In this episode, we welcome our good friend Dr. Marquita Blades to the show. In our conversation, she shares about her personal journey as an educator, the evolution of the Gyrlfriend Collective, and her current work as a Teacher EmPOWAARment specialist. To learn more about Dr. Blades' work, you can visit the website at drmarquitablades.com or you can connect with her on the following social media platforms:
FACEBOOK - Dr. Marquita Blades or POWAARful Teaching
INSTAGRAM - @powaarfulteaching
TWITTER - @DrMBlades
BIO:
Dr. Marquita S. Blades is an award-winning STEM Educator and Teacher EmPOWARRment Specialist with 16 years of experience as a high school science teacher and manager of national STEM programs. Dr. Blades saves schools and school districts time and money by teaching them to increase student engagement & collaboration through rigorous and meaningful learning experiences, using the resources they currently have on-hand. Her specialty workshops include: Practical Implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards and the POWARRful Teaching Strategies™ for Increasing Student Engagement series.
Dr. Blades is also the founder of The Mediocre Teacher Project© which helps teachers avoid and battle through burnout by incorporating their unique gifts and talents into their daily practice. In 2017, Dr. Blades launched The Dr. Marquita Blades Show-Candid Conversations that Create Change, an internet-based broadcast dedicated to discussing current trends and issues in education. Dr. Blades is a contributing author for The Whole Truth & Lessons From My Grandmother’s Lap – both anthologies, the lead author for The Mediocre Teacher Project and Chronicles of the Chronically Ill –also anthologies, and the author POWARRful Teaching Strategies™ for Increasing Engagement & Collaboration While Maintaining Rigor in Science Courses – a collective of highly-effective instructional strategies for middle and high school science teachers.
Dr. Blades is a co-founder of The Gyrlfriend Collective, along with Maureen Carnakie-Baker. The Gyrlfriend Collective is an independent publishing house that connects, supports, and uplifts women by giving them a platform to share their voices through written publications. The Gyrlfriend Collective's signature work, The Gyrlfriend Code® Anthology Series includes four Amazon best-selling volumes & editions.
Dr. Blades is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and The National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa. She has received numerous awards including the Elizabeth Allen Alford Overcomer’s Award (2017), Teachers of Atlanta Honoree (2017), Eta Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Rising Star in Education (2017), National Celebrity Educators™-Georgia Celebrity Educator of the Year (2018), and Women of Strength Honoree (2018). Most recently, she was nominated for the 2019 Community Engagement R.I.C.E. Award and was selected to be included in the 2019 Edition of Who’s Who in Black Atlanta.
Dr. Blades holds a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Broad Field Science from Georgia State University, a Master of Science in Technical and Professional Communication from Southern Polytechnic State University, and a Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. When she is not working, Dr. Blades enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling with her husband, International Realtor, Virgil Blades.
