38: The Critical Need to Reframe the Discussion – and Training – About Race

07/13/23 • 38 min

Guest Afrika Afeni Mills, MEd, is the CEO of Continental Drift, LLC, an author, Education Consultant, and Adjunct Professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development. She has been an educator since 1999 with a background as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, teacher developer, and school administrator. Afrika is the author of Open Windows, Open Minds: Developing Antiracist, Pro-Human Students, as well as the viral blog post, A Letter to White Teachers of My Black Children. Her TED-Ed Talk, Having Conversations About Race is Just Another Hard Thing We Can Learn to Do was released in Spring 2023. The Takeaway In this episode, we discussed the importance of addressing inclusivity and racism in education – first through self-reflection - while emphasizing the need to support educators' holistic well-being and anti-racism training via a long-term approach. Listen for

The need to reflect on one’s racial beliefs and behaviors.
The challenges posed by the banning of books by black authors and limiting the teaching of black American history
How educators need to collaborate with families and communities to address systemic issues and how that effort will take time and persistence
Why it’s essential to incorporate anti-racism training in pre-service teacher and administrator education programs.
Why it’s important for educators to take care of their whole selves.
Connect with Afrika Website LinkedIn Referenced Open Windows, Open Minds TEDTalk

The need to reflect on one’s racial beliefs and behaviors.
The challenges posed by the banning of books by black authors and limiting the teaching of black American history
How educators need to collaborate with families and communities to address systemic issues and how that effort will take time and persistence
Why it’s essential to incorporate anti-racism training in pre-service teacher and administrator education programs.
Why it’s important for educators to take care of their whole selves.
Connect with Afrika Website LinkedIn Referenced Open Windows, Open Minds TEDTalk

Previous Episode

37: The Impact of Poverty and Bias on Student Learning

Our guest

Horacio Sanchez, President and CEO, Resiliency Inc.

Horacio Sanchez is a highly sought-after speaker and educational consultant, helping schools learn to apply neuroscience to improve educational outcomes. He presents on diverse topics such as overcoming the impact of poverty, improving school climate, engaging in brain-based instruction, and addressing issues related to implicit bias. He is recognized as one of the nation’s leading authorities on resiliency and applied brain science.

Horacio has been a teacher, administrator, clinician, mental health director, and consultant to school districts across the United States. Horacio sits on the True Health Initiative Council of Directors, a coalition of more than 250 world-renowned health experts committed to educating on proven lifestyle principles as medicine. He is the author of the best-selling book, The Education Revolution, which applies brain science to improve instruction, behaviors, and school climate. His new book, The Poverty Problem, explains how education can promote resilience and counter poverty’s impact on brain development and functioning.

The Takeaway By understanding the profound effects of poverty-related stress on the brain, acknowledging the power of subconscious biases, and implementing practical strategies for emotional regulation, educators can foster resilience, equity, and optimal learning experiences for vulnerable students. As you listen

Poverty-related stress can have a significant impact on the brain, leading to changes in memory, emotional regulation, and decision-making abilities.
Societal biases, particularly those related to race, can be subconscious and influence our perceptions and interactions with others.
Strategies for regulating emotions in the classroom include pre-planning, ritualizing the environment, and using rituals to help students regulate their systems faster and adjust.
It is important to build protective factors and concrete skills for vulnerable students, especially those from poverty or who have experienced racism and bias.
Teachers should have an understanding of how the brain learns and establish foundational knowledge for students before moving on to more complex topics.

Connect with Horacio Sanchez

Twitter - Horacio Sanchez @ResiliencyInc Website - https://resiliencyinc.com/

Referenced

The Education Revolution

The Poverty Problem

Next Episode

39: Reducing the Trauma of Native Youth Through Tribal-Directed Education

Guest Melanie Johnson, Sac and Fox Nation, M.Ed., CPS, is the Director of the Whole Child Initiative for the National Indian Education Association. Melanie has worked with tribal communities and organizations for over 20 years. Melanie is a Certified Prevention Specialist and has worked in the field of substance use and misuse prevention in native communities, focusing primarily on native youth for over 10 years. Melanie also serves as a consultant for the Opioid Response Network Indigenous Communities Workgroup since 2019. Melanie also serves on the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s Indigenous Peoples Advisory Council, is a member of the National American Indian and Alaska Native Prevention TTC, and sits on the Advisory Board for the Compassionate School Leadership Academy for the Center for Educational Improvement. Summary The conversation centers on Melanie Johnson's efforts at the National Indian Education Association to address Native students' educational needs. Through listening sessions, they gather insights, highlighting hope and the call for collective action to support families and draw on ancestral knowledge for healing. Topics include educational sovereignty, preserving cultures, involving others, vocational training, systemic barriers, and unity for future generations. Listen for

• the purpose and results of the listening sessions

• the imperative for educational sovereignty

• the importance of allies to support policy-making at the local and state levels

• the value of pathways to post-high school vocational training and higher education

• the need for greater historical awareness of the population at large

Connect with Melanie

Melanie Johnson, M.Ed. Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma Director, Whole Child Initiative National Indian Education Association 1514 P Street, NW, Suite B Washington, DC 20005

https://www.niea.org/