Lindsay Lyons
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog/Podcast
  • Curriculum Boot Camp
    • Courses
    • Intensives
    • Workshops
    • 1:1 Virtual Coaching
    • Planners
    • Virtual Teaching Starter Kit
  • Contact

1/23/2023

99. Building Skills and Stakeholder Capacity with Dr. Erik Youngman

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
​​Listen to the episode by clicking the link to your preferred podcast platform below:
  • ​Apple podcasts​
  • ​Google podcasts​
  • ​Spotify​
  • ​Stitcher


​How are we effectively educating students through a lens of equity and inclusion? 
And how are we preparing students for a future filled with unpredictability?
These are two of the questions that framed our recent conversation with Dr. Erik Youngman on episode 99 of The Time for Teachership podcast. As an educator, a father, and an author, Dr. Youngman draws from years of diverse experience to pinpoint some of the important goals and directions for educators today. 
We covered a lot in this interview, so make sure you have a listen. Here are some of Dr. Youngman’s key insights that educators should take note of. 

Preparing Students for an Unknown Future
Dr. Youngman’s big dream for education is to see all students develop important life skills. He names a few of them: kindness, curiosity, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and continuous learning. 
Why these skills? Two reasons: 
  • They can be developed at any grade level and through various disciplines in a school setting.
  • They provide students with the necessary abilities to face an uncertain world after graduation.
The pandemic showed us that the future is uncertain. Just think about a concept like remote work becoming normalized in a short period of time—no one predicted that. So, are we preparing students to face those changes and challenges that are inevitable to come? 
By focusing on skill development like critical thinking and problem-solving—through disciplines of social studies, math, science, and everything in between—students are better equipped for their futures. 

Bringing Equity to the Classroom
There are two equity lenses that are important in the classroom. Dr. Youngman discussed equity of learning opportunity and justice and equity-focused curriculum. 
The first, equity of learning opportunities, is related to strategic decision-making, grading practices, and curriculum delivery. The key question here is: Are all students equally able to learn, contribute, and have a voice? 
Consider the difference between a talkative student who always speaks up in front of class and one who doesn’t—do they both have equal voice? Centering student voice is essential to effective education, so think through how you are providing equal opportunities for all. 
The second discussion on equity relates to championing justice and equity in the classroom. Dr. Youngman emphasized the importance of defining and using terms correctly and not simply throwing “equity” around as a buzzword. 
Instead, it revolves around the concept of empathetic understanding to create belonging. It’s about ensuring all voices are heard. And it’s about asking the question: who’s story is being told through the content that’s being taught. 

Effective Planning and Grading
​
To grade or not to grade—the much-debated question in any educator’s circle. Grading, in Dr. Youngman’s perspective, is essential to track progress and provide objective standards. 
But grading is not about the grades. It’s about the learning.
So, how do you set up your grading system, rubric, or method that promotes learning, encourages, growth through “failure,” and doesn’t penalize students as they grow. 
One example Dr. Youngman provided was giving students “zero” on an assignment—what’s the purpose? It skews their grade so dramatically and effectively penalizes them in the trial and learning phase. Instead, think of ways you can give students another chance to promote their learning and engagement with the material, rather than demoralizing them and halting progress. 
--- 
As you can see, we covered a lot on the podcast with Dr. Youngman! Make sure you listen to his full interview to capture all the nuggets of wisdom he provided. You can also follow him on Twitter at @Erik_Youngman, where he’s very active, or check out his website. 


Quotes: 
  • 8:17 “The pandemic has been awful, but one of the things that it did highlight was the importance of relationships. And I think that schools and educators and families were reminded that it’s a critical part, so we’re making more time for that.”
  • 22:20 “The better questions we can ask up front, that can guide some of our decisions. We really do want to be future-focused—if we’re talking about preparing students for jobs that aren’t even available right now, we need to think a little bit differently. 
  • 29:38 “Maximizing the capacity and capabilities is critical. How can we maximize the capacity of our teachers and also of our students? They may have different trajectories, but how can we look at their skills and abilities and continue to help them to grow?”
​​
Click to see Erik's most recent blog posts
If you enjoyed this episode, I'd highly recommend you take a look at this video on getting teacher buy-in.

Share

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

Details
    For transcripts of episodes (and the option to search for terms in transcripts), click here! 

    Time for Teachership is now a proud member of the...

    Picture

    Author

    Lindsay Lyons (she/her) is an educational justice coach who works with teachers and school leaders to inspire educational innovation for racial and gender justice, design curricula grounded in student voice, and build capacity for shared leadership. Lindsay taught in NYC public schools, holds a PhD in Leadership and Change, and is the founder of the educational blog and podcast, Time for Teachership. ​

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Support

Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer 
© COPYRIGHT 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog/Podcast
  • Curriculum Boot Camp
    • Courses
    • Intensives
    • Workshops
    • 1:1 Virtual Coaching
    • Planners
    • Virtual Teaching Starter Kit
  • Contact