Evan Whitehead: Equity, SEL, and Educator Wellness

Evan Whitehead: SEL, Equity, and Wellness

Who is Evan Whitehead?

EVAN WHITEHEAD is a school district administrator, national consultant for the Aha Process, and an advocate for equity, mental health, mindfulness, and the UN sustainable development goals in education.

Questions, Topics, and YouTube Timestamps

  • 2:56 – How are you doing these days, and what has the COVID crisis looked like for you so far?
  • 7:35 – As we continue to move through this crisis, how can we respond and care best for students? It’s story time! Please share with us about a low moment or an experience of adversity that you’ve faced in your teaching or education career, and describe how you overcame it.
  • 17:31 – Share about your work with Aha Process. What is their mission and vision?
  • 21:58 – Do you see state-mandated broadband and wifi for every household in the future as a result of the current crisis?
  • 24:05 – How can education play a role in terms of changing some of the systemic and cultural inequities that we continue to see in society today?
  • 30:55 – How are you looking to grow professionally and improve your practice right now? Can you share about a specific professional goal or project that you’re currently working on?
  • 36:10 – Outside of education, what’s another area of learning for you? What is it that ignites your passions outside of the classroom and brings you alive as a human being? Tell us why this area interests you and why you enjoy it.
  • 37:21 – Share about one app, personal habit, or productivity hack that contributes to your success.

Voices and Resources That Spark Evan’s Thinking

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Song Track Credits

  • Sunrise Drive by South London Hifi*
  • Anthem by The Grand Affair*
  • Roots of Legend by Density & Time
  • Jane Fonda by The Grand Affair*
  • *tracks courtesy of the YouTube Audio Library

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Five Latina Superintendents: Building Equity During Times of Crisis

Five Latina Superintendents - Building Equity During Times of Crisis

In this edition of the Roundtable, host Tim Cavey connects with five Latina superintendents who are providing bold leadership to school districts in California (and now Texas). We discussed wins during the pandemic, International Women’s Day, gender equity in education leadership, solutions to pandemic problems, self-care strategies, sources of inspiration, and more.

Select any of the timestamps listed below to jump to specific portions of the discussion. ⬇️

Questions and Timestamps from This Conversation

  • 0:24 – Who are you and what is your current CONTEXT in education?
  • 1:57 – Let’s honor your communities. What is one thing that you’re especially proud of in YOUR DISTRICT?
  • 10:27 – This week we celebrated Int’l WOMEN’S Day. What does it mean to see more women in places of leadership in education, and what work still needs to be done?
  • 21:48 – It’s been often repeated that COVID-19 has magnified the systemic INEQUITIES in education. How do you see your role in building EQUITY for all learners across your communities?
  • 34:44 – What is one other CHALLENGE that you’ve had to wrestle with this year? Tell us about your learning in this area.
  • 37:51 – We all know that the so-called WORK-LIFE BALANCE is a myth – especially during this year of additional challenge. What are some practices that you live by that keep your fire burning week after week?
  • 51:02 – Who are the voices and influences that INSPIRE you on a daily or weekly basis?
  • 55:23 – How can we CONNECT with you and support your work?

Follow These Education Leaders on Twitter

Listen to the Audio-Only Podcast Episode on Spotify

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As of this post, I’m still appearing weekly on YouTubeFacebook, and Twitter at 8:00 a.m. Pacific/11:00 a.m. Eastern. I’d love to see you join us and would be happy to feature your questions and comments on the show!

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Teacher Wellness and Self-Care: How to Avoid Burnout and Rekindle Your Fire

Is self-care possible during a pandemic? Can we actually do better than aim for survival? In this edition of the Roundtable, Tim Cavey hosts a rich conversation around teacher wellness and self-care. Guests included Lindsay Titus, Dan Tricarico, and Dori Katsionis.

Questions That Guided Our Conversation

  • 14:50​ – What are some practical self-care strategies that you can share for that teacher who has zero margin and feels close to burnout?
  • 15:19​ – Dan Tricarico recommends the 5 Ss: Stillness, Silence, Space, Subtraction, and Slowing Down. These are always free and always available!
  • 17:04​ – Lindsay Titus talks about the mindset of self-care: it’s about defining what it looks like for YOU, your needs, and your identity. Lindsay points to the 4 As: Awareness (of self, environment), Acceptance (of where I’m at), Acknowledgment, and Action (move toward alignment).
  • 24:01​ – Dori Katsionis points toward the 3 Ms: Movement, Mindset, and Meditation. Getting outside is huge.
  • 29:26​ – Every yes requires a no. What are some things that pandemic educators can be saying NO to right now?
  • 42:30​ – Who are the voices and influences that inspire you in the areas of teacher wellness and self-care?
  • 51:39​ – What are the projects you are passionate about right now? How can we connect with you?

Connect with These Inspiring Educators on Instagram

Catch the Next Teachers on Fire Roundtable LIVE

As of this post, I’m still appearing weekly on YouTubeFacebookTwitterLinkedIn, and Twitch at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time/11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. I’d love to see you join us and would be happy to feature your questions and comments on the show!

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The 10,000 Push-Up Challenge

In this edition of the Roundtable, host Tim Cavey connects with seven of the 171 inspiring educators who have joined the Teachers on Fire 10,000 Push-Up Challenge in 2021. The Challenge isn’t just about bragging rights … it’s about helping educators build new habits that will permanently improve their fitness so they can be at their best and serve others at full capacity!

Questions That Guided Our Discussion

  • 1:37 – Who are you and what does your context in education look like?
  • 6:52 – What is your why for the push-up challenge? Where does your motivation come from
  • 14:06 – How is the challenge going so far for you? Update us.
  • 19:46 – What are your tips, tricks, or strategies for getting in your reps and keeping this going with consistency?
  • 28:04 – Let us know how we can connect with you and your work in 2021!

Connect with These Courageous Panelists

Over 172 educators are tracking their push-ups through 2021. Leave a message in the comments to join us!

Catch the Next Teachers on Fire Roundtable LIVE

As of this post, I’m still appearing weekly on YouTubeFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Twitch at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time/11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. I’d love to see you join us and would be happy to feature your questions and comments on the show!

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Elena Aguilar: Coaching, Equity, and Resilience

Meet Elena Aguilar

ELENA AGUILAR is an accomplished educational presenter, speaker, and author. She strives to help leaders learn, be their best selves, and serve students well. In 2018, Elena published Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators, and in 2020 she released Coaching for Equity: Conversations That Change Practice.

Questions That Guided Our Conversation

1:15 – Why don’t you start by telling us a little more about your current context in education?

2:27 – First things first: how are you doing right now? How are you handling the home quarantine and social distancing?

4:37 – It’s story time! Please share with us about a low moment or an experience of adversity that you’ve faced in your teaching or education career, and describe how you overcame it.

08:48 – In 2018, you published Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators. This seems like an especially timely focus today, with educators everywhere having to reinvent their practice and respond to challenges on a variety of levels. What are some pieces of wisdom and insight that you could share from your book that might provide educators with some hope and encouragement during a very challenging time in our schools?

15:00 – Let’s talk about your most recent work, a book called Coaching for Equity: Conversations That Change Practice. What was the mission and vision of this book? Who is it aimed at, and what would you like educators to take away from it?

18:46 – If you could offer one practical strategy or bit of advice to educators around the challenges of building equity, what would that be?

21:24 – How are you looking to grow professionally and improve your practice right now? Can you share about a specific professional goal or project that you’re currently working on?

22:41 – Outside of education, what’s another area of learning for you? What is it that ignites your passions outside of the classroom and brings you alive as a human being? Tell us why this area interests you and why you enjoy it.

23:39 – When it comes to writing, are you the sort of structured or disciplined writers that follows the same writing time each day?

Voices That Spark Elena’s Thinking

Connect with Elena

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Song Track Credits

  • Sunrise Drive by South London Hifi*
  • Anthem by The Grand Affair*
  • Species by Diamond Ortiz
  • *tracks courtesy of the YouTube Audio Library

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