The Power of Hearing and Being Heard
People love a good story. Stories are the reason we stay awake late to finish a book, watch a movie, or binge on Netflix. Stories engage us like little else. Stories lift us up. They remind us why we work, why we try. They let us know we aren't alone. They keep us inspired. But most importantly, they bring us together. They show us the innately human connections between us all.
So why are we not sharing more stories about our education work in RI?
Through 2019, EduvateRI is helping to make those connections and lift up all voices in the Rhode Island education ecosystem. By sharing our stories, we know we'll find additional ideas for further improving our education system, additional partners to make our current work stronger, and additional understanding that will keep us all grounded and working together.
Join us. Reach out to tell your story. Or just lean in and listen.
You'll make some powerful connections and you--and your work--will be better for it.
May 8 2019: Storytelling Night
"I'm exactly where I should be." -- Sara Straube went from not choosing teaching as a major because she didn't think she could do it to being URI's student teacher of the year. Hear from Sara on why she chose teaching...and teaching in Rhode Island.
Barbara Mullen of CLEE channels Zora Neale Hurston: "I do not weep at the world; I am busy sharpening my oyster knife" as she frames why we need to engage educators in finding their voice...and let none of us abdicate our responsibility to improve our education system.
"Zombies love teachers--because we grow brains." Balancing whimsy and urgency, Ray Steinmetz, K-8 math coach in Portsmouth Public Schools and TeachPlus RI fellow, reminds us as educators that we are influencers, power brokers, and change makers. We just need to remember that.
It's not just about inspiration--it's about owning the beautiful moments every single day. Those moments can't get lost; we have to stop to see the beauty. Kristen Beland, a Teach Plus RI fellow and elementary school teacher in North Kingstown, reminds us that, as we burn, we create beautiful sparks.
Truth to power, and power that speaks truth. Cameron Berube of Providence Public Schools shares how we need to use the power of all of us to get the outcomes we need. Because we all have the incredible job of figuring out how to dismantle a large system of oppression
Met student Montse Gregorio frames how she understands teaching, as helping, inspiring, and educating--and how these values align with her goals for her own life and career.
Wendy Wallace, PrepareRI fellow at RIDE, shares her personal story as a backdrop for why we need to ensure that all students have the opportunity to be ready for college and career. How are we being thoughtful about their future? ... Listen to Wendy and then watch the linked video where Aalyiah Ortiz shares what this looked like for her in high school.
For Met School student, Aaliyah Ortiz, the access to PrepareRI opportunities allowed her to "see what a college class was really like" and gain internship, work-based learning, and industry credentials...enough that she encouraged her younger sibling to engage as well.