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.
—
In this episode, I chat with Katie Kinder who has been an educator since 2006. She believes that life is fun, and learning should most definitely be fun. As a teacher of the year, top five district finalist, OKC Rotary Teacher of the Month, a guest on the Oklahoma State Department’s EdTalk series, and a top 100 educator in Oklahoma on Twitter, Katie has learned a trick or two in the classroom. In fact, she has curated her experience into developing a brand new version of her role as a professional development specialist and has recently released her first book, “Untold Teaching Truths” now available on Amazon.
During our conversation, Katie and I took the time to reconnect since our last conversation back in February. In that discussion, she mentioned how she would like to transform her role as a PD specialist into something different as she wanted teachers to see strategies in action. She realized that things aren’t always pretty and that educators should see the process and not just the product. Well, someone must have been listening because that is exactly what she is now doing. Extending on this idea, Katie also released her first book that she hopes will help teachers navigate the struggles that we all face. In fact, she talks about avoiding burnout by steering clear of all the small battles but really honing in on three key areas – engagement, safety, and kindness. We even threw some other ideas out into the ether to see if those too would come true.
Want to hear more? 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.
Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.
Check out the new videos of the show on YouTube. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe.
—
My new book is now available! Click the book to orders yours today!
—
