TRANSKRIP 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:09.410 --> 00:00:12.910
Welcome to Behaviorally Speaking Leadership for Changemakers,
00:00:13.142 --> 00:00:17.496
where leadership is grounded in behavior, guided by dignity,
00:00:17.699 --> 00:00:19.458
and designed for change.
00:00:19.789 --> 00:00:24.068
I'm your host, Dr. Esther Bob. Let's dive into today's episode.
00:00:30.249 --> 00:00:33.407
Julia, it's such a pleasure to have you on the show. Thank you so much for being
00:00:33.407 --> 00:00:37.307
here. I know we've been in connection. We met in the field several years ago
00:00:37.307 --> 00:00:41.559
and are still in contact. So I'm so happy to be chatting with you today. How are you doing?
00:00:42.244 --> 00:00:46.754
I am well, thank you. It's such a pleasure to be here. I really am excited.
00:00:47.416 --> 00:00:50.607
Wonderful. Thank you. So let's start the conversation off, Julia,
00:00:50.607 --> 00:00:53.497
just talking a little bit about your origins and your professional journey.
00:00:53.497 --> 00:00:57.167
So tell us, tell the listeners about your journey and what experiences,
00:00:57.167 --> 00:01:03.020
Julia, really helped, really first inspired your passion for helping others grow and succeed? Sure.
00:01:03.635 --> 00:01:06.387
Before I even went to college, when I was in high school, I worked as a camp
00:01:06.387 --> 00:01:10.197
counselor. I worked in child care. I volunteered in the special education classroom
00:01:10.197 --> 00:01:16.174
in my high school during my study halls, during my lunch periods.
00:01:16.542 --> 00:01:19.752
And I really enjoyed it. And I loved the teacher that I was working with.
00:01:20.129 --> 00:01:25.407
Nice. So from early in my career, I've been drawn to work that is centered around
00:01:25.407 --> 00:01:30.077
helping others to build confidence, to build independence, and a sense of belonging.
00:01:30.785 --> 00:01:36.497
And in early intervention, we did that in homes, in,
00:01:37.019 --> 00:01:42.493
preschool environments, in childcare centers, in schools, being able to do that
00:01:42.801 --> 00:01:48.372
in community-based settings and also in public schools.
00:01:49.115 --> 00:01:51.152
It's just been, it's been great.
00:01:52.217 --> 00:01:57.855
So the early experiences that I had really taught me compassion,
00:01:58.499 --> 00:02:04.932
and it taught me to really build that equity and also to build the ability for
00:02:04.932 --> 00:02:08.547
kids to advocate for themselves as well as they were growing up.
00:02:09.504 --> 00:02:13.762
Wonderful. Thank you for that. It makes me think a bit, Julia, from what you shared.
00:02:13.762 --> 00:02:18.792
It's really seeing the potential, right, in the students from all of your experiences
00:02:18.792 --> 00:02:22.912
and believing in them, right? Kind of sort of like that Pygmalion effect where
00:02:22.912 --> 00:02:25.582
if we believe high things for people, they will achieve high things.
00:02:25.582 --> 00:02:26.724
So thank you for sharing that.
00:02:27.397 --> 00:02:31.172
But on that note, Julia, what about your work with autistic students?
00:02:31.172 --> 00:02:35.142
What really drew you to that? And then how has all of your experiences teaching
00:02:35.142 --> 00:02:38.398
autistic students shaped how you think about human potential today?
00:02:39.155 --> 00:02:45.013
So, working in, again, starting with my early intervention experience,
00:02:45.523 --> 00:02:51.499
it taught me to look beyond the traditional measures that we have for success.
00:02:52.027 --> 00:02:54.002
And instead, recognizing growth
00:02:54.002 --> 00:03:01.019
in communication, growth in emotional regulation, and in independence.
00:03:01.402 --> 00:03:08.717
And I still look at those things in my classroom today when I think of success for students.
00:03:09.071 --> 00:03:14.582
It doesn't always have to be something that's measured on a test score or measured
00:03:14.582 --> 00:03:21.812
by academics. It doesn't have to be if they can read all the words or read them very quickly.
00:03:22.572 --> 00:03:28.448
I always find like we want to do these measures of how fast can students read. And I'm like, why?
00:03:29.058 --> 00:03:33.510
Right, exactly. read it and they understand it, even if it took them two hours to read a chapter.
00:03:34.073 --> 00:03:39.702
Yeah. That to me is, you know, we just want to empower these kids and we want
00:03:39.702 --> 00:03:43.735
them to be able to take risks, right? Yeah. Yeah. And as a parent.
00:03:44.765 --> 00:03:50.129
And you know this, that my son has a disability. Yes. Also a pretty significant disability.
00:03:50.553 --> 00:03:54.733
And it taught me to, as a parent, to be a better parent.
00:03:55.938 --> 00:04:00.818
But to also set expectations really high. Because I found that the higher I
00:04:00.818 --> 00:04:06.218
set my expectations for my son, for my students, for my parents of kids that
00:04:06.218 --> 00:04:08.578
I work with. Yeah. That they rise to that.
00:04:09.107 --> 00:04:10.998
Yeah. They want those expectations.
00:04:11.758 --> 00:04:14.374
And it shows patience and it shows respect.
00:04:15.138 --> 00:04:19.758
It also takes creativity to help kids to come to a place where they can meet
00:04:19.758 --> 00:04:21.642
those goals, right? Yeah.
00:04:22.025 --> 00:04:29.409
So I do, I think it's, you know, it's not, potential is not limited by diagnosis, by any stretch.
00:04:30.278 --> 00:04:33.758
Sometimes you just have to think outside the box. Yes, I love that.
00:04:33.758 --> 00:04:37.378
I love that. The creativity, the thinking outside the box, it's what we do every
00:04:37.378 --> 00:04:38.448
day, you know, in our roles.
00:04:38.448 --> 00:04:42.098
And you talked about empowerment. So let's talk a little bit about building
00:04:42.098 --> 00:04:43.398
supported environments, right?
00:04:43.398 --> 00:04:47.758
So you see the potential, right? But how do you support and what does it look
00:04:47.758
Load full transcript
--> 00:04:51.405
like, Julia, from your perspective to create an environment where people feel,
00:04:51.614 --> 00:04:54.226
including, right, individuals with autism,
00:04:54.464 --> 00:04:58.908
that they feel understood, they feel valued, and they feel empowered to thrive in the environment?
00:04:58.908 --> 00:05:05.201
So, I have found the biggest thing in my work has been building relationships
00:05:05.497 --> 00:05:12.895
and genuinely listening and paying attention to what's going on and really...
00:05:14.162 --> 00:05:17.464
Through the different organizations I've been part of, I've been part of a blind
00:05:17.464 --> 00:05:25.804
sports organization where I've been a coach and I've also been a ref for blind
00:05:25.804 --> 00:05:29.116
sports, also Best Buddies and Night to Shine.
00:05:29.424 --> 00:05:33.087
And seeing these people who like, these are adults now, right?
00:05:33.412 --> 00:05:38.816
And knowing I've seen kids that are tiny and I see where they can go.
00:05:39.234 --> 00:05:41.266
And that for me has been really important.
00:05:41.696 --> 00:05:46.548
And I was sharing with you earlier that for me, working in settings where it's,
00:05:47.164 --> 00:05:53.444
only kids with disabilities, that that's been tough because I need myself and
00:05:53.444 --> 00:05:57.143
those students to be able to see this is where you can go, right?
00:05:57.340 --> 00:06:03.856
Yeah. And I use those examples with students a lot so that they know that they can succeed.
00:06:04.239 --> 00:06:08.449
Yeah. And that maybe their success doesn't look like, you know,
00:06:08.565 --> 00:06:10.057
everyone else's success.
00:06:10.434 --> 00:06:13.704
Absolutely. I share that with parents very, very transparently that.
00:06:14.527 --> 00:06:18.271
You know, you have this student who's very special.
00:06:18.822 --> 00:06:20.865
Yeah. Not, you know, not.
00:06:21.628 --> 00:06:24.974
It's not that they're different, it's that they're special. Right.
00:06:24.974 --> 00:06:29.970
They have needs that maybe someone else's kid down the street doesn't have,
00:06:30.289 --> 00:06:31.644
but that they can succeed.
00:06:31.644 --> 00:06:36.004
But really listening to them and really giving that support and creating those
00:06:36.004 --> 00:06:40.616
spaces where their differences are respected and celebrated.
00:06:40.837 --> 00:06:44.874
Yes. So that they can be different and that's okay. Yeah.
00:06:45.411 --> 00:06:50.984
I think about on my door in my classroom. Yeah. Right now, I have a sign that
00:06:50.984 --> 00:06:57.149
says in our classroom, sometimes we spin, sometimes we flap, sometimes we jump.
00:06:57.508 --> 00:06:59.685
It's all okay. I love that.
00:07:00.331 --> 00:07:05.334
I love that. Yeah. And so that kind of lends itself, Julia, to my next thought-up
00:07:05.334 --> 00:07:09.022
question for you, right? Because you just shared the example of what's on your door.
00:07:09.498 --> 00:07:13.405
And while we have expectations for growth and see the potential in people,
00:07:13.829 --> 00:07:15.294
we have to meet them where they are.
00:07:15.294 --> 00:07:18.984
And it's like we have to remind ourselves to continue believing that we have
00:07:18.984 --> 00:07:22.144
to remind them and remind their parents, right, and those in their lives.
00:07:22.144 --> 00:07:26.034
So how do you balance meeting people where they are, right, while still holding
00:07:26.034 --> 00:07:29.851
expectations for I know this is where you can go, right, or I believe this is where you can get to?
00:07:30.564 --> 00:07:36.340
So for me, meeting people where they are doesn't mean lowering expectations in any way.
00:07:36.729 --> 00:07:42.070
It's providing the right supports for them and providing those pathways for them for success.
00:07:42.464 --> 00:07:48.119
So one of my favorite things is the initiative for Alternative Standards,
00:07:48.664 --> 00:07:56.014
where we are teaching to the regular standards, but providing that access a
00:07:56.014 --> 00:07:57.006
little bit differently.
00:07:57.430 --> 00:08:05.184
And really, we've been able to be given the tools to really recognize that we
00:08:05.184 --> 00:08:09.264
can still measure what they're doing and measure their progress as individuals.
00:08:09.264 --> 00:08:14.064
And it's not being measured against everybody else in the state or in the school.
00:08:14.064 --> 00:08:17.131
It's being measured against themselves, which I think is far more accurate.
00:08:17.794 --> 00:08:20.544
And wouldn't it be great if we did that with all kids, but we don't.
00:08:21.467 --> 00:08:23.371
It would be far less stressful.
00:08:24.100 --> 00:08:29.639
But, you know, focusing on their unique needs, focusing on their unique strengths
00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:35.042
and evaluating those things, finding their motivators has been huge.
00:08:35.437 --> 00:08:40.469
And for me, in talking to parents from my itty bitties all the way up to high
00:08:40.469 --> 00:08:46.859
school, really working together as a team approach, not me as the expert,
00:08:46.859 --> 00:08:49.629
not you as the, you know, this eight hours of,
00:08:50.251 --> 00:08:53.015
the day that they're with me. I don't know everything.
00:08:53.356 --> 00:08:55.441
They, you know, parents are a big part of it.
00:08:55.813 --> 00:09:01.089
My related services staff. So really building that team and growth looking different
00:09:01.089 --> 00:09:07.589
for everybody so that the kids and the parents can believe in the progress that they see.
00:09:08.105 --> 00:09:14.402
And I'm a big, I'm a big social, well, not social media, but like communicator with the parents.
00:09:14.768 --> 00:09:18.106
I take pictures every day. I show the parents what their kids are doing.
00:09:18.789 --> 00:09:21.989
I have parents that are like, oh my gosh, I didn't know my kid could do that.
00:09:22.285 --> 00:09:26.424
And I tell them to share with me as well, like anything
that's happening with their students at home.
00:09:26.912 --> 00:09:30.227
So that we're both being able to really celebrate those wins together.
00:09:31.298 --> 00:09:34.692
Wonderful. Yeah, that's really good. I like that, you know, you get the parent
00:09:34.692 --> 00:09:37.416
input, right? You share with them, but then you also get from them as well.
00:09:38.066 --> 00:09:42.052
And then, so we have been in the field for years. You know, we have a passion
00:09:42.052 --> 00:09:46.912
for, we believe in the students we support, but there are people who have misconceptions,
00:09:46.912 --> 00:09:49.712
right, about students we support, about people with special needs.
00:09:49.712 --> 00:09:52.219
You know, you talked about, they're not different, they're special, right?
00:09:52.765 --> 00:09:58.302
And so what misconceptions do you believe or aware of that people often hold
00:09:58.302 --> 00:10:01.642
about others, such as the students that we work with, who think or communicate
00:10:01.642 --> 00:10:03.682
differently? They're still thinking, they're still communicating,
00:10:03.682 --> 00:10:05.110
they're just doing it in their own way.
00:10:05.534 --> 00:10:07.577
And how do we change those mindsets, Julia? you.
00:10:08.330 --> 00:10:12.539
So I think the biggest misconception that I see is around communication.
00:10:13.015 --> 00:10:14.384
Behavior is communication.
00:10:16.042 --> 00:10:22.545
Somebody who's worked in this field for a long time, some kids are completely nonverbal.
00:10:23.055 --> 00:10:26.362
But that doesn't mean they're not communicating with us. I have a student right
00:10:26.362 --> 00:10:29.621
now who communicates very clearly what he wants and needs.
00:10:30.068 --> 00:10:34.584
And he doesn't even pick up his AAC device to tell us. He will,
00:10:34.706 --> 00:10:37.225
if he wants something, he will let us know.
00:10:37.672 --> 00:10:40.627
And sometimes he lets us know in ways that we would prefer he not.
00:10:41.140 --> 00:10:46.127
But that's just showing me his level of intelligence.
00:10:46.417 --> 00:10:50.933
It's showing me his capability and his desire to connect.
00:10:51.299 --> 00:10:53.010
And I think people miss that.
00:10:53.782 --> 00:10:57.172
I think people just look at students and think, oh, they're being bad or they're
00:10:57.172 --> 00:11:00.562
being naughty or Or they're trying to do this or they're trying.
00:11:00.562 --> 00:11:02.374
Yeah. They're not attention seeking.
00:11:02.885 --> 00:11:07.970
They want to connect. Yeah. And I think that people miss that point so often.
00:11:08.336 --> 00:11:13.676
Yeah. Students process, express, and experience the world differently.
00:11:14.059 --> 00:11:15.847
Yeah. And that's got to be okay.
00:11:16.289 --> 00:11:23.138
And really just being a voice for people that we work with is so important.
00:11:23.580 --> 00:11:29.866
One of the things for me is allowing our students to show off who they are. Last school year,
00:11:30.735 --> 00:11:35.983
in my school for Autism Awareness Month, we made a video and I couldn't post
00:11:35.983 --> 00:11:37.873
it, but I'll send it to you actually.
00:11:39.153 --> 00:11:43.443
It was great. We had those students, each individual student made a little recording
00:11:43.443 --> 00:11:48.494
and we had a script and we had one of my favorite students.
00:11:48.870 --> 00:11:55.866
He did, we pre-programmed his device so that he could share his part on his device.
00:11:55.976 --> 00:11:59.488
And it was interesting because we pushed it out for the whole school.
00:11:59.883 --> 00:12:05.673
Yeah. And there were teachers that came to me a couple days later and were like
00:12:05.673 --> 00:12:10.164
still crying. They were like, we didn't know that that's who this kid was.
00:12:10.793 --> 00:12:13.473
But like, we programmed his device
00:12:13.473 --> 00:12:17.757
knowing that all of the thoughts in his head were there. Yeah, yeah.
00:12:18.262 --> 00:12:24.891
It was great. But creating those opportunities for students so that people can see.
00:12:25.413 --> 00:12:35.209
Yes. One of the other things that we did was with a very active assemblies program at my last school.
00:12:35.690 --> 00:12:41.855
And I got to the point where I was like year two of me being in the building. I said, guess what?
00:12:42.476 --> 00:12:46.195
My class is going to participate in this also. And I did have students who were
00:12:46.590 --> 00:12:51.263
included very heavily in gen ed, but like my little core group of kids was like,
00:12:51.263 --> 00:12:52.598
we're going to be on stage two.
00:12:53.222 --> 00:13:00.679
And a couple of years ago, it was the winter assembly and the news came and
00:13:00.795 --> 00:13:02.240
whose class did they video.
00:13:02.976 --> 00:13:08.003
Your class they didn't video they didn't post you know on their yeah their news
00:13:08.003 --> 00:13:10.894
segment they didn't post anything else they posted my class,
00:13:11.597 --> 00:13:18.128
and like i celebrate that like people get to see who our kids really are Yeah.
00:13:18.326 --> 00:13:24.733
Yeah. Because I just don't think the mindset is that kids are authentically
00:13:24.733 --> 00:13:29.554
included or authentically understood. And I think the more exposure people have.
00:13:30.652 --> 00:13:36.550
The less they're confused about the students that I work with and that you work with.
00:13:37.079 --> 00:13:38.930
Our kids have so much going on.
00:13:39.499 --> 00:13:41.705
Yeah, so much. And they're so fun.
00:13:42.431 --> 00:13:46.341
Oh, my gosh, yes. Yeah, they're so fun. And so I like that. That was really,
00:13:46.341 --> 00:13:50.991
really a good answer to the question because you talked about sharing their stories, right?
00:13:51.491 --> 00:13:54.211
And just seeing someone. It's just like me looking at you, Julia.
00:13:54.211 --> 00:13:56.271
That's all I see is the person, right?
00:13:56.711 --> 00:14:00.661
What I
see physically is not who you are, right? So we have to get to know the
00:14:00.661 --> 00:14:03.771
people and the good way we get to know people, even like getting to know more
00:14:03.771 --> 00:14:05.990
about your experiences at work, know through the stories you're sharing.
00:14:06.327 --> 00:14:10.551
So I think that is really a good way, Julia, to be able to get people to change
00:14:10.551 --> 00:14:13.821
those mindsets is by having the people share their own stories,
00:14:13.821 --> 00:14:16.871
having our students and their families share their stories so people can really
00:14:16.871 --> 00:14:20.866
see, you know, behind just what they see visually. Yeah, I love that.
00:14:21.831 --> 00:14:25.517
So in all of that, let's kind of talk about leadership lessons from the classroom.
00:14:25.517 --> 00:14:27.947
You know, you've been in the classroom for a number of years.
00:14:27.947 --> 00:14:30.727
You're looking now to segue into, like, leadership roles, right?
00:14:30.727 --> 00:14:34.337
And so what have you learned along the way, Julia? I always say,
00:14:34.337 --> 00:14:37.397
and I'm sure you say the same thing, that leadership, it really isn't limited
00:14:37.397 --> 00:14:39.402
to a title, right? We all lead in our own way.
00:14:39.837 --> 00:14:44.481
How would you define leadership, Julia, in your work and in your life? Sure.
00:14:45.107 --> 00:14:50.767
Leadership for me is more about being a support and a positive influence and
00:14:50.767 --> 00:14:54.303
empowering other people, regardless of your position.
00:14:54.749 --> 00:15:02.307
Throughout my career, I've stepped into leadership roles with my big toe, with my whole arm.
00:15:05.087 --> 00:15:08.710
But it's collaborating and it's advocacy. It's serving.
00:15:09.065 --> 00:15:13.865
One of my favorite leaders, I define as a servant leader.
00:15:14.547 --> 00:15:20.593
She is a person who, if someone's struggling, she will go into a classroom and model for the staff.
00:15:21.743 --> 00:15:24.894
This is what I would love to see happening in here.
00:15:25.607 --> 00:15:30.407
So being that support. As a special ed teacher in autistic support and life
00:15:30.407 --> 00:15:35.380
skills settings predominantly, leadership means coordinating things,
00:15:35.901 --> 00:15:38.246
making things happen, mentoring,
00:15:39.227 --> 00:15:40.667
and supporting their families.
00:15:40.667 --> 00:15:46.297
Helping create systems that allow the students as much access to the things
00:15:46.297 --> 00:15:50.149
that they need as can be, as can be. Yes. Yeah.
00:15:50.867 --> 00:15:56.314
I was really fortunate last school year. I was asked to be the extended school year lead.
00:15:56.790 --> 00:16:02.996
Okay. Even though my school knew that I was leaving. Yeah. They were like, well, guess what?
00:16:03.158 --> 00:16:07.332
We need somebody who has really good leadership skills to run this.
00:16:08.010 --> 00:16:14.744
And why not you? Yeah. So it was
great. But I do so many different things.
00:16:15.151 --> 00:16:21.109
Yeah. And all of it, again, it's, you know, trying to be involved.
00:16:22.079 --> 00:16:25.074
Letting people know about different opportunities that exist,
00:16:25.370 --> 00:16:29.875
whether it's Night to Shine, which is like a beautiful program.
00:16:30.148 --> 00:16:32.549
Okay. And opportunities for kids.
00:16:34.102 --> 00:16:39.733
And posting that stuff. Yeah. I like using my social media to get the word out
00:16:40.029 --> 00:16:44.601
so that people know that there are opportunities. Yeah.
00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:51.371
In my personal life, leadership means leading with integrity and empathy and consistency.
00:16:51.841 --> 00:16:55.673
They think that we create space for people to be valued and heard.
00:16:56.863 --> 00:17:01.415
And encouraging accountability, I think that's huge. Yeah.
00:17:02.302 --> 00:17:07.915
I think the most impactful leadership people for me have been people who are
00:17:07.915 --> 00:17:14.103
quiet, but also just allow for growth and encourage that.
00:17:15.090 --> 00:17:18.575
And maybe they're supporting somebody through a challenge or helping them build
00:17:18.575 --> 00:17:21.665
confidence and advocating for
00:17:21.665 --> 00:17:26.179
them because maybe they haven't found their voice quite yet. Yeah, yeah.
00:17:27.055 --> 00:17:31.055
I love that. I'm smiling because you said, you know, your favorite leaders are
00:17:31.055 --> 00:17:32.815
the ones who acquire, but advocate for growth.
00:17:32.815 --> 00:17:35.715
It made me think of myself because I'm like, as you know, I'm not like really
00:17:35.715 --> 00:17:38.825
that outgoing, but I'm really focused on helping people grow.
00:17:38.825 --> 00:17:43.365
And then you talked about your mentor and the way she made you and like teachers feel.
00:17:43.365 --> 00:17:48.085
It made me think of Maya Angelou's quote. It was, people may forget what you
00:17:48.085 --> 00:17:51.065
said, but not how you made them feel, right? So that made me think about that.
00:17:51.065 --> 00:17:53.837
And then you also talked about feeling valued and heard.
00:17:54.435 --> 00:17:58.225
So it brings me to this next concept of psychological safety,
00:17:58.225 --> 00:18:02.345
Julia, right? How do you create psychological safety so people feel comfortable
00:18:02.345 --> 00:18:07.189
taking risks, making mistakes, growing, feeling valued, feeling heard? How do you do that?
00:18:07.898 --> 00:18:12.305
Or how do leaders do that? I work super intentionally to create environments
00:18:12.305 --> 00:18:17.929
where people know that they're respected and supported and not shamed if they make mistakes.
00:18:18.243 --> 00:18:23.835
Yeah. I find all of the classrooms that I've worked in were very paraprofessional
00:18:23.835 --> 00:18:30.420
heavy because the students do need additional adult support to help them to succeed, right?
00:18:31.395 --> 00:18:37.687
So allowing them to
feel like they can trust me and sometimes having to bite my tongue.
00:18:38.691 --> 00:18:42.384
Because I'm not necessarily their peer.
00:18:42.744 --> 00:18:48.758
Yeah. So if they share something with me, just listening, trying really hard
00:18:48.758 --> 00:18:50.273
not to judge what they're saying.
00:18:50.726 --> 00:18:55.184
Yeah, 100%. Say it from a place of not knowing. Yeah. Right?
00:18:56.148 --> 00:19:00.928
Yeah. Helping them to work through the challenges and helping them to understand
00:19:00.928 --> 00:19:06.045
that we need to be helping the kids to take risks along with us.
00:19:06.358 --> 00:19:13.969
So it's okay for a student to do X, Y, and Z because that's how they're going to learn, right?
00:19:14.445 --> 00:19:19.518
But teaching people that and teaching my colleagues in my hallway.
00:19:20.428 --> 00:19:26.738
One thing, my classroom currently is located in a hallway that is not the best
00:19:26.738 --> 00:19:29.709
hallway for my students to be on. I teach second and third grade.
00:19:30.208 --> 00:19:35.543
And when the building was designed and opened, we're in a brand new, beautiful building.
00:19:36.476 --> 00:19:44.703
They, our classroom and the classroom next to me are not really run by the school itself.
00:19:45.086 --> 00:19:46.979
We're run by an outside program.
00:19:47.814 --> 00:19:51.524
We're still part of the school district. But when they were putting,
00:19:51.524 --> 00:19:57.788
deciding where to put our classroom, they put it upstairs, not with the second and third graders.
00:19:58.362 --> 00:20:00.789
When on the eighth grade hallway.
00:20:01.682 --> 00:20:04.404
Okay. So these are second and third graders with audio. Yeah.
00:20:04.729 --> 00:20:09.044
What do they do? They imitate behaviors, right? Yes, yes. So I do hear a lot
00:20:09.044 --> 00:20:11.103
of cursing from my kids. Okay.
00:20:11.550 --> 00:20:17.257
But one of the things for me is trying to make things as safe as possible for them.
00:20:17.530 --> 00:20:22.864
So transitioning at different times than the rest of the hallway is transitioning,
00:20:22.864 --> 00:20:26.394
giving them that extra space, allowing for their.
00:20:27.343 --> 00:20:33.774
You know, allowing for their neurodiverse brains to be settled before we make a transition, right?
00:20:34.483 --> 00:20:40.274
And allowing those same things for my staff so really respecting them and knowing
00:20:40.274 --> 00:20:44.834
like okay we all need lunch breaks let's figure out what works the best for
00:20:44.834 --> 00:20:48.454
all of us so having that shared discussion and,
00:20:49.477 --> 00:20:54.562
being able to communicate as calmly as i can with them if there is something
00:20:54.963 --> 00:20:58.697
and modeling patients yeah so yeah i mean it's.
00:20:59.980 --> 00:21:03.991
It's all about celebrating individuality, right? Yeah.
00:21:04.421 --> 00:21:08.513
And supporting that everybody just does things differently.
00:21:08.839 --> 00:21:15.426
Yeah. Some people learn from tactile experiences. Some people learn from auditory experiences.
00:21:15.931 --> 00:21:18.961
Some people are more visual. That's okay, no matter how it is.
00:21:19.368 --> 00:21:21.580
And as long as we keep trying and
00:21:21.580 --> 00:21:25.579
keep moving forward, even when we have a setback, it's completely okay.
00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:30.820
Yeah. Yeah, I love that you said, you know, celebrating individuality.
00:21:30.820 --> 00:21:32.950
It's so important. And you also talked about modeling, right?
00:21:32.950 --> 00:21:36.780
It's one of the ways, as you were saying, in terms of psychological safety,
00:21:36.780 --> 00:21:39.549
it's just modeling, right? Psychologically safe behaviors.
00:21:40.036 --> 00:21:44.590
But on the point of celebrating individuality, I want to use that to go into our final reflection.
00:21:44.590 --> 00:21:48.310
So I know you're really big on inclusion, right? Diversity, equity,
00:21:48.710 --> 00:21:51.430
seeing people as individuals, as you just said, who they are.
00:21:51.430 --> 00:21:56.080
So if every leader, Julia, could embrace one principle about supporting people
00:21:56.080 --> 00:21:58.393
with diverse strengths and needs, what would yours be?
00:22:00.456 --> 00:22:04.026
I think if we could all do this one thing.
00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:12.423
Assume competence. Wonderful. Too often, people are defined by their struggle,
00:22:13.450 --> 00:22:19.827
instead of recognized for their strengths and perspectives and the potential that they bring.
00:22:20.407 --> 00:22:27.309
Whether it's in education, community spaces, true inclusion really happens sometimes.
00:22:28.585 --> 00:22:32.577
When we create environments that are flexible enough for different people to
00:22:32.577 --> 00:22:34.977
thrive. Yeah, I love that.
00:22:35.933 --> 00:22:40.171
Access, dignity, opportunity, and the feeling that they belong.
00:22:40.943 --> 00:22:44.617
Yeah, that they belong. I love that. Like anyone I say, Julia,
00:22:44.617 --> 00:22:47.560
should walk into any classroom, any school and just feel like they belong.
00:22:48.007 --> 00:22:50.727
And it's more than the building. It's more than the people. It is the people
00:22:50.727 --> 00:22:53.747
celebrating them. It's what we have up on the walls, right? The different languages
00:22:53.747 --> 00:22:56.146
and things like that. So I love that. I love that.
00:22:56.489 --> 00:22:59.357
Doing the things we need to do to make them feel like they belong.
00:22:59.357 --> 00:23:05.077
So on that note of belonging, Julia, what does being a change maker mean to you?
00:23:05.517 --> 00:23:09.087
And how are you helping to create a world, a classroom, a building,
00:23:09.087 --> 00:23:11.422
a community where most people feel that they truly belong?
00:23:12.304 --> 00:23:15.665
So for me, I refer to myself as a ruckus maker.
00:23:16.917 --> 00:23:22.057
I am not that person who sits down and is quiet.
Nobody puts baby in a corner.
00:23:24.448 --> 00:23:28.581
I will always be that person that creates challenge.
00:23:29.537 --> 00:23:35.687
And that believes that you have to use your voice and your actions and your
00:23:35.687 --> 00:23:39.955
influence in whatever way you can to create spaces that are more equitable,
00:23:40.373 --> 00:23:43.502
compassionate, and accessible for everyone.
00:23:44.183 --> 00:23:49.687
Real change happens when there are everyday moments, not necessarily the big
00:23:49.687 --> 00:23:51.967
things, but it's in the little things that we see.
00:23:52.339 --> 00:23:57.221
It's how we speak to people, how we use our voices to include people,
00:23:57.749 --> 00:24:01.813
how we choose to understand over making judgments.
00:24:02.898 --> 00:24:06.852
And that doesn't just happen just in special ed spaces. That happens in all
00:24:06.852 --> 00:24:09.009
spaces. A hundred percent, yeah.
00:24:09.629 --> 00:24:13.532
Yeah, I love that. Not only special ed spaces, all spaces, right?
00:24:13.832 --> 00:24:17.602
And so that's the message I want to share is that even though I'm largely based
00:24:17.602 --> 00:24:21.547
in education, you know, special education, APA, autism, applied labor analysis,
00:24:22.081 --> 00:24:24.662
it's like the messages are for everyone. It doesn't matter who you are,
00:24:24.662 --> 00:24:25.743
where you're at, what space.
00:24:26.812 --> 00:24:30.992
It all applies, you know, wherever. So to close us out, Julia,
00:24:31.332 --> 00:24:35.432
what is one Monday morning move, a specific action that listeners can take immediately
00:24:35.432 --> 00:24:37.348
to begin creating positive change?
00:24:38.133 --> 00:24:45.435
I think intentionally learning from someone who has a different perspective,
00:24:46.051 --> 00:24:48.181
or different experience from yourself.
00:24:48.767 --> 00:24:54.812
Being open to that could mean, it could mean just listening more closely to
00:24:54.812 --> 00:25:00.194
a student, to a co-worker, to a family member, or to somebody that we meet at the grocery store,
00:25:00.652 --> 00:25:04.692
who may not always feel that they are seen and heard.
00:25:05.238 --> 00:25:10.910
Asking questions with curiosity instead of making assumptions and really listening,
00:25:11.391 --> 00:25:14.242
to understand, not just to respond.
00:25:14.992 --> 00:25:20.552
Inclusion doesn't begin with big gestures. It begins with the small daily choices
00:25:20.552 --> 00:25:27.750
that we all make to help people to feel valued and respected and safe so that they can be themselves.
00:25:28.402 --> 00:25:34.863
I think that's the most meaningful change that can happen is one person at a time.
00:25:35.363 --> 00:25:37.712
Yeah. Wonderful. I love that.
00:25:39.078 --> 00:25:41.892
Listening to something from someone else's perspective, we learn a lot that
00:25:41.892 --> 00:25:46.772
way. We learn a lot that way. Julia, thank you so much for all the golden nuggets you shared.
00:25:47.251 --> 00:25:51.542
And I know our listeners would be able to take away a lot from what you said.
00:25:51.542 --> 00:25:53.816
Thank you so much for your time. It was a pleasure having you on the show.
00:25:54.751 --> 00:25:56.811
Thank you. You're very welcome.