Melanie Wiggins // From A to the D and pursuing her childhood dream

Dr. Sirrita Darby // Multiple healings and educator dealings

And… WE’RE BACK! Hey y’all, we’ve missed you and we’re excited to be back with DOCTOR Sirrita Darby. You don’t even know the treat you’re in for! As an educator, nonprofit co-founder, franchise owners, travel blogger, and learner of the world, Dr. Darby shares inspirational words and real truth. We laugh, we cry, we wonder! The multiplicity of self is multiplying. Link to the episode is in the bio. Streaming on all platforms. Come back and comment your thoughts! Peace and solidarity. Luna and Drea!

Teacher's Lounge // Teaching in a capitalistic system is not cute!

Collected Knxwledge presents the Teacher’s Lounge ft. Luna & Drea! “Are we a sad podcast?” - Drea. Being a teacher in these winter months during the Omicron surge have got us dreary and moody. What’s new?! Also, what's with the MI legislation calling on school bus drivers to fill teacher positions now?? Is it sustainable to stay in a system so entrenched by capitalistic ideas of productivity?! How does Drea teach in-person AND virtual students at the SAME TIME (aka hybrid?! queue vine: is this allowed?) Will Luna still be able to make lattes in the morning when she goes back to in-person learning? So many questions!! Through the complexities of our situations and of ourselves in this moment in time, we persist onwards by laughing and seeking comfort in the teacher’s lounge. And, we hope you do too. So grab some chocolate and a friend to listen with! As always, thank you for your support. We love hearing from you! Please share widely with your fans and anyone who may get a kick out of the convo. In solidarity, Luna & Drea P.S. We hope you stay safe out there in the snow storm 🌨

Meenakshi Mukherjee // Organizing to empower community ecosystems

January 2022! We’re kicking off the new year with such an inspiring conversation. We’re Collected Knxwledge and this week you’re in for an auditory treat! Luna and Drea spoke with Meenakshi Mukherjee who graces us with eloquence, humor, and optimism in education. We start with her transition from college to moving across the country to teach in Detroit. She reflects on her learnings from being a transplant to making this a home in almost 10 years. Meenakshi’s education journey is centered around seeing the need for a change in working conditions. From witnessing veteran teachers belittled because they were trapped by financial burdens in society, to contributing to creating multiple organizing campaigns at a school. There we learn about the structures of charter schools and the case for staying and changing a workplace rather than leaving it. In education, a savior complex can cloud judgement and hinder authenticity yet she reflects on shifting perspectives on her role as a teacher. We are profoundly moved by the idea that you don’t have to leave the classroom to make systemic change. Organizing collective power can make the systemic change we need. Fighting “compassionate” power and its constant concessions can be successful when the ecosystem works together. It matters to come together. When you’re ready to organize, check out Meenakshi’s recommended resource “Secrets of a Successful Organizer Handout” by Labor Notes https://labornotes.org/secrets/handouts [https://labornotes.org/secrets/handouts] to get started. Let us know you thoughts on what you hear on our Instagram @CollectedKnxwledge Until Next Time. Peace and Solidarity, Luna and Drea

Teacher's Lounge // Never thought I would’ve…

Earlier in December, Loopy Luna and Sunseeker Drea came together for 2021's final chat in the teacher's lounge. To be sir Frank, us teachers are EXHAUSTED and we stay complex. We’ll take you into the thick of our lives on how we’ve managed covid cases in our classrooms and how we stay afloat by (un)structuring our lives. We chat about breaking bones and the Black art of dancing, Luna finishing her master’s and Drea’s remarkable year of “Never Thought I Would’ve”. Be sure to stay till the end for behind the scenes of what goes down in the teacher’s lounge (aka Bloopers!) - 0:50 - Drea the Sunseeker and Luna the Loopy 3:14 - On covid fatigue. And a vine reference?! 6:20 - Luna is out of the honeymoon phase 8:18 - How Luna broke her elbow, got concussed, and continued teaching 12:17 - Luna completed her Master’s! And, Drea’s take on unstructure 16:06 - Drea on the Black art of dancing + body identity + Anti white supremacy & Pro Black 22:12 - 2021 reflections + Drea’s Year of “Never Thought I Would’ve” 30:22 - BLOOPERS!! - Collected Knxwledge is brought to you by Luna Terauchi and Alexandrea Somers. Edited by Micheal Mitchell. All educators in Detroit. Share your reflections with us on our Instagram @collectedknxwledge [https://www.instagram.com/collectedknxwledge/]. Thank you for your support this year, and we’re excited for more conversations to come in the new year. See you in 2022!

Melanie Wiggins // From A to the D and pursuing her childhood dream

Time Stamp: * 00:25 - Drea's Check in * 04:32 - Luna's Check in * 10:08 - Introducing Melanie Wiggins * 15:00 - What is the Collective? * 17:39 - Melanie's journey in education * 31:31 - Why Detroit? * 37:39 - What's next for Melanie? Back in November Luna and Drea recorded a conversation with Detroit educator and the Detroit Collective’s chair Melanie Wiggins. Tune in as we explore a range of questions. Where has her education journey taken her? What can access to the arts in school provide for future success? What does it mean to follow through on a childhood dream of a profession? What is it like teaching in a place you never visited before making it into a home? As we teach on a pandemic, what is the work to do? We laugh, we cry, we are inspired by Melanie and her work. Let us know what you think on our Instagram @collectedknxwledge and you catch Melanie on her personal Instagram @incipientepiphany or with the Detroit Collective @detcollective Until next time, Peace and solidarity, Luna and Drea