1 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:04,160 A O two Dope Nation. Hey, 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:08,240 if you're an educator is struggling with time and money, my friend Alex ra, 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,680 certified financial planner with SAT investors is here to help specializing in 4 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:17,320 working with educators. 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Hey, what's going on y'all? 25 00:01:40,470 --> 00:01:44,920 It's me here up here, executive producing, uh, 26 00:01:45,220 --> 00:01:48,160 two Dope Productions over here. Um, listen, 27 00:01:48,300 --> 00:01:52,600 you may have noticed over the last few months, it's been really hard, uh, 28 00:01:52,860 --> 00:01:55,520 for me to get content out there. Um, 29 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,840 I got a ton of great interviews just sitting in the canister waiting to reach 30 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:01,840 your ears. And, uh, 31 00:02:01,980 --> 00:02:05,280 I'm just so timet strapped and kind of getting this stuff done. But y'all, I've, 32 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,760 I've made a decision and, um, 33 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:13,240 I don't know when this comes to life. I don't totally know how, um, 34 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:15,320 but I know that it has to, at some point, 35 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:20,200 I wanna start working towards doing two dope teachers in a mic 36 00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:23,880 and doing two dope productions for a living. 37 00:02:25,140 --> 00:02:26,680 And that's a lot, right? 38 00:02:27,070 --> 00:02:31,120 Like biting off a whole lot out there that, um, 39 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,040 I don't know, you know, 40 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,240 it gives me a lot of insecurity and gives me a lot of fear to take that plunge. 41 00:02:36,260 --> 00:02:40,920 But, you know, you've probably heard so many guests on this podcast talk about, 42 00:02:41,780 --> 00:02:45,520 you know, how they just kind of took the plunge and now they're just doing dope, 43 00:02:45,870 --> 00:02:49,360 dope stuff on their own terms. And, um, 44 00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:54,160 I aspire kind of be like that. So, here's what you can do to help. 45 00:02:54,170 --> 00:02:58,480 First of all, um, if you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, 46 00:02:58,780 --> 00:03:03,640 hit us up and I'm happy to sit down and have a conversation with you and talk a 47 00:03:03,640 --> 00:03:07,320 little bit about what we're looking to accomplish and what we consider an 48 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,440 aligned relationship. Um, 49 00:03:10,580 --> 00:03:14,960 if you are somebody who would like to just contribute on an ongoing, um, 50 00:03:15,370 --> 00:03:19,640 basis for as little as $5 a month, you can go to our Patreon page, 51 00:03:19,670 --> 00:03:22,800 patreon.com/two Dope teachers, and, uh, 52 00:03:22,860 --> 00:03:27,680 for a little as little as $5 a month, you can make, um, 53 00:03:28,030 --> 00:03:32,920 independent people of color media production possible for as 54 00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:36,480 much as $15. You can also get a sticker, a two Dope Nation sticker. 55 00:03:37,490 --> 00:03:41,080 Shout out Sham, getting that done for us. And, um, 56 00:03:41,630 --> 00:03:45,680 that helps us keep the lights on and pay some of the expenses that come with the 57 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,520 podcast. The podcast is not free, um, for us. Uh, we, 58 00:03:49,540 --> 00:03:52,640 we do strive to keep it free for you. Um, 59 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:57,600 another way you can support us is by going to buy me a coffee.com/two 60 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:02,000 Dope Teachers, where just for a few dollars, as often as you want to, 61 00:04:02,060 --> 00:04:06,360 you can buy us a coffee. And by coffee we mean production bandwidth. 62 00:04:06,620 --> 00:04:08,720 And, um, covering expenses. 63 00:04:08,990 --> 00:04:12,480 It's very unlikely that we'll actually use it for coffee, but hey, 64 00:04:12,660 --> 00:04:16,120 but maybe we will, and you can make that coffee possible, 65 00:04:16,420 --> 00:04:18,080 but we're gonna keep on striving. I mean, 66 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:22,880 the number one thing you can always do is just tell people about the podcast 67 00:04:23,500 --> 00:04:28,040 and, um, tell people to listen. And, you know, reach out to us on, 68 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:33,040 on our socials where at Tudo teachers, on the artist, formerly known as Twitter, 69 00:04:33,460 --> 00:04:38,080 as well as on Instagram, you can also find us two dope teachers.com. 70 00:04:38,500 --> 00:04:41,280 And then we are also on Facebook. So, 71 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,200 a looking forward to bringing you this next episode. Um, 72 00:04:45,260 --> 00:04:47,440 but just wanna let you know what the goals are, um, 73 00:04:48,180 --> 00:04:52,680 and hopefully we're on our way. Also, um, if you subscribe to Patreon, 74 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,800 you actually get our episodes ad free. So, um, 75 00:04:56,990 --> 00:04:58,720 hope you're doing well and, uh, 76 00:04:58,930 --> 00:05:01,160 can't wait to hear what you think about this conversation. 77 00:05:27,380 --> 00:05:27,960 Hey, yo, 78 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:32,840 welcome back to Two Dope Teachers and 79 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,880 a microphone. What's going on? It's me. Hi, 80 00:05:36,700 --> 00:05:41,240 2021 Colorado Teacher of the Year. Yeah, I'm gonna say that forever. Um, and. 81 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:43,560 I. 82 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:47,640 I hope that you'll celebrate with me because it was probably 83 00:05:48,420 --> 00:05:52,640 the single most transformative moment in my teaching career. Anyway, 84 00:05:52,940 --> 00:05:56,640 I'm over here. Kevin is not here for this conversation. 85 00:05:56,820 --> 00:06:00,840 The conversation was actually recorded during the day due to our guest's 86 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,040 availability, and Kevin is still working in schools, 87 00:06:04,700 --> 00:06:09,280 and I did this at lunch, so don't come for me. It was on my lunch hour. 88 00:06:10,020 --> 00:06:13,000 Anyway, we are here, um, in just a moment, 89 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,600 you're gonna get a chance to hear me speak with, uh, Rebecca Peterson, 90 00:06:18,140 --> 00:06:22,400 the 2023 National Teacher of the Year, a secondary math teacher out of Tulsa, 91 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,600 Oklahoma. Really, really amazing conversation. And, uh, 92 00:06:26,660 --> 00:06:30,240 one that really tests some of my, um, 93 00:06:30,830 --> 00:06:35,240 fundamental ways of being, um, shall we say. Um, 94 00:06:35,750 --> 00:06:40,360 this is a very positive individual who is fully aware of the 95 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:45,440 struggles in the world right now. And while she faces those things with, 96 00:06:45,660 --> 00:06:47,920 um, courage, having the spotlight on, 97 00:06:49,020 --> 00:06:53,840 she also understands the importance of joy and just finding the one 98 00:06:53,840 --> 00:06:57,080 good thing every day, um, that can, uh, 99 00:06:57,110 --> 00:07:00,680 that can maybe be a game changer for you at times. Um, 100 00:07:01,260 --> 00:07:04,680 so we'll get into that conversation in just a second. And I'll tell you, um, 101 00:07:04,910 --> 00:07:09,880 this conversation that I had with Rebecca, um, is just, 102 00:07:11,070 --> 00:07:15,680 it's just really kind of timely in my life. Like those of you who know me well, 103 00:07:15,860 --> 00:07:19,560 and you've probably seen this pop up on the podcast from time to time. 104 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:24,800 I sometimes struggle with positivity. I I sometimes struggle with optimism, 105 00:07:24,900 --> 00:07:25,733 and, you know, 106 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:30,200 I always thought it was because I was just this total critical thinker, um, 107 00:07:30,790 --> 00:07:34,400 that I always ascribe positivity to, um, 108 00:07:35,260 --> 00:07:38,720 to naivete. Um, if you're feeling positive, 109 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:43,120 then obviously you are naive and you don't know what's really going on, and, 110 00:07:43,140 --> 00:07:46,080 and that, that's unfair to positive people. 111 00:07:46,180 --> 00:07:50,960 But it's also unfair to me because as so many of my loved ones around me 112 00:07:51,070 --> 00:07:55,240 have really just tried to teach me . Um, I deserve joy. 113 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:58,000 I deserve to be happy at times. I, 114 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,880 I deserve to be present and in the moment, and I'm just, 115 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,160 I just haven't been good at that in the past. 116 00:08:04,500 --> 00:08:07,200 And so the last year has been really challenging, 117 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:11,240 especially this summer was really challenging. Um, I'm kind of, 118 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:15,040 I kind of found myself at this crossroads at my job, um, 119 00:08:15,370 --> 00:08:20,280 where I had to think about if I was going to show up as my full self or 120 00:08:20,300 --> 00:08:22,680 not. And, uh, that's a very difficult place to be. 121 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:26,960 And maybe some of you are surprised to hear me say that. Um, 122 00:08:27,300 --> 00:08:30,240 but I actually think some of you are probably not surprised to hear me say that 123 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:34,640 at all. Um, there's times that I don't show up as, as my true self. 124 00:08:34,660 --> 00:08:36,560 And it's not just because of the environment. 125 00:08:36,790 --> 00:08:41,640 It's not just because of the way these systems often see people of color, 126 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:45,920 particularly black and brown people. Um, it's, 127 00:08:47,100 --> 00:08:50,080 you know, it's not just that in a way. 128 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,360 Sometimes it feels like I'm just kind of protecting myself, um, 129 00:08:53,590 --> 00:08:56,640 that if I just don't fully show up, 130 00:08:57,430 --> 00:09:00,760 then I don't have to feel rejected. 131 00:09:02,390 --> 00:09:04,650 And that's been a big thing. You know, I'm, 132 00:09:04,670 --> 00:09:07,050 I'm doing some writing over on my sub stack. Um, 133 00:09:07,430 --> 00:09:10,610 so feel free to head over there and check it out. Um, you know, 134 00:09:10,610 --> 00:09:15,330 I want to do this piece about being seen and how it's sort of shifted for me. 135 00:09:15,830 --> 00:09:20,170 Um, I was a person that sought affirmation at every turn, 136 00:09:21,030 --> 00:09:25,970 and I didn't see any end in sight because affirmations are kind 137 00:09:25,970 --> 00:09:29,570 of addictive. I'm not saying that they're bad, they're, they're not bad. Um, 138 00:09:29,570 --> 00:09:34,330 it feels good when another person sees good work that you're doing or good 139 00:09:34,330 --> 00:09:37,730 things that you're into, or good qualities that you have, 140 00:09:37,730 --> 00:09:38,850 that's always a good thing. 141 00:09:39,310 --> 00:09:44,210 But if that's the only basis for where I am feeling 142 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:49,010 seen and valued, it's just not healthy and it becomes addictive and it becomes, 143 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,610 it's like you need more and more and more, right? Just, just like a, 144 00:09:53,730 --> 00:09:58,010 a just like an addiction to a substance, right? 145 00:09:58,790 --> 00:09:59,370 So I, 146 00:09:59,370 --> 00:10:03,890 I kind of crashed out over the summer and some things kind of went down 147 00:10:04,190 --> 00:10:07,650 in this, um, you know, in this hard moment for me. 148 00:10:07,710 --> 00:10:11,770 But I just have to shout out some people and you, you know, who you are, um, 149 00:10:12,310 --> 00:10:16,170 who were honest with me and direct with me and, um, 150 00:10:16,510 --> 00:10:19,570 loving towards me as I tried to turn this corner. 151 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:24,010 I've learned that it's more important for me to see myself 152 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,170 than it is for others to see me. And maybe if I see myself, 153 00:10:30,230 --> 00:10:33,330 it doesn't actually matter that much, whether others see me, 154 00:10:33,330 --> 00:10:36,730 because how I show up, how I engage, 155 00:10:36,910 --> 00:10:41,530 and how I try to leave a positive imprint on the world 156 00:10:42,260 --> 00:10:45,090 comes from within, you know? 157 00:10:46,950 --> 00:10:50,130 So stay tuned, um, for this little healing journey. 158 00:10:50,730 --> 00:10:55,450 A if you want to support two dope teachers and a mic, um, 159 00:10:56,510 --> 00:11:00,210 you can head over to patreon.com/two Dope Teachers for $5 a month. 160 00:11:00,550 --> 00:11:02,770 You can help us make, um, 161 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:07,530 independent people of color produced media possible. 162 00:11:07,740 --> 00:11:12,330 We're bringing stories that just aren't being highlighted in other spaces, 163 00:11:12,830 --> 00:11:16,650 and we're bringing stories in a way that I would argue is unique. 164 00:11:17,130 --> 00:11:20,130 I think when you listen to two dope teachers and a mic, whether it's just me, 165 00:11:20,130 --> 00:11:24,290 whether it's me and Kev, whether it's some of the dope guest hosts we have had, 166 00:11:24,350 --> 00:11:25,850 you're just getting something different. 167 00:11:26,430 --> 00:11:30,370 And that different thing is something that I think is really valuable. Um, if, 168 00:11:30,430 --> 00:11:33,290 you know, if your income is a little bit unpredictable, well, if, 169 00:11:33,430 --> 00:11:37,210 if it's unpredictable, like hit over to investors and, you know, uh, 170 00:11:37,230 --> 00:11:40,170 hit up Tori and Alex, they can help you out. Not just kidding, um, no, 171 00:11:40,170 --> 00:11:44,770 but actually do that. Um, but, you know, if it's kind of up and down with, um, 172 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,050 with the money coming in, we know a lot of you are scraping by, 173 00:11:48,050 --> 00:11:50,370 particularly in the really overpriced city of Denver, 174 00:11:50,710 --> 00:11:54,680 but maybe you have a few bucks, um, to support that. You can throw our way, uh, 175 00:11:54,680 --> 00:11:58,400 head over to buy me a coffee.com/two dope teachers, um, 176 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,280 where you can buy us virtual coffee and, um, 177 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:04,160 continue to support the work that we're doing. Um, 178 00:12:04,900 --> 00:12:08,480 the simplest thing you can do is just tell your friends and colleagues that 179 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:13,400 there's this dope podcast, um, that answers a lot of your questions. And man, 180 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:18,320 we got some wicked cool stuff that we're working on, um, in the coming, 181 00:12:18,740 --> 00:12:22,680 uh, months and year that, that we really think that you're gonna enjoy. 182 00:12:23,020 --> 00:12:25,280 And having a little bit of an investment, um, 183 00:12:25,470 --> 00:12:28,880 whether it's an investment of time or an investment of money, 184 00:12:29,060 --> 00:12:30,480 is really valuable to us. 185 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,960 Follow us on socials at two Dope Teachers on Instagram and Twitter. 186 00:12:34,210 --> 00:12:38,520 We're on Facebook, we're everywhere. So here's the introduction. 187 00:12:39,100 --> 00:12:41,320 Um, so Rebecca Peterson, 188 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:45,960 the 2023 National Teacher of the Year is a math teacher who loves stories. 189 00:12:46,790 --> 00:12:51,200 Rebecca's taught high school math classes ranging from intermediate algebra 190 00:12:51,620 --> 00:12:56,160 to advanced placement calculus for 11 years at Union High School in Tulsa, 191 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,800 Oklahoma. Amid a difficult first year of high school teaching, 192 00:12:59,820 --> 00:13:02,080 she found the one good thing blog. 193 00:13:02,460 --> 00:13:06,520 She credits daily posting there to helping her recognize the beautiful and 194 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,040 positive experiences occurring in her classroom, 195 00:13:09,210 --> 00:13:11,440 which inspired her to stay in the profession. 196 00:13:11,980 --> 00:13:16,120 She has since contributed 1400 posts to the blog. 197 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:20,480 This is why I thought it was her blog. . As Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, 198 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,760 she has visited teachers across the state to highlight their important work 199 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:28,400 through the Teachers of Oklahoma campaign. As National Teacher of the Year, 200 00:13:28,430 --> 00:13:32,440 Rebecca is using her platform to highlight teachers' stories of the good that's 201 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:36,560 happening in education. Teaching is a profession that affords creativity, 202 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:38,080 autonomy, and purpose. 203 00:13:38,700 --> 00:13:42,520 And Rebecca believes that highlighting the stories of joy happening in 204 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:47,440 classrooms across the country will help encourage current teachers and attract 205 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:52,000 new educators to the profession. Rebecca is a proud immigrant of Swedish, 206 00:13:52,190 --> 00:13:53,280 Iranian descent, 207 00:13:53,580 --> 00:13:57,040 and has lived in several countries around the world as her parents traveled as 208 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:57,880 medical missionaries. 209 00:13:58,300 --> 00:14:02,520 Her own experience with supportive teachers who celebrated her diversity in math 210 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:07,280 abilities informs Rebecca's efforts to create a supportive and accessible 211 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:08,400 classroom for students. 212 00:14:08,940 --> 00:14:13,560 She values listening to student stories as a way to better understand them and 213 00:14:13,670 --> 00:14:17,640 elevate their voice. Before joining the faculty at Union High School, 214 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,440 Rebecca taught for three years at the collegiate level. 215 00:14:20,780 --> 00:14:25,200 She holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Oklahoma Wesleyan University 216 00:14:25,460 --> 00:14:29,720 and a master's degree in mathematics from the University of South Dakota. 217 00:14:30,140 --> 00:14:33,800 She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband Brett and son Jonas. 218 00:14:34,300 --> 00:14:38,240 And she enjoys reading, crafting, and playing board games. 219 00:14:38,460 --> 00:14:42,120 Here's our conversation up everybody, it's me, Gerard Munoz, 220 00:14:42,550 --> 00:14:45,040 your 2021 Colorado Teacher of the Year. My, 221 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:48,960 the Forever 2021 Colorado Teacher of the Year is what they keep telling me. 222 00:14:49,380 --> 00:14:53,760 And I am here with the amazing Rebecca Peterson 223 00:14:54,220 --> 00:14:59,120 2023 National Teacher of the 224 00:14:59,510 --> 00:15:00,343 Year. 225 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:02,113 . Hello. 226 00:15:02,220 --> 00:15:03,053 How are you today? 227 00:15:04,260 --> 00:15:05,680 I'm good, how are you? Is. 228 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:07,880 That the best intro you've ever gotten? Like that's. 229 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:08,993 A really good intro. 230 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:12,560 . Yeah, it's, it's good. I, I understand you can't like, necessarily, 231 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,840 'cause other people might get their feelings hurt and so, so I get it. . 232 00:15:15,910 --> 00:15:19,560 Totally makes sense. Uh, Rebecca, you are in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 233 00:15:19,610 --> 00:15:21,520 Thank you for being on the show, 234 00:15:21,620 --> 00:15:26,040 for coming on the most dangerous podcast in the school house. 235 00:15:26,580 --> 00:15:31,200 Uh, we are here remixing the conversation on race, power, and education. Um, 236 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,880 so I wanna get kind of get right to it. Um, 237 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,080 when you were announced as a finalist, um, 238 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:41,280 I learned about your One Good Thing blog, and, um, 239 00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:44,200 and I sort of, so I looked down, I'm like, oh, that's interesting. 240 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:49,120 'cause ob obviously for a lot of classroom teachers is often difficult 241 00:15:49,140 --> 00:15:52,080 to identify that one good thing. Mm-hmm. . And like, 242 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,600 I dove in and I'm cynical, Rebecca . I'm like, 243 00:15:56,220 --> 00:15:59,480 I'm like a cynical person, and I'm like, 244 00:16:00,260 --> 00:16:01,960 do I wanna read this? Like, do, 245 00:16:02,220 --> 00:16:06,800 and then I got a couple of entries in and I was really glad that I spent the 246 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,200 time. Um, what is it that, um, 247 00:16:11,110 --> 00:16:14,520 what is it that motivated you to create this blog? 248 00:16:15,470 --> 00:16:18,840 Yeah, so I actually did not create it. Um, I did administer. 249 00:16:18,940 --> 00:16:19,773 Oh, research. 250 00:16:20,340 --> 00:16:25,240 No, no, you're good. Um, I, uh, it was, 251 00:16:25,260 --> 00:16:26,920 it was pretty brand new, 252 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:31,760 like collaborative blog when I switched over from teaching college to 253 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:36,640 high school in 20 20 12. And that switch for me, you know, 254 00:16:36,700 --> 00:16:39,360 to nobody's surprise, except apparently my own . 255 00:16:41,170 --> 00:16:44,280 Funny how that works. You're like, I thought I had this, I thought I had this, 256 00:16:44,500 --> 00:16:48,440 and everybody knew it was gonna be hard, and somehow I didn't . 257 00:16:48,630 --> 00:16:50,000 Exactly, yes. 258 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,320 I joke that I went from like this classroom space where students were like 259 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,280 paying to hear what I had to say to this classroom space, 260 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:59,840 where like students were more or less like forced to hear what I had to say. 261 00:17:00,700 --> 00:17:04,680 Yes. And it, it was, it was a real shock to my system. Mm. Um, 262 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:08,480 and I too am pretty cynical. I I say like, I am naturally, 263 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:13,480 I feel kind of wired as like glass half empty kind of gal. Um, 264 00:17:14,300 --> 00:17:17,400 and so I really had one foot out the door. I was, 265 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:22,600 I was ready to just be done, um, and go back to college teaching. Um, 266 00:17:22,980 --> 00:17:26,520 and then I stumbled upon again, this really new collective blog, and it, 267 00:17:26,820 --> 00:17:29,840 ori originally was just math teachers that Yeah. Um, 268 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,520 I just like connected with because they were like, yeah, this , 269 00:17:33,550 --> 00:17:37,720 this work is hard . And they, but then they, 270 00:17:38,070 --> 00:17:41,680 they decided to sort of live by this mantra that every day may not be good, 271 00:17:42,020 --> 00:17:45,720 but there's something good in every day. Mm-hmm. And you know, it, 272 00:17:46,110 --> 00:17:47,680 that quote just really. 273 00:17:48,190 --> 00:17:51,960 Resonated. Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day. 274 00:17:52,510 --> 00:17:53,760 Yeah. Yeah. I need. 275 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:54,593 That. Yeah. 276 00:17:54,630 --> 00:17:56,960 Yeah. You know, and it just like, to me, 277 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:01,960 like beautifully encapsulated the difficulty of the work while still sort of, 278 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:03,360 I don't know, 279 00:18:03,360 --> 00:18:08,360 putting sort of the ownership on me to look for the beautiful in 280 00:18:08,500 --> 00:18:11,480 within the difficult, right. Yeah. Um, because like, 281 00:18:12,510 --> 00:18:17,040 life is hard , but life is also beautiful. And so, 282 00:18:17,380 --> 00:18:21,400 um, I decided to join and not just join, 283 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,920 I decided to like be the weird one that like actually posted every single day. 284 00:18:26,460 --> 00:18:30,000 Um, and so I, um, Sam, one of the, 285 00:18:30,420 --> 00:18:33,560 the Coad administrators told me today, and it was just so kind that like, 286 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:36,960 I kind of breathed life back into the, to the blog and maybe, 287 00:18:37,130 --> 00:18:40,400 maybe sustained it in a way. Um, but yeah, 288 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:44,720 so I just kinda kept writing and writing one good thing every day. And I, 289 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:47,960 I saw really such a shift in, 290 00:18:48,540 --> 00:18:53,080 in my mindset and, and the brain science backs it up, right? 291 00:18:53,110 --> 00:18:56,640 Like when, um, we decide to be intentional about something, 292 00:18:56,660 --> 00:18:59,640 the part of our brain that filters, that something expand, 293 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:01,840 allowing us to see more of that thing. 294 00:19:02,020 --> 00:19:06,000 And that thing for me was the good moments. Um, 295 00:19:06,620 --> 00:19:11,440 and nothing, most, most of the posts are not big things. 296 00:19:11,790 --> 00:19:12,640 Like they're just. 297 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:14,000 Right. Yeah. I noticed that . 298 00:19:14,350 --> 00:19:18,880 Just really small, everyday beautiful moments that I was missing before, 299 00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:19,540 you know? 300 00:19:19,540 --> 00:19:24,240 And I think that if we're not intentional about creating space for those good 301 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:27,360 things Yeah. Then they don't, then they don't land. You know? 302 00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:29,120 And we have to create the space for them to land. 303 00:19:29,670 --> 00:19:32,920 Yeah, I totally agree with that. And, um, and it, 304 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:37,320 and it is interesting because I think what I've witnessed both, you know, 305 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:39,120 I've spent 23 years as a classroom teacher, 306 00:19:39,220 --> 00:19:43,440 and now I've just finished my first year as a central office manager. 307 00:19:44,180 --> 00:19:48,520 And what I've noticed is that it's so easy to, 308 00:19:48,980 --> 00:19:52,280 um, to move away from that. And I, I think that, 309 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:57,760 I think during Covid there was a lot of talk about toxic positivity and kind of 310 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:02,400 thing, and I actually think that what I've witnessed in a lot of the spaces I 311 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:06,240 interacted in is there's been kind of an overcorrection to toxic positivity 312 00:20:06,730 --> 00:20:09,400 where anything that, um, 313 00:20:09,470 --> 00:20:13,720 doesn't sort of fit into that cynical trope, um, is, 314 00:20:13,820 --> 00:20:18,440 is kind of rejected. And, and what you said about, you know, the, the, 315 00:20:18,580 --> 00:20:21,920 you being kind of this, this cynic who mm-hmm. , you know, 316 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:25,480 needed this mindset shift. It makes me think of the gramsci quote, right? Uh, 317 00:20:25,590 --> 00:20:30,000 pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will. Mm-hmm. And so to me, 318 00:20:30,020 --> 00:20:33,120 it really, uh, and he wrote that in prison, so he is like in prison, 319 00:20:33,140 --> 00:20:34,960 and I'm like, okay, what am I complaining about? 320 00:20:35,220 --> 00:20:39,120 I'm literally not in prison at the moment for my political ideas, . Um, 321 00:20:39,500 --> 00:20:44,400 and so this idea that we can maintain a lens of criticality while 322 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,760 being optimistic about what we can do with just a mind, 323 00:20:48,230 --> 00:20:50,400 mind set shift. Yeah. . 324 00:20:50,710 --> 00:20:55,120 Yeah, exactly. And that, that is something I try to be very clear about. Like, 325 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:57,200 this is not toxic positivity, this is not, yeah. 326 00:20:57,220 --> 00:21:00,800 I'm looking for the silver lining. This is Yeah. Insisting on the good, 327 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:02,880 the true and the light, having the final word in our day. 328 00:21:03,390 --> 00:21:07,000 Yeah. I love that. No, it's great. And kind of to that point, 329 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:11,080 this is sort of an interesting thing. Um, so having, 330 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:14,920 I wouldn't say I've been following the news a ton. Um, 331 00:21:14,980 --> 00:21:19,640 it follows me on every, on every platform that I end up in. 332 00:21:19,860 --> 00:21:23,160 So one of the discussions that we, that they not, I don't know, 333 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:24,760 I feel like it's not even a discussion, 334 00:21:24,820 --> 00:21:29,560 but we do have this kind of local minority that is calling for things 335 00:21:29,710 --> 00:21:34,680 like math instruction to just quote, unquote be about the math, about content, 336 00:21:34,910 --> 00:21:38,280 content skills. And, you know, 337 00:21:38,420 --> 00:21:42,400 you need to be able to calculate things. You, it's funny, there's this, I'm, 338 00:21:42,700 --> 00:21:46,000 I'm kind of riffing right now, but there's this kind of dual thing of like, 339 00:21:46,180 --> 00:21:48,040 we need to be able to teach them the skills, 340 00:21:48,180 --> 00:21:51,080 but also don't waste my time with the skills , 341 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:54,280 because when am I gonna use this? It's just so wild to me to like, 342 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,480 listen to that. It's like, what do we want? 343 00:21:56,620 --> 00:21:58,520 So they need to learn the Pythagorean theorem, 344 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,600 but I've never used it and they shouldn't have to use it. It's just wild. 345 00:22:01,940 --> 00:22:05,320 Anyway, that's not the question. the question. No. Has I. 346 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:06,520 I feel pretty validated . 347 00:22:06,710 --> 00:22:09,040 Because I think I, I I think it's fine. 348 00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:13,040 I think I looked at some of your posts on the One Good Thing blog, um, 349 00:22:13,500 --> 00:22:16,280 and some of the other things that had been released about you before I actually 350 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:18,360 knew what your subject matter was. 351 00:22:18,940 --> 00:22:23,200 And so when I learned that your content area was math, I'm really curious. 352 00:22:23,260 --> 00:22:24,840 So how do you approach math? Like how, 353 00:22:25,510 --> 00:22:30,240 talk a little bit about how your approach is a little bit different than what 354 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:31,400 people are, like, 355 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:36,400 what a small minority is calling for and what we sometimes will characterize as 356 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:37,240 math instruction. 357 00:22:38,490 --> 00:22:41,710 Yes. So, uh, how much time you got? There's. 358 00:22:41,710 --> 00:22:42,543 A lot. 359 00:22:43,170 --> 00:22:47,310 So I am actually really, I'm a trained mathematician. 360 00:22:47,310 --> 00:22:51,310 Like I started my career teaching at the college level. Yeah. 361 00:22:51,430 --> 00:22:55,390 I have both a bachelor's and a master's in pure mathematics. My master's, 362 00:22:55,630 --> 00:22:58,470 I have an emphasis in advanced calculus. So, um, 363 00:22:59,090 --> 00:23:03,390 my training is as, um, actually as a mathematician. 364 00:23:03,490 --> 00:23:05,030 And so as a mathematician, 365 00:23:05,650 --> 00:23:10,110 and with every mathematician I've ever talked to and studied with, 366 00:23:10,450 --> 00:23:14,790 the reason we're drawn to it is because of its beauty. Beauty, um, 367 00:23:15,770 --> 00:23:20,030 to us there is like this rhythmic, meditative quality about it. 368 00:23:20,330 --> 00:23:21,590 And you know, how, um, 369 00:23:23,050 --> 00:23:27,790 how oftentimes we'll talk about reading as a way to kind of transport us 370 00:23:27,860 --> 00:23:32,510 into another world. Yeah. That's how meth is for me, but it transports me like, 371 00:23:32,510 --> 00:23:36,070 into myself. And so that is, um, 372 00:23:36,290 --> 00:23:40,990 that's how I want my students to experience math. 373 00:23:41,570 --> 00:23:46,080 Now, the other side of that is, my favorite math class to teach is calculus, 374 00:23:46,420 --> 00:23:49,000 of course, . And that is , um, 375 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:53,000 largely because of how ubiquitous calculus is. Like it's all around us, 376 00:23:53,100 --> 00:23:56,840 you know? Yeah. Like, if you want to model the population growth of, 377 00:23:57,180 --> 00:23:58,013 of a country, 378 00:23:58,020 --> 00:24:01,720 or if you want to see the average value of a Bitcoin over the last month, 379 00:24:01,780 --> 00:24:02,613 or see like, 380 00:24:02,630 --> 00:24:06,960 what am I gonna be able to fall asleep if I drink a cup of coffee at, you know, 381 00:24:06,990 --> 00:24:10,880 9:00 PM Yeah. Uh, calculus can, can help us answer all those questions. 382 00:24:11,060 --> 00:24:13,000 And so I love, I, 383 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:17,880 I love both like the application of math as well as, 384 00:24:18,220 --> 00:24:23,040 um, as well as the, just the purity of being in a problem, 385 00:24:23,130 --> 00:24:28,120 being in a theorem and just like, just working in it. Yeah. 386 00:24:28,140 --> 00:24:30,360 Um, and then I, I try to tell my kids like, 387 00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:34,320 struggling in math is no more the enemy than sweating is in football. Right. 388 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:35,600 It's proof you're in the game. Ooh. 389 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:36,960 I love that. Yeah. 390 00:24:36,980 --> 00:24:40,800 And so, um, so to me though, if, 391 00:24:40,860 --> 00:24:45,040 if my students are really gonna trust me to push them in, um, 392 00:24:45,260 --> 00:24:47,920 in like some really pretty hefty mathematics, 393 00:24:48,510 --> 00:24:53,120 then I also have to know them first and foremost as human beings. Yeah. 394 00:24:53,420 --> 00:24:55,720 And so, um, we spend, um, a, 395 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,000 a quite a bit of time just getting to know one another, 396 00:24:59,180 --> 00:25:03,960 making sure that there's that trust built. Um, and, and yeah, 397 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:07,360 we practice like breathing techniques on Mondays. We have Mindful Mondays. 398 00:25:07,380 --> 00:25:10,840 And to me, that's, that's sort of like a microcosm of, again, that, 399 00:25:10,950 --> 00:25:13,880 that mindful rhythmic aspect of Yeah. Of mathematics. 400 00:25:14,350 --> 00:25:18,040 Fridays we journal one good thing. Right? And so to me it's like, 401 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:20,680 it's all very interconnected. Um, and, 402 00:25:20,780 --> 00:25:25,600 and to say that math should be just about calculations, um, then I, 403 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,640 I don't think you've talked to, to a mathematician. Um, 404 00:25:28,740 --> 00:25:32,920 and so I would encourage those who, who say math is, is only about, you know, 405 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:37,080 numbers to to go go talk, to, 406 00:25:37,340 --> 00:25:40,440 go talk to a mathematician, and, and feel like that, that. 407 00:25:41,390 --> 00:25:45,360 Yeah. That, no, it, it's, the way you explain it is, 408 00:25:45,500 --> 00:25:50,200 is so beautiful, because I think, you know, I was this kid in high school, 409 00:25:50,860 --> 00:25:51,800 middle and high school, 410 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:56,720 I was really good at what was being asked of me in math classes. And so, 411 00:25:57,300 --> 00:26:01,880 and I couldn't really explain why, but the, but the, 412 00:26:01,900 --> 00:26:04,120 the concepts just made sense to me, and Yeah. 413 00:26:04,390 --> 00:26:05,020 Yeah. 414 00:26:05,020 --> 00:26:09,920 And, and you know, I, I, some of, um, my former colleagues who, you know, 415 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,240 kind of adopt a similar mindset around math that you do, um, 416 00:26:13,250 --> 00:26:17,400 would say that it's its own language. It's a unique language. And, um, 417 00:26:17,580 --> 00:26:22,520 and so thinking about that way and wishing that my daughter had had that type 418 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:27,320 of experience, um, in math classes, I think is, it's, 419 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,240 it's just refreshing to hear that there's that perspective out there because it 420 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:34,160 is really mysterious and you can get really, yeah. Um, 421 00:26:34,500 --> 00:26:37,600 you can get really immersed in the mystery of it, Uhhuh, . Um, 422 00:26:38,180 --> 00:26:41,960 and yet we give timed test of it. And , 423 00:26:42,830 --> 00:26:44,880 it's like, I mean, I, I get it. 424 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:48,200 Like class periods are only so long and you need to assess, but I, 425 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:50,200 I think the way you explain it is really beautiful. 426 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:54,320 And you said something about how, um, it's a journey into yourself. 427 00:26:54,950 --> 00:26:55,510 Yeah. 428 00:26:55,510 --> 00:26:57,720 Yeah. Can you say more about that? I love that phrase. 429 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:03,480 I, so, um, we'll probably touch on this in a bit, but I traveled Okay. 430 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:08,160 Like, um, a lot growing up. And, um, my, 431 00:27:08,180 --> 00:27:09,640 my parents were medical missionaries. 432 00:27:10,060 --> 00:27:12,680 I'm also an immigrant to the United States. My dad's like, 433 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:16,720 you're just like culturally confused. Um, and we like laugh about it, but like, 434 00:27:16,950 --> 00:27:20,840 like digging into that, I'm like, yeah, yeah. , like, 435 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:25,520 I'm though. Um, anyways, we, um, 436 00:27:25,660 --> 00:27:29,520 my freshman year we lived in, um, in a country called Tajikistan, 437 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:31,720 just north of Afghanistan. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Um, 438 00:27:31,990 --> 00:27:34,120 very poverty stricken, particularly at the time, 439 00:27:34,120 --> 00:27:36,880 80% of the population lived below the poverty line. 440 00:27:37,260 --> 00:27:41,880 So then coming back to the United States as a sophomore in high school, 441 00:27:42,540 --> 00:27:47,400 um, it was really, really difficult. You know, like, 442 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:51,920 I remember like my second day back stepping into a Walmart and having this 443 00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:56,880 visceral reaction, like almost, I, like, I almost like threw up it, 444 00:27:57,060 --> 00:28:00,520 you know, because you just, you step into the store and you're like. 445 00:28:01,510 --> 00:28:02,960 Sensory overload. 446 00:28:03,710 --> 00:28:07,600 Like this is more stuff, more products, 447 00:28:07,710 --> 00:28:12,320 more like consumerism in one, like one step in. 448 00:28:12,980 --> 00:28:16,240 In one enormous space, higher. 449 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:19,480 Country is gonna see in their lifetime, right? Um, yeah. 450 00:28:19,820 --> 00:28:24,560 And so there was, um, a lot to like, reckon with, and, 451 00:28:25,100 --> 00:28:28,800 um, I think this was, you know, kind of before, unfortunately, 452 00:28:28,950 --> 00:28:33,200 like therapy was really normalized, and so it was just, you know, 453 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:36,920 we were just kind of like left to figure things out on our own, um, 454 00:28:37,090 --> 00:28:38,560 which I'm not advocating for. 455 00:28:38,620 --> 00:28:41,760 I'm just saying that's kind of how at all where I was mm-hmm. , 456 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,040 that's what happened. And so, to me, 457 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:48,920 I think largely how I healed was through math. Mm-hmm. Um, 458 00:28:49,340 --> 00:28:50,360 and I, 459 00:28:50,500 --> 00:28:55,240 it allowed me to just sink into a problem to not always 460 00:28:55,310 --> 00:29:00,080 know where I was going with the solution, but to just keep going. 461 00:29:00,220 --> 00:29:05,200 And if my path forward didn't work, then it was okay, because it revealed, 462 00:29:05,740 --> 00:29:10,160 um, it's every time you don't get quite to the solution, 463 00:29:10,700 --> 00:29:15,000 you're learning something, right? Yeah. And so it allowed me just, um, 464 00:29:15,830 --> 00:29:20,200 this yeah. This way to like sink into myself and to heal, um, 465 00:29:20,710 --> 00:29:24,720 through, yeah, through just like the journey of, um, 466 00:29:26,020 --> 00:29:30,800 of being immersed in, in mathematics and numbers and trigonometry. 467 00:29:31,500 --> 00:29:36,400 And it is, um, it's really healing. Yeah. 468 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,160 I, I love to hear that. Thank you for sharing that. I, 469 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:44,040 I think that it is a sort of trauma, right? That, um, mm-hmm. 470 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:46,800 just trying to adjust and mm-hmm. , 471 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:50,600 especially during a time when, and, and I would argue that in some communities, 472 00:29:50,630 --> 00:29:54,400 like therapy still isn't normalized, right? Mm-hmm. . And so, um, 473 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,600 knowing that that could provide you with, um, 474 00:29:58,110 --> 00:30:01,520 with a way to process mm-hmm. , um, kind of to that point, 475 00:30:01,700 --> 00:30:03,440 as you noted. Um, 476 00:30:04,060 --> 00:30:07,080 so you are an immigrant to the United States, 477 00:30:07,190 --> 00:30:12,160 your parents were medical missionaries. One of the things that gets, um, 478 00:30:12,430 --> 00:30:16,360 discussed, not, you know, uh, not as much as these other, you know, 479 00:30:16,420 --> 00:30:20,640 big things you're working on is your ethnic and national identities, so mm-hmm. 480 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,920 , this is a podcast that was originally, um, 481 00:30:24,710 --> 00:30:29,360 created to try to form connections between educators of color 482 00:30:29,580 --> 00:30:33,000 across the country. Now it's like across the world mm-hmm. . Um, 483 00:30:33,060 --> 00:30:37,480 but I guess my question is, um, you know, what do these identities mean to you, 484 00:30:37,540 --> 00:30:40,120 and how do they guide you in the work that you do? 485 00:30:40,990 --> 00:30:45,040 Yeah, yeah. Thank you for that. Yeah. So my dad is a hundred percent Iranian. 486 00:30:45,380 --> 00:30:48,880 Um, he immigrated to Sweden, and my mom's a hundred percent Swedish. 487 00:30:49,110 --> 00:30:51,640 They met there, had me, um, I'm like, I, 488 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:55,760 I'm what you get when you mix like two very like, um, 489 00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:01,120 geographical extremes, right? Yeah, yeah. . Um, and so, um, 490 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:05,280 yeah. So then they had me, then they moved to, um, to Oklahoma of all places, 491 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:07,760 . And then, um, then. 492 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:09,560 I guess that, that should be the next question, right? . 493 00:31:09,930 --> 00:31:14,240 Right? Yeah. Very interesting. Um, and then, 494 00:31:15,380 --> 00:31:19,560 um, then again, like they're medical missionaries. So we would, 495 00:31:19,820 --> 00:31:23,120 we traveled a lot short term, but then we also spent, um, 496 00:31:23,260 --> 00:31:28,000 longer times in Central Asia. So I've lived in, um, I was born in Sweden, 497 00:31:28,250 --> 00:31:30,440 lived, um, most of my life in the States, 498 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:34,080 but have also lived in Kazakhstan and Tostan. And, um, 499 00:31:35,540 --> 00:31:36,920 you know, I'm so, 500 00:31:37,100 --> 00:31:42,080 so grateful for such a diverse upbringing now as an adult that, as, 501 00:31:42,260 --> 00:31:45,160 you know, as a child, like, I would have a hard, I mean, 502 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,080 I remember getting to college, you know, and everyone's like, 503 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:47,960 where are you from? Where are you from? 504 00:31:48,340 --> 00:31:51,600 And I didn't know how to answer that question. 505 00:31:51,780 --> 00:31:55,280 And when you can't quite answer like, where's home or where are you from? 506 00:31:55,860 --> 00:32:00,200 It can be, um, quite untethering. Yeah. And, um, 507 00:32:01,150 --> 00:32:04,760 yeah. So again, I like, I struggled with that a lot growing up, 508 00:32:05,300 --> 00:32:08,840 but then fast forward to, you know, 2012, 509 00:32:08,940 --> 00:32:13,040 and I take this teaching job at a just 510 00:32:13,310 --> 00:32:17,160 beautifully diverse, culturally rich district. Mm-hmm. , 511 00:32:17,220 --> 00:32:19,400 we have 62 languages represented. 512 00:32:19,580 --> 00:32:23,960 So many of my students are also first generation Americans, um, 513 00:32:25,140 --> 00:32:28,720 or, or immigrants. And, and we know, like, 514 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:33,320 we understand each other at this level of, you know, I say like growing up, 515 00:32:33,420 --> 00:32:37,640 it was like sometimes I lived in three countries within one city, 516 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:41,840 because we would would speak Swedish at home. Yeah. Then I would come, 517 00:32:41,900 --> 00:32:45,240 go to school and speak English, and then I would go to my, 518 00:32:45,580 --> 00:32:50,200 my dad's parents' apartment who they immigrated to the United States 519 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,520 eventually as well. And they would speak Farsi, right? Yeah. And so, 520 00:32:53,980 --> 00:32:58,560 and language depicts culture. So like, you're in three different languages, 521 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:02,600 cultures, countries, all in one city. And, um, you know, 522 00:33:02,620 --> 00:33:07,080 my students totally relate to that, um, 523 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:11,080 because they're balancing so many different cultures as well. And so I say like, 524 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:15,040 what used to untether me as a child now as an adult, 525 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:16,880 really tethers me to my students. 526 00:33:17,940 --> 00:33:22,280 Uh, it, it's, I'm just letting those words like sink in. 527 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:27,080 I think I also, um, identify as multi-ethnic multinational. 528 00:33:27,100 --> 00:33:31,600 My dad came here from Mexico in the seventies. Um, my mom's wife was born here. 529 00:33:31,820 --> 00:33:36,080 Her family is from, um, the San Luis Valley, which you may not know. 530 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:39,680 It's in Colorado. It's a very small kind of rural community. Okay. Yeah. And, 531 00:33:39,940 --> 00:33:44,520 you know, I think of how meaningful it would've been to have, you know, a, 532 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:47,560 a person who identifies similarly Exactly. 533 00:33:47,870 --> 00:33:48,540 Exactly. 534 00:33:48,540 --> 00:33:49,880 And have that growing up. 535 00:33:50,460 --> 00:33:50,960 No, nor did. 536 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:55,840 I. Yeah. And it's, and it's a, it's a beautiful thing. And, um, the, 537 00:33:55,840 --> 00:34:00,600 the languages, um, yeah. And I, I think, I don't think I have to look this up. 538 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:02,520 I will just to do my due diligence, 539 00:34:02,850 --> 00:34:06,360 think you're the first Swedish Iranian American to, uh, 540 00:34:06,540 --> 00:34:08,480 appear on the podcast. Like I feel, 541 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:13,120 I feel like that's highly likely . So. 542 00:34:14,100 --> 00:34:17,960 So, you know, in what, my parents actually live back in Sweden now, 543 00:34:18,020 --> 00:34:18,920 so when I visit, 544 00:34:19,470 --> 00:34:22,080 it's interesting 'cause there's a lot of people that look like me because 545 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:25,120 there's a lot of Iranian immigrants That's so funny in Sweden. . 546 00:34:25,710 --> 00:34:29,040 Yeah. Well, and I think that breaks down that kind of stereotype of different, 547 00:34:29,540 --> 00:34:32,800 um, different countries that, you know, I, 548 00:34:32,950 --> 00:34:37,680 I've learned through my own privilege of traveling that all societies and all 549 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:42,440 cultures are diverse, um, that, you know, none of them are monolithic. 550 00:34:42,580 --> 00:34:47,040 Uh, we, we were in Ireland like a couple weeks ago, and like, 551 00:34:47,460 --> 00:34:51,640 the city of Dublin is very much a European city in that sense. 552 00:34:51,830 --> 00:34:54,240 It's extremely diverse. Lots of languages. 553 00:34:54,240 --> 00:34:56,160 I'm told there's a lot of Mexicans in Dublin, 554 00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:59,800 which was wild to me as a Mexicano. I'm like, what we get there. 555 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:01,100 Interesting. 556 00:35:01,100 --> 00:35:03,640 And so you're hearing like Mexican Spanish on the streets of Dublin. 557 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:08,560 It's a trip. Wild. Yeah. Beautiful. So, um, we're gonna take a quick break. Um, 558 00:35:09,150 --> 00:35:13,480 when we come back, uh, we're gonna go back to when you were announced, um, 559 00:35:13,860 --> 00:35:18,720 and just kind of going from the state teacher of the year, national finalist, 560 00:35:19,180 --> 00:35:22,720 uh, to National Teacher of the year. So, um, stay with us. 561 00:35:23,130 --> 00:35:27,480 We'll be back in just a moment. Okay. We are back. 562 00:35:27,850 --> 00:35:32,440 Thank you for checking out Satera investors. Alex and Tori are amazing. 563 00:35:33,150 --> 00:35:35,840 They will hook you up. Um, Rebecca, 564 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:39,760 have you noticed that it's often difficult to plan for retirement on a teacher 565 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:41,440 salary? Um, that, 566 00:35:41,670 --> 00:35:46,440 that maybe we don't have a whole lot of money to like, invest. Um, 567 00:35:47,140 --> 00:35:49,320 so Alex and Tori, uh, y'all should check, 568 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,840 y'all should actually check out this link, uh, that's in the show notes. 569 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:55,520 It's Alex and Tori, sponsors of the podcast. So Tara Investors, um, 570 00:35:55,860 --> 00:36:00,320 are looking at trying to actually make investing and planning for the future 571 00:36:00,710 --> 00:36:05,200 more accessible to teachers earlier in our careers. It's pretty cool. Um, 572 00:36:05,260 --> 00:36:08,560 and then you can scrutinize it and see if it's mathematically sound because 573 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:11,120 , I think Alex, my. 574 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:11,790 Husband. 575 00:36:11,790 --> 00:36:15,560 Alex is really smart. Pretty sure he pretty sure he did his due diligence, but, 576 00:36:15,620 --> 00:36:19,920 you know, always important to have another eye on things. Um, so, um, 577 00:36:20,550 --> 00:36:22,320 welcome back everybody. 578 00:36:22,380 --> 00:36:27,240 And I think this is probably why everybody's here is to hear the, um, 579 00:36:27,510 --> 00:36:32,040 hear Rebecca reflect on this, uh, title of National Teacher of the Year. 580 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:33,040 It's a really big deal. 581 00:36:33,180 --> 00:36:37,720 So I wanna kind of go back to when you were announced, right? 582 00:36:38,140 --> 00:36:38,700 So the, 583 00:36:38,700 --> 00:36:43,320 the first time you kind of set foot on a larger stage as a teacher, 584 00:36:44,260 --> 00:36:49,200 and then how, you know, so you are named Oklahoma Teacher of the Year mm-hmm. 585 00:36:49,240 --> 00:36:52,160 , and then there's probably a time when you're like, 586 00:36:52,270 --> 00:36:53,880 what I'm a national finalist, 587 00:36:54,460 --> 00:36:59,360 and then finally the announcement of Rebecca Peterson as National 588 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:02,880 Teacher of the Year. So just take me through what that process was like for you. 589 00:37:03,710 --> 00:37:08,480 Yeah, so I was announced as Oklahoma Teacher of the Year in spring of 590 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:12,000 2022 actually. And, um, I mean, 591 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:15,600 I can still like be transported to that day, so Well, 592 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:20,280 because the way Oklahoma does it is like a big surprise announcement in front 593 00:37:20,460 --> 00:37:22,320 of like 500 people. So it's. 594 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:23,153 Like everybody . 595 00:37:24,210 --> 00:37:28,840 We're all sitting on stage, you know? And, 596 00:37:29,140 --> 00:37:30,400 um, the, 597 00:37:30,820 --> 00:37:35,600 the state superintendent at the time called my name and I mean, there's this, 598 00:37:35,780 --> 00:37:40,200 the, there's this hysterical photo of me really on, um, 599 00:37:40,300 --> 00:37:44,720 in our local newspapers and just, um, and I was like, what? 600 00:37:44,860 --> 00:37:48,920 And then, then I had this thought of like, I, 601 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:53,400 I probably heard wrong and just like collapsed for no reason . 602 00:37:53,540 --> 00:37:56,480 And so, um, very serendipitously, 603 00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:00,720 I was actually sitting by one of my colleagues or former colleagues who used to 604 00:38:00,720 --> 00:38:03,360 teach at Union High School with me. She had transferred districts, 605 00:38:03,500 --> 00:38:06,800 so she was a district teacher of the year as well. And, 606 00:38:07,020 --> 00:38:09,680 and we happened to be right next to each other alphabetically. 607 00:38:10,180 --> 00:38:14,120 And so I looked at her and I said, Cindy, 608 00:38:14,940 --> 00:38:18,920 did she just say my name? And she's like, yeah, . Okay. 609 00:38:20,980 --> 00:38:23,880 Um, so like I have this moment of, yeah, 610 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:27,360 I think I just like made that up, um, . 611 00:38:35,100 --> 00:38:39,520 Um, so that was very surreal and I just had, um, 612 00:38:39,900 --> 00:38:44,160 but just like the year of a lifetime getting to, um, 613 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:46,320 I don't, I, 614 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:50,080 I hesitate to say like represent Oklahoma teachers because they're such a 615 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:52,360 wonderful representation of themselves, but really getting to, 616 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:55,840 to learn from Oklahoma teachers Yeah. And, um, 617 00:38:56,030 --> 00:39:00,280 lean into their work and celebrate their work. And, and I, I kept saying like, 618 00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:04,120 my hope was to use like my, my little spotlight, you know, 619 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:08,200 a state teacher of the year to like shine a light on their good and important 620 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:11,160 work. And so, um, I traveled, 621 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:16,080 I think I logged like 24,000 miles on my little car , like trying to, um, 622 00:39:16,180 --> 00:39:20,600 get to as many counties as possible and, um, 623 00:39:21,500 --> 00:39:25,160 you know, just learn from, from teachers and, um, 624 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:29,320 watch them in their natural habitats of the classroom. And yeah, I would, um, 625 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:32,600 I would document the good that I saw in their classrooms. 626 00:39:32,740 --> 00:39:36,680 And so very similar to like the one Good Thing blog, I sort of started, um, 627 00:39:37,030 --> 00:39:41,800 just my own teachers of Oklahoma social media. Yeah, yeah. Um, account to, 628 00:39:41,900 --> 00:39:44,720 to document the good in other teachers' classrooms. 629 00:39:44,860 --> 00:39:48,040 And we would do just interviews during their planning period. And I, 630 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:51,800 I just like, I just learned so much, you know? And, um. 631 00:39:53,060 --> 00:39:56,080 And were you teaching at the time or did you have release time to do this? 632 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:58,480 I had release time to do this. Yeah. That's. 633 00:39:58,480 --> 00:39:59,680 So great. Every state should do. 634 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:03,440 That. Every state should do it. It's just, um, you really, 635 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:08,200 I think to get the most out of your year as a state teacher of the year, 636 00:40:09,060 --> 00:40:11,040 you need some freedom. And, um, 637 00:40:11,220 --> 00:40:16,000 and I was just so lucky that Oklahoma also really gives you a lot of autonomy 638 00:40:16,380 --> 00:40:19,640 on, on your passion project. And so I just said like, I want, 639 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:23,400 I want to like do one good thing, but statewide, you know? Yeah. 640 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:27,880 And they were like, yeah, sure. Um, so that was, that was such a gift. That's. 641 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:29,680 Really cool. Yeah. That's really cool. 642 00:40:30,270 --> 00:40:34,120 Yeah. Yeah. Um, but it's just like the classroom where, you know, 643 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,240 you know how you have those hours where you're like, yeah, 644 00:40:36,380 --> 00:40:39,040 you all taught me a lot more than I taught you . That's like, 645 00:40:39,260 --> 00:40:40,440 that's how I felt like the whole. 646 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:47,000 I hope you're not completely unimpressed with my presence. Yeah. Well, 647 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:47,640 and, and I had, 648 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:51,440 I had this kind of funny moment because I must have misread the application 649 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:55,440 because I'm like, I'm dyslexic. It's very possible that I messed up. 650 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:57,560 I thought that I was getting a release here. 651 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:01,360 And so I had this whole conversation with my principal, and then I found, 652 00:41:01,690 --> 00:41:05,160 found in the spring, um, that my, you know, 653 00:41:05,260 --> 00:41:09,200 Kim in Colorado Department of Education's like n no, you don't, you don't get a, 654 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:13,920 that's only if you get national. I'm like, oh, okay, . And so, 655 00:41:14,420 --> 00:41:16,680 and all these plans. And, uh, then I'm like, Nope. 656 00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:19,480 My plan is that I'll be teaching. But I understand we're also, uh, 657 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:24,680 Colorado's 49th in education funding, um, in the United States. Yeah. 658 00:41:24,740 --> 00:41:28,200 So I'm not, I'm not mad about it. I was just like, jolted was like, oh, yeah, 659 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:32,680 of course. Course. But it's so, and you know, just from my 2021 cohort, 660 00:41:33,650 --> 00:41:38,200 there is really an impact that those who had 661 00:41:38,660 --> 00:41:43,480 the release time and who had, you know, the sabbatical were able to make, 662 00:41:43,860 --> 00:41:47,880 and, um, you know, um, all of the local chapters of state teachers, you, 663 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:50,120 I know this isn't a C C S S O thing, like, 664 00:41:50,180 --> 00:41:54,960 but all of y'all locals please think about making that available Yeah. 665 00:41:55,140 --> 00:41:57,000 Uh, to your state teachers of the. 666 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:57,833 Year. Exactly. 667 00:41:58,180 --> 00:42:03,040 So, so then, so that's kind of like state. Yeah. And then so, 668 00:42:03,220 --> 00:42:06,120 but then he kept going. You kept, you kept racking up. Yeah. 669 00:42:06,790 --> 00:42:07,440 Dubs. 670 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:08,273 . 671 00:42:08,590 --> 00:42:11,240 Just wild. Yeah. Yeah. So then, um, 672 00:42:12,310 --> 00:42:17,200 then I get this call in December, and, um, you know, 673 00:42:17,250 --> 00:42:21,720 Sarah Brown was saying's like, you're, you're a finalist. And I was like, um, 674 00:42:22,660 --> 00:42:27,560 excuse me, , uh, . And it was one of those things where like, 675 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:29,880 you, you keep going back to your phone and you're like, 676 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:33,400 did she really call or was that a dream? You know? Right. , um. 677 00:42:34,340 --> 00:42:36,120 You hold on finalist for what? 678 00:42:36,630 --> 00:42:38,560 Yeah, no, a hundred percent. Like . 679 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:41,880 I just wanna make sure we're talking about the same thing. About. 680 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:45,600 The same thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So then, um, 681 00:42:47,260 --> 00:42:51,200 and then kind of in between that I got like, I got to meet my cohort, um, 682 00:42:51,230 --> 00:42:53,680 like you, like you mentioned, and that was, uh, 683 00:42:53,830 --> 00:42:58,040 it's just amazing how close you get to the other state teachers of the year, 684 00:42:58,070 --> 00:43:01,960 even though you only meet up, you know, officially like five times , 685 00:43:02,050 --> 00:43:02,630 right? 686 00:43:02,630 --> 00:43:03,410 Yeah. 687 00:43:03,410 --> 00:43:07,120 We've had three of our five trips and I just feel so, so close to them. 688 00:43:07,310 --> 00:43:08,760 It's like you just kind of find your. 689 00:43:08,900 --> 00:43:11,800 Oh, and they love you. They love you so much. They're, I, you know, 690 00:43:11,940 --> 00:43:14,760 had a chance to connect with Jimmy, our guy, Jimmy Day, 691 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:16,840 Colorado Teacher of the year, um. 692 00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:18,440 I mean, salt of the Earth. 693 00:43:19,030 --> 00:43:21,880 Yeah. He's so great. He's so great. I love it. I love his, uh, 694 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:25,840 tweets about wrestling. He hasn't tweeted about wrestling lately. And I'm like, 695 00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:28,280 come on, Jimmy, you're Colorado State Teacher of the year. 696 00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:31,960 I need your wrestling tweets. Like, I really do. No, but that's, 697 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:36,360 but I imagine because it's, it's interesting because, um, 698 00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:41,200 you've no doubt had an opportunity to, to connect with Juliana who was, um, our, 699 00:43:41,340 --> 00:43:43,120 our years National Teacher of the Year. 700 00:43:43,540 --> 00:43:48,400 And what's just so striking about so many national teachers of the year 701 00:43:48,460 --> 00:43:52,760 is that y'all are so humble. So I can just imagine like, 702 00:43:53,390 --> 00:43:58,280 what that whole feeling is to say what me, 703 00:43:58,510 --> 00:44:00,800 like, you know? Yeah. And, and exactly. 704 00:44:01,020 --> 00:44:05,160 And what you just did was highlight the brilliance of your cohort, 705 00:44:05,370 --> 00:44:08,440 which I think is really powerful leadership. 706 00:44:09,710 --> 00:44:14,320 Yeah. I, I, and I, I mean, you know, this as you know, you know this, 707 00:44:14,420 --> 00:44:16,200 but for everybody listening, , 708 00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:20,120 I feel like caught the constant need to be like, I, you know, 709 00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:23,760 I didn't win a competition. I was selected for the job's. Yeah. Um, 710 00:44:24,220 --> 00:44:28,880 and teaching's not a competition. It's a collaboration. And I did not Thank you. 711 00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:30,313 . Yes. 712 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:33,400 I didn't get here by myself. Like, this is, 713 00:44:34,470 --> 00:44:38,280 this is the work of so many people who have poured into me, 714 00:44:38,340 --> 00:44:43,200 who have encouraged me, who have challenged me. And so, like, I hope that I can, 715 00:44:44,350 --> 00:44:47,320 that I can just encourage and support, like people have done to me, 716 00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:48,320 I keep saying like, 717 00:44:48,580 --> 00:44:51,840 my hope this year is that I can just act as sort of a mirror, you know, 718 00:44:51,910 --> 00:44:52,800 that like, 719 00:44:53,570 --> 00:44:58,240 other teachers see a piece of themselves or their story or their classroom in 720 00:44:58,240 --> 00:45:01,240 me. Right. But like, ultimately what science has taught us, 721 00:45:01,270 --> 00:45:03,400 what a mirror does is reflect light, right? Yeah. 722 00:45:03,400 --> 00:45:08,360 And I just wanna reflect the light that is happening all across our country 723 00:45:08,630 --> 00:45:13,520 Yeah. All in our classrooms because of teachers. Um, and so I, this is like, 724 00:45:14,310 --> 00:45:16,480 there's no such thing as the best teacher. Like if we, 725 00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:19,000 if we could get rid of two conjoined words, , 726 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:21,640 like it would be best teacher, that's what I would try to get rid of. Yeah. 727 00:45:21,640 --> 00:45:26,360 Because it's, um, there's no such thing, 728 00:45:26,540 --> 00:45:30,120 you know? Yeah. The important thing is that we are true to ourselves. Um, 729 00:45:30,340 --> 00:45:35,080 it is so important that our students experience diverse ways of teaching, 730 00:45:35,080 --> 00:45:38,400 diverse ways of thinking and learning. Um, 731 00:45:39,100 --> 00:45:42,320 and so to do that, we can't pigeonhole and say like, 732 00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:47,040 this is one way and this is the best way. Yeah. Um, so yeah. 733 00:45:47,470 --> 00:45:50,000 Yeah. That was, that was always something that, and, 734 00:45:50,020 --> 00:45:51,160 and there are various folks, 735 00:45:51,420 --> 00:45:56,360 really well-meaning folks in in my community who even today refer 736 00:45:56,360 --> 00:45:59,000 to me as the best teacher in Colorado. And I'm like, yeah. Or. 737 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:00,840 Like, you won something. Yeah. Yeah. 738 00:46:00,950 --> 00:46:03,760 It's like mm-hmm. . It's, it's not like, and, and you know, 739 00:46:04,100 --> 00:46:06,360 we know that in any process like this, 740 00:46:06,790 --> 00:46:09,360 that for some people this is the starting line, 741 00:46:09,380 --> 00:46:14,160 and for others it's a finish line. And, um, and I think for you and, 742 00:46:14,300 --> 00:46:19,080 and so many others, it is actually a starting line. It's like, okay, now, 743 00:46:19,700 --> 00:46:23,560 now I'm positioned to run a race for everybody. Yeah. 744 00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:25,840 And I remember thinking to myself, man, it, 745 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:28,600 every teacher should get this experience that's connecting. 746 00:46:28,680 --> 00:46:33,080 I know to teachers across obviously that there are practical limitations to that 747 00:46:33,720 --> 00:46:34,110 . 748 00:46:34,110 --> 00:46:34,880 Yeah. No, 749 00:46:34,880 --> 00:46:37,600 but I know exactly what you're saying because I've had that exact same thought. 750 00:46:37,750 --> 00:46:38,190 Yeah. 751 00:46:38,190 --> 00:46:42,280 Like, space camp changed me as a learner. Exactly. And, you know, I'm, 752 00:46:42,280 --> 00:46:42,900 you know what? I'm like, 753 00:46:42,900 --> 00:46:47,040 I'm gonna peace camp besides to entertain my disruptive 12 year old, 754 00:46:47,110 --> 00:46:51,280 like inner child , you know, like there's, you know, 755 00:46:51,340 --> 00:46:53,920 and so I think that's something that's really powerful. So when you, 756 00:46:54,030 --> 00:46:57,600 when you assume that responsibility and say, I do have a platform, 757 00:46:58,360 --> 00:46:59,680 I do have a voice, 758 00:47:00,260 --> 00:47:04,640 and I'm gonna use that voice to speak to 759 00:47:05,180 --> 00:47:09,880 and with and alongside, um, all, all teachers, you know, 760 00:47:09,940 --> 00:47:14,480 in the state, in the country, things like that. Yeah. But, so to that point, um, 761 00:47:15,860 --> 00:47:19,120 the, the focus on the countless good things happening in public education, 762 00:47:19,240 --> 00:47:21,480 I mean, I, I know that I, 763 00:47:21,640 --> 00:47:26,400 I know that you just have to get on Twitter, I'm gonna keep calling it Twitter 764 00:47:29,770 --> 00:47:34,720 40 seconds, and you'll see a counter narrative to that. You'll see, uh, 765 00:47:35,220 --> 00:47:39,320 you know, this kind of, you know, um, vocal minority, um, 766 00:47:39,340 --> 00:47:42,640 saying that the opposite is true. And I know that in, you know, 767 00:47:42,640 --> 00:47:45,880 this isn't limited to Colorado. It's, I mean, we're seeing it in Oklahoma. 768 00:47:45,890 --> 00:47:50,000 We're seeing it across the country. So, you know, 769 00:47:50,220 --> 00:47:54,040 and I just finished this, uh, fellowship with some other, um, 770 00:47:54,540 --> 00:47:58,560 the state teachers of the year on kind of pushing back against some of the, 771 00:47:58,870 --> 00:48:01,520 some of the rhetoric that's been really harmful to teachers. 772 00:48:02,380 --> 00:48:05,200 What's it like as the, 773 00:48:05,980 --> 00:48:10,600 the sitting national teacher of the year who has this voice and responsibility, 774 00:48:11,060 --> 00:48:16,000 um, that you take so seriously navigating some of the stuff that is, 775 00:48:16,300 --> 00:48:16,940 um, 776 00:48:16,940 --> 00:48:21,760 that's being elevated and amplified about education and educators and the 777 00:48:21,760 --> 00:48:22,593 like? 778 00:48:23,750 --> 00:48:26,960 Yeah. It's, it's a really interesting question. 779 00:48:27,120 --> 00:48:31,320 I think I just like keep coming back to like what my gut tells me, 780 00:48:31,620 --> 00:48:36,560 and my gut tells me that like, joy is our rebellion. Yeah. Um, 781 00:48:37,060 --> 00:48:41,080 and that we hold the chalk, right. 782 00:48:41,580 --> 00:48:42,840 And so we hold the chalk. 783 00:48:42,980 --> 00:48:43,813 That's right. 784 00:48:43,980 --> 00:48:48,680 Um, like I am a story collector and a story listener. 785 00:48:49,220 --> 00:48:53,960 And so I, I just keep coming back to like, we have to be sharing our stories. 786 00:48:54,180 --> 00:48:58,880 We have to be loud and proud about the good and the true that is happening 787 00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:02,920 inside our classrooms. And, um, my hope, 788 00:49:03,460 --> 00:49:06,880 my hope is that we can be so, um, 789 00:49:06,980 --> 00:49:11,840 so loud about the beautiful that's happening, that the counter narrative, 790 00:49:12,140 --> 00:49:17,000 you know, is what a whisper. Um, but yeah, we have to like, 791 00:49:18,860 --> 00:49:23,400 we have to again, insist on the good, 792 00:49:24,300 --> 00:49:27,200 the good and the true, having that final word. And we have to, 793 00:49:27,660 --> 00:49:31,160 we have to be the messengers, um, of, of that good, right? 794 00:49:31,160 --> 00:49:34,120 We're the ones in the classroom. Like, this is our profession, you know? 795 00:49:34,140 --> 00:49:35,520 And I think it's time we reclaim it. 796 00:49:35,900 --> 00:49:40,600 And I think that how we talk about teaching, how we talk about our students, 797 00:49:40,700 --> 00:49:43,280 how we talk about our work, how we talk about our colleagues, 798 00:49:43,310 --> 00:49:47,400 like all of that matters. Yeah. Um, and so 799 00:49:48,950 --> 00:49:53,720 that, that's what I carry, um, and that I, I try to, um, 800 00:49:57,300 --> 00:49:58,160 really again, 801 00:49:58,170 --> 00:50:01,440 shine a light on the true that's happening and the beautiful that's happening. 802 00:50:01,820 --> 00:50:04,840 And I think that, um, you know, sometimes this, uh, 803 00:50:04,900 --> 00:50:06,560 at least as a state teacher of the year, 804 00:50:06,830 --> 00:50:10,240 this title that was kind of put on me as like, ambassador for teaching. Right. 805 00:50:10,620 --> 00:50:14,360 And, and it, and it's beautifully like intentioned, but I'm like, yeah, 806 00:50:15,210 --> 00:50:17,760 we're all ambassadors for teaching. Yeah. 807 00:50:17,780 --> 00:50:21,960 And I think we all can have to take on the mantle of that title. 808 00:50:22,070 --> 00:50:26,200 Like we are all ambassadors for this vocation. And to me, 809 00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:30,720 I care very much about like, who my colleagues are gonna be in five to 10 years. 810 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:35,760 I care very much about who's gonna be teaching my son and my potential 811 00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:37,320 grandkids, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah. And so, 812 00:50:37,380 --> 00:50:41,040 if I'm not excited about this work, 813 00:50:41,380 --> 00:50:46,000 if I am not loud about how meaningful and 814 00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:47,520 beautiful this work is, 815 00:50:48,100 --> 00:50:52,400 how can I expect like the next generation to want to enter this work? Yeah. 816 00:50:53,150 --> 00:50:57,560 Yeah. You're, you're speaking straight to just the work that I, 817 00:50:57,670 --> 00:50:59,360 that I do in my current position, 818 00:50:59,360 --> 00:51:03,880 which is trying to provide the best possible pre-service and early service 819 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:08,520 supports, um, to teachers and, you know, in a very real way. 820 00:51:08,860 --> 00:51:13,520 And, you know, attrition in Colorado among teachers is really concerning. Um, 821 00:51:13,700 --> 00:51:18,440 and it's, it's unsustainable, right? Um, and, and to your point, 822 00:51:18,660 --> 00:51:19,370 you know, 823 00:51:19,370 --> 00:51:24,040 those folks that never actually enter the profession don't count towards the 824 00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:25,200 attrition. And we can't know, 825 00:51:25,740 --> 00:51:30,440 we can't know how many we lost before we even had 'em. And, 826 00:51:30,780 --> 00:51:35,080 um, and so I think about that a lot. How do we get, 827 00:51:35,900 --> 00:51:38,160 you know, somebody who is aspiring as a teacher, 828 00:51:38,160 --> 00:51:41,840 whether they're a high schooler or a first or second year college student, 829 00:51:42,340 --> 00:51:46,960 how do we get them to, to be a teacher of the year? Mm-hmm. Because I think you, 830 00:51:47,220 --> 00:51:51,840 you described your beginning over 10 years ago as being very difficult and 831 00:51:52,080 --> 00:51:55,480 frustrating and required mindset change. Yeah. 832 00:51:55,840 --> 00:52:00,760 I was 22 when I started teaching. I, I taught for 23 years and man, 833 00:52:01,230 --> 00:52:04,880 like I was, I was ready to leave for years, , you know? 834 00:52:05,590 --> 00:52:06,720 Exactly. When it got. 835 00:52:06,720 --> 00:52:08,920 Difficult. So how do we get people to that place? 836 00:52:09,350 --> 00:52:12,840 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think, I mean, you know, 837 00:52:12,980 --> 00:52:14,960 we have to reevaluate our systems, um, 838 00:52:15,300 --> 00:52:20,240 and we have to create schools where teachers are supported. Um, 839 00:52:21,030 --> 00:52:21,863 yeah. 840 00:52:22,110 --> 00:52:25,320 Yeah. That's awesome. And radical joy, right? I mean, 841 00:52:25,360 --> 00:52:30,000 I think that's the thing about this concept of radical joy that I wrestle with 842 00:52:30,140 --> 00:52:30,880 all the time. 843 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:34,520 'cause it's hard to feel joyful in some moments and in some quarters, 844 00:52:35,100 --> 00:52:38,800 but I think that's, I think that's why it's radical. Yeah. 845 00:52:38,820 --> 00:52:43,520 Is that on paper, there are a lot of reasons to Yep. To give up. 846 00:52:43,980 --> 00:52:46,440 Yep. To live in pessimism. Um, 847 00:52:46,820 --> 00:52:50,600 and it's radical to actually feel joy. Um. 848 00:52:50,830 --> 00:52:55,320 Yeah. And I think, um, I quote, I quote Rob Bell a lot, and he says, you know, 849 00:52:55,320 --> 00:52:59,320 joy is not binary, like joy. Yeah, that's true. Is not the opposite of. 850 00:52:59,320 --> 00:53:02,280 Style. . It's a spectrum. It's a spectrum. Like so many. 851 00:53:02,470 --> 00:53:06,720 Yeah. Joy can hold it all. And, and as teachers, we have to hold 852 00:53:08,460 --> 00:53:12,480 so darn much . Yeah. But like, that's, 853 00:53:12,480 --> 00:53:15,440 that's the beauty of joy to me, is that it, 854 00:53:15,540 --> 00:53:20,480 it doesn't ignore the difficulties. Yeah. Um, but it says like, 855 00:53:20,780 --> 00:53:22,040 listen, I'm, I, 856 00:53:22,120 --> 00:53:25,920 I have to be at peace with myself so that I can be at peace with everybody else. 857 00:53:25,970 --> 00:53:29,000 Right. I have to belong to myself so we can belong to each other. 858 00:53:30,080 --> 00:53:30,700 I love starts with us. 859 00:53:30,700 --> 00:53:34,320 That's beautiful. Yeah. Speaking of joy. Um, 860 00:53:34,860 --> 00:53:37,840 so one of the things that, um, that ke you know, 861 00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:41,240 and Kevin is not joining us right now. Kevin is an assistant principal, 862 00:53:41,320 --> 00:53:44,960 I mentioned that at the top. And so, uh, 863 00:53:45,030 --> 00:53:48,200 he's unable to be here because he is ostensibly helping to run a school. 864 00:53:48,720 --> 00:53:53,000 . That's amazing. This is weird. Um, so, um, 865 00:53:53,140 --> 00:53:57,640 but one of the things that we've built in to the show is something that gives us 866 00:53:57,660 --> 00:54:00,680 joy, which is music. And I'm actually working with, yeah. 867 00:54:00,860 --> 00:54:04,000 I'm working with an executive coach right now. And, um, 868 00:54:04,340 --> 00:54:08,640 and I shared with her some music that is just really meaningful in, 869 00:54:08,780 --> 00:54:11,240 in different moments. And for the first time, like, 870 00:54:11,360 --> 00:54:14,600 I start talking about music with people and they're kind of like, okay, yeah, 871 00:54:14,800 --> 00:54:17,240 whatever. Yeah, it's a cool song. , you know, . Um, 872 00:54:17,540 --> 00:54:21,320 but for the first time ever, this person's like, wow, that, that, 873 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:24,120 and it may be because, you know, it's her job, but, um, 874 00:54:24,620 --> 00:54:26,240 one of the things she said to me was like, 875 00:54:26,350 --> 00:54:30,520 this song has so many layers and it really gives me a way to understand 876 00:54:31,070 --> 00:54:33,960 what your experiences have been. And so I was like, oh, thank you. 877 00:54:33,960 --> 00:54:36,080 It's really cool. Like, music lives really deeply for me, 878 00:54:36,080 --> 00:54:38,200 and I think math and music are so tightly. 879 00:54:38,550 --> 00:54:41,440 Connected. I, I have a minor in music, so I, 880 00:54:41,640 --> 00:54:45,200 I thought I was gonna double major for the longest time. Um, then I realized, 881 00:54:45,400 --> 00:54:45,600 I know. 882 00:54:45,600 --> 00:54:46,433 Like I can't be in. 883 00:54:46,830 --> 00:54:49,440 Have like, graduate a career and only one of them . 884 00:54:50,900 --> 00:54:53,800 So we have, um, so the, 885 00:54:53,820 --> 00:54:57,920 our top five is pretty flexible in all kinds of different ways. There are rules. 886 00:54:58,500 --> 00:55:02,600 Um, so the first rule is that there are no rules. Um, , 887 00:55:02,860 --> 00:55:04,760 we I think, 888 00:55:04,880 --> 00:55:09,040 I think our rules all define what you do not have to do, um, . 889 00:55:09,300 --> 00:55:13,640 So there's one rule, which is that it can be, it can be five. 890 00:55:13,640 --> 00:55:18,040 It doesn't have to be hierarchy. So you don't have to actually rank them. Um, 891 00:55:18,860 --> 00:55:21,800 it doesn't have to be something that, 892 00:55:22,430 --> 00:55:27,360 that represents the totality of Rebecca Peterson's life. Right? Right. 893 00:55:27,360 --> 00:55:29,440 Um, so it can just be, it can be a snapshot. 894 00:55:29,650 --> 00:55:34,040 Maybe you do have five songs that are your go-to since you are like 10 years 895 00:55:34,040 --> 00:55:38,400 old. I dunno. Um, but it can be a snapshot. Um, also, 896 00:55:38,400 --> 00:55:41,840 it doesn't just have to be five. So, uh, Eric Hale, 897 00:55:41,930 --> 00:55:45,920 shout out Eric 2021, Texas Teacher of the Year. Eric, um, 898 00:55:46,290 --> 00:55:50,080 found a loophole to squeeze in as many songs as he could by saying, well, 899 00:55:50,230 --> 00:55:54,200 tide for Fifth is this and tied for fourth is fourth. 900 00:55:54,200 --> 00:55:58,240 So he probably talked for an additional hour about his music. , uh, 901 00:55:58,510 --> 00:56:02,240 just in that moment. And so it doesn't, 902 00:56:02,240 --> 00:56:07,120 it's not limited to just five. And finally, collectives count as one. 903 00:56:07,340 --> 00:56:10,160 So if you were gonna say, oh, Wu-Tang Clan, um, 904 00:56:10,160 --> 00:56:13,720 that doesn't fill your top 13. Right, right, right. Um, . 905 00:56:13,980 --> 00:56:18,680 So it can be that. So what are the top five tracks or artists, 906 00:56:19,100 --> 00:56:21,880 um, that are really speaking to you? 907 00:56:23,550 --> 00:56:27,640 Yeah. Well, and this is, maybe we'll start with maybe the more, 908 00:56:28,960 --> 00:56:31,000 I don't know, shallow reason , 909 00:56:31,180 --> 00:56:35,320 I'm just so jealous of everybody who got to go see Taylor Swift and I'm like, 910 00:56:35,320 --> 00:56:39,000 cooking with it. Taylor Swift 24 7. Exactly. 911 00:56:39,540 --> 00:56:43,600 And I'll say Midnights is dope. Like, I actually like Yeah. You know, I'm, 912 00:56:43,600 --> 00:56:46,080 I'm a resistant person. If, if somebody is popular, 913 00:56:46,480 --> 00:56:49,120 I automatically don't like them. I'm like, I don't like them. They're popular. 914 00:56:49,150 --> 00:56:53,840 Yeah. . Um, but my friend Chris, so Alexis, uh, lives in Maine. He is, 915 00:56:53,940 --> 00:56:58,200 you know, part of, um, you know, part of the Penobscot people, uh, 916 00:56:58,500 --> 00:57:00,520 posted something about midnight. So I'm like, 917 00:57:00,540 --> 00:57:05,200 and he got mocked roundly on his Facebook, and I listened to it. I'm like, 918 00:57:05,700 --> 00:57:08,040 oh, shoot, this is good. So anyway. 919 00:57:08,040 --> 00:57:12,080 Yeah. I I think she's quite like the poet in a lot of ways. Yeah. 920 00:57:12,260 --> 00:57:15,600 She has a song and it's like, um, if I was a man, then I'd be the man. 921 00:57:17,260 --> 00:57:21,560 And I love, like, I love that. Um, it's really resonant as like a, um, 922 00:57:22,040 --> 00:57:26,600 a women, a woman in stem who Yeah. You know, uh, like not that long ago, 923 00:57:26,620 --> 00:57:30,600 the narrative was very much like, girls' brains just aren't quite wired. Right. 924 00:57:30,600 --> 00:57:31,433 For math, you know? 925 00:57:31,710 --> 00:57:33,360 Well, and in some quarters it's incredible. 926 00:57:33,780 --> 00:57:36,520 People hold onto that nonsense thinking. 927 00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:37,120 Mm-hmm. mm-hmm. . 928 00:57:37,120 --> 00:57:41,440 And we're still very much underrepresented in Yeah. In stem. Um, 929 00:57:41,700 --> 00:57:45,400 so yeah. I, um, you know, yeah. My parents live in Sweden. 930 00:57:45,460 --> 00:57:49,600 We try to visit them once a year. I saw she's coming to Sweden in May. Hey. 931 00:57:50,110 --> 00:57:50,740 Okay. 932 00:57:50,740 --> 00:57:53,880 I'm thinking like, I'm, I'm really thinking maybe we can make this happen. 933 00:57:54,280 --> 00:57:54,740 . 934 00:57:54,740 --> 00:57:56,080 You got time. You got time. 935 00:57:56,880 --> 00:57:59,800 . Um, okay. 936 00:57:59,980 --> 00:58:03,360 So I have been a Coldplay fan since high school. Okay. 937 00:58:03,360 --> 00:58:07,120 And I just like cannot let them go. Um, , I just can't. 938 00:58:07,340 --> 00:58:11,840 And I went to one, they came to Tulsa probably five years ago, and it, 939 00:58:11,950 --> 00:58:16,760 that was like just a spiritual experience. Um, just, 940 00:58:16,760 --> 00:58:20,040 they're just fantastic. Um, yeah. And very, 941 00:58:20,070 --> 00:58:23,960 like a lot of their songs are very piano driven as well, which I towards, 942 00:58:23,960 --> 00:58:26,640 because that was like my instrument of choice growing up. Um, 943 00:58:28,270 --> 00:58:29,960 plus the British accents. I mean, you just. 944 00:58:30,900 --> 00:58:34,920 Yes. And less evident when they're singing, but like, yeah, 945 00:58:34,920 --> 00:58:36,080 definitely . 946 00:58:37,700 --> 00:58:40,280 Um, let's see here. 947 00:58:40,300 --> 00:58:44,080 One Republic is another one I've really stuck with over the years. They're, um, 948 00:58:44,080 --> 00:58:46,000 they're from Tulsa. Oh. 949 00:58:46,040 --> 00:58:46,830 I didn't know that. 950 00:58:46,830 --> 00:58:49,000 Yeah. I mean, I don't know if they would say that, 951 00:58:49,060 --> 00:58:51,320 but like Tulsa very much claims . 952 00:58:52,270 --> 00:58:55,920 They better, I remember when India re tried to claim Atlanta. I'm like, um, 953 00:58:55,920 --> 00:58:59,440 you're from Denver. Like, I don't even moved to Atlanta, 954 00:58:59,900 --> 00:59:02,640 but you're from Denver, so, yeah. And I was gonna. 955 00:59:02,640 --> 00:59:05,120 Say, I think they live in Colorado now, but Oh. 956 00:59:05,150 --> 00:59:05,660 Okay. 957 00:59:05,660 --> 00:59:06,920 The school here. So like, we're. 958 00:59:07,100 --> 00:59:09,720 One republic. If you are listening to this, don't forget your roots. 959 00:59:09,720 --> 00:59:12,520 You're from Tulsa. Don't forget your roots. Don't forget your roots. 960 00:59:12,590 --> 00:59:15,960 Like you can be here. Yeah. But don't be claiming Colorado . 961 00:59:15,960 --> 00:59:20,200 Right. And I got to see them in concert. It was wild. Like we were in, 962 00:59:20,260 --> 00:59:24,120 my husband and I were in graduate school in South Dakota, and they, 963 00:59:24,660 --> 00:59:28,800 it was like right as they were rising to fame and they, like, 964 00:59:28,820 --> 00:59:30,480 the university must have booked them, 965 00:59:30,980 --> 00:59:33,960 I'm guessing like six months to a year in advance, right? Yeah. 966 00:59:33,980 --> 00:59:38,200 And so they came to this tight, honestly tiny little venue for them, 967 00:59:38,820 --> 00:59:43,040 but I'm assuming like they had committed and they came and it was, 968 00:59:43,620 --> 00:59:48,400 um, oh, it's just like, it was a really beautiful experience. 969 00:59:48,400 --> 00:59:49,720 A good experience. Yeah. They're good. They're good. 970 00:59:49,940 --> 00:59:51,680 My daughter was into them and then she wasn't, 971 00:59:51,680 --> 00:59:55,240 because she has such a short attention span when it comes to her musical taste. 972 00:59:55,380 --> 00:59:56,520 So . Yeah, that's. 973 00:59:57,480 --> 00:59:57,920 I think. 974 00:59:57,920 --> 00:59:58,390 We. 975 00:59:58,390 --> 01:00:00,520 Hear someone like in person and they're, 976 01:00:00,520 --> 01:00:03,280 they're describing like how they wrote those songs. 977 01:00:03,340 --> 01:00:08,200 It just sort of changes everything. But Yeah. Um, also a big Ed Sheeran fan. 978 01:00:08,340 --> 01:00:11,480 I'm like, I'm Yep. Exactly what you told me, not what you didn't like, 979 01:00:11,480 --> 01:00:12,313 like all these popular. 980 01:00:12,740 --> 01:00:16,000 Oh, it's fine. Like I'm, I'm maturing . 981 01:00:17,380 --> 01:00:20,480 Um, but yeah, ed Sheeran does a lot of like, um, you know, 982 01:00:21,510 --> 01:00:25,880 math puns and such, and so he has my heart . Um, and then, 983 01:00:25,980 --> 01:00:29,640 and Sarah Ellis is, and has been a top for me. 984 01:00:29,640 --> 01:00:30,340 Yeah. 985 01:00:30,340 --> 01:00:31,600 Um, yeah, 986 01:00:31,620 --> 01:00:36,600 so I think that a big theme here except for maybe Taylor Swift is like, I love, 987 01:00:37,100 --> 01:00:38,160 um, piano heavy. 988 01:00:38,950 --> 01:00:39,770 Yeah. 989 01:00:39,770 --> 01:00:40,420 Songs. 990 01:00:40,420 --> 01:00:44,880 And, and, and lyricism, right. It seems like there's this kind of poetic, uh, 991 01:00:44,880 --> 01:00:46,400 quality of the lyrics, which, 992 01:00:46,400 --> 01:00:50,920 which actually aligns very nicely with the way you've kind of expressed yourself 993 01:00:51,060 --> 01:00:53,800 in, in shared parts of your story with us today. Um, 994 01:00:54,000 --> 01:00:58,200 Kevin's not here to approve this, so I have , um, I have the power, 995 01:00:58,300 --> 01:01:00,520 so I approve this, this top five. I think, 996 01:01:00,800 --> 01:01:05,480 I think it's just so interesting because you can have people who love the same 997 01:01:05,510 --> 01:01:08,120 artists or the same songs, but for very different reasons. 998 01:01:08,870 --> 01:01:10,160 Yeah. You're so right. 999 01:01:10,660 --> 01:01:15,640 You know, and it, it's, it speaks to the complexity of, of musical creation. I, 1000 01:01:15,780 --> 01:01:18,320 uh, Jay-Z's book, um, decoded, which folks, 1001 01:01:18,340 --> 01:01:22,040 if y'all haven't read Jay-Z's Decoded, you gotta read it. It's hard. Um, 1002 01:01:22,070 --> 01:01:23,560 it's a really challenging read, 1003 01:01:23,900 --> 01:01:28,360 but he talks about how you can listen to his songs multiple times and they're 1004 01:01:28,360 --> 01:01:32,240 always gonna mean something different and you may never know what he actually 1005 01:01:32,240 --> 01:01:33,160 means. Yeah. Yeah. 1006 01:01:33,160 --> 01:01:36,560 And that he's not actually concerned that you understand his music. 1007 01:01:36,870 --> 01:01:40,120 Like he understands why he does it, and you can make the meaning that you wanna, 1008 01:01:40,570 --> 01:01:43,440 which I think is really, really deep. Um. 1009 01:01:43,720 --> 01:01:45,320 I think so too. And that like, you know, 1010 01:01:45,520 --> 01:01:49,800 I think some of the best creations there's created 'cause like that person had 1011 01:01:49,800 --> 01:01:53,240 to create it. Not like they were trying to give the world some great gift. 1012 01:01:53,350 --> 01:01:56,040 It's just like they just had to get it out of them. You know? 1013 01:01:56,040 --> 01:01:57,120 Like those were the best. Yeah. 1014 01:01:57,240 --> 01:01:57,680 Absolutely. 1015 01:01:57,680 --> 01:01:58,513 Creations, I think. 1016 01:01:58,550 --> 01:02:02,840 Awesome. Well, um, Rebecca Peterson, we are going to get you out of here. Um, 1017 01:02:03,050 --> 01:02:07,720 thank you so much for taking time, uh, to come on. Two dope teachers and uh, 1018 01:02:07,940 --> 01:02:10,960 mic, uh, this episode is dropping, um, 1019 01:02:11,220 --> 01:02:15,320 as you all kind of ease back into class, right? Can you just ease in Right. 1020 01:02:15,350 --> 01:02:18,000 It's like nice and easy and smooth. There's never problem. Ice easy. 1021 01:02:20,270 --> 01:02:21,103 Yeah. . Yeah. 1022 01:02:21,420 --> 01:02:23,840 We hope that, that, you know, we hope that this has been, uh, 1023 01:02:23,840 --> 01:02:28,440 really encouraging for all of you as, um, as listeners, 1024 01:02:28,580 --> 01:02:32,720 as classroom teachers who are going into this work this fall. Um, Rebecca, 1025 01:02:32,840 --> 01:02:37,680 I think that your message is perfect for right now as folks are just looking 1026 01:02:37,740 --> 01:02:40,480 for these little things to be joyful about. And, uh, 1027 01:02:40,650 --> 01:02:44,840 maybe we can all have a mindset, um, shift. How can, um, 1028 01:02:44,840 --> 01:02:49,320 people follow your ideas and just kind of see what you're up to and that kind of 1029 01:02:49,320 --> 01:02:50,110 thing? 1030 01:02:50,110 --> 01:02:51,160 Yeah. Um, 1031 01:02:51,220 --> 01:02:56,120 I'm on Instagram as at Rebecca Peterson underscore because 1032 01:02:56,200 --> 01:02:58,680 I was late to the game. . Oh dang. 1033 01:02:59,190 --> 01:03:01,080 Dang. You original Rebecca Peterson. 1034 01:03:01,110 --> 01:03:04,720 Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And Rebecca is R e b e c k A. Yep. Um, 1035 01:03:05,350 --> 01:03:08,040 it's even spelled differently and I still don't sna it. And you spell it. 1036 01:03:08,060 --> 01:03:12,200 And then, um, Twitter X, whatever it is. Um, 1037 01:03:12,790 --> 01:03:17,120 it's at Rebecca Moist. Mote is my Iranian middle name, 1038 01:03:17,120 --> 01:03:19,720 which means Twitter news. Um, 1039 01:03:19,980 --> 01:03:22,200 and that is M O Z B E H. 1040 01:03:22,870 --> 01:03:25,920 Okay. Awesome. Cool. Cool. So, uh, 1041 01:03:25,920 --> 01:03:28,800 we do one more thing before we see you out. Um, 1042 01:03:28,800 --> 01:03:31,360 I'll ramble for just a little bit. When I signal to you, 1043 01:03:31,360 --> 01:03:35,800 we will say state oak together, if that works for you. So for, 1044 01:03:36,460 --> 01:03:37,680 um, Kevin Adams, 1045 01:03:37,680 --> 01:03:41,880 who is co-leading a school at the moment and therefore isn't on the podcast 1046 01:03:42,130 --> 01:03:46,880 today for our amazing guest at 2023 National Teacher of the Year, 1047 01:03:47,110 --> 01:03:49,960 Rebecca Peterson. My name is Ard Munoz. 1048 01:03:50,120 --> 01:03:52,920 I invite you all to stay persistent. Stay cool. 1049 01:03:52,990 --> 01:03:57,400 It's hot all over this dang country right now. Um, stay joyful, 1050 01:03:57,470 --> 01:03:58,520 stay encouraged, 1051 01:03:59,110 --> 01:04:03,440 stay willing to push back against negativity with positivity. 1052 01:04:04,150 --> 01:04:08,160 Stay willing to shine your light through the darkness, but above all and beyond. 1053 01:04:08,270 --> 01:04:12,240 Make sure that you always stay. 1054 01:04:13,260 --> 01:04:14,093 Go. 1055 01:04:30,450 --> 01:04:35,310 Ao attention dedicated educators as a school year approaches and 1056 01:04:35,450 --> 01:04:39,030 begins, now's the perfect time to take control of your financial future. 1057 01:04:39,570 --> 01:04:43,510 We understand that being an educator requires an incredible amount of time and 1058 01:04:43,510 --> 01:04:44,790 effort during the school year. 1059 01:04:45,090 --> 01:04:49,470 So now's the best time to prioritize your finances before the busy school year 1060 01:04:49,730 --> 01:04:53,790 really gets going. 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This is of course, 1069 01:05:18,540 --> 01:05:23,400 the school pension system and retirement programs specifically for teachers 1070 01:05:23,470 --> 01:05:24,303 like us. 1071 01:05:24,830 --> 01:05:29,720 Imagine heading into the upcoming school year and future years with confidence 1072 01:05:29,720 --> 01:05:32,520 knowing that your finances are in order. 1073 01:05:33,100 --> 01:05:34,920 By taking time now to work with Alex, 1074 01:05:35,340 --> 01:05:39,400 you can lay a solid foundation for your financial goals and secure a brighter 1075 01:05:39,500 --> 01:05:40,333 future. 1076 01:05:40,810 --> 01:05:44,160 Don't let the busyness of the school year hold you back from achieving your 1077 01:05:44,160 --> 01:05:44,993 financial dreams. 1078 01:05:45,330 --> 01:05:49,400 Visit Alex's website at www dot Tori and Alex, 1079 01:05:49,720 --> 01:05:51,160 t o r i a, 1080 01:05:51,700 --> 01:05:54,760 Dal dot satter investors. 1081 01:05:54,980 --> 01:05:57,560 That's C e t e R a 1082 01:05:57,560 --> 01:06:00,960 investors.com/two dope. 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