Ep. 162: So Long Summer

Essential Question: What lessons, memories, or moments do we want to remember from the summer of 2023?

As the sun sets on the summer of 2023, how do we want to remember the last several months? To celebrate the launch of the IWL_Podcast Instagram account, we are going to use some Insta lingo to help us categorize the events of the summer months. What would we use as our “lessons I learned from my summer” topics in a back-to-school assignment in a creative writing class? What do we want to bury deep in the recesses of our minds, never to think about again (aka permanently delete)? In this episode we save, archive, delete, and repost. 

Resources Referenced:

• June was eastern Canada having horrible wild fires. July was the hottest global month ever recorded. August has had devastating wildfires (Maui, Canada)

• Youth activists sued Montana and won

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope & Megan: create your metaphorical “save”/archive for later and make a plan to revisit those monthly to keep your spirits up, grounded in joy, etc.

Ep. 160: New Lunch Bag, Who Dis?

EQ: How can we navigate the evolving landscape of education to ensure a successful and fulfilling return to school for students, educators, and families?

We are baaaack to school. Full disclosure, this is an educator centered episode so those of you who want to skip to the next episode, we don’t blame you! In this episode we discuss various feelings about the return to school. Megan opens up about her current state of affairs and Hope is already back in the classroom! This year she is focused on the role of psychological safety in collegial relationships. 

Related Links:

• Florida bans AP Psych

• Worst Teacher Shortage

• Psychological Safety in Classrooms

• Harvard Why Psychological Safety Matters in Class

• From Center for Creative Leadership

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope: approach this year with openness to others–how can you improve the psychological safety of your students and colleagues by your behaviors, interactions, etc? 

• Megan:

Ep. 159: Troll, Troll, Troll Your Boat

EQ: To what extent does the audacity of mediocre white, male opinions forced upon women cause us to NGAF about their opinions rather than convince us to listen to them?

In this episode we engage in a “critical reading” of a letter a former Tacoma Public School educator sent to Megan in response to her recent op-ed published in the Tacoma News Tribune. We break down the writer’s argument, offering counterclaims, different evidence and perspective on the issues at hand.

Related Links:

• Megan’s Op-Ed on the Affirmative Action Ruling

• NCES 

• The State of Higher Ed 2023

• Students Are Fed Up w/ Racists Slurs & Bullying

• Black Students & Discrimination in Higher Ed

• Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students

• NYC public schools has adopted AP for All as a district as well as Lincoln High School

Ep. 134: Back to Life, Back to Reality

EQ: What concerns, questions, ideas, or fears do you have for the upcoming school year?

In this episode of IWL, Hope and Megan recount the last few years in education. From ”we think the pandemic is over but wait, surprise it’s not” to ”we’re back to normal” to ”Pandemic is over now…maybe, we think.” They’ both excited and nervous about the return to school this year. There are a wide range of contextual factors shaping the upcoming school year. Their discussion centered on how teachers might “protect your peace” this school year. 

Previous Back to School Episodes:

• Ep. 109; Back to School, Mail Bag Edition

• Ep. 110: Back to School—Love It or Leave It

• Ep. 111: Back to School—Go to Board Meetings

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Megan: evaluate your situation, cut ties with the negative folks, prune your circles or get involved in something that inspires you.

• Hope: Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation Cobb, Floyd

Ep. 119: Manifest A Mask & Other Nonsense Educators Are Expected to Do

EQ: If society believes that having students attend  in-person schooling is so critical, why didn’t they do anything to make it safe and sustainable?

In this episode, Megan and Hope discuss the dire conditions in which educators and students are facing upon the return to school. As per usual, they try to dig into some of the arguments for the in-person vs. remote learning debate and hold multiple truths at the same time. Namely, we all know high quality in-person instruction is ideal but in-person schooling has hella flaws & leaves kids out all the time AND remote learning has hella flaws and leaves kids out too. BOTH can be empowering. BOTH can be meaningful. BOTH can be racist, inequitable and garbage for students and the teachers. One of our biggest concerns is that districts lack plan Bs, Cs, and Ds. The needs, desires, and health of teachers matters. They are people whose lives matter. Just because they are teachers does not mean that they surrender their humanity.

Related articles:

• Reddit thread of NYC Public HS student point of view

• King and Pierce County hospitals are facing “crisis levels” of hospitalizations. There are no beds left right now

• NYC School “Staying Open”

• Best article laying it out America Doesn’t have Enough Teachers to Keep Schools Open

• A good piece of satire about all of this

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Buy some rapid tests for your favorite school teachers

• Write to your local school board members about going remote during a search and creating clear plans for thresholds to school closures/return to in-person learning.

Ep. 111: Back to School, Go To School Board Meetings!

EQ: How can we better understand the anatomy of a school district in order to access levers of power & be more effective advocates in our local schools?

Hope and Megan and joined by 2 special guests, Bethany Rivard and Wendy Smith. Bethany is an award winning English Language Arts & Theater teacher at Fort Vancouver High School. Wendy is a classroom teacher and on the Vancouver Public Schools Board director. In this episode, they discuss the anatomy of a school district including who you should reach out to when you have concerns, the best way to connect with your school board members, and why you should attend and participate in school board meetings.

If you’re interested in running for local office reach out:

• electwendysmith@gmail.com 

• bethanyrivard@gmail.com

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope: Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) to get involved

• Megan: Be mindful of who is running for school board. Listen to Citizen Tacoma episodes

• Bethany: Attend your school board meetings! WA State Boards & Commissions

• Wendy: GO TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS!

Ep. 110: Back to School-- Love It Or Leave It Edition

EQ: What did you LOVE from the 20-21 school year you’re going to keep doing this year? What are you happy to LEAVE behind?

In this episode, Hope and Megan continue the conversation that they started in Ep. 109. This time focusing on what lessons do they want to take with them from the last 18 months of pandemic teaching, and what do they want to leave behind in the past? Once again the ladies use listeners’ thoughts, ideas, and opinions to help shape the conversation in this episode. The conversation covers topics such as Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in the classroom, creative approaches to teaching content, what the benefits were of being forced to use technology, and the relationships that are built within the walls of a school building. Throughout the episode they also discuss the idea of not wanting to “go back to normal” and rather re-define what a post pandemic education could look like.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope: Reach out for support/help/ideas. Find the experts that are doing this well and use them to help, especially in times of stress and anxiety.

• Megan: Make your own love it/leave it list for yourself and with your fam. Reflect and be intentional with what you don’t want to carry with you anymore, and what lessons you have learned from this that you want to take forward.