I was fortunate to meet 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year, Dr. Lindsey Jenson, through our mutual roles on the Regional 9 Comprehensive Center Advisory Board. As women passionate about equity and challenging systems, in this episode, Lindsey and I talk about why she’s “unapologetically passionate about education.” The key to Dr. Jenson’s classroom success lies in trusting her students and ensuring they have agency to make choices regarding how they demonstrate mastery of key concepts. We also touch upon her current work with aspiring teachers and the need to diversity the field of education. During a time of so much exhaustion and demoralization in education, Dr. Jensen and I discuss hope, empowerment, and the need to be uncomfortable in order to change the system of education so it works for ALL students.
Suggested Readings:
Demoralized: Why Teachers Leave the Profession They Love and How They Can Stay
Flip the System US: How Teachers Can Transform Education and Save Democracy
A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School
