In this special episode to kickstart Teacher Appreciation Week Kaitlin chats with Derrick Carlson, a dedicated fourth-grade monolingual English teacher from Evanston, Illinois. In this insightful conversation, Derrick shares his journey from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in Texas to prestigious programs at The University of Oklahoma and DePaul University, culminating in his current role as an educator and advocate for culturally responsive practices.

Derrick's passion for creating welcoming and beautiful classrooms and fostering authentic student-centered practices shines through as he discusses his experiences teaching. He brings over a decade of teaching expertise and a commitment to developing students' cognitive capacity to the forefront, showcasing his dedication to empowering education.

Whether you're an educator, student, or education enthusiast, this episode offers inspiration and practical strategies for creating meaningful learning experiences and fostering inclusive classrooms.

Follow Derrick on IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackandbrightin2nd/?hl=en

Quotes

"We need to make sure that teachers are not having to buy their own books, they're outdated books."

"True kindness to me is humanizing the situation and seeking to learn and innovate with others, not win battles that avoid addressing the deeper issues."

"I think we put the horse before the cart and really jumped back into the school system."

"Empathy is radical kindness."

"Being able to not go into a situation with an accusatory or defensive manner, but really seeking to understand and learn from others, I think is radical kindness."

"Our job is to support them as they understand a little bit more about how to navigate socialization, developing their own awareness of others."

"I want them to be able to think so deeply as well as make the choices in their own lives."

"A lot of it is being mixed in and then you hear some folks say, 'In my day, we just learned,' and it's like actually, that's multicultural education."

"I wish teachers did have that power, with a lot of things would change."

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Full Transcript: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2247/9287/files/Kindness_Is_Pod_with_Derrick_2024-04-30_20_03_GMT-4_-_Transcript.docx?v=1714959397