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306.
My name is Taina Asili and you're listening
to 2 dope teachers in a mic.
Hey, yo. What's going on? Welcome
to 2 dope teachers and a microphone. My
name is Harold Munoz.
And I am Kevin Roberts.
Yo. You heard that right, people?
I'm at I'm on the mic.
On the mic.
He's on the mic as if he never
left.
The prodigal son has returned.
That's right. You knew I couldn't stay away
forever.
I knew I knew you weren't gonna stay
away forever. How you doing, man?
Good. Good.
Been been busy,
you know,
at AP Life,
living the the the assistant principal life. I
always say when when people are like, how's
things going? I'm like, oh, you know, living
the dream. I'm not sure whose dream I'm
living.
That's right. That's right. I thought that was
just me who said that.
No. I'm living somebody's dream.
I'm pretty sure it's not mine.
Maybe it's someone else making other people's dreams
come true. That's actually what we do.
The dream merchant.
Sell dreams. We're saying merchants. That's it.
So yeah, y'all we we got Kev here.
You know, the and we'll be real with
y'all. The the podcast is has taken,
a a direction and and, you know, we're
we're gonna talk a little bit about the
liminal space that we've been living in right
now.
You've heard a lot of other guests coming
on. Y'all keep on hitting us up. We're,
yo, where's Kevin at? Where's Kevin at? And
I always Kev, I always tell people that
you're in AP life or that you are
on assignment, which is On assignment. Yes. I
love on assignment. That's a classic. That's a
classic. And the problem is people Those who
don't know.
That's a classic. He's on assignment.
On assignment.
Yeah. You know,
got conferences you attend at times.
Every once in a while. Every once in
a while. Be out there a little bit.
So yeah. So but but what we we
have we have heard the call of the
people.
The people want some OG
2 Dope teachers and a mic. Kev, how
does that make you feel? That that makes
me feel great. You know? It's it's it's
great that people
still appreciate
what we started way back and and how
how it goes
when we get together.
You know? Like, I just saw I saw
yesterday.
Guess what group has recently gotten back together?
Yo. Franz is back too. Yeah.
Not Franz. Franz passed on. Oh. Franz passed
on. Fawn. Fawn. Oh.
Another another
similar name dog, which is weird. Yeah. Oh,
no. Not necessarily.
So so,
so we'll pour pour some out for Franz
real quick. But
yesterday, I saw that 3rd base
performed
got back together as TikTok.
Wow. I was like, woah. Oh my gosh.
3rd base. 3rd base. Did you go see
new edition when they were in town?
No. I missed new edition. I missed my
my my boss did, but I I missed
it. Yeah.
No. There's so many people our age that
went to that show and you could tell
the next day.
Well, one one thing I will say,
it takes solace at Frans is kicking it
with Kiko.
Oh. Last a couple years ago. Yes. Kiko's
been welcoming the dogs in in into,
into the other side,
and showing them you can run and play
and have a good time. So I won
as well on that but There we go,
there we go.
So, yeah man. So it is good and
you know what you know what is really
darkly ironic bro. When we started this thing
a certain Donald j Trump had just been
elected president. That I was thinking about that
today before. I was like, oh my gosh.
We we are back to
started.
Well, you know,
I'm right. I mean, it's like a it
you know, we'll talk about I don't know
if we'll talk about this. This is just
a wild dystopian world we're living in right
now. But, you know, I do think that
I you know, it makes me reflect all
those years ago
on how and we didn't talk about it
like this, but,
you know, I feel like something in us
made us, like, really feel like,
okay.
We gotta we gotta start putting
our voices out there and and the stories
of others like us out there.
Yeah. And so in a way, it's kind
of like full circle. Right? And and we're
back. So this this is gonna be OG.
We're out of respect for Kevin's time
and out of,
you know, forcing me to write my dissertation.
This will be a monthly show. So half
of our monthly episodes will be OG 2
Dope Teachers, and we'll be here. So, on
today's show, we will talk a little bit
about
just where
these diverging paths have taken us
and what that transition has been like
and how we now view our own call
to remix the conversation on race, power, and
education,
because I feel like we're still doing it,
bro. Oh, yeah. I'm still I'm still that's
that's the main thing that the work
remains the same. You know? Like, it it
is
I might be in a different space, and
and and I might have a little greater
touch,
right, and and touch more people in different
ways.
But,
definitely, the work is the same. And and
I'm finding out a lot of still learning
and growing,
like, in my practice.
Yeah. I know.
Yep. Yep.
Yeah.
So, yeah, we'll talk a little bit about
that. There is an elephant in the room
that we'll discuss,
briefly here and at length later on. Yep.
But we'll kinda get that going.
So,
but yeah. So if you are new to
the show, where have you been, man? We've
been here for a while. Actually,
we may have some new listeners because some
of our guests
have brought some really interesting listenership into us.
So we are Fudo features in the mic.
We are
the most dangerous podcast in the schoolhouse. That's
right. Remixing the power remix what am I
talking about? Remixing the conversation on race, power,
and education.
We are,
on all social media platforms.
Although we may be moving to blue sky
at this point. Alright. Although there's a part
of me that
appreciates
witnessing
a post apocalyptic
bot filled hellscape.
It's
a little bit like Star Wars if if
I'm being honest with you. Let's see why.
Yeah. Lot of bots.
Lot of hustlers and snake oil salesman and
mercenaries
and like all that kind of stuff. Yeah.
And if you want to,
support the podcast,
you can go to patreon.com/trudopeteachers.
That's why this episode is gonna be a
little shorter,
because you know the the bills are getting
a little bit harder to pay,
but you know, but shout out to the
the true blue who have stayed with us
and still give us their Shout out. Each
Yes. Month. Alright, Kev. How do you wanna
start this? How should we talk about this?
I mean, I don't I don't know. I
I guess that's the hard part, but I
I mean, I don't know. We could jump
right into it and be like or we
could just talk about how life is. Like,
what what are we dealing with?
What's going on right now?
You know? Actually, I'm I'm
I'm still talking about life. I have a
I have a great I have great something
coming up. I'm going to Japan.
I've taken 14 students with our Japanese teacher.
So You know? And one of them is
my oldest daughter, my oldest child.
We're going to Japan senior
senior senior year trip. That's alright. It's it's
gonna be it's gonna be dope. That's amazing.
Like, it it's hard to imagine,
like, not having a school in DPS that
does that for its high school age students.
Can you imagine such a thing? Sorry.
Yeah. Yeah. I'm just full of sarcasm. No.
That's gonna be really dope and,
you know,
I think,
yeah life is life and I guess, right?
Like
I think,
for me,
I'm 40% of the way through my dissertation.
Pass us up, there we go. I guess,
but it's also like my advisor just doesn't
let me enjoy things for very long and
she's she's like, yeah, I'm gonna recommend that
you pass. I'm like, yay. And she's like,
that means it's at a c level, not
at an a level. Like, you're gonna get
it to an a level. And I'm like,
okay. You just can't let me enjoy this
a little bit. Just give me give me
at least 15 minutes. But the fact remains
that there is a light at the end
of the tunnel and I may be able
to do that.
My kid second year college
in Shai City,
We were just actually out there,
for,
my wife's,
her mom's,
50th birthday.
Very good.
I'll go back. To the Chi. Happy birthday,
mom.
No man it's crazy. That's why I make
fun of her for being in Cragel Robert
because like I'm only 48 years old. There
you go, oh, uh-oh. Young kid, young kid.
Yeah,
so I guess the first thing that people
have asked to kinda hear about
is
neither of us is a classroom teacher anymore.
Right? Yes. Yes.
And we've both moved into roles. You you
made reference to it. We've both moved into
roles where ostensibly there's a larger
impact. I I guess we can just kinda
share what that's been like,
no longer being a classroom teacher
and you know what that experience has been
like. Good, bad, and ugly. Right? Yeah. You
know, I think for me, like the 1st
year
it was a lot of adjustment.
One thing that I loved
was being done with grading.
Oh, yes. I Oh my god. You're the
same. I have another part to that that's
going on right now. We have a teacher
on leave.
And and and guess what? It's one of
my teachers on my caseload,
and I found myself grading. I'm back grading.
Oh, no.
Well, I thought I was ever gonna have
to lesson plan again, and then I learned
about team meetings. Yep. Yep. You're like, oh,
wait. But, hey.
You I guarantee you're planning way more engaging,
effective
Oh. Than anybody else. Yeah. You're like, yeah.
You have to Yeah. I mean, I I
I think,
one of my direct reports is actually a
podcast listener, so shout out.
Shout out. And,
yeah. So they they may have a different
perspective on that, but, you know, it is
yeah. I mean, so so you're so you're
still doing the grading. Still still still a
little bit of grading, but
I think
Go ahead. Go ahead. You go. You go.
Like, just I think adjusting to like, when
you're a classroom teacher,
there's a very clear mission every day for
you. Right? Like, I'm planning the lesson. We're
teaching about this. You know, it's it's the
Q2.
We're moving into this unit.
You know, we're moving through. I'm I'm giving
this assessment.
Yeah. I'm I'm doing these pieces.
And I think when you leave, there's, like,
this other piece where it's like,
oh,
wait. I I don't have that, like,
like,
internalized
push of the work
that just always causes it to move forward.
Right? And a big shout out to the
teachers.
But I think for me, one of the
biggest things is just, like, this other view
of teaching.
Like, I I am so excited these days.
The best thing that I like, my best
day, and I I did it
yesterday,
3 observations,
spend about, you know, 40 minutes in each
class,
really getting to see, really giving to give
teachers feedback, saw awesome stuff that they were
doing. And and gay you know, I always
appreciate when I can give them suggestions that
they're like,
oh, that I never thought about that. Or,
you know, we have conversations
or ask questions that help them to reflect
and and grow in their practice, and they
come back and they're like, you know what?
This has been a lot better since we've
had that conversation.
So I think
just growing in that sense and being able
to to sit back and watch it all
happen. You know what I mean? Like, I
love to walk by a class and
and just pop in and just and ask
the kids what they're learning about and have
them tell you, like, abate
using stuff and be about their learning.
You know?
It's interesting that you say that because,
you know, I think from the outside, people
may look at our paths and look at
how
we've just moved
not only away from the classroom but away
from each other. You know what's kind of
dope bro?
Some of the some of the things you're
talking about like
especially around observations feedback giving suggestions
that kind of thing.
I'm also
seeing those things, but kind of from afar.
So we we had,
I don't wanna say an issue because I
don't want it to sound, like, overly dramatic
or over or, like, overly terrible, but,
you know,
my team manages new educator supports for our
district. Yeah. And one of the issues that
came up at one of the schools we
support was a 1st year teacher getting low
scores, low evaluation scores,
and not and and they weren't upset because
they got low scores. They were upset because
they didn't have a clear sense
of action steps or how to prioritize,
like,
all the different indicators in in the framework.
Yep. And so my team got with the
growth and performance folks.
They
calibrated
like through an observation and then they developed
a bunch of guidance for,
new teachers and kind of what the gateway
indicators we call them. Like
how do we focus in on the most
beneficial things for brand new teachers. And so
being able to sit in that space knowing
that you and I are working
from different angles on the same issue
It's kinda dope. And that's that's a trip,
you know, that, like because that's what I've
been that's what my observations have been, and
I'm I've got a a couple of new
teachers that I'm working with,
you know, and and supporting them in the
gateway indicators is really easy at the beginning
of the you know, like, it's Right. It's
very, like if you're starting to do this
stuff, you're getting the real important parts of
the job. Right?
And and,
but I think I think
helping teachers stay.
Helping teachers stick with it because this is
not like, I've like,
it's a challenging thing and and seeing that
perspective and seeing the work that they're doing
and, you know, like, the ways teachers are
dealing with certain kids and trying to find
ways to support them.
And
it's it's just, I think, really
help open my eyes to the
importance of coaching,
of coaching
Yeah. And and not in that sense of
evaluation,
but just, like, giving people a space where
they feel like they can try new things,
where they have strategies,
where where they feel like they don't have
to be perfect all the time. Right? Because,
like,
like, I see teachers that have, like and
I had that feeling a lot of times.
I think a lot of teachers who listen
to us probably can relate is there's times
where you're like,
I feel perfect. I I gotta be perfect.
And I have, like you know, you go
in to observe.
And what's the like, teachers, a lot of
times, they're like,
well, it's gonna be like this because of
this. And I'm like,
chill.
Yeah. Well, because, you know and I think
that's one thing that
that's really,
that I've realized, like, so,
you know, I went from managing
38th graders to managing 4 adults. I'm not
actually sure which is harder.
But
I think it's the 4 adults.
It's it's interesting. Right? And and I think
that because
the central office space, I would imagine I
can only speak from my own experience, but
I don't imagine it's like this everywhere. It's
just a completely different place than being in
a school. And so I tried really hard
to leave to to embrace, like, okay.
How how what is central office thinking? What
is central office leadership? All those kinds of
things. And I struggled a lot
until I realized
that,
bro,
I I was in the classroom for 23
years.
There's never
go I will always
look at education
through the eyes of a teacher.
That'll be my first
perspective,
when I don't know randomly my chief of
talent assigns me a big scary project that
has to be turned around in a month.
Like
the first thing I think of is like
okay if this was happening
in my school, in my building, in my
Yep. Classroom Yep. What would what would I
what questions would I have and what are
the things that I feel like I need
to communicate
and so I've been saying for a while
now teaching
is my professional mother tongue.
Yep. Like like you know how it is
with with a native language, like you can
learn other languages,
but your first language is the one that
you feel your emotions in. It's it's the
language that you dream in Dream in. Think
in. Yep. Yep. Like all that. I feel
that way about teaching. I don't have teacher
dreams anymore. That's one thing I do not
miss,
but but I think that's a Copy copy
machine.
It's not working. It's always a copy machine
or
it's my classroom is a mess. Most of
the time I'm writing my syllabus
as I'm welcoming the kids into class. Like,
I'm talking them through it and writing at
the same time. It's amazing. Mine were never
like mine were like,
oh my god. It's like 8 in the
morning, and I'm like
8 hours away, and there's
no way I can get there.
I'm at the airport. Oh, no. I have
to teach. Like, so like, I'm several, like,
in a broke down car or some
place, like, having to take multiple trains and
be like Yep. I have to call, and
then I'd wake up and be like,
oh, I'm good.
Yeah. My my mom's,
recurring teacher dream, I'm sure she wouldn't mind
me sharing this, is,
that she can never find her classroom. Oh,
yeah. So she's, like, walking around looking for
her classroom. And she says a lot of
times, the kids are actually with her, like
and they're all looking for the classroom together.
That's a deep I I would love to
go into that to hear a bunch of
teachers. What is What what are the teachers?
Hit us up, tuto teachers atgmail.com.
Hit us up. What are
your recurring teacher dreams?
Yeah. So so so it's it is really
interesting. Do you miss being a classroom teacher
at all?
Yes.
All the time.
All the time, there are certain aspects
that I'm, like,
planning lessons,
finding things to, like,
materials and stuff that I come across.
But but I've also had a couple of
opportunities, you know, to co teach with some
teachers
and, to You you get the you get
a little bit of a taste. A little
bit of a taste. You know? But I
I there are times that everybody always asks
me. They're like, mister, do you miss it?
And all of the middle schoolers that I
taught,
they're like, mister, you should come back and
be our social studies teacher.
And I'm like
Yeah. I want to. Yeah. Like Yeah. No.
Ask me on the right day. And then
I'm like, grading,
but grading.
Yeah. Some place. So this is this is
another place this is another place where I
think this is a place where I think
we diverge. Yeah. I do not miss teaching.
You don't. You're you were good. I don't.
I'll tell you what I do miss. 4
more years on me of it. You have
4 years. No, and it makes a big
difference.
A lot of things happen after 20, bro.
Yeah. Yep. But,
no,
but I will tell you I miss kids.
You miss kids. And so anytime I get
a chance
to see,
especially the the students who are in my
school and in in my classroom,
it's just so great to see them because,
like, I remember that and that's something that
I I don't think I always appreciated while
I was a teacher
was that I could come in the building
in the worst mood, I'm late, the copier's
not working, traffic was heavy,
like I'm just I didn't get enough sleep,
I'm stressed out, I'm annoyed,
you know,
and then I'm standing in the hall and
a student that you and I will both
remember
very clearly
just comes bouncing up. Hey. How's your day?
How you doing? What's new? And it's like
it's like you just have like, kids have
such
such a
such an ability to just turn your spirits.
Yep. Yep. Yep.
And and I know, yes, I know some
kids can be really difficult and they can
make some sometimes working with kids is really
hard,
but working in an adult space now,
like, you just don't have people who are
bouncing up to you and and
and changing your spirits. Telling you a weird
joke out of nowhere or showing you something
that they did that they're just so thrilled
about Yep. Or singing some weird song or,
like, these days, asking you some weird question
from a man. Standing neck standing next to
you on a hall of duty assuming the
same poses you guys play. That oh, that's
a good one. That's good. My one has
happened a lot this year. Mister, where's your
pass?
I'm like,
this walkie talkie on my waist. You see
that? That's my pass. They got these gray
hairs right here. Exactly.
Yeah. That's my pass.
That is yeah. So I mean so it
is interesting like
like
what I like I don't miss teaching, but
I kinda miss being a teacher. Yeah. If
that makes sense. Yep.
I get that. I get that. It's
that's one of the best things about, like,
my position and what happened for me because
I got to stay in my community.
Yeah. I got to, you know, just literally
change jobs,
You know? And and it was around people
who knew me and gave me tons of
grace, and they're still giving me tons of
grace.
Like, I'm like, y'all, I've I've I'm sorry
that I don't have any clue of what
I'm doing. They're like, no. You're doing a
good job. I'm like, are you sure?
Are you sure? Because I feel like every
day, I'm like,
I don't know. Yeah. I I will say
At least you don't have to go to
those principal calls.
Oh my god. That's see, there's stuff like
that. That's like, you know, one day I'd
like to be a principal. And then I'm
like and then I see my boss, and
she's like, I have the principal. On the
snow day, they had the principal call.
Oh, that's right. They they did. They said
they it said they were like, oh, wait.
We wanna clarify something.
Yeah.
Yeah. No. I'm on the I'm I'm frequently
on those calls. Feel free to, like, text
me, like we used to oh, that's one
thing I have missed is,
getting you in trouble in staff meetings. In
a staff meeting.
And now we can do it because it
was on those call. No. So yeah. I
don't I don't wanna get in trouble on
those staff meeting on those meetings. No. I'll
just do it through text.
They they keep you muted anyway. No. I
think that I that's that's so interesting too
because because, like, what you're describing,
I've actually learned through my work with aspiring
educators
is that what
your experience is what the it's what the
experience should be. We should be growing our
own. We should be elevating people into
classroom teacher roles from paraprofessional
roles or other types of roles, and then
elevating teachers into teacher leadership roles and elevating
those folks into building leadership roles, like that's
actually
that's not a bug. That should be a
feature Yep. Of how we retain
leaders. And so I think that's a really
important data point for
this notion of how we,
particularly BIPOC leaders,
like, how we promote and support BIPOC leaders.
It should be,
you know, FUBU, right, for us bias. That
that yeah. That I mean, I think that
makes a difference. I think it it gives
perspective.
And not to say that I got all
the answers. Like I said, I'm learning a
lot every day.
I I I walk into situations. I don't
know if you can relate to this aspect
where I'm like,
like, I'm like, I have no clue of
what I'm doing. Like, I'm I'm you know,
like, last year when I was the access
cell
for, the access assessment Go get it. I
was like, okay. And I'm like, you know
and, thankfully, like, I had tons of people.
I could
is so great to me and, like, answering
my questions,
like,
and telling me, like, where I could have
found it in the PowerPoint that they gave
me.
You know? Like, even the
but but still, like,
it it's good because it gives me it's
giving me greater perspective. By doing that,
I understood
the importance even more, and I always thought
it was important to support our MLLs.
But just, like, I was like, oh, I
really was doing some good
stuff when I was, you know, using
lots of regalia and and lots of,
you know, sentence frames with kids and giving
them the opportunity to talk before they wrote
and and plan ideas and stuff and hear
from other people and collaborate,
you know,
to see that stuff, to seeing, like, the
importance of this year, I'm a CMAS South,
and so, like, really working around accommodations.
Right? And the the the importance of those
accommodations is really
an equitable learning experience for all kids. Right?
Yeah.
And it's something that I I wouldn't have
appreciated in the same way. And so, like,
whereas, like, a studies teacher, I could appreciate,
you know, my role
and the things like that happened in the
language arts class. Like, I couldn't appreciate
the math department like I do now. And,
like, what they are pushing to do and
and and really have the kids doing and
and, you know, you know, the way like,
I'm I'm privileged of sitting in on our
English language arts,
department's DDI team, and they are, like, just
beast with that data. Like, just they just
break it down and and and just I
was just producing ideas to help the kids
grow.
And and I don't think people always see
that, the work that teachers
are putting
into it to to create really thoughtful learning
experiences for kids. Right? And and, also, like,
now being,
the the old head, right,
watching the youngsters,
like, there's this whole new like,
I love the new young teachers that are
coming in, and they're bringing, like, this energy,
and they're like, yo. Let's do the work.
Let's do the thing. It's a hard time
to come into this work. It is. For
real. And they're coming in ready to do
it, ready to grind. They are. We're gonna
take a quick break,
to appease our corporate overlords,
and,
we will be back on
the other side. So, Kev, I bet those
young teachers are not
thinking about their financial future right now. Alright?
You know,
well, they're thinking about it or they're look
They're they're thinking about it and saying, like,
this is not good. This
is not They're they're they're, maybe thinking about
it is the wrong phrase. Maybe they're dreading
it. They're,
wallowing in it. They're resigned to their financial
future.
Well, you know, our homies core,
how do I not, like, remember their names?
Alex and Tory Sierra at Terra Investors,
actually have some pretty good news for
teachers,
even early career teachers who just got in
the game.
So,
as as you know and this is actually
kind of a cool idea like especially with
this election man, like the best way to,
end up with a whole with a whole
lot of money is to inherit a whole
lot money. Like, that's really the that's really
the path forward for most people.
But Alex and Tory are really dedicated to
making sure that you, yes, you and me
and all y'all,
can start building
generational wealth
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subscription based
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Alex knows more about pension systems frankly than
I do, and I could retire in a
year.
That he studied pension systems all over the
place. He understands what we need to be
doing.
Tori is actually a super dope entrepreneur, and
I actually interviewed her a while back, and
we'll we'll get her,
story out here too.
So if you are interested in learning more,
go to the link in the show notes,
Tori and Alex at ceterainvestors.com/t00d0pe
to get 25%
off of certain services that they offer.
And
we are back.
Alright, y'all. We're gonna,
close things out here with a couple of
things. Kev, I'm thinking we can
talk a little bit about some takeaways about
where we're at
and,
sort of how we're we're reflecting
on just kinda what the path forward is,
at the moment. So
I think you and I have
realized
almost
opposite things
in education
that are really important. I think for you,
you rose up into a leadership role, and
it has not been easy.
But you came
from a place that was familiar with you
and you were able to kind of, like,
you get a lot of grace because people
know who you are and they know that
you're legit. Yep. When I started my central
office job,
it was right after the district had reorganized
Yep. And a whole bunch of people lost
their positions, and
like it was literally me,
my director who had just been appointed,
and the manager of operations
looking at each other like,
what are we doing? What is this work?
What are we supposed to be doing? And
it was really bumpy because
it was a completely new kind of environment.
For me, I think one of the things
that just keeps on resonating for me
is that as much as I love being
a teacher and as
and as, like,
as
critically
important
as our teachers
are to
to just the survival of our world, man,
especially now.
I
became very exhausted at kind of the rinse
and repeat nature of what I was seeing
every day. Right? Yep. Like, you come into
the school, you know some kids are struggling.
You know some kids are dealing with very
real
just challenges and barriers and
harm and trauma and all that kind of
stuff. And so you take a kid through
it, you can take some kids through it
like over the course of the day, a
week, a month, a school year,
and then and then they move on, and
then there's new kids with new needs and
new challenges and all that kind of stuff.
Yep. And I think for me, getting stuck
in that cycle just got really exhausting.
Yep. It's hard.
I feel like
I'm in a space I mean, those of
you who still have the passion and the
energy to be in buildings,
I was gonna say 247. Oh, no. Don't
do that. 247.
This week, it feels like I've been there.
247.
Like like, you all have a type of
resolve and energy that I just don't have
anymore, but
I am finding that
with a couple of keystrokes, I can change
things. Like, we didn't used to have any
language as to whether
a paraprofessional
could do our para to teach your program
and if they were a half time para.
And then I started reflecting, well, maybe they're
a half time para
because
they have other responsibilities.
That's right. That's right. This is what they
can manage, and they need to get a
leg up. And so
I created a policy.
And I love that. It's in writing. It's
in our standard operating procedures handbook.
And anyone who wants to undo that policy
has to come in and read it and
make sense of it and reflect on it.
Like it's it's not gonna be easy to
reverse the things that I feel like my
team and I have put into place. And
so I think
having some breathing room to really step back
and evaluate
the systems that we have
and say,
is this really the best system for what
we need to do?
And oh it's up to me because frankly
most folks have no idea what happens on
an operational level in a large school district.
Yep. So I can
say I'm just I'm gonna move this thing.
I'm gonna change this thing. And
I think for the for the first time
in a very long time, I feel like
I'm impacting change.
I love that. I love that. I think
that's so important, you know,
that you you you're recognizing
that ability
and and acting on it. You know what
I mean? Because I think there's a lot
of people question is, like, who's, who can
stop me? Nobody? Swimming.
Let's do this. Do this. Okay. Let's do
this. Right? And I and shout out to
my team because my team is also very
encouraging in this way
even to the one who challenges everything that
I say.
She's just trying to make sure I don't
get fired. Fired.
No. I love that. Like, one of one
of the greatest
things that that my, current leader has said
to me is, like, embrace your a penis.
You know? Like, embrace it. Like, you you're
here for a reason.
You you're here. You know? And and I
trust in the decisions that I put you
in charge to make. Make those decisions.
Believe in yourself. You know? And and I
think that was a really important thing
for me to hear because,
you know, regardless of what we say, you
always feel like, you know, I'm like, I
really belong here. Am I really supposed to
be in this room? Like, I still remember
going to the
new leader or edgy new leader orientation.
Right? And I'm sitting in this building, and
I'm like,
I know a lot of you. Like, I
and I'm like, I'm here. I'm here now.
Like, I'm I'm I'm a leader, you know,
in this district, in my building.
And,
it feels good, and and that idea of
really being able to impact change and
and and and to make decisions that'll that'll
be beneficial,
that I know will benefit students,
will benefit educators,
I think that that's that's, like,
a really important part,
because
because a teacher's job is is not easy.
It's not easy. And I know
all, so many teachers
are so great that they make it look
easy. Yeah. I think that's And I think
that's part of the problem. Yeah. And you're
like, oh, this wasn't easy. Like, I know
I know I'm I look like I'm just
making it happen. I always used to say
I I'm like,
I'm I'm the, the swan.
I look very graceful above water.
No one below.
I'm kicking like a lunatic.
Yeah. Fortunately, in Myspace, my struggles are very
well,
identified.
But I think, like, I think too
this is just my own opinion.
I never found teaching to be easy, but
teaching always felt
simple and straightforward.
It's like this is what the focus is
is what we're doing today. This is what
I need to be doing in this 90
minutes, in this quarter, in this semester with
students.
And in my space, it feels a lot
more ambiguous, which you would think I would
like,
but it's been kinda wild. But There's certain
times
certain times where you like the ambiguity, and
then other times you're like, I have these
days where I'm like,
I've I I don't know what I got
done today. Yeah. I can't do My my
whole thing there I have these moments where
I'm kinda like I'm literally just walking around
this building completely unsupervised. And, like,
I'm just here. I'm just walking in. I
feel like What are you doing? Like I
can disappear.
What is your If I say if I
say my market.
My director will text me, where are you?
I'm like, off-site. And they're like, okay.
That's been an adjustment. That's been an adjustment
for me. I'm still not good at, like,
you can go someplace. You don't have to
be here the whole time.
Well, right. And, yeah, it's just like sitting
there and then getting overstimulated
and, like, coming up with crazy stuff.
So, you know,
I will say, sir,
as we run up against time,
it's just great to still be in this
work with you even if we're not doing
the same thing anymore. And I'm actually really
excited
for,
I don't know what is it what our
collaboration looks like going forward.
But we're in here, mostly.
Here, kind of, over. But I think we
got we got big stuff. There's still stuff
that people don't know about that we've talked
about that we've never done. And so, like,
I think
we are in a position
where where we can we can we can
be bold. We can be ambitious.
We can be audacious.
Yeah. Like and and and I think we,
you know,
we're standing on the precipice of something big.
Right? I agree. I agree.
For those of you who are hoping to
hear something about school closures in in our
district, we will be dedicating,
a full episode to that, in the next
few days.
For
Kevin Adams, my name is Henrik Munoz. Thank
you for listening to us. Wanna remind you
today and forever, no matter what your role
is, always
stay
dope. Oh.