Today on the 10th episode of the Best teacher podcast, I speak with Kimberly Phinney, a national award-winning AP English teacher and English department head in Tampa, Florida with some amazing stories to tell.

From battling an auto-immune disease to grieving the loss of her first student, we cover so much ground in this interview but there is a common thread woven through it all—and that is the culture of care, of putting people over paper, prioritizing the individuals that enter our classrooms, and the privilege we have to participate in this life alongside them.

About Kimberly:

Kimberly Phinney is a national award-winning AP English instructor and professional photographer. She’s been published in Ruminate, Ekstasis, Wild Roof, The Dewdrop, Amethyst Review, Calla Press, and The Write Launch, among many more. She has her M.Ed. in English and studied at Goddard’s MFA program in Creative Writing. She is a poetry editor with Agape Review. After almost dying from severe illness in 2021, she’s earning her doctorate in counseling to help the marginalized and suffering. Visit her literary community at www.TheWayBack2Ourselves.com and on Instagram @thewayback2ourselves.

Contact Kimberly:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-phinney-educator/

Email: thewayback2ourselves@gmail.com