An Education Marked by Opportunity and Inspiration and by Roadblocks and Racism

An Education Marked by Opportunity and Inspiration and by Roadblocks and Racism

Author: Teacher Stories August 8, 2020 Duration: 56:55
Dr. Sharon Tettegah, a Professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, shares stories about her life and her most memorable teachers. Growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas (a completely segregated community) all of her teachers were Black. Here, she received an excellent education and was two grade levels ahead of her classmates when, as a fifth grader, she and her family moved to San Francisco. She soon moved across the Bay to Oakland and was fortunate to have had teachers who recognized her potential and desire to learn. But she also encountered racism at school in the form of low expectations and negative attributions. "Education," Dr. Tettegah discovered, was "about assimilating to whiteness." She sees the Black Lives Movement as an opportunity for educators to confront systemic racism, a process that begins by examining one's own biases.

Behind every person who learns, there is someone who taught them. Teacher Stories is a quiet space dedicated entirely to those someones. This podcast moves beyond the general appreciation for educators to share the specific, often overlooked moments that define a life in the classroom. Each episode features a different voice-sometimes a teacher recounting a breakthrough or a challenge, other times a former student sharing how an educator’s influence quietly shaped their path years later. You’ll hear the unscripted reality of the profession: the small victories that happen off the report card, the frustrations that never make it to a staff meeting, and the profound connections that form in the most unexpected ways. By listening to these personal narratives, we get a clearer, more human picture of the immense role teachers play in stitching the fabric of our communities together. The stories collected here are a testament to the lasting impact of a single dedicated individual. Tune in for a genuine, heartfelt exploration of education from the inside out, one story at a time. This podcast is an ongoing conversation about why these personal histories matter, inviting everyone to reflect on the educators who left a mark on their own lives.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 71

Teacher Stories
Podcast Episodes
The Power of Stories and Early Relationships [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:25
When 4th grade teacher Miriam Marecek turned down the lights and lit the reading candle, magic happened. Pediatrician and journalist Perri Klass describes what it was like being one of Ms. Marecek's students and the impa…
Three Educators Reflect on How to Teach about the Insurrection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:55
Like most Americans, these three veteran teachers were horrified as they learned about the insurrection at the nation's Capitol on January 6th, 2021. But each of them had to decide how to address this highly controversia…
Teacher of the Year, Sean Bui Gave Up a Law Practice to Change Lives [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:31
After practicing law for several years, Sean Bui, the son of Vietnamese and Filipino immigrants, suddenly realized that he didn't love his job. What he really wanted to be was a teacher and to make a difference in young…
Don Dumas Makes History Relevant to All of His Students [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:49
As a high school student, Don Dumas didn't feel he mattered because the curriculum was disconnected from his experience. "I was kicking and screaming on my way toward graduation," he said. But Joyce Suber, a Black high s…
6th Grader Launches Her Own Podcast - About Politics! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:03
Eleven year-old Kaia Bali recently launched her own podcast called, "Through a Gen-Z's Eyes," because she is worried the current state of politics and our country's future. In this episode of Teacher Stories, Kaia talks…
Teachers Tom Courtney and Rachel Petrivelli Connect with Families [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:19
After 22 years as a public school teacher, Tom Courtney finally hits his stride after discovering the virtues of the authentic connections he has created with his 5th grade students' families. Mr. Courtney, also known as…
Chris Hasegawa on the "art" of teaching science [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:38
Chris Hasegawa, a highly accomplished teacher educator, describes what great science teachers do to help students understand and love this subject. "You have to make yourself a little bit vulnerable," he says, and to eli…
Fred Shoemaker's Wisdom about Teaching, Learning, and Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:51
Fred Shoemaker is considered one of America's best golf teachers, but in this provocative conversation about teaching, learning, and life you'll discover how his success has come by helping students discover their own ca…
Four College Students Reflect On Being Black in School [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:09
Four Black college students talk about their unique experiences in public schools, sharing stories about their teachers and professors, the curriculum they were exposed to, and the structural racism they periodically enc…