Mirrors and Windows: Using the Five Senses and More to Plan Culturally-Responsive Instruction

Know Better, Do Better: Making Indigenous Folx Visible in Schools and Beyond

In today's episode, Rachel and Jim interview Davina Smith who has quite a resume of representation for her Dine culture including work for the government and education.  Davina is running for state legislature.  She discusses her history of advocacy and her own personal history as a student in an Indigenous Boarding School.  Rachel and Jim talk about the relevance of these boarding schools and how Indigenous youth are advocated for (or not) today.  We Shall Remain documentary [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/weshallremain/] Unspoken documentary [https://www.pbs.org/video/unspoken-americas-native-american-boarding-schools-oobt1r/] Boarding schools report from the Department of the Interior [https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/dup/inline-files/bsi_investigative_report_may_2022_508.pdf]

Mirrors and Windows: Using the Five Senses and More to Plan Culturally-Responsive Instruction

Dr. Carissa McCray is truly talking the talk and walking the walk when it comes to culturally-responsive instruction.  Her latest book Equitable Instruction, Empowered Students takes teachers on a journey through curriculum, instruction, and accountability.  Not that we need an excuse for teaching in culturally-relevant ways, but Dr. McCray provides teachers with methods to support their practices using solid teacher effectiveness data.  Dr. McCray, as a practicing English teacher, has a plethora of techniques especially when it comes to instruction for making culturally-responsiveness practical and engaging.  You will be inspired by Dr. McCray's commitment to learning and to making sure students have what they need to thrive.

Rotten and Processed Teacher Meals: How can we better nourish teachers in order to provide better teacher evaluation?

Rachel and Jim discuss the topic of teacher evaluation.  Before you roll your eyes right now, keep an open mind.  Teacher evaluation is required in many (all?) states.  Rachel and Jim discuss how to make it better and how to tie observation and feedback into teacher evaluation.  Rachel proposes that we focus on nourishing teachers with better systems first so that our teacher evaluation is reflective of true skill versus a system that fails to provide teachers with what they need to be successful.

Can't we all just get along? Polarities and Bandwidth with Dr. Jane Kise (video version)

Differentiated Coaching Associates (janekise.com) [https://www.janekise.com/] Jane Kise discusses the topic of educational polarities and why they are impossible to solve.  Also, she delves into her new book which looks at the ways to build educator bandwidth for all of the demands expected of educators in 2022.

Can't we all just get along? Polarities and bandwidth with Jane Kise

Dr. Jane Kise's work was the impetus for the theme and title of YES AND KNOW.  Her work inspired us to explore the messy middle as we like to call it.  Here, Dr. Kise discusses why it is impossible to solve educational polarities. Instead, we need ways to manage polarities, she says.  She then discusses her new book coming out about educator bandwidth and the ways educators and systems can work together to make self care more of a reality. Differentiated Coaching Associates (janekise.com) [https://www.janekise.com/]