Let's Own Our Narrative

Stories stick with us. Stories appeal to our emotions and provide us with tangible examples that compel us to think differently and motivate us to change. Stories are so effective because they put a face to facts and figures that otherwise feel too overwhelming or impersonal to inspire action.

​It is time for educators to tell their stories. We need to shine a light on the challenges we face in education and use our stories to advocate for changes that will transform our system into one that truly serves all students.

The Idea and the Opportunity

Most educators do a similar calculation when reviewing the latest policy or practice: Will it work in my context and with my students? How will this actually roll out? How will I find the time? And so on. We do this because most ideas for improving our system come from outside of it--from people who no longer, if ever, worked in education.

​Educator expertise is often overlooked or ignored.

It is time for educators to lead the changes we need to improve our system. Through telling our stories, we not only illuminate the complex challenges we face in education, but also demonstrate the incredible skill, knowledge, and capacity we have to address those challenges. 

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THE OPPORTUNITY

I earned a grant from the VELA Fund that allowed me to empower educators from across the globe to tell their stories. I call the project School Stories. Here are the details:

• Use of VELA grant to provide scholarships to 8 educators, with matching scholarships for another 10 participants through The OpEd Project
• All grantees participated in an OpEd Project Write to Change the World workshop
• All grantees had the opportunity to be on The Awakening Educator podcast and have a guest blog 

​Two grantees had their op-eds published! Check them out!

• Renee Owen's article on ways to make transformative change in education appears in Greater Good Magazine
• Smriti Sharma's article on mindfulness and youth was published in the largest circulating newspaper in Kenya. 
  

​Smriti Sharma and Anashay Wright joined The Awakening Educator to tell their stories.

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THE IDEA

Meet Some of Our Grantees:

Want to be a part of my story?

I am in the beginning stages of researching my next book. It will tell the story of educators who have been on the job between 3-5 years--that time when most choose to either leave the profession or to stay.
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If you are in that range yourself, or know someone who is, please reach out! I'd love to chat with you briefly, and possibly feature your story in my book.

Message me