Real Talk Education

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, better known as MLK Day.  Many people will post their favorite MLK quote. Some white allies will even join in marches around the country remembering the legacy of Dr. King, usually quoting from his  "I Have A Dream"speech. Today is often filled with remembrance, but in too many spaces and places just more talk. It’s time to have some “real talk” about the misuse of Dr. King’s quotes as it pertains to moving the needle to anti-racist schools and communities.  We all can learn so much if we examine Dr. King’s legacy which unapologetically embraced action to create equity  moving from “more talk” to “real talk”. In this episode you will learn: How MLK Quotes are used to undermine his legacy. The difference between “more talk” and “real talk”. Tips to move from awareness to action on MLK day and beyond. 📝Explore the show notes for resources mentioned in today’s episode. Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

Injuries are a common occurrence in sports, especially in the NFL where players can be seriously injured in front of a large audience. This was the case for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who collapsed on the field during a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2, 2023. It was immediately clear that this was a serious and potentially life-threatening situation. Athletic trainers and paramedics worked feverishly to stabilize Hamlin on the field before transporting him to the hospital. Fortunately, at the time of this recording, Hamlin is making a miraculous recovery.  This particular incident has brought to the forefront the question of safety for football players and athletes in general from the professional level all the way down to K12.   It’s time to have some “real talk” about how important it is for schools to prioritize the safety of their athletes and have a comprehensive support plan in place to prevent and address any injuries that may occur.  In this episode we will discuss how to protect our student athletes to help you advocate and or review, depending on your current role in education, current practices in your district.   📝 Show Notes LINK 📲 Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode!  💚 We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

During the Christmas season, many people around the world celebrate the holidays and traditions of their respective religions. While the specifics of these celebrations may vary widely, there are a few general principles that can help you to respectfully and thoughtfully participate in the holiday traditions of others as well as teach your students to do the same. It’s time to have some “real talk” about ways we can teach our students about the different traditions and major world religious holidays celebrated during Christmas to create a welcoming and inclusive classroom environment during the holiday season.  By learning about and understanding the diverse holiday traditions of the people around us, we can create a more inclusive and understanding community that cancels the “December Dilemia”. The tips discussed in this episode can also be applied after students return from Winter Break too. In this episode you will learn: How the major world religions celebrate during the Christmas Season. Ways to embrace cultural and religious differences during the Christmas season. Inclusive classroom strategies to foster an even greater sense of community in your students. FREE Resource: Download our FREE Cultural Activity Planning Checklist here. Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

For over a decade, Twitter has provided teachers and leaders a transformational space to build their professional learning communities, exchange lesson ideas, find out what’s going on in schools around the country, build successful side gigs, and be inspired by other educators.  Since billionaire Elon Musk purchased the platform in October 2022, many educators are grappling if they should stay or leave the platform. It’s time to have some “real talk” about the impact of Twitter’s new rules, or lack thereof, led by Elon Musk that affects the user experience particularly of BIPOC and Pride educators.  Plus we will share our decision if Twitter is still a viable platform for our EduGladiators weekly Twitter chat. What you will learn in this episode: How to determine if a social media platform is in alignment to your brand values. What the hesitation to leave Twitter might imply regarding educators' commitment to DEI. Ways to build community outside of a social media platform. Additional Resources: Social Media Audit FREE Download Email List Building Tips FREE Download Join the EduGladiators Newsletter HERE! Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

November is Native American Heritage Month with the goal of celebrating the rich and diverse cultures and traditions of Native Americans. November is also the perfect time to correctly educate our students and school communities on the full histories, important contributions, and the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways indigenous people have worked to conquer these challenges. It’s time to have some “real talk” about the misinformation that continues to be taught in too many of our schools, effectively reducing the contributions of Native Americans to Thanksgiving and implementing a comprehensive approach on teaching the truth about Native Americans year round. What you will learn in this episode: How to create an Indigenous Land Acknowledgment statement.  Additional resources to help you expand your understanding of Native American experiences. How to become an ally of indigenous people. Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students

The blockbuster hit, ‘Black Panther’, may be set in the fictional afro-centric world of Wakanda, but the movie’s power of boosting diversity in STEM careers is very real.  According to the United States Department of Commerce, 7 out of 10 STEM positions in the US are held by white, non-Latinx people. Black, Native American, and Latinx (any race) workers are half as likely to hold STEM positions compared to the overall workforce. It’s time to have some “real talk” about how representation absolutely matters and the impact positive, Black role models on the big screen has in changing the mindsets of Black students and their teachers in what can be achieved as a minority in our country. What you will learn in this episode: Hidden superpower of the ‘Black Panther” franchise. Impact of Black STEM career role models Strategies to increase diversity in STEM Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

As we think about eradicating the barriers of occupational hierarchy of our BIPOC students, we have to identify drivers and access points in our college and career readiness practices that subconsciously reinforce the pathways of these barriers. Equity work is complex. It is time to have some “real talk” about how eradicating occupational hierarchy for our BIPOC students requires us as EduGladiators to assess our own personal awareness and knowledge gaps of systemic racism in our school practice, culture and operations. What you will learn in this episode: How unconscious bias of educators impacts career expectations of BIPOC students. 3 key areas that can help schools and districts accurately diagnose problematic college and career readiness practices. Guiding questions to support data collection around these 3 key areas to ensure equitable, diverse and inclusive environments for all students. Grab your copy of 10 Perspectives on Equity in Education to read the full piece - “Being More Than "The Help"” Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

Allies are a critical piece for moving the needle of making our schools for students and staff more diverse, equitable, and inclusive; however, when faced with action steps that includes addressing one’s own biases, microaggressions and discriminatory behavior, DEI allies quickly revert to problematic responses to their fragility. It’s time to have some “real talk” about how to be a true DEI ally, de-centering discomfort to move from awareness rhetoric to visible action to create safe, inclusive schools for diverse students, teachers and leaders. What you will learn in this episode: Impact of unconscious bias. Strategies to mitigate white centering. How to be an effective DEI ally. Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

It’s time to have some “real talk” about why districts are struggling with recruiting and retaining diverse staff.  Having a diverse teacher and leadership workforce is critical, yet, few districts have achieved the goal of building a teaching workforce that looks like its students. In today’s episode, we will uncover challenges to your school or district DEI recruiting and retention efforts including the impact of the “Black Tax” plus tips to address these challenges. There is no debate that recruiting and retaining teachers of color is essential. According to a summary of the research by the Learning Policy Institute, all students, including white students, benefit from having teachers of color.  In fact, in one study, students rank teachers of color higher than white teachers on multiple measures, including feeling cared for and academically challenged resulting in student academic gains. Moreover, research shows students of color do better academically and are more likely to graduate high school and go to college if some of their teachers look like them. Check out our show notes for our specific DEI Recruitment & Retention Strategies from this episode.  Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

It’s time to have some “real talk” about the elephant in the room or for some listeners, the boardroom - misinformation.  Plus I will share tips to fight back against misinformation about our schools, students and curriculum! This particular podcast episode corresponds to the EduGladiators Twitter chat for October 22, titled “Debunking Misinformation” which aligns to our October theme -  “Unapologetic DEI”. Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

Since the horrific, public murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, companies and school districts nationwide have increased their awareness of systemic racism towards Black Americans, but have done very little since that unforgettable event to operationalize the DEI pledges, resolutions and marketing campaign promises made in 2020.  Instead DEI practices have to be ingrained in the culture and practices of an organization or school to truly create positive, inclusive work environments. In this episode, we are going to break down the steps to actually create psychologically safe and nurturing environments for teachers and leaders to show up unapologetically as their full selves and their “receipts” are valued. Book Recommendations: Leading Below The Surface: How To Build Real (and Psychologically Safe) Relationships with People Who Are Different from You by LaTonya Wilkins The Elephant and the Mouse: Moving Beyond the Illusion of Inclusion to Create a Truly Diverse and Equitable Workplace by Laura Liswood Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm by Robin DiAngelo ***Please note - As an Amazon Associate, EduGladiators earns from qualifying purchases.*** Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

The fall season is here and now is the perfect time to have some ”real talk” on Culture Vulturing.  Our holidays in the United States have always been political, but so have the practices of appropriating a group's culture instead of simply appreciating it.  Listen closely to today’s episode for tips to STOP Culture Vulturing. Also, be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students! Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

Have you ever heard of the fable, The Elephant and The Mouse? Well in this episode of Real Talk Education, we are zeroing in on what is needed for teachers and leaders to move beyond just awareness of inequities, biases and microaggressions, but to actual action to combat these issues. How can schools and districts move from awareness rhetoric to visible action in addressing inequities for students? The first step is understanding bias which is the root of our actions both positive and negative. Facing our biases does not lend itself to easy conversations.  As EduGladiators, we must initiate and facilitate productive, honest conversations about root causes of biases and the impact those biases have in our interactions with students, parents and colleagues. Book Recommendations: The Elephant and the Mouse: Moving Beyond the Illusion of Inclusion to Create a Truly Diverse and Equitable Workplace by Laura Liswood Inclusion, Inc. by Sara Sanford Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad Me and White Supremacy: A Guided Journal by Layla Saad Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji & Anthony G. Greenwald Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm by Robin DiAngelo ***Please note - As an Amazon Associate, EduGladiators earns from qualifying purchases.*** Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

“Unapologetic DEI” is our October theme for our #EduGladiators Twitter Chat and resources including this podcast.  All month long we will have “real talk” on DEI topics that often keep us from creating inclusive learning environments for our students as well as psychologically safe work environments for teachers and even leaders. Each week we will have a NEW Real Talk Education podcast episode to complement the Saturday Twitter chat and provide further insight and tips for the week’s topic.  If you are not on Twitter or it has been awhile since you last participated in a Twitter chat, follow @EduGladiators on Twitter and join us each Saturday morning at 8am CST/9am EST.  Our Saturday chat is only 30 mins with 4 questions to push your thinking and inspire you to action! #EduGladiators Twitter Chat Topics (October 2022) October 1 - Dismantling Bias in Schools October 8 - Teaching The Truth About Holidays October 15 - Rethinking Leadership Norms October 22 - Fighting Back Against Misinformation October 29 - Recruiting & Retaining Diverse Staff Be sure to subscribe to the Real Talk Education Podcast and never miss an episode! We also would greatly appreciate a positive review to help spread our EduGladiators mission to create a new era of education by having “real talk” that inspire real action for all students!  Plus share this episode with your #pln so they too may continue to grow in their craft and advocacy for students.

Welcome to the Real Talk Education Podcast, where we dive into the real topics facing real teachers, leaders, and students with your host, Marlena Gross, DEI champion, national edu thought leader and founder of EduGladiators. Each week we will discuss the topics that might be keeping you up at night as an educator or parent. This is not an echo chamber podcast. We will unapologetically examine the real challenges in education, plus provide insights and tips to help you navigate all the things including curriculum, leadership, DEI, student engagement, advocacy, misinformation, and more.  Pop in your earbuds and crank up your speaker, because it's time to have some "real talk" about today's topic.

Excellence isn't just a goal or expectation, but a lifestyle.  Welcome to The Arena - the podcast for EduGladiators.  In this week's episode we sit down with award-winning educator, advocate, entrepreneur, #criticalthinking expert, @Forbes contributor, and Founder of @thinkLawUS - Colin Seale - to discuss how excellence is not just a word or item on a checklist.  Excellence is a lifestyle!  Connect with Colin Seale to learn more about @thinkLawUS comprehensive program of teacher tools, student guides, and virtual coaching is based on real-­life cases because the law’s Socratic questioning methods make it easy for teachers to ask the questions that build student critical thinking skills. And the law speaks to students’ sense of fairness and justice, motivating them to adopt the critical thinking mindsets and habits needed to apply these skills throughout their lives. Twitter: @ColinESeale; @thinkLawUS Website: https://thinklaw.us

Welcome to The Arena - the podcast for EduGladiators.  In this week's episode Principal, TEDx Speaker, and Corwin Author Evan Robb discusses leadership as well as his latest projects.  Evan shares how to build the foundations of effective leadership despite daily distractions in his new book - The 10-Minute Principal. Connect with Evan Robb to learn more about his new book and leverage ten-minute opportunities to rebuild your day making the difference between ordinary and fantastic leadership Twitter: @ERobbPrincipal Website: https://therobbreviewblog.com/ TEDx Talk: Two Ways to Get In a Swimming Pool Evan's Books on Amazon:  The Ten-Minute Principal: Free Up Your Time to Focus on Leadership TeamMakers: Positively Impacting the Lives of Children through District-Wide Dreaming, Collaborating, and Change

It is always an honor to have incredible educators in The Arena - the podcast for EduGladiators.  In this week's episode, author and educator Rich Czyz helps us uncover The Secret Sauce to engage our students.   Connect with Rich Czyz to learn more about his new book and strategies to engage students. Twitter: @RACzyz Website: http://www.fouroclockfaculty.com Rich's Books on Amazon: The Secret Sauce: Essential Ingredients for Exceptional Teaching The Four O'Clock Faculty: A Rogue Guide to Revolutionizing Professional Development

EduGladiators is BACK with a NEW season of podcasts to help you grow as a warrior for our students! We are excited to have Michael Hayes share his passion advocating for play in schools.

(11.10.17) Looking for ways to take your PLC to the next level? Join in to hear from Josue Falaise as he answers questions on Developing High Performing PLCs!