Latest / New Teacher Talk / Ep 129: The Power of Belonging: Inside Lyons Township's BEST Affinity Group

Transcript

Ep 129: The Power of Belonging: Inside Lyons Township's BEST Affinity Group · New Teacher Talk

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Hey there, wonderful educators.
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Welcome to New Teacher Talk,
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your go-to podcast for navigating those first amazing and
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sometimes challenging years in the classroom.
0:13
Whether you're teaching in a bustling city school,
0:16
a suburban district, or a close-knit rural community,
0:20
we're here to tackle the real challenges you face every day
0:24
and explore solutions together.
0:26
You're joining an incredible community of educators just
0:30
like you,
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along with experienced mentors and induction coordinators
0:35
who are all passionate about supporting new teachers.
0:39
We're so glad you're here.
0:41
I'm Dr.
0:42
Anna,
0:42
and I absolutely love working with beginning educators as
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they embark on their teaching journey.
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As a Board-Certified Early Childhood Generalist,
0:51
I'm here to share insights and strategies that will help
0:54
you thrive in your classroom.
0:57
I'm Dr.
0:57
Beth.
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My teaching adventure has taken me from leading high school
1:01
band programs to preparing future educators and mentoring
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new teachers.
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I cannot wait to share what I've learned along the way with
1:09
all of you.
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Thanks for joining us for today's episode.
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Let's dive in.
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Today our guests are members of the BIPOC Educators
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Supporting Teaching Affinity Group from Lyons Township High
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School.
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We welcome Dr.
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Jennifer Rowe, Mimi Yong, Teriauna Bland,
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and Michael Archbold.
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We are honored to have you here today to share the mission
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of your group.
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Can we take a moment for you to introduce yourselves to our
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audience? Dr. Jennifer?
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Hi, everyone.
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My name is Dr.
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Jennifer Rowe,
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and I'm the Director of Equity and Belonging at Lyons
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Township High School,
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and I'm very proud to be a member of the BEST Affinity
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Group.
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Thank you, Dr.
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Jennifer.
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It's great to have you back.
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You've been on another episode with us,
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and the administrative team shared such amazing information
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about the good work that's happening at Lyons Township.
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So thank you again for being here with us,
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and we cannot wait to meet these young,
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new educators that are gonna really bring new information
2:12
to our listeners that will get them excited.
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Mimi, would you introduce yourself?
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Absolutely.
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Hello, my name is Mimi Yong,
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and I'm one of the affinity group leaders for BEST,
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and I am a social worker here at Lyons Township as well.
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Happy to be here.
2:29
Welcome Mimi.
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Teriauna, how about yourself?
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Hi, I'm Teriauna Bland.
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I'm a restorative intervention specialist here at Lyons
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Township High School and a happy member of the BEST A
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ffinity Group.
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Welcome, Teriauna.
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And finishing up our group introduction is Michael.
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Share a little bit about your background.
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Hello, everyone.
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My name is Michael Archbold.
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I am a 16 year veteran teacher,
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three years here at Lyons Township High School.
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And I am extremely pumped and excited to be here and just
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talk about the awesome things that we are doing here at LT.
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Welcome Affinity Group members.
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We are just so blessed to have you here and sharing your
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voices and having this conversation today.
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And I'd like to go to the person who works at the
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administrative level,
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who is so instrumental in bringing this group together, Dr.
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Jennifer, and to ask a general question,
3:26
to bring our audience to an understanding of what inspired
3:30
the creation of the BEST,
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BIPOC Educator Supporting Teaching, A
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ffinity Group at Lyons Township High School.
3:40
Thanks for that question.
3:41
You know,
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I've been an educator in so many roles for a long time,
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and I always go back, however,
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to my beginnings of teaching.
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And when I remember being a first year teacher,
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student teaching, no matter what those goals looked like,
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I found that I was basically the only person of color in my
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English department.
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And I never had anyone to really talk to about the,
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even though I had mentors and people cared about me,
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someone that had those common experiences.
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And now that I'm on the last part of my career,
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it has been amazing to see how our understanding of what
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support means for educators and not really looking at it as
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being just content specific or your regular kind of
4:20
department or team culture,
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but realizing that who those educators are,
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what your community looks like,
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can really determine the success or challenges they may
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experience in that space.
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We can't just also look at our students,
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but also who are those teachers and what are their needs
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and how is that system supporting them?
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Or as we know, how could it be pushing them out?
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So that's kind of part of my personal journey of getting to
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affinity spaces.
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And I've been so excited to see what Illinois specifically
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has been doing to create opportunities for schools,
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to create spaces like this for their teachers.
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And we need those spaces, and we need those opportunities.
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So,
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thank you for being a champion for making this come to fruition
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and finding these amazing,
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talented people to carry forward that great work.
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Dr.
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Jennifer, how has the group evolved since it started?
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Well, the number one way we have Mimi Yong here today.
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When I first came to LT and I shared this important part of
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our work,
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what do we need to do to hire and retain our teachers?
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That's what everyone is concerned about in our profession
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right now is how are we just encouraging people to come
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into the profession and stay there and thrive.
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So after forming the group,
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it was really wonderful having someone like Mimi,
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who's one of our Equity Ambassadors at LT, again,
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creating those teacher leadership opportunities,
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which is really important.
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It was very easy with her enthusiasm and passion for
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supporting other educators to pivot into having her really
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be the leader of our group.
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And so I get to be more of a co-pilot at this point.
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So I love being able to do this work with her.
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That's absolutely wonderful. So Mimi,
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could you tell us a little bit about your role in the
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group?
6:13
Absolutely.
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So it really has been such an honor to get to co-facilitate
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with Dr.
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Jennifer and get to really see the group flourish.
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I think that my role as being a group facilitator is really
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just creating a space for all of us to build community,
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but also kind of speak to our collective power.
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I think that our group as being teachers of color,
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one of the things that we work through and navigate
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together is some of the daily challenges that we face and
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also how we can support one another.
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And so each time that we have our various group meetings,
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it's about creating time to really communicate on the
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various things that have gone on during our days,
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but also kind of finding ways that we can grow as educators
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and talk about ways that we can utilize our strengths and
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some of our experiences and how we can lend that to the
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work that we do in the classroom.
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Thank you so much, Mimi.
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And I'm excited that you're also involved with the State
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Affinity Group Network here in Illinois that works with
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Teach Plus.
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Yeah, that's been an amazing opportunity,
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really having a fellowship through Teach Plus,
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because it's given me an opportunity to really meet with a
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mentor regularly and have monthly meetings to really work
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with other group facilitators on ways that we can really
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build on not only our community work,
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but also advocacy work and ways that our group can continue
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to grow, which is wonderful.
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And really finding ways we can connect even more with all
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the different educators as part of our group.
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Thank you so much.
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So I'm going to ask Teriauna,
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what opportunities has this group provided for your
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professional development?
7:59
Yeah,
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I would say that there's so many different opportunities
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that we are afforded.
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I'll start initially just by Dr.
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Rowe and her office and her role.
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There's so much that she has advertised throughout the
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school year, not only for BEST but our wider LT community.
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The invitation of having the Teacher of the Year come and
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speak with us and then having like just so many different
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opportunities to meet and be part of a wider conversations
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of other professionals who have just advanced in the area
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of education and being able to like in a sense sit at their
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feet and learn from them has been amazing,
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not to mention just the amazing colleagues within our BEST A
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ffinity Group as well.
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So just being able to learn from them in a plethora of
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individuals.
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Michael,
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could you share how this has helped shape your work?
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Great, thank you.
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For me, personally,
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I love connecting with my fellow colleagues because our
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school is very large,
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and there might be weeks where we go by and I don't see
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Mimi, and she's only like right down the hall for me.
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So I think when we have those times to just connect,
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I feel that that's really where the growth for me happens
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is that I can just kind of exhale,
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breathe and just check in and say, Hey Mimi,
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like how's it going, right?
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And maybe Mimi's experiencing something that I didn't,
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and I can maybe provide some counsel in that area or I'm
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going through something and Teriauna can say, Hey Mike,
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I know what you're going through, right?
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Like we just did in the hallway today, right?
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Hey, here's some words of encouragement.
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I think that's powerful,
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not that structured meetings or structured PDs aren't good.
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I personally love the personal connection that we get
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through our meetings or just stopping in and checking on
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one another.
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I think there's really good value in that.
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Well, in such a large district,
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you probably have passing professional relationships with a
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number of people, or it might be through your department.
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But when you're able to have that wider sense of community
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with people in your district that can be built through the
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BEST group,
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it really gives you that chance to see people as humans,
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as people that you know.
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And so how is collaborating with fellow members really
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helped shape not just your own personal feelings about
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being part of the LT community,
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but also how has it shaped your teaching practices?
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And anyone can start.
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I think for me,
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one thing that's been really helpful is it's really opened
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my eyes to really thinking about the stories that many
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students tell,
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and really looking at things from an open lens.
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I think that by being part of the Affinity Group,
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it's allowed me to really connect with the school community
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in a different way,
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and really have a connection to even various grade levels
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that I'm not aware of, that I'm not working with currently,
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and getting to kind of tap into those things.
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And then I have a different lens that I look through when
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I'm talking with my students that I see them from a
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different way.
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And I can kind of understand where they're coming from.
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And it also really helps with working with some of my
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colleagues as well.
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Thank you, Mimi.
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Anyone else have something to share on that?
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I would say that I really enjoy just listening to the
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different perspectives and the different mindsets that
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everyone brings to the table.
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There's so many different like social workers,
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we have like West 40 that's in our BEST Affinity Group as
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well.
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They bring another level of expertise, counselors,
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teachers, of course,
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and so just being able to listen to the different
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approaches in different ways that people will approach a
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similar situation within their field has actually been
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really cool and advantageous to listen to.
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And then when we break away from BEST having like those
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smaller conversations about, you know,
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I was really thinking about this or I was thinking about
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that.
12:11
How about we collaborate together on this and that happened
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at one of our last meetings with Dr.
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Rowe.
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It's really cool and neat just to listen to everyone's
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perspectives and approaches and then how that fits into
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your role within the wider LT community and then how we
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work together to make change.
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That's really interesting in that you're able to really
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take what you worked on or worked toward in the BEST in
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the Affinity Group meeting and then make that live outside
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in your own spaces.
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So it's almost like you've got that base to think about
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ideas,
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but then take them out much like Michael's students do,
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take them out into the real world and make them real.
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And I think what's really cool about that is,
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as Teriauna stated, we have so many different disciplines,
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you know, counselors, social workers, English, business,
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science.
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And although I don't teach English and literature,
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and although I don't teach, you know, biology,
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I think how they just attack situations, struggles,
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how are they coming up with ways to connect with all of
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their students,
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there's always insight to hear because I'm in my business
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bubble,
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I don't really talk to the social workers too much or talk
13:36
to the science folks too much.
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So I think how they attack those things and how they come
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up with solutions to those, I think is pretty cool.
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And it just allows you to just grow your professional
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practice in a different way that you normally wouldn't
13:51
connect with.
13:52
So I appreciate that we get to do that.
13:55
You can see your own content through the lenses of those
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other disciplines and see what you can bring back that
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works for you in your own space, in your classroom space.
14:08
And let's lean into these connections and support that
14:12
you've been talking about.
14:13
We've approached it from a professional development
14:15
standpoint and from a teaching practice standpoint and
14:20
these smaller conversations.
14:23
Can you describe a memorable moment of connection or
14:26
support within the group?
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I'll open it up to anybody who'd like to respond.
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It depends on how real you want me to get here.
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As a one of a couple of black males that work in our
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district,
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I knew coming to LT that I would be the quote unquote
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unicorn.
14:47
I get that, accepted it.
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I knew that's what I was getting into.
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And I think one of the connections when Mr.
14:56
Scott started working here last year,
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it felt different to see another black male teacher in this
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district, right?
15:02
So for me,
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I don't think I ever walked around with my guard up or
15:07
trying to shield people away from me, but it just,
15:11
there was a connection,
15:12
and he got me a little different than a lot of folks.
15:17
And I probably got him a little bit differently than some
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folks did.
15:21
So for me,
15:23
that was a pretty interesting moment or memorable just kind
15:27
of meeting him and just knowing that he was a first-year
15:31
teacher and just offering my support and my knowledge and
15:35
if he's needed it, I am there.
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And if he doesn't, that's cool too, right?
15:40
But I just wanted to make sure that he knew that he had
15:43
somebody that he could throw things against the dart board
15:46
and get some guidance, if he needed it.
15:50
You know,
15:50
that connection between the two of you just took it to
15:53
another depth, another level, another ability to truly,
15:58
you know, be there,
16:00
have conversations that creates that support,
16:04
you don't feel like you're out there by yourself,
16:06
that one other person, that other group of people,
16:09
I appreciate you just sharing that and being so real.
16:13
Oh, I'd love to jump in because Michael,
16:15
I so appreciate you sharing that.
16:16
And again, by having this,
16:18
it was an authentic way to just be in a space together
16:21
because it's different than just passing in the hall and
16:24
hopefully you meet or like, Oh,
16:26
I didn't even know you were here.
16:27
It was a very natural way for us, you know, to gather.
16:31
And I so appreciate Michael's ability in that space to then
16:35
extend and then that leaves beyond that time that we gather
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because we don't get together as much as we'd like,
16:42
but when we do,
16:43
those connections are made and then they continue in many
16:46
other smaller ways throughout the year.
16:50
And how impactful that is for that new teacher,
16:53
that he has a role model,
16:55
that he has someone there that looks like him and that he
16:58
can identify with.
17:00
So important.
17:02
I think when thinking about like a moment of deep
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connection,
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one moment that sticks out to me was really like one of our
17:10
first affinity group meetings earlier this year.
17:13
We had a guest speaker that Jen brought,
17:16
who's one of her personal mentors that then became a
17:19
professional mentor, Dr.
17:21
Joy Ross, and she came and spoke with us,
17:23
and it was a really powerful just conversation,
17:27
but one of the things that she talked to us about was
17:29
really just this idea of wearing armor on wherever you go
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and that really when we come to this affinity space,
17:37
the space where we can really take our armor off and really
17:40
just take it off and be authentically ourselves.
17:43
It was just a really illustrative and beautiful way to
17:46
describe the feeling of how it feels to be in our group in
17:50
a way that I couldn't even articulate until she said it,
17:53
and it's just very real.
17:55
I think that a lot of us,
17:57
without even realizing it when we're in majority white
18:01
spaces,
18:02
can feel this sense of just being on guard and having to
18:06
not feel always 100% comfortable,
18:09
but when we get into our Affinity Group space,
18:11
we can feel a little bit more authentically ourselves.
18:15
That's a pretty powerful metaphor,
18:16
taking off the armor to be the authentic person that you
18:20
are and to find that space of support and connection.
18:24
That was a great individual to bring in Dr.
18:27
Jennifer and clearly has resonated with Mimi and I know the
18:30
others in the group.
18:31
I can only imagine that that has carried over.
18:35
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
18:36
I'm even seeing Teriauna and Michael both nod when I
18:39
brought up Dr.
18:40
Joy Ross,
18:41
because I think it was a really powerful conversation.
18:45
I don't know if either of them wanted to kind of speak to
18:47
that talk.
18:49
I'm sure I can jump in.
18:50
That was an incredible experience.
18:52
That was my first BEST meeting.
18:56
What a way to start off our BEST affinity meetings and
18:59
groups and just with such powerful connection to one
19:02
another and the level of vulnerability that people were
19:05
able to share within that space and it being the very first
19:09
meeting of the school year,
19:10
and I remember Mimi being one of the first people to be
19:14
very vulnerable in that space also and that has just
19:17
continued.
19:18
Even though the faces may change from meeting to meeting,
19:22
that power and that sense of connection and a space just to
19:28
feel very real and supported and encouraged exists.
19:32
It just continues to exist and persist,
19:34
and my most memorable was actually our last meeting.
19:39
I recall Dr.
19:40
Rowe had this agenda and this full activity for us to all
19:45
participate in and during her opening question,
19:48
it just sparked so much conversation, and Dr.
19:52
Rowe was just like you know what,
19:53
we're going to continue this conversation.
19:55
Clearly I'll have to come back to these questions that I
19:57
had at another time,
19:59
but it was just taking the time for us to just check in
20:02
with one another,
20:03
and it was very similar to that sense with Dr.
20:07
Joy that Mimi had alluded to earlier and it just permeates
20:11
in our group and just the love, support,
20:15
and encouragement and the way that we build one another up
20:18
is oh gosh it's unparalleled in a group that can be
20:22
inconsistent right just due to nature of like
20:27
responsibilities in the day like you know someone having a
20:30
crisis call,
20:31
they're not able to be there but that love and connection
20:33
remaining is just it's something to behold.
20:38
Thank you for sharing that example.
20:40
Clearly, Dr.
20:41
Jennifer just sensed the room and just went with it.
20:45
Other things can be put on the side when that synergy is
20:48
working through the room and the conversation is generous
20:51
and something really powerful is happening.
20:54
Just go with it.
20:55
That connection, those building, those relationships,
20:58
not only with the people in the room,
21:00
but how you perceive your day.
21:02
Would others like to respond to that last BEST meeting that
21:05
you had that Teriauna was just talking about?
21:10
I think the, you know, Dr.
21:12
Joy was like a rock star, first of all, right?
21:15
So it was, for me,
21:18
she gave me vibes of like a grandma who just loved you and
21:22
cared for you.
21:25
And it was just,
21:26
it was awesome to really connect with somebody who went
21:31
through some of the things that you are either going
21:34
through or will go through and recognizing that if you stay
21:38
the course and continue to handle your business and
21:42
continue to grow as a professional, you can, you know,
21:46
be standing on the other side, so to speak,
21:48
and maybe do what she does for folks.
21:51
So that's kind of what I took from her is just this warm
21:55
arms that were just kind of wrapped around you and just
21:59
sharing love and letting us know that you can do it.
22:04
And one, she believed in us,
22:05
even though it was like the first time I had,
22:07
or second time that I met her,
22:08
that I got that sense from her that you can do it.
22:12
And you've been empowered,
22:13
and you've got a squad around you that is willing to
22:16
support you.
22:18
What a positive affirmation that came from that time
22:20
together obviously has impacted the group here today.
22:24
It talks about just building those relationships within the
22:27
group and I'd like to lean into it even further with my
22:31
next question.
22:32
What particular aspects of the BEST group has been most
22:36
valuable for building relationships with colleagues?
22:41
You sort of touched upon that in different responses,
22:43
but I'd really like to really lean into that more.
22:48
I think when Michael was talking about this aspect of BEST
22:51
being a great space where we're really doing a lot of cross
22:55
-pollination across different divisions, you know,
22:58
many of us are in so many different roles and teach in many
23:01
different departments.
23:02
We're not really getting those opportunities to connect
23:05
with one another in other professional spaces.
23:08
So for one, just being able to do that.
23:10
But also, I think for me,
23:12
what I found to be most valuable is when we're getting
23:15
these opportunities to share on our personal experiences in
23:19
the building, I'm really seeing myself,
23:21
and I'm seeing the experiences that I've had.
23:24
And so I'm really getting validated on some of the
23:27
experiences that I've had.
23:29
And so if there's an experience that I've had,
23:31
or something has felt off to me,
23:33
or something feels strange,
23:35
or I just sometimes don't feel like I fit in in a certain
23:38
space, or things haven't felt exactly right,
23:41
when I'm bringing those to the group,
23:43
I'm hearing the same from another person,
23:45
and I feel validated and I feel reassured that it's not a
23:49
me problem,
23:49
but it's more a problem that we need to work on improving
23:52
in a building-wide level,
23:54
and something that our team can work on to improve.
23:57
And so that's something that I think has been really
24:00
helpful is to feel seen and to feel validated.
24:05
I'd love to jump in there just from the position that I
24:08
have.
24:09
It's been joyful just to hear you all talk about Dr.
24:12
Joy.
24:12
And for me, as a start of my career meeting her,
24:15
it was the first time having, you know,
24:18
a Black woman who was in a leadership role who was like, O
24:20
h, that girl can do it.
24:22
She can do it.
24:22
Did you see her?
24:23
Did you see her?
24:24
And literally she helped me be seen and to allow me to get
24:29
to the table, to have interviews, to say, S
24:33
he can do this work.
24:35
And for me in this,
24:36
it's because we know that sometimes you,
24:40
when you're a minoritized person,
24:41
you have not been a part of the system.
24:43
So you don't know how to navigate, how all the things work.
24:46
And for me, having people say, No,
24:48
now this is how it works.
24:49
This is what you need to do.
24:50
Go over here.
24:51
Now this might be why they're responding this way.
24:54
Let me help you.
24:55
Our group to me allows us to be like, Oh, let me help you.
24:59
Did you know this?
25:00
This is how the system operates.
25:03
Because we know that when you aren't a major part of that
25:06
system, you can be there,
25:08
but you might not know all the rules.
25:10
And in our group, it's that bringing us together,
25:14
you have a lot of experience.
25:15
You're newer.
25:16
You're in this role.
25:17
But can I help you to know those unspoken things or things
25:20
that people might not share with you so that you can be
25:24
successful in this space?
25:25
Because other people might not know to tell you or think
25:28
you do, or, you know, so it's all that navigating.
25:31
That's that unspoken language and rules.
25:34
And having this group allows us to help each other be
25:39
successful and also how to navigate in that space.
25:43
A hidden curriculum of professional spaces.
25:49
Exactly.
25:50
And we don't often think about that for the educators the
25:53
way that we think of that hidden curriculum for our
25:55
students.
25:57
You know, this feeling seen, validated,
26:00
she can be successful in the space.
26:02
Those words just really jumped out at me.
26:05
So how has participating in the BEST group influenced your
26:10
experiences as a new teacher?
26:12
And I'm going to come to you, Teriauna,
26:15
because I think that you are probably the newest teacher in
26:19
our group today.
26:21
I would honestly have to say it's just another sense of
26:24
community within a community.
26:26
I feel like we're pretty close.
26:28
We enjoy seeing one another and that has been the biggest
26:33
influence, I would say,
26:34
the amount of support and encouragement and just feeling
26:38
like when I see someone who's in the group,
26:40
it's like we're catching up.
26:41
It's like we're good friends catching up after a long
26:44
period of time, and if we had longer,
26:47
we would totally take longer, right?
26:50
It's allowed me to feel very comfortable.
26:53
I feel safe.
26:54
I feel like I belong.
26:55
I feel like I have connections.
26:57
Of course, those exist outside of BEST.
27:00
However, it's like another added layer.
27:03
It's like a bigger hug, if you will,
27:05
with our group and that has been highly influential in like
27:11
just my own sense of feeling great and comfortable here as
27:15
well.
27:16
When I hear you talk about that and earlier someone spoke
27:20
about being part of a squad and then we talk about how we
27:25
share that navigation of a career that these are people
27:30
that really want to see you truly succeed that they're
27:36
helping...it's almost that universal design for learning,
27:40
how do we remove the barriers to one's success? And,
27:45
how do we make sure that that success is possible for all
27:51
of us for everyone? And and that's what I see as the tenant
27:57
of this group.
27:58
We want to see one another be successful in whatever space
28:04
they want to be successful.
28:06
That is it exactly.
28:07
We want the best for each other.
28:11
And that really comes across so clearly in how you speak
28:15
about one another,
28:16
how you speak about the intentionality of the work that
28:22
Mimi and Jennifer have really been doing here.
28:26
It's the thought behind making sure that everyone feels
28:32
that success, feels seen, feels heard.
28:36
It warms my heart to think that we can be professionals
28:41
that come together,
28:42
and we have that sense of caring about one another,
28:48
which is so important in our success not only as a
28:53
professional person,
28:54
but how we feel our own success as human people.
29:00
I think that in general, being a new educator,
29:04
particularly in such a large district like ours and in such
29:07
a big school, I often,
29:09
when I talk to other people about working at a school like
29:12
Lyons Township, I often refer to LT as a machine.
29:16
You know,
29:16
like we're a very large school that's been operating for a
29:19
very long time.
29:20
And there are a number of people who have been here for a
29:23
number, a number of years.
29:24
I actually went here as a student,
29:26
and there are a number of teachers here that are still here
29:30
from when I was here as a student.
29:33
And I think that one of the huge benefits of our affinity
29:37
group space is that LT has really made some major
29:41
improvements and movements towards our hiring practices and
29:45
really trying to be more inclusive in terms of hiring more
29:49
educators of color and having more teachers of color and
29:53
just educators in spaces that look like the students that
29:56
we serve.
29:57
And I think that by having this space,
30:00
it also provides more support for those educators that are
30:03
coming into this primarily white space.
30:06
And I think that you have to provide that support along
30:10
with the hiring,
30:11
otherwise you're not going to be able to retain these
30:14
staff.
30:14
And that is so paramount and essential.
30:17
And when I first talked with Jen about the Affinity Group
30:22
before I even started being involved,
30:24
that was the number one thing that really got me involved
30:28
with the Affinity Group altogether was this is what's going
30:31
to help me feel secure in being at LT.
30:33
And this is what makes me feel so passionate about working
30:36
in the Affinity Group.
30:38
It really speaks to the fact that the district is really
30:43
self-aware about how to best serve students,
30:48
and the best way to serve students is through making sure
30:52
that everyone has a safe space to be in the district.
31:00
I think we're always striving for those things because it's
31:02
not perfect,
31:03
but I think when you say these things can happen,
31:06
that you can connect in this way and that we see who you
31:09
are as teachers, it's really powerful.
31:11
And I love even the sense that we call and text each other
31:15
and ask questions.
31:17
So again,
31:17
it's all the other things in between because it's not like
31:20
we have time to get together all the time,
31:22
but it's saying that we're connected because it's a
31:24
commitment, right?
31:25
Like any group you have, I mean,
31:27
every educator that would fall into the category is not in
31:30
BEST,
31:31
but sometimes we know that just when something is offered
31:34
that says something, people might not show up,
31:37
but when you see that,
31:38
that's a signal to someone that says, Oh,
31:39
that's welcome here, I'm welcome here.
31:41
Then the people who make the commitments say I wanna be a
31:43
part of that.
31:44
And even if they can't come to things,
31:46
it's the connections and all the things we do in between.
31:49
I'm really excited.
31:50
We're going to see some of us were able to go see Raisin in
31:52
the Sun this weekend.
31:54
So just that sense of, again,
31:55
having things outside and build as a community is really
31:59
valuable.
32:00
So I'm really, again,
32:01
thankful for having the opportunity to connect on the whole
32:05
level.
32:05
I can bring my whole self,
32:07
and I hope that we're supporting as the leadership here for
32:10
educators to bring their whole selves,
32:12
and that they receive a genuine, authentic experience,
32:17
because we need that so we can do our best for our
32:19
children.
32:21
And I appreciate that you talked about the big hug,
32:24
not just a little hug from one person,
32:27
but the feeling that within this group,
32:29
it's not just one person that cares for me,
32:32
I get that big group hug from everyone.
32:35
So I would like to ask,
32:37
being part of a group where you really are feeling seen,
32:41
you're feeling heard,
32:42
you feel that you can be your authentic selves,
32:46
what is something unexpected that you've learned about
32:49
yourself through participating in this group.
32:53
I'll jump in.
32:54
I would say that it's how much I actually miss the group
32:57
when we come together.
33:00
I know I feel like I'm saying the same things kind of over
33:02
and over.
33:03
However,
33:04
it is so real and so true that when we come together,
33:08
I'm like, Oh man, I really miss seeing everyone.
33:10
I miss having these opportunities just to chat about this
33:13
or chat about that.
33:14
You can kind of get into a routine within your day and kind
33:19
of like how Michael had alluded to earlier,
33:21
like he may be right next door to Mimi and still not see
33:24
her, but then just having that space just to be together.
33:27
So like the unexpected thing that I've learned about myself
33:30
was like at the beginning of the school year, I was like, O
33:32
kay, you know, BEST sounds cool, right?
33:35
Like this seems like a really neat experience,
33:37
a cool opportunity.
33:38
And then being really embedded and immersed in it,
33:40
it's like, Whoa, like I miss this in my day.
33:43
Like I'm feeling good.
33:44
I'm feeling great.
33:45
But then when we come together, it's like, well,
33:46
I really missed all of this.
33:47
It's so filling.
33:49
So that was unexpected for me because I didn't expect or
33:52
imagine the impact that it would actually have long
33:56
standing.
33:58
Thank you, Teriauna.
33:59
Anyone else?
34:01
I don't know if it's unexpected,
34:03
but I think that maybe it's just more of an appreciation.
34:08
I sing Dr.
34:09
Rowe's praises all the time.
34:11
I know that she has such, you know, you mentioned,
34:16
I think just like embracing in this hug, Dr.
34:20
Rowe's got really,
34:21
really wide arms to make sure that everyone is brought in
34:26
and feels welcomed and feels loved and feels supported.
34:33
And she doesn't do that just for like me.
34:36
And she just doesn't do it for team.
34:39
And she just doesn't do it for Teriauna, but she does it.
34:44
She's got big arms.
34:46
She's got heavy shoulders to kind of carry that weight,
34:49
which I'm sure is not a snap of the fingers where it just
34:53
happens.
34:54
She puts a lot of stinking care and love and time and
35:00
energy into doing what she does.
35:03
And it is felt, and it's appreciated.
35:06
So I just know my coming up on the end of my three years,
35:12
if it wasn't for the care and effort she puts into it,
35:17
I am very confident my three years here would have looked
35:21
and felt very different,
35:23
if it wasn't for her direction and leadership and
35:26
everything.
35:27
So again, unexpected, I don't know,
35:29
but it's more of an appreciation for what she is doing and
35:33
continues to do.
35:36
That is so heartfelt, Michael.
35:38
I think every district needs a Dr.
35:40
Jennifer there, and maybe every organization needs a Dr.
35:44
Jennifer.
35:45
And that deep unconditional care!
35:48
We're gonna cut all that part out.
35:49
But I think the best part is that we,
35:53
I have to understand that we all really do need to,
35:56
just like with our kids,
35:57
sometimes we have a hard time saying we love our kids.
36:00
You know, like that's not, you know, I'm like,
36:01
I love my students, I love them.
36:04
And it's the same thing for each other.
36:05
So I think that's in some respect has been that unexpected
36:08
part to be able to really lean into that part,
36:12
which sometimes we're told that we shouldn't do that.
36:15
You know, like you shouldn't touch, you know, hug,
36:17
you know, we're hugging all the time.
36:19
And I think this is affirmed that how that humanness is
36:23
needed.
36:24
So that's been very much affirmed for me, you know,
36:27
just in those comments of being able to express that love,
36:29
care, and compassion that we must have for each other.
36:34
I just wanted to echo everything that Michael said by
36:37
tenfold so that way it can't be erased, Jen.
36:40
You are truly such an amazing force to our district,
36:46
but also I think one thing that I will say for me as a
36:50
facilitator,
36:51
one thing that I found that's been really interesting and
36:53
unexpected is just how easy it has been to like create
36:59
connection in our group.
37:00
And I think that was something that was unexpected that I
37:03
thought would be something that would have to craft and
37:06
manufacture and have to kind of develop a lot of work
37:11
behind.
37:12
And even like Teriauna was saying in our last meeting,
37:16
that one question kind of sets everything in motion.
37:19
Another BEST meeting that we had had,
37:21
just asking a simple question of what like culture
37:25
conflicts you need to get off your chest,
37:27
like set everything in motion,
37:29
and we ended up talking for the rest of the meeting.
37:32
And I think that that can be really powerful and that just
37:37
giving people a space is all that people need to go forth.
37:41
I'm really grateful for that,
37:42
and that was something unexpected for me for sure.
37:46
Thank you, Mimi, Teriauna, Michael, and Dr.
37:49
Jennifer for being our guests today and sharing your
37:52
voices, your stories,
37:55
your work truly is special with regard to collective power,
37:58
supporting one another through unconditional care and
38:02
creating connection within the group.
38:04
This is the kind of positive affirmation that resonates
38:07
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38:09
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