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 Click To Tweet

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: hello@educrushpod.com

Podcast on Twitter: @educrushpod

Natalie on Twitter: @natabasso

Podcast on Instagram: @educrushpod