an episode.  Thank you to MensLine Australia that wrote the article which inspired this episode.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- In this episode, I chat with Anurupa Ganguly, the Founder & CEO of Prisms, a VR learning platform that teaches foundational secondary math and science concepts spatially and intuitively, before building up to symbolic notation. She began her career as a math & physics teacher and later served in leadership roles across the Boston Public Schools, NYC DOE, and Success Academies. She holds a BS and MEng in EECS from MIT, and an EdM from BU. During our conversation, Anurupa explained her journey through education and how that inspired her to start a company that allows students to digitally immerse themselves into mathematical concepts through VR. Imagine how impactful and powerful it would be to shift from learning exponential rate of change on worksheets to being involved in a pandemic simulator calculating the spread of an unknown disease. Anurupa also pushed back on the idea that the limited access we often associate with such products is due to budgets and funding (consider the mass amounts of funding schools have received during the past two years) and other excuses that do little more than maintain the gaps that we see in opportunities. This is a powerful conversation that I wish I could have released immediately after recording it so be sure to check out Prisms and see how you can bring this innovative technology to your own space. -- Prisms Website Prisms Twitter Anurupa Twitter Prisms LinkedIn Anurupa LinkedIn -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

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Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- In this episode, I chat with Debbie Tannenbaum, an educator with over twenty years of experience, who works each and every day to “transform” learning using technology. During her time in education, she has served  both as a classroom teacher in various grades and as an elementary technology coach. Outside of the classroom, Debbie promotes using technology tools to amplify student learning in her work as an educational technology consultant, author, blogger and speaker. You can connect with Debbie at TannenbaumTech.com. During our conversation, I asked the question that I am sure most tech experts hate, “what tech tool would you recommend for…”. As Debbie pointed out, this is not the ideal way to approach integrating technology into your classroom. Instead we should focus on the objective and the needs of our students and find a tool that matches. We also explored the various ways that technology can be used to propel students forward. If you simply replace your traditional approaches with updated tech, you’re not necessarily going to see the gains that you anticipated. Debbie encourages teachers to instead think outside the box and embrace the opportunities that were not previously available as opposed to simple upgrades. Want to hear more from this tech guru? Let’s go. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group. Take care.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students. -- What is one thing that you made smile in this past week? Was it work related? Was it personal? Was it both? So often we get caught up in doing school that we forget about the most important aspect of education - building relationships. We focus on compliance, on academic growth, on data. And because of this school can easily become a place where nobody wants to be. Its draining because it demands and expects but does little to give back ... to fulfill.  This episode is designed to make you think about moments that bring joy even in the midst of chaos and frustration. I share how my students, along with some help from my staff, finally staged an April Fool's joke that worked. Instead of being upset, instead of reprimanding them, I laughed along with them.  -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- In this episode, I chat with Lee Hole, a secondary school leader for the international school of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. After starting his career as a PE educator in his previous high school and serving in various roles for nearly a decade, he and his wife moved from the UK and entered the world of International Education by serving as the head of a school in Dubai. Lee has had the honor of leading professional development projects with the British Council in Bahrain and in the US, serving as school reviewer for evaluations,  and mentoring new leaders as they enter new roles. During our conversation, we talked about the benefits of working in diverse settings and experiencing various cultures that may be drastically different from your own. Lee also pointed out his experiences with stereotypes and prejudices though these were not necessarily prevalent in his own homogenous town as he was growing up. We connected this with the concept of color blindness as a “justifiable” approach to interacting with others. Lee suggests that instead of sitting within our comfort zone that we take the time to ask questions and truly listen so that we get to know those around us. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students. -- I was recently confronted with an ugly truth - that one of my middle school students did not know how to read. Instead of, as is normally done, placing blame on my staff, the curriculum, the students, or even the students' family, I opted to reflect on my role in this outcome. As the leader of my school, I know that I am responsible for the happenings within my building. If a student was able to make it this far without knowing how to read, then that meant I needed to consider my role in allowing that to happen.  This reflection led me to revisit the concepts of Discourse I & II, two different types of language that can be used to discuss the issues within schools. The first focuses on externalization, or blame, and seeks to operate more effectively within the current system. In short, it is designed to maintain the status quo. The second, however, forces us to have uncomfortable conversations as we explore how we contribute to these issues and requires us to think deeply about what steps we must take if we want to see true change.  Join me in this episode as I reflect on this journey. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- In this episode, I chat with Lissette Jacobson, an educator with more than 10 years experience in the field. She has worked with culturally and linguistically diverse students in grades K through 8 and is currently an elementary school principal in a suburb of Chicago. Lissette's passion for education stems from her own experience as a first generation Mexican-American in the public school system. It is important for her to affirm the identities of her students and to elevate the status of the Spanish language. She is the founder of Leading Latina, a blog and podcast that focuses on linking latinas in leadership and co-founder of Black, Brown, and Bilingue, a podcast whose mission is to unite the Black and Brown communities through education, storytelling, and community engagement. During our conversation, we talked about so-called ghetto schools and the impact this has one staff, students, and the community. What happens when staff and students begin to think they are less worthy because they are in a school that doesn't receive as many resources? Or when struggling students are congregated in that space? What happens when parents and the community embrace those stereotypes and respond negatively? Lissette also shared how it's important to listen to your stakeholders and not make assumptions. Often, this leads to us not only ignoring the cultural capital within our buildings but missing our families’ realities entirely. We discussed the role of SEL and cautioned about becoming so engrossed in this initiative that we fail to provide our students with the academic foundations that they need so that they can actually be successful in the classroom. Lissette and I closed out with a brief discussion around repackaged reforms and their role in perpetuating the very issues we are attempting to address but we figured we would save that for another conversation. Listos? Are you ready? Vamos. Connect with Lissette Facebook Twitter - @leadinglatina2 / @blkbrwnbilingue Instagram - @leadinglatina2 / @blackbrownandbilingue YouTube -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. Let’s get started. -- This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students. -- We all know that stress can wreak havoc on our bodies and thus we often do as much as we can to avoid and/or treat it. But what happens when those stressors are not immediately known to us? What happens when they are lurking within our subconscious and yet still negatively impacting our physiological and mental systems?  This was a thought that came to me while considering the misunderstood physical ailments of my wife and reflecting on the current events. Something clicked. What if all the chaos happening around us, combined with the notion that we must operate normally, is causing us to suppress our reactions to these various external stimuli? After doing some research, I realized that this is a documented yet not well-researched issue.  Maybe, just maybe, much of the stress and burnout that we are experiencing doesn't all stem from the source we originally imagined. It is very possible that our subconscious is filtering those experiences through stress thus impacting our perceptions.  Listen as I share my thoughts on this, how its impacting me, and my suggestions for moving forward.  -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group. Take care.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- In this episode, I chat with Alycia Worthy, a Career and Technical Education and Health Science Educator.  She enjoys giving high school students the foundation for being able to work and interact with the healthcare industry. She also loves training, teaching, and uplifting people.  Prior to entering the education profession, Alycia worked for several years for pharmaceutical companies. It was during her time in the pharmaceutical industry that she recognized that many people were not aware of the vast opportunities available in the industry.  She formed a passion for wanting to inform people about the opportunities and resources available in the pharmaceutical industry and STEM fields.  Alycia transitioned her passion into the education arena where she now works to expose students to a variety of careers and people in the medical and health care fields. She also works to empower students and to help them to pursue their goals and dreams. Alycia currently serves as the Coordinator of the Queen Cobras program, which is a space created for 9th grade girls of color that focuses on healthy identity development, social justice and civic engagement, and cultural affirmation.  She hopes that those young women will love themselves, feel supported during the crucial transition to high school, and understand the benefit of serving the community. Alycia obtained her undergraduate degrees in Biology and in Chemistry from Emory University and her graduate degree in Public Health from New York University.  She is the proud mother of one daughter, Lisa. During our conversation we focused on Alycia’s passion - STEM - and discussed why more young people, especially black and brown students, are not entering science and math related fields. It seems that this issue is multifaceted. From students not interacting with educators who reflect their backgrounds to not having access to engaging and interesting courses to not being exposed to the wide array of career opportunities that exist outside of traditional jobs. Alycia recognizes that there exists numerous incentives to increase participation in STEM but stresses that it is our job, as educators, to address all of these areas if we truly want to address this issue. Students need to see authentically passionate educators who are not only excited about sharing their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math but who also know how to curate these experiences so they are relevant to our students. Yes, there is much to be done but Alycia helps us to better understand the issue and how to address it. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. Let’s get started. -- This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- In this episode, I chat with Lindsay Titus, an educator of 16 years who started as a K-2 Special Education Teacher for 5 years and then worked for 7 years as a behavior consultant in different capacities. During this time she worked at a residential school, for a non-for-profit, and for a private insurance based therapy company. Lindsay then returned to the public school system as a behavior specialist. She went on to complete her administrative coursework and was hired as an assistant principal in October of 2021. During our conversation, we talked about … well .. behavior and the misconceptions that often surround this challenging topic. While Lindsay drops a ton of gems that could easily be used for motivational posters or Twitter taglines, she doesn’t dwell on the typical response of building relationships. While that is necessary, she also points out that we need to acknowledge the role that we play in the behaviors that we are witnessing (even if we are not directly responsible) and that it is okay to give space and grace. Lindsay suggests that we, as adults, need to get better at recognizing and managing our own emotions so that we can do the same for our students and even provides some ideas on how we can do so through small, simple, and strategic steps. Connect with Lindsay Website - Define YOUniversity Twitter - https://twitter.com/ltitus828  -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- Are you tired of traditional PD? You know, those boring sit n gets where everyone is expected to learn the same thing at the same time in the same way? Me too! As an educational leader I have spent countless hours looking for something that would allow my staff the freedom to choose professional development opportunities aligned with their unique needs. I never found it. So, I created it with the help of my friends at Code Breaker. Introducing, disruptED, our take on personalized professional development led by educators currently active in the field. Join my session, Equity by Design, where we will explore the intersection of equity and universal design for learning. Or join Matthew Joseph as he shares ways to take your personal connections to the next level through his session Power of Connections. Or join Christin Ravesi-Weinstein as she helps you to unpack stories of strength, struggle, and triumph in her session Fighting Your Inner Voice. Each course is only $50 and you can sign up here. I look forward to learning and growing together. -- You know the saying, "Remember the Alamo!"? What would you do if I told you that the whole story behind this patriotic event was steeped in tyranny, racism, and slavery? To be honest, I was shocked at first too. During a recent trip to San Antonio, my wife and I decided to visit the Alamo. We're nerds and we love exploring historical spaces like this while also attempting to uncover any untold truths that may be waiting to be discovered. And what a truth we found! After touring the site we continued our exploration of the city and happened to stumble across a small museum, SAAACAM (say-cam) where we learned a disturbing reality that neither of us had ever considered. Not only did the Alamo serve as a slave auction site, but that the events leading up to the battle were fueled, in large part, by slavery.  During this episode, I recount my reactions and what I realized as I found myself digging deeper into this newfound truth.  -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- In this episode, I chat with Ryan Tibbens, a 16 year classroom veteran in the middle of his first year teaching in a brand-new 100% distance learning program. His work with high school juniors and seniors has helped propel students to a variety of excellent universities and fulfilling careers. Outside of school, Ryan operates Tibbens Education Services & Tutoring, a consulting and tutoring venture specializing in college admissions essays, AP prep, writing instruction, and counseling parents. Mr. Tibbens also hosts and produces the ClassCast Podcast, which blends philosophy, pedagogy, policy, and people into great discussions about improving education. He lives in northern Virginia with his wife and two (soon-to-be three) children. During our conversation, we talked about Ryan’s new role and the perceptions around remote learning. We recognized that remote learning should be a choice. There are some students who do well in the environment while others struggle. Yet, we often talk about remote learning as an all or nothing approach to education. Ryan also shared the possibilities that remote learning can offer students who want to explore opportunities that are limited through traditional school practices. Imagine being able to travel the country playing for a professional sports team while still attending class. We continue by exploring methods to make remote learning successful for both students and teachers engaged in this approach. Now, this isn’t an extended commercial or promotion for remote learning but rather an exploration of a style of teaching and learning that has undoubtedly changed the face of education. Ready to listen to the episode? Let’s go. Connect with Ryan: Facebook - www.facebook.com/classcastpodcast  Twitter - www.twitter.com/classcastpod  Instagram - www.instagram.com/classcastpodcast  Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantibbens/  Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCprrZS23ZR3jJYf-K06pFwg  -- Are you tired of traditional PD? You know, those boring sit n gets where everyone is expected to learn the same thing at the same time in the same way? Me too! As an educational leader I have spent countless hours looking for something that would allow my staff the freedom to choose professional development opportunities aligned with their unique needs. I never found it. So, I created it with the help of my friends at Code Breaker. Introducing, disruptED, our take on personalized professional development led by educators currently active in the field. Join my session, Equity by Design, where we will explore the intersection of equity and universal design for learning. Or join Matthew Joseph as he shares ways to take your personal connections to the next level through his session Power of Connections. Or join Christin Ravesi-Weinstein as she helps you to unpack stories of strength, struggle, and triumph in her session Fighting Your Inner Voice. Each course is only $50 and you can sign up using this link. I look forward to learning and growing together. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well.

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