Cultivating Education in a Correctional Facility (w Dawn Matthews-Nichols)

Natalie Vardabasso#EduCrush Podcast


“You don’t get to tell me how much I care or don’t care, that’s my personal boundary.” - Dawn Matthews-Nichols Share on X

Have you ever wondered if one of your students is capable of murder? Well, what if you knew that your entire class had committed violent crimes,? How would you build a positive classroom culture with that knowledge? Dawn Matthews-Nichols has been teaching since 1987 in a variety of settings with “emotionally disturbed” youth. She’s seen education from the margins and has some powerful advice for mainstream teachers.

Show Notes:

  • A call to action for progressive teachers wanting to amplify their impact and challenge the status quo! (1:37)
  • Can revolutionary knowledge be held by those benefiting from the current system? (5:23)
  • What drew Dawn into education and why she decided to not teach right away so that she could better understand the context of the whole student. (9:25)
  • Working with “emotionally disturbed” youth at Project Trust and the Calgary Young Offenders Centre. (16:39)
  • The demographics factors of students in the Young Offender’s Center. (32:15)
  • Sustaining the work of change through joy, boundaries, and emotional regulation. (35:52)
  • Building relationships and trust through classroom expectations. (41:42)
  • Exploring the over-representation of BIPOC youth in the jail system. (45:02)
  • The advice that Dawn offers to mainstream teachers from her years working in a correctional facility. (49:07)
  • The purpose of education. (56:16)

Book a 45-minute meeting with Natalie if you’re a progressive teacher that wants to amplify your impact in the classroom and beyond!

Email the Podcast: [email protected]

Podcast on Twitter: @educrushpod

Natalie on Twitter: @natabasso

Podcast on Instagram: @educrushpod