Shows
Ms. Wanda's Full Circle RadioEp. 2419 A Conversation with Dr Valerie NybergI thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Dr. Valerie Nyberg on this episode of Full Circle. Dr. Nyberg is a dynamic leader with over 20 years of experience in education. Dr. Nyberg is the founder of Liminal Consulting & Coaching, where she helps businesses foster employee wellness through innovative self-care practices.
Hear Dr. Valerie's powerful story of overcoming a difficult childhood and military trauma to become a thriver and advocate for healing.
Learn more:
https://www.drvalerienyberg.com/
Instagram: @vnnyberg2024-09-171h 19
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsCentering Vulnerability and Heart in Teaching and LearningWhat draws you and keeps you in the classroom? Many days teachers ask themselves this exact question. Dr. Becky Thompson’s vision for teaching is clear: she’s in the classroom to experience those moments of “amazing intellectual work that also [have] some heart in it.” It keeps her coming back, year after year. Join scholar, poet, and activist Becky Thompson and I as we discuss teaching and learning broadly and the role of contemplative practice as a means of fostering deep connections between teachers and students within the classroo...2024-03-2142 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsNew Career-College Charter School Features Class that Centers Student AgencyThis fall I had the opportunity to sit down with John Pellman, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Capital College and Career Academy (CCCA), a new charter school that opened in August 2023 in North Sacramento. CCCA’s mission is to ensure that all students graduate having experience taking both dual enrollment courses and internships so they have a clear understanding of their college and career options in order to make more informed choices. Within that, John teaches a class called Innovation, Design, and Implementation, which uses Makers Education as a means to center student agency to help them take an i...2024-01-2554 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon Visions#28--MLK Message--Legacy on My Leadership & How to Embody The DreamHow does Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. impact your leadership? How can businesses, schools, and individuals seek to embody his dream today? These were two questions asked during a fireside chat at a breakfast I attended this morning. Two local African American leaders/business owners were asked to respond. From their responses, I don't believe that either of them were raised in Sacramento. Interestingly, I found my own experiences fell between theirs. As a person who came from a poor single-parent household, yet, who did have the privilege of having a mother who'd grown up in the north...2024-01-1618 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsRelaunchHi there! It's been a while since I've been on the air, so I wanted to reintroduce myself. I'm Dr. Valerie Nyberg, former HS administrator, teacher, and single-parent to three accomplished young men. In this episode, I share my recent experiences traveling and gaining clarity in my work and with my business. My purpose is two-fold, to make a difference in the lives of others, but also to change and heal myself. Join me as I explain what I've been up to in order to achieve that purpose and what it means for the future of my pod...2024-01-0329 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsMother-Son Convo: Race & Identity, Part IIJacob and I get together again to continue our conversation, this time after watching the documentary 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed on HBOMax (newly renamed Max) to further discussion about race and identity. Jacob and his brothers are Swedish, Irish, Eskimo, Native American (just a smidge), and Black. It’s clear that during our conversation, despite my efforts to ensure that my children can correctly identify themselves racially/ethnically, Jacob is confused about the name of his grandmother’s tribe, Inupiaq, and his grandfather’s country of origin, Finland. Though, interestingly enough, he’s intrigued to think of himself as a second ge...2023-05-2645 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsA Salute to My TeachersMay 8 - 12, 2023 is Teacher Appreciation Week. As a product of the public schools, by and large, I wanted to take a moment to recognize and name numerous educators who helped me to become both the person and the educator I am. Today there's a lot of debate about the role education plays in children's lives. Many question the lesson content, the pedagogical strategies and beliefs that inform teachers' approach, and even teachers' worldviews. Teaching is hard. It's a profoundly human endeavor that requires one to show up day after day and start anew, in many cases. In this ep...2023-05-1148 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsMother-Son Convo: Race & Identity, Part ISometimes awkward, sometimes revealing, last November I sat down with my youngest son, Jacob, to talk about what it means to be multi-ethnic in a time when race and identity are topics that have become highly politicized and polarizing. Before we sat down, both of us committed to speaking honestly about our experiences and acknowledging that I consciously raised my children to ensure they understood what it means to be Black in America, while not believing that being Black means that they are limited or that they can't achieve whatever it is that they want to achieve. This is one...2023-04-2444 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsThe Making of a ChampionWe often hear about people who’ve achieved great things, but we don’t necessarily know the back story. Nancy and Elizabeth Jorgenson, with Gwen Jorgensen, have recently released their book, Gwen Jorgenson: USA's First Olympic Gold Medal Triathlete. Intended to help inspire as well as represent women athletes, Gwen wanted the story to be geared toward middle school readers. When doing their homework on this market, Liz and Nancy, already published authors in their own right, found that there were few stories of women athletes available to young readers. In this episode, we talk about how Nancy forged a path f...2023-04-1041 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsThe Kids Are the PowerIf you use social media to find out what educators are talking about, undoubtedly you’ve seen a post by Tyler Rablin. In Episode 22, Tyler and I talk about the importance of building students’ confidence for learning while being their whole selves. Currently he teaches high school ELA and is an education consultant in Central Washington. During our conversation, Tyler shared a number of great perspectives that can help teachers to remember what the true focus of schooling is: to help students learn and grow. As a teaser to his forthcoming book, Hacking...2023-03-1351 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsMaking a Case for ReparationsRecently I learned my great-grandmother, along with her uncle were forced to leave their homes in South Carolina. Though she was a teacher in South Carolina, when she moved, she had to take work as a kitchen worker. Blacks weren't permitted to teach in Detroit in 1919. Until just recently, I'd assumed that my great-grandmother was part of the Great Migration. In textbooks we're told that many moved of their own volition in order to seek better opportunities. My family members left in order to save their own lives and the lives of their children. When we consider issues...2023-03-0126 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsYou Are the Change You Want to SeeRecently, former colleague and friend, Francisco Pepin, sat down to discuss his journey as a non-native English speaker from the Mission District in San Francisco to becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. His foundational experiences impacted who he is as an educator and building leader. Specifically, we talk about how to cultivate a building culture and climate that works to close achievement gaps and address student needs, especially as a person of color.. Today’s schools are complex and educators need the same support building leaders ask them to provide to their students. Successful school leader...2023-02-2252 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsAct II: Moving From Surviving to ThrivingMy gal pal, Dr. Nicole Gainyard, and I team up again to discuss where we are in our personal and professional careers. A decade after completing our PhDs., we are at a point in our lives where we have the privilege to transition from survival mode in order to redefine what we, as individuals, define as success so we can begin to live and thrive in new ways. Both of us are currently engaged in separate, "Second Act" projects. Hers is called Beloved Lotus. It involves creating in-person and virtual spaces for Black women to come together to write, read...2023-02-0144 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsA Healthy Pause"Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot." These are the opening lines from the 80s sitcom Cheers. During my childhood, my mother and I faithfully watched the show each week, singing along to the theme song. In episode #18, I explore the reasons behind my brief pause in podcasting in order to understand myself, and to recognize the experiences I've had over the past couple of years. How do you know what it feels like to be overwhelmed, if that's your natural state? How do you...2023-01-1027 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsStaying Curious about What's PossibleListening to the news, the current state of education seems to be at an important juncture. Student learning loss. School safety. Teacher shortages. All top the headlines. Recently Roark Horn, former School Administrators of Iowa Executive Director and currently a Pomerantz Endowed Professorship in Education Excellence instructor of Superintendency, sat down to discuss the purpose of education and ways to reframe the current view of education to one that includes the opportunities and possibilities before us, based on the things we’ve learned along the way. While many are focused on the outcome of the midterm elections, I think the bigge...2022-11-071h 12Uncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsLeaning In: A Conversation about Access and OpportunityRecently while visiting a hairdresser for the first time, I was fortunate to meet Mrs. LaDeetra Kincy, a multiple subjects and special education teacher who works remotely with K-12 students enrolled in her school district. Our conversation was so rich that I wanted to invite her onto my podcast. In this episode, we talk about our mutual desire to provide the most vulnerable students and families with access and opportunities to engage in learning environments that support and help students and families to become. Leaning in requires a willingness to listen, to understand, and to build community. It also requ...2022-10-1853 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsI Am My Own PlaceAdvocate, mother, racial justice warrior, creator of safe spaces for women of color, especially Black women, LaTasha DeLoach and I sat down to talk about her Joy Journey and how she’s learned to be her own place. As Black women in predominantly White spaces, trying to make the paths wider, and the space more comfortable for those who come with us, we talked about her work and her life; specifically how music feeds her soul as she traverses the many responsibilities and versions of herself that are required for her to navigate. Blackness is not a monolith just as W...2022-10-0456 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsThe Episode that Almost Wasn'tFor more than a week now, I’ve struggled with finishing this episode. Why, you might ask? Put simply, it’s hard to admit that you have $243,746.89 in student loan debt. Even with the recent Biden-Harris Student Loan Debt Relief, I haven’t hit the magical 120 payments in order to receive loan forgiveness, despite having initially started repaying my loans in 1999 when I was a high school teacher until I reentered school to obtain my Master’s degree in 2002. Then I started anew in 2009, while I was still trying to finish my doctoral program (completed in 2012) and working in education in...2022-09-2856 minUncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsAffairs of the Heart: Breaking Through the Candy Shell to Find the Kid InsideRoderic Cockhern, a retired Air Force serviceman, is currently a junior high counselor for the Arlington Independent School District in Arlington, Texas. In the lead up to the 2022-2023 school year, Mr. Cockhern and I had the opportunity to sit down and discuss how he became a school counselor, what schooling is like in Texas–specifically speaking to recent controversies over Critical Race Theory–and the changes that Covid-19 has had on students as they learn to readjust to school. Mr. Cockhern emphasized that his primary job is to help 7th and 8th graders understand that who they are now le...2022-09-0659 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsA Mother-Son Conversation: Navigating the Complexities of AdolescenceListening to parents and school officials, every generation is decried as being more difficult than the last, but in the case of iGens, is there some truth to this fear? Concerns about lack of adulting skills, preoccupation with social media, and higher rates of anxiety and depression are common refrains used to describe this generation of young adults and adolescents. My youngest son, Jacob, and I sit down to discuss addiction, focusing specifically on gaming, social media, and marijuana and the impacts that these elements have had on his teen years. As a college junior, Jacob con...2022-08-231h 13
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsNew Horizons, New OpportunitiesAnother year, new possibilities. As Dr. Jared Smith prepared to transition from his position as the South Tama Superintendent to his new role as the Waterloo, Iowa Superintendent, I was fortunate this summer to have the opportunity to talk with him. As a Waterloo native, Dr. Smith looks at this opportunity very much as a chance to come home. His years in leadership have taught him, though he may have great ideas about leading Waterloo into the future, it’s more important to listen to various stakeholders’ perspectives, which he does by asking three key questions. We also take the chan...2022-08-0938 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon Visions#10 Educating the WHOLE ChildSchools are under enormous pressure to close educational gaps, respond to community expectations and needs, and meet students where they are. It’s no wonder students, educators, and parents are on a seemingly never-ending anxiety feedback loop. Dr. Kimberly Granderson, School Psychologist for Aspire Schools and I talk about the importance of helping kids to name what they feel and develop appropriate coping strategies to deal with setbacks, disappointments, and difficulties they will experience within their lifetimes. As a January 24, 2022 blog post on the American Psychological Association, “youth alone offers no shield against the emotional hurts, challenges, and traumas many ch...2022-05-2546 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon Visions#9 Winners & Losers?: Public Education at the CrossroadsIn a time of economic, political, and cultural turmoil, we continue to have an educational system centered around the concept of competition, despite the recognition that not everyone enters the “game” with the same skills, equipment, and prior exposure. In Episode 9, Dr. Anthony Jones, current Ames Community School District Director of Equity, and future Director of Laboratory Schools at Illinois State University, talks with me about the current state of public education and our concerns that like white flight of the 1960s and 1970s from inner cities, we may begin to see larger shifts of students and families away from...2022-05-1055 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon Visions#8 Me, Myself, and IEducation is a profoundly human endeavor. To teach and to learn requires establishing relationships, making connections, and being vulnerable to challenge what you thought you knew. How we, as educators, show up matters. Our ability to help students grow into their authentic selves through the educational process is pivotal to making positive strides. Using myself as the example, in this episode, I make the case for why being your authentic self and helping students to be their authentic selves is central to teaching and learning. “Until we learn to distinguish non-learning from failure [to learn] and to respect the truth b...2022-04-2654 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon Visions#7 Implicit Bias Training During Polarizing TimesThe world is changing. This, most people can agree about this. How each of us responds is part of the current challenge in our society. In Episode 7, Civil Rights lawyer Thomas Newkirk and I discuss Implicit Bias training, his approach and five common barriers people experience to this work. Educators, as some of the most taken-for-granted, highly important positions in our society, engaging in these efforts to understand how to create better processes, policies, and experiences for all that are truly inclusive, requires some personal work of our own. Mr. Newkirk aptly describes his impetus and motivations for engaging in i...2022-04-1240 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsEpisode 6: Pathfinding–A Frank Conversation About Attending Graduate School as a Black Female, Single MotherFor the last ten years, my friend Dr. Nicole Gainyard and I have talked about collaborating together to share our experiences as single mothers and doctoral students. Though our paths were somewhat different, we have many parallels in our motivations for seeking a terminal degree as well as common experiences in Iowa City as we both separately and together, strove to make a path where there really wasn’t one. Join us as we discuss our experiences and provide advice for those who wish to pursue a similar path.2022-04-051h 02
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsCentering Equitably Educating ALL StudentsI 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 exha...2022-03-2253 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon Visions#4 The Importance of Empowering YouthJoin Empowering Youth of Iowa (EYI) Founder and President, Sarah Swayze, as we talk about EYI working to help struggling adolescents catch up and graduate with their peers. The key is having the flexibility to work directly with youth through the establishment of trusting facilitative relationships geared towards helping them understand how they learn and how to advocate for themselves. Schools and educators are under enormous pressure to shift an industrial model educational system, designed for a homogenous population, to a 21st century system, which is much more heterogeneous, needing to serve students where they are. This amidst the bac...2022-03-0137 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon Visions#3 Education and the "Culture Wars"What is taught? Who are “our” students? Who are “our” teachers? What role does the community play in working within the educational system? These critical questions have been asked and argued since shortly after the founding of the United States. Pete Clancy, South Central UniServ Representative for the Iowa State Education Association and current doctoral student at the University of Iowa in the Schools, Culture & Society program focusing on the History of Education, and I discuss the current culture wars, where that history begins and the ways in which our communities can work together to ensure our system of public educat...2022-02-1450 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsEpisode 2: Humanizing Educators and Educational SpacesCurrent Director of Diversity & Cultural Responsiveness in the Iowa City Community School District and entrepreneur, Laura Gray, joins me to discuss the importance of helping educators to find inspiration and fill up our cups during these stressful and demanding times. She believes that through checking in and taking care of ourselves, we’re better able to serve our students and communities. Through the upcoming launch of Tier Three (http://tier3.shop), Laura hopes that educators can be inspirated, uplifted, and supported through the receipt or giving of an educator-oriented subscription box. Find out what’s inspired her work and how she...2022-01-3136 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon VisionsLiminal LaunchJust a short teaser about the launch of my new venture, Liminal Education Consultant, which includes creating a podcast, "Uncommon Voices, Uncommon Visions," as well as several writing projects.2022-01-1702 min
Uncommon Voices, Uncommon Visions#1. Investing in Human CapitalSpeaks to the importance of investing in education, specifically educational workers such as teachers, counselors, engagement specialists, para-educators, custodians, secretaries, administrators, food service workers, and the multitude of others who contribute to schools and the educational process. In this way, those adults can invest in the students and their families and the broader community. This will enable us to create communities of practice wherein we maintain the classical view of seeing “Education [as] the cultivation of wisdom and virtue” as we strive to infuse a 21st Century Education with the following attributes: connectedness, digitally based, contextually situated, requiring creativity and cri...2022-01-1740 min
The Group Project Podcast#23: Valerie Nyberg on Overcoming Barriers, Entry Planning, Living a Healthy Life, and Her Path to AdministrationDr. Valerie Nyberg - Ames (Iowa) High School Principal - shares her thoughts on overcoming gender and racial barriers, entering a new principal position, living a healthy life, and her unbelievable path to school administration. 2020-08-161h 15