Listen up, educators! Want to succeed in your work and grow professionally? NEA’s School Me podcast can help. Packed with valuable advice and tips, the 15-minute to half-hour episodes cover topics on everything from canceling student debt to recognizing implicit bias to finding connection and compassion at school. With new episodes every month, School Me listeners learn from new teachers, seasoned veterans, education support professionals (ESPs), and aspiring educators on the cusp of their careers.
“I’ve learned so much from our educators, and I am continually amazed by the energy and passion they bring to their work and to every interview,” says host Natieka Samuels, an NEA digital strategist who focuses on education policy, practice, and professional development for ESPs and teachers. “Their stories are so inspiring to me. It makes me feel very good about the work we’re doing at NEA.”
Here are just a few of the enriching School Me episodes you can tune into.
Episode 64:
“Restorative Justice and Practices in School”
In this memorable interview, Robin McNair—a veteran educator and restorative approaches coordinator in Maryland—explores how restorative practices can change school environments for all students.
McNair’s guiding principle? “The most important piece in education is the child.”
“[McNair] had so much to share, it had to be a two-part series,” Samuels says. “She showed us that there’s another way to handle discipline, one that is more intentional and much more helpful. … Restorative justice also shows you a better way to handle conflicts and handle yourself. It’s simply a better way to live.”
Building better relationships and stronger connections is a theme that comes up a lot in School Me episodes. And it’s a process that starts from within.
Episode 54: “Lessons in Trauma-Informed Instruction from a Maryland Teacher of the Year”
“As I was teaching, I started seeing pieces of myself in the students,” says podcast guest Richard Warren Jr.
Like some of his students, Warren knew poverty and trauma. His parents divorced when he was 11, money was scarce, and he remembers having to open the oven to stay warm when they couldn’t pay the heating bill. He lost his best friend to gang violence. He struggled with hunger.
“I’ve learned so much from our educators, and I am continually amazed by the energy and passion they bring to their work and to every interview.”
—Natieka Samuels, Host of NEA’S School Me Podcast
“Trauma affects your mindset; it shapes your perspective and impacts your brain,” says Warren, who was the 2018 – 2019 Maryland Teacher of the Year.
Knowing that many of his students went through similar experiences, Warren sought to use these connections to build relationships and trust.
“They all need love, compassion, and empathy,” he says. “It’s always connection over content.”
In the podcast, he shares what his trauma-informed classroom looks like. He checks in with students daily. “How are you?” he asks as they arrive. “Thumbs up or down?”
He provides a reliable structure and routine in class, offering a predictable flow and a much-needed break from the chaos they feel at home.
Warren uses natural and dim lighting, and he creates a quiet, comfortable space where he says kids “can chill out and regulate themselves, and come back to my learning environment when they’re ready.”
“Trauma informed instruction is a mindset in which you are aware that your students are coming in with different experiences—neglect and abuse, poverty, or violence,” Warren says.
With that awareness, you can more easily relate to the students and connect with them.
Samuels says that she will feature many more voices like Warren’s leading into the 2021 – 2022 school year. In the wake of the pandemic, trauma is at the forefront of educators’ minds. So future podcasts will focus on the mental health of students and educators alike, how educators can manage their own stress post-pandemic, and how COVID-19 has changed education, for better and for worse.
Top Five Most Popular ‘School Me’ Episodes
Episode 53:“Your Rights and Benefits During the Pandemic”
NEA General Counsel Alice O’Brien discusses your legal rights and available benefits for navigating the COVID-19 pandemic as an educator.
Episode 54: “Lessons in Trauma- Informed Instruction From a Maryland Teacher of the Year”
Dr. Richard Warren Jr. shares insights on trauma-aware instruction.
Episode 51: “Effective Communication Tips for ESPs”
Kimberly Scott-Hayden, a New Jersey member and the 2021 ESP of the Year, talks about facilitating open and honest communication and cultural awareness.
Episode 55: “Leading With a Social Justice Lens”
Michael Carvella, a curriculum and technology coach from Tennessee, is on a mission to create equity in classrooms through curriculum.
Episode 63: “Educating Students With Special Needs in a Pandemic
April Burch is a Virginia paraprofessional and co-founder of Cooking Autism, a nonprofit that helps educators offer life-skills programs to children with special needs. As a mother of two sons with special needs, she discusses the unique experience of educating these students during a pandemic.
