In this conversation, we speak with the leaders of three programs: Dr. Rashad Anderson from Call Me MiSTER, Dr. Trinity Davis from Teachers Like Me, and Keilani Goggins from The Black Educators Initiativeat the National Center for Teacher Residencies. All share the common mission of bringing more Black educators into school classrooms, with varied approaches and incentives, including an emphasis on staff well-being. We discuss what personally drew them to education, their strategies for recruitment, how they promote educator well-being and empowerment, and how they disrupt inequities.

0:20 - Introduction.
2:40 - Keilani from the Black Educator Initiative talks about her start in education.
4:15 - Trinity from Teacher’s Like Me discusses her early interest in learning.
6:36 - Rashad from Call Me MiSTER on his motivation to become a teacher.
9:47 - Trinity’s’ Teacher’s Like Me’s efforts to recruit Black teachers.
11:19 - Kailani’s’ work with the Black Educator Initiative to recruit Black teachers.
13:29 - Rashad’s Call Me MiSTER’s specialized recruiting of Black male teachers.
16:32 - Keilani’s Black Educator Initiative’s work to support teacher well-being.
18:50 - Rashad’s Call Me MiSTER on being the only Black male teacher in a school.
20:40 - Trinity’s’ Teacher’s Like Me on being the only Black person in a school.
22:31 - Rashad’s Call Me MiSTER on the importance of leadership.
23:45 - Trinity’s’ Teacher’s Like Me on how to support and retain teachers.
25:00 - Keilani’s Black Educator Initiative on recognizing teachers as experts.
25:57 - Keilani’s Black Educator Initiative on fighting inequality.
28:05 - Trinity’s’ Teacher’s Like Me on tackling the barriers Black teachers face.
30:37 - Rashad’s Call Me MiSTER on training teachers to be leaders.
31:48 - Trinity on Teacher’s Like Me’s plans for future expansion.
33:29 - Rashad on Call Me MiSTER’s proudest achievements.
34:49 - Keilani on the Black Educator Initiative’s goals and accomplishments.
36:55 - Key takeaways.
37:40 - Closing.

For all questions or feedback, you can email NCSSLE@air.org. Thanks for listening!

Please note, this podcast does not necessarily represent the policy or views of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does it imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education.

On this episode of Working Well, NCSSLE Training Specialist Melanie Goodman speaks with Peter DeWitt ED.D. He was an elementary school teacher for 11 years, a principal for 8 years and the 2013 School Administrators Association of New York State's (SAANYS) Outstanding Educator of the Year. Today he runs workshops, coaches school leaders, and provides keynotes focusing on collaborative leadership, fostering inclusive school climates, and connected learning. He is also the author of several books and writes the Finding Common Ground blog published by Education Week. In this far-reaching conversation, Peter, who is gay, shares how he got hooked on teaching as a young man, how his desire to keep his gay identity separate from his professional identity evolved over time, that he sees himself first and foremost as a learner and a communicator, has inadvertently become a role model for other LGBTQI+ educators, and much more.

0:40 - Introduction.

1:50 - Personal academic challenges.

2:40 - Student teaching.

3:59 - Importance of mentors.

4:50 - Coming out as gay.

8:30 - Challenges of being an out teacher.

10:40 - Feeling comfortable with himself.

12:30 - Being a role model.

14:55 - Advocating for LGBTQ+ staff and students.

18:45 - Being hopeful.

21:01 - Social emotional learning.

22:55 - Importance of asking questions.

23:37 - Barriers in education.

25:01 - Inclusivity.

27:49 - Defining leadership.

29:40 - Importance of being a learner.

31:35 - Closing.

Working Well is brought to you by the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) at the American Institutes for Research. This podcast is funded by the US Department of Education. If you'd like to learn more about NCSSLE, visit safesupportivelearning.ed.gov. For all questions or feedback, you can email us at NCSSLE@air.org.

Thanks for listening. Please note, the contents of this podcast do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the US Department of Education, nor does it imply endorsement by the US Department of Education.

On this episode of Working Well, NCSSLE Training Specialist Melanie Goodman speaks with Kathy Nimmer, who was a high school English teacher for 29 years at William Henry Harrison High School in Indiana, a public school of approximately 2200 students. Kathy was Indiana’s Teacher of the Year in 2015 and is now mentoring new teachers full-time. Kathy is also blind. She discusses the ups and downs of her own classroom experience, how she characterizes her disability, how a windy day led to her first guide dog, her reverence for teachers, and her unique approach to mentoring.

0:22 - Introduction.

1:30 - Discovering her disability.

3:55 - Living with blindness.

4:59 - Drive to succeed.

7:05 - Feeling called to teach.

8:56 - Teaching high school.

9:54 - Loves writing and teaching creative writing.

10:55 - The disability label.

13:59 - Discussing being blind with students.

16:21 - Early classroom challenges.

18:50 - Embracing being her whole self in school.

21:31 - Developing a teacher mentor program.

24:22 - What gives her hope.

28:42 - Today’s obstacles for teachers.

31:50 - Her inspiration for getting a guide dog.

34:12 - Being a role model for other blind teachers.

37:01 - Future plans.

38:18 - Closing.

Working Well is brought to you by the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) at the American Institutes for Research. This podcast is funded by the US Department of Education. If you'd like to learn more about NCSSLE, visit safesupportivelearning.ed.gov. For all questions or feedback, you can email us at NCSSLE@air.org.

Thanks for listening. Please note, the contents of this podcast do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the US Department of Education, nor does it imply endorsement by the US Department of Education.