How might school leaders apply inquiry-based learning in their work? If we know that inquiry can inspire curiosity, connections, and agency for our students, how might it transform the professional learning culture of a school? Jessica Vance is an Enrichment and Environment Coordinator in Austin, Texas, and author of the newly released book, “Leading with a Lens of Inquiry: Cultivating … Read More
Cultivating Education in a Correctional Facility (w Dawn Matthews-Nichols)
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 … Read More
Cross Curricular Courses (w Jessica Bates)
Description: This week’s project feature is about breaking down the barriers between the siloed subjects that we’ve all become comfortable with. Jessica Bates is a 17-year teaching veteran who has made her career about asking the questions “what are the things that unite our subjects?” During this episode, Jessica talks about the ins and outs of combining the entirety … Read More
44 – Identity-Affirming Curriculum for Black Youth (w Kaya Henderson)
Traditional curriculum does not situate Black youth in a positive light and Kaya Henderson is on a quest to do something about it. Kaya is perhaps best known for serving as Chancellor of DC Public Schools from 2010-2016 and as the co-host of “Pod Save the People” podcast. Now, she is the co-founder and CEO of Reconstruction, a technology company … Read More
Activating Agency to Grow Readers
Why do so many teenagers hate reading? Renowned author and Literacy advocate Penny Kittle believes it has everything to do with a lack of “book love” and that teachers have the capacity to ignite it. On the episode, she connects with Natalie to discuss how to expose students to a wide variety of books, conference to unlock the reading life, … Read More
