Ep. 109: Back to School, Mail Bag Edition

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

Today’s episode is the start of our Back to School series. First, we’re going to discuss listeners' ideas, concerns, questions, and fears shared with us. We appreciate everyone who took the time to send us your thoughts.

Then, we’re going to  record an episode specifically targeting educators returning to the classroom--we’ll dig into creative ideas and ideally leave you with some hope & inspiration for the weeks ahead. Lastly, we’ll dive into the anatomy of a school district and levers of power with a guest who is a teacher, union activist, and school board member! We’re really excited for the episodes ahead.

This conversation is an exploration of what “normal” school years mean and what our listeners are thinking about as we head into fall. While we may not be full-blown quaranteaching, we are returning to school this fall with a pandemic hovering over our shoulders. 

Related Sources:

A special thanks to all our listeners who contributed to this conversation via Slack, Twitter, and Facebook. We appreciate your engagement!

Ep. 107: Hot Teacher Summer

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EQ: What are you doing for YOUR hot teacher summer?

The 3 Interchangeable White Ladies are back together and in studio for the first time since pre-Covid times! Hope and Megan are joined by none other than the amazing Annie, who gives an update on her life and the major changes that have happened since the last time that she was on the Podcast. The ladies discuss how Covid provided time and space to reflect on your own happiness, and also learn how to honor the things that serve you and let go of the things that don’t. The back half of the episode is dedicated to celebrating the time honored tradition (can something be called a tradition if it’s the first time we are doing it?!) of Hot Teacher Summer! They talk about what they are doing to relax and unwind and have the best summer after a hellish year!

Champagne and Real Pain:

🥂Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

🥂Nurses and Doctors who are putting in all of the work 

🥂People who are fighting hard to be empathetic coming out of Covid and people who are fighting to advocate for people experiencing housing insecurity

Do your Fudging HW:

Hope

Annie

Ep. 96: Moving Beyond Tropes--A Discussion about BHM in Schools

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Essential Question:  How can you move your work with BHM out of whitewashed ideals and into a less basic space?

In this episode, Megan and Hope discuss the importance of Black History Month, why it’s still needed and how teachers should continuously embed the stories and histories of Black people all year long. 

Decentering whiteness and white comfort at this time of the year is crucial for any educator but especially those who tout their anti-racist identity. Many of us are taught that there is a Villain, Victim, and a Hero in every story. White people have been taught our whole lives that they are the heroes, and if they can’t be the heroes then they are the victims. White allies need to be comfortable accepting that they are not the heroes in the antiracism story and that in fact, they have been the villains to the BIPOC experience for centuries.  White people need to actively work to not center whiteness or white comfort. 

Resources referenced:

Who to follow on social media:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Continue to integrate BHM into your lessons this month and don’t give up on this aspect of the work even in a pandemic.

  • Megan: Go follow Garrison Hayes - and then do/read what he recommends. His Instagram is good, but his Tiktok is better. Garrison Hayes - TikTok - Insta @garrisonh

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Book Club Reminder:

Pick up a copy of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson to join the collab book club between The Nerd Farmer Podcast and IWL.

  • Tweet about the book with either #nerdfarmreads or #readlessbasic

Follow us on Twitter @IWL_Podcast or find us on Facebook

Ep. 95: IWL Crossing--On Returning To School in Tacoma

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Tacoma Public Schools plans to return all grades to some in-person classroom teaching next month. Frankly, the “plans” sound more like “wishes,” “hopes,” “fingers crossed,” “it sure would be nice…” So, what do teachers think about that, and what should parents be asking?

Megan, Hope, and Auntie Evelyn join up again to discuss the latest news on the return to school for Tacoma Public Schools. There are only three months left in the school year–do we use them for something entirely new (which could be a super-spreader event daily), or use the time to get everything organized so that schools really can be on track to return in the fall? It’s not an easy question to answer, and well-intentioned people will have wildly different opinions based on risks, family situations, and experience.

Relevant Readings:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Call/email the City Council

  • Call/Email the school board

  • Call/email the Superintendent Carla Santorno—csantor@tacoma.k12.wa.us

    • Deputy Superintendent Josh Garcia—jgarcia2@tacoma.k12.wa.us

  • Post on Social media and tag the school district and Superintendent.

  • Get your friends to do the above

Ep. 93: IWL Crossing: Tacoma School Schedules and Teacher Respect; WTF TPS?!

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Over the last week Tacoma social media has been abuzz with concerns about a “new” classroom schedule for Tacoma Public Schools that is to go into effect on February 8. The schedule shows “in person” teaching in the afternoons and remote learning in the morning.

Why? Our COVID 19 numbers are far worse now than they were last March, and there are new variants that are even more contagious. Yes, everyone, especially teachers, students and parents, wants to get back to normal. But we need to do that safely. Can we safely return students to the classroom now?

Well, it turns out that the schedule showing “in person” class periods really means “eventually, when we return to in person teaching, it will be on this schedule, so let’s try this schedule out now even if it is disruptive and results in less actual class time with students.” In response, many teachers and parents are saying “WTF TPS?!!!”

In this joint episode of Crossing Division, Tacoma’s Talk Show, and Interchangeable White Ladies (IWL), Tacoma’s premier teaching and equity podcast, IWLs Hope Teague-Bowling and Megan Holyoke join Evelyn Lopez to talk about what’s going on in Tacoma School World. Why a schedule change now? Has the teachers’ union sold out its members? And what we can do about it? Listen and let us know what you think, and what should happen next!

To understand this better, check out the following links:

Ep. 84: This is Where We're At

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EQ:  How can you, through the Trauma that is 2020, navigate figuring out what you can and can’t control and find the strength and persistence to change the things you can?

In this episode Hope & Megan recap ideas from episode 80 “Back to School Coronavirus Edition” and the predictions we had about returning to school. Now, weeks into the school year it’s apparent no one knows what they’re doing and we’re all barely holding on by a thread. Teachers, students, and families alike are trying to maintain some semblance of sanity with the ever shifting tide of expectations. With basically no leadership from the Federal Government and varied support from local leadership, the stress and trauma from living in the Rona Era continues to escalate. The conversation runs the gamut of topics including why we should/shouldn’t have in-person teaching, how we are trying to focus on what we can control and how we are finding slivers of joy in the midst of a pandemic. 

We hope that educators listening will feel a sense of solidarity and perhaps walk away from this with a few ideas for your own instructional practice. We also hope that for listeners not in education, this conversation shines some light on what is happening. 

Champagne and Real Pain:

🥂 All of the teachers out there that have been showing up the best they can, with all odds against them, and doing the damn thing.

👎🏻 Real Pain to 2020 man… like, why won’t it stop? Also, to the governor of Texas for an egregious block on Texans' right to vote.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Megan: Go outside and get away from screens. Give your brain a break. Do it. You’ll like it. I promise.

  • Hope: Build in some time to escape or do something that brings you joy even if you feel it will put you further behind.

Ep. 80: Back To School Coronavirus Edition

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EQ:  How can educators continue to do their own racial literacy, while managing COVID trauma and teaching remotely?

In this episode, Megan and Hope discuss a range of topics including  how we’re feeling about the start of the new year and the Wild West of the Covid Era, what’s the difference between emergency remote teaching and actual online learning, how to manage the unknown knowns and known unknowns, AND how to continue to intentional grow our own capacity to be anti-racists and design curriculum accordingly. We also touch on how to create meaningful virtual communities, what are the best practices for student engagement and how do we support students, families, teachers and our communities in this environment.

Resources referenced:

Champagne & Real Pain:

🥂All the teachers who ARE working hard prepping for the school year

👎🏻Districts who are ignoring COVID reopening guidelines and opening their campuses (such as Georgia Reverses Suspension)

👎🏻 The politicians who’ve shifted to blaming and vilifying teachers when they were praising us back in the Spring.

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope & Megan: Read some of the links above, learn about the challenges of reopening schools, and support our communities (families, students, parents, teachers, ERBODY) in this stressful time

Ep. 72: Liberate & Chill--Embracing a Mindset of Possibility

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EQ: To what extent should we still strive to be anti-racist in a world on fire?

Guests: 

  • Kass Minor (she/her/hers) is an inclusive educator who is deeply involved in local, inquiry-based teacher research and school community development. Most recently, along with her partner and husband, Cornelius Minor, she has established The Minor Collective. You can follow Kass on Twitter @MsKass1

  • shea martin (they/them/theirs) previous guest on episode 69 “Working Toward Liberation”. You can find them on Twitter at @sheathescholar.”

Concretely learning about ways to “work towards liberation” in our classrooms, schools, and communities, is part of the necessary work for anti-racist educators. In the midst of a pandemic that has disrupted every aspect of our lives, many educators are looking for a “place to call home.” In this episode, we interview two of the four co-founders of the collective Liberate and Chill “an immersion online learning experience for anti-racists educators.” Kass and shea walk us through the inception and development of this new collaboration.  As we consider this current place and time, we are looking towards the future not as a “return to normal” but a “turn to better.” We’re reminded albeit contradictory, liberation looks like both  joy and rest. 

Learn more about Liberate and Chill by following them on Twitter and Instagram @liberateNchill 

Do Your Fudging Homework:

Follow us on Twitter @IWL_Podcast or Facebook: Interchangeable White Ladies Podcast

Lastly, don’t forget to pick up your copy of The Body is Not an Apology for #readlessbasic book club

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