Episode 36: Pause to Ponder - 2021

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations.

I’m your host, Charles Williams. An educator for 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, and an educational consultant.

Let’s get started.

This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students.

So before we jump into this episode, I wanted to share a special holiday promotion that my friends over at Kick It Apparel are currently running. For a limited time, you can get customized gear at some amazing prices. I’m talking $25 hoodies, $15 tees, and $10 masks. These are the same people who hooked me up with my awesome Counter Narrative hoodie. Check them out at kickit.store and tell them that Charles sent you.

This episode is dedicated to the upcoming year. We probably all agree that 2020 was pretty bad, but if we think back I'm sure that we could identify opportunities that we may have missed because we were dealing with the chaos that surrounded us. It is my hope that all of you take two simple steps to ensure that you can capitalize on the opportunities that will undoubtedly be present during the upcoming year.

First, be as specific as possible when creating your goals. A measurable goal is much more likely to be met than some generic statement. After all, how will you know if you actually succeed?

Second, find someone who will help to hold you accountable. It is easy to convince ourselves to give up but that becomes much more challenging when trying to persuade a trusted colleague, friend, or relative. 

Because I believe in practicing what I preach, I conclude the episode by sharing my three goals and inviting all of you to help hold me accountable. That's it. It's out in the world so I either have the choice of meeting these goals or not ... all while knowing that I have shared this publicly. Yikes! What have I done? Oh well...

I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like and subscribe. The show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and several of your other favorite platforms.

This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. I'm also happy to announce that the podcast can now be found on CodeBreakerEdu.com so go check out the amazing work as they continue to amplify the voices of educators. 

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Take care.