Episode 37: Interview with Dustin Pearson

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.

In this episode, I chat with Dustin Pearson, a 7 year educator in suburban Kansas City, Missouri who teaches high school special education. He is a devout believer and practitioner of relationship building with all stakeholders and uses differentiated instruction, PBL, Inquiry, and career based practices to prepare his students for post-secondary success. Dustin is also a leader, writer, learner, and implements a holistic child approach that is based on reflection, mindfulness, and compassion. He is happy to share that he will begin his doctoral program in Educational Leadership this summer.

During our conversation, we talk about the importance of providing students with the opportunity to develop self-advocacy so that they can navigate society, build relationships, and work as a team regardless of where their journey goes beyond high school. We also explore various options beyond the traditional approach of attending a 4-year college as we recognize the diverse talents that our students possess and finding the destinations that best fit their needs. Equity enters the conversation as we discuss how student success can, and should, be defined according to individual student desires and not applying a single approach to all students.

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Take care.