Episode 39: Interview with Dawn Harris

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 Dawn Harris, a passionate and energetic educator who lives by the motto, “Relationships First.” In her roles as a secondary English Language Arts Educator, Gifted and Talented Teacher, and Associate Professor of Teacher Education, Dawn continually strives to bring authentic and engaging learning experiences to students of all ages. Throughout her career as an educator, Dawn has taught in urban, rural, and suburban districts meeting the needs of children from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. In addition to general ELA coursework, Dawn’s classroom teaching experience also includes teaching English as a second language, creative writing, film studies, and response to intervention instruction. Dawn’s professional teaching experiences have been showcased in scholarly journals and at local, regional, national, and international conferences. Dawn’s first book, Plan Like a Pirate, is set to release in 2021.

During our conversation, we discussed the power of creating equity committees as we attempt to give students a full educational experience. To do this, however, we must question how racism affects those around us by attempting to understand their perspectives. It’s important to note that this takes work and that mistakes will happen along the way. Dawn recommends several ways to move forward including hosting watch parties to discuss the plethora of virtual professional development now readily available.

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Take care.