Full Transcript for Episode 262 – Dr. Stephen C. Newbold, Jr. – Cultivating Professional Joy

feel um, yeah, like I don't know another way to say it, but those Sunday scaries and back to school scaries. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:53.680 Um, what are some mind shifts, uh mindset shifts you can make or habits that you suggest for teachers to really come at the school year from a place of joy because it's something that every time I talk to you in particular, Stevie, you have this joy mindset. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:06:02.480 So I I want to start off by saying school has already started to haunt my dreams weeks ago. 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:14.560 And when you it's funny, um, when you say my shifts changes or my um frame shifts, I think haunt is the wrong word. 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:28.959 Like my body is telling me that you're ready to go back in, you're ready for another 180 days to make a mark on the students, to make a mark in your community, to make a mark in your own personal growth. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:38.240 And it's true, Laura, when you meet me, like and when you see me, I'm trying to lead with professional joy, I'm trying to lead with the best version of myself. 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:42.879 But honestly and truly, yeah, like I have those anxious moments as well. 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:49.519 And I always think about like this is a job that I signed up for 180 days to do. 00:06:49.759 --> 00:07:01.680 So it's my responsibility to make sure that I'm in a good place to be able to deliver the content, to be able to be a good coworker, to be able to be this person to the students. 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:08.560 Because um, one of the last things I remember one of my students saying before the end of last school year was, Dr. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:10.959 Newbow, you are him. 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:15.600 And when she said it, she said it with so much joy. 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:34.240 And I sat there and and I just took all the feelings in because that comment from her didn't just happen in that moment, it it was a collection of moments that I shared with her from ninth grade, tenth grade, and 11th grade. 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:37.040 And honestly, she shouldn't have been in my class at the time. 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:40.079 She was cutting Spanish, probably. 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:44.480 But I was getting we've all had those, yeah. 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:52.000 I mean, they're just happy it's when they're around us or in our classroom, and you're like, you need to go back to math or Spanish. 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:55.360 But giving her that moment, she goes back on her own. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:59.439 Yeah, like like I know, I know, I just need a moment, yeah. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:15.040 And and that that part of my career where I'm able to exist as myself sometimes and give my students that same permission when they turn the mirror back around on me and said, I know what you've been doing, sir, and I see you. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:19.600 I I could keep going back for another 180 days. 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:28.240 So all the other teachers out there, you know, like if you have these and these scary Sundays, what'd you call it, Laura? 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:29.199 Scary scary scary. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:30.240 Sunday scaries. 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:31.600 The Sunday scaries. 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:48.320 If you're having a Sunday scary, it's okay because like uh there's another saying I have like, and I probably didn't make this up, so we're gonna give credit to whoever made it up, but you can't heal in the place that hurt you, right? 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:56.080 So school, work, being somebody who's a helping professional, work can't be the place that hurt you. 00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:02.399 So you as the educator have to find a space or a time to heal yourself. 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:12.799 So when you go into that space, the space is helping you become a better person because it is your responsibility to help those kids become better people as well. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:22.879 So um lean into the scaries, but find a way to use those scaries to heal yourself because it is your responsibility. 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:28.559 Um and it feels good when you do come to that moment, like, dang, I did it. 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:32.559 Yeah, I mean, that's a perfect segue. 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:50.399 Uh I I first off want to appreciate and tell you thank you for being honest that it's not that you're that you don't have those fears, it's not that you don't have those those Sunday scaries or or those concerns, you know, as as many teachers do. 00:09:50.879 --> 00:10:14.080 But you also started to hit on something there, that that joy mindset before as an educator, before you even walk in the door, you know, how do you we we've talked with other educators about about guarding that you know that creative flame, that that professional joy that right from the start, right from week one. 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:37.360 You know, what are what are some things that maybe perhaps you do or as teachers are starting to think about or plan, um, you know, designing a a project or something to help not only fuel their own creative energy, but they're like, okay, from day one, from minute one, this is what my kids are going to be doing to find that joy. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:41.039 What are what are some ideas or suggestions that you might use? 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:50.000 I think the biggest idea I would go with is curating a space or an environment that that speaks to that truth daily. 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:52.879 And it's like it's a working document. 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:54.639 It can continue to change. 00:10:54.720 --> 00:11:00.639 Like those bulletin boards that we're charged with changing and updating, you know, monthly. 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:06.080 My classroom is that space, and I don't feel like it's a task to do. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:16.000 So going in right away and creating a space alongside my students to say, hey, this is our realm to feel happy. 00:11:16.159 -->

00:11:24.480 I'm coming in and I have this uh art is education um um sketchbook behind me because art is education. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:30.960 You have some teachers who will frame art teachers who will frame themselves as non-classroom teachers. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:32.960 Well, where are you teaching the kids at? 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:39.840 Like on the playground, like well, it may be if you're the PE teacher, but you're in a classroom, so you are a classroom teacher. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:54.799 So these minor mind shifts to let you know, or to give you or empower you to say, hey, you are a professional educator in your own right, you're not just the man or the lady who colors with the kids. 00:11:55.039 --> 00:12:14.000 Like you are so powerful that the posters and paintings or the painting choices that you hang in your room are a part of an experience that would empower a student that or that would give them a voice that they didn't even know that they had or even know that they needed. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:28.480 So um I always and I always go back to my high school experience because like I am a black male educator in a profession that I represent less than 2% of the total teaching population. 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:40.159 So I know I'm an anomaly in a sense, but there's also an experience that I have to navigate every day from my experience in K through 12 as a student. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:52.639 So I'm already starting with this idea how do I dismantle, how do I help make sure that the student experience, and I'm not I'm not perfect at it because I make mistakes at it too. 00:12:52.799 --> 00:13:01.120 So it's like this working document, like I'm I said, you always have another day, the next A day or the next B day to make it right. 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:19.600 But you have to create an environment that gives the students and the folks around you the voice and the um and the permission to say these things to you because if you don't name it, you can't change it. 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:41.759 So that's the first thing that I would advise any teacher: make sure you're creating an environment like aesthetically and socially with the students to give them that permission and that green light to say, hey, this is a safe space where we can exchange ideas, even if my ideas don't align with your ideas. 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:58.320 But there's a space to create discourse and create artwork to speak to how I feel and what I think so that you or I could get my point across to you, whether you agree with it or not, I'm still able to use my voice to get these ideas out. 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:01.519 So um, all teachers do that. 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:10.320 Uh when I was in high school, and I brought this point up to say um I didn't have a black male art teacher in high school. 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:16.320 My high school photography teacher, Lynn Ring, my favorite teacher. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:26.159 She was from New York, she was a

Jewish woman, she had this lovely curly hair, and I just I just loved everything about her. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:29.279 And it's because she saw me before I saw her. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:31.519 So she she came to look for me. 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:37.440 And I want to be that teacher that goes out to look for my students because they don't understand what they're looking at yet. 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:45.440 She was somebody who was able to bring um parts of who I am as an artist and our educator out. 00:14:45.679 --> 00:15:02.320 Um, other parts of me might have come from my family lineage, might have come from my own lived experiences, but I'm bringing up this point to say you don't have to look like your students to create an environment that they can feel like their voices matter. 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:04.799 You're the educator, you're the expert in the room. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:18.399 So whatever you need to do to become more culturally responsive, to become um more um socially, emotionally tuned to the students that you're servicing on a day-to-day basis, you need to go do that. 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:34.240 Um, and it's hard to for me, somebody who has gotten a uh PhD in art education to say this and go and throw out this charge without saying, hey, isn't it the school system's responsibility to give this professional development to me? 00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:43.279 Um, sure it's their responsibility to provide it, but if they don't, you see a gap in in that that um knowledge that you need. 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:44.480 You're the expert. 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:47.840 You go get that, you go name it so that you can get it. 00:15:48.000 --> 00:16:08.799 And I think a lot of times um I'm speaking from privilege because I have had longevity in my career, so I'm able to say these things 20 years out that I might have not had the language at year one to say back in school year 2007, 2008. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:14.240 But trust and believe me, at that point I was collecting anecdotal uh information. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:15.919 That's how I'm growing. 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:20.240 I just don't leave those experiences behind, I use them to become better. 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:30.960 And I think if more people could tap into that, school will feel more joyful because you're not like a bystander, you're an active participant. 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:33.120 Oh, I am going off, I am talking. 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:34.159 I love it. 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:35.600 No, go, man, go. 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:46.240 I mean, I love the fact that you brought that up because I'm thinking, you know, I'm in year 24. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:55.919 I don't know, it keeps changing every time we talk about it, but I there's a level of confidence that you do gain from your years of teaching. 00:16:56.080 --> 00:17:15.200 You know, when I have student teachers or I have pre-service teachers that are coming in to observe, you know, they're they will come to me

with different questions or things, or even or even my you know, my additional teachers in my department, I'm like, hey, you know, you need to bring this up. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:20.480 And they're very nervous or very hesitant because they're like, well, I don't, I can I, can I say that? 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:26.799 Can I, you know, they're afraid of what, because they don't have enough confidence in their own abilities yet. 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:39.599 So, you know, as I've, like I said, as I've earned kind of earned that confidence to be able to say, hey, you know what, to my administration, this isn't right, or hey, is there a way to correct this? 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:50.160 And you know, yeah, it's gonna be a tough conversation, but still you start the things you start to gain, things you start to will and do make it more joyful, especially in the long run. 00:17:50.400 --> 00:18:01.839 Well, I think too, the other point that I that I took away from Steven just now is that with experience, hopefully comes some reflectiveness. 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:10.000 Uh, I think sometimes you don't know what you don't know, especially as a as a uh first or second year teacher, you're so much you just don't know. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:11.680 I mean, and it's not your fault, right? 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:28.799 Like you're learning every and that's the thing about being an educator is that there is not one day being in a schoolroom or even like in my job, which is teaching educators now, there's not a day that I don't learn something. 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:34.000 And I hope that that there's some reflectiveness of that, you know. 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:40.000 If I'm still learning, that that's a place where I can reflect and be like, well, where do I need to learn more? 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:41.200 What am I missing? 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:42.640 What gaps do I have? 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:58.559 How can I fill those gaps to better serve the teachers and the students that I'm serving, you know, and I think that that's key right there is that reflection piece about how can I fill the gaps that I need so I can be better every day and better for them. 00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:17.039 You know, Steven, one of the things I know that you're very passionate about is leadership, but I'm curious how that translates to your everyday life with your students because I I feel like we've had some conversations about leadership opportunities for your students that you provide that offer them voice as well. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:19.039 Can can you speak to that a little bit? 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:19.920 Okay. 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:26.240 Well, fortunately for me, I was able to become the inaugural art teacher at a school. 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:28.079 So everything was fresh and new. 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:34.960 So I didn't have um anybody um hanging over my head saying this is how the last person did it. 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:39.599 Historical data from my career, I experienced that part. 00:19:39.920 --> 00:20:13.279 So not having to do that, I'm now able to focus on things like student leadership and artifact and the national art um education association in terms of the National Arts Honor Society, are two ways that I've allowed my students to really take the lead with their arts education and who they want to be as founding students or the founding graduation, the founding graduating class of John R. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:16.319 Thompson High School, which is in Washington, D.C. 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:24.480 So um the first thing I want to point out is we didn't have a NHS um National Arts on the Society chapter. 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:29.200 We started that back in 2024, 2025 school year. 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:45.039 And when I saw the opportunities available for the students, like um publishing their artwork in the newsletter andor becoming a part of the student advisory committee, I made sure to tell my students, hey, apply for it. 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:46.559 What's the worst that can happen? 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:48.720 You get picked, and now you have to work. 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:52.960 And I had several students apply for these roles. 00:20:53.440 --> 00:21:01.759 And because we were just starting the chapter, we didn't have that one year of experience that the application called for. 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:03.359 But that's okay. 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:10.880 Building that historical data, like, oh yeah, two years in a row we apply for, but the third year, we got it, right? 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:17.359 We got this feedback from the organization that says, hey, you need more time to develop, you need to do more. 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:18.160 So guess what? 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:27.759 You take that information back to the student body and you put the onus back on them to say, if you want this thing, you have to put the work in for it. 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:34.960 And outside of arts education, I'm the advisor of the student government association. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:39.359 So I I started it, I helped the kids write the bylaws. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:48.640 And at the end of last school year, we had our student election to make sure that we had the student leaders in place when the school year starts. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:57.039 And that's something that we were able to use historical data from because the first year we couldn't do that because we were started from scratch. 00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:59.759 We had to have the election, but now we have one, two, three. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:06.240 Three years of elections, actually four now, because we did the one for this year at the end. 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:07.759 We did two last year. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:27.039 So just being that person that was a student in high school that was a student leader, I was able to tap into those experiences to come and bring them to my experience, my students, and allow them to experience

it, even if I hadn't done that as a teacher yet. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:28.000 Yes. 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:28.640 Got it. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:30.160 I had it as a student. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:39.119 Now it's time for me to translate what I experienced as a student into my role as a teacher to empower those students in the same way. 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:40.960 Because I got it from somebody too. 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:44.000 It didn't just come intrinsically from me. 00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:57.279 Like I've I've always been a talker and always been um partly this person that you're listening to right now and that you see in front of you, but just on a different level. 00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:01.440 I had so many people pour into me over these years. 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:03.759 Steven, you need to listen. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:08.319 If you're the leader, folks want you to listen and hear them out. 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:11.279 So don't listen just to respond. 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:13.119 Write down what they're saying. 00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:19.200 Eric Roundtree taught me that when I was in the organization in college called Progressive Black Men. 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:20.799 Listen to them, write it down. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:22.880 Do not interrupt those folks. 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:30.480 Once they said what they said, then you can look, do a needs assessment, and then reply from there. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:35.599 Learning that at 2021 was a game changer. 00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:40.799 Was something for me that I was able to be an intentional educator in that regard. 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:46.319 So when administrators came in and they offered me critiques, I was writing it down. 00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:48.160 I was writing these things down. 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:50.240 Now it's my turn to speak. 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:52.160 Okay, you want me to change this? 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:54.000 Okay, this is my first year. 00:23:54.160 --> 00:23:58.079 What type of resources am I going to get from you to get to this? 00:23:58.319 --> 00:23:58.960 Boom. 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:01.599 I learned that in year one. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:08.720 I was able to apply that in year one as a teacher because of something that I learned as a student leader in college. 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:23.359 So, Laura, that's a very great question to ask me about who I am and how I'm able to be that intentional when it comes to providing leadership opportunities for my students because they're high school kids. 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:31.920 So they got four years of high school, another four years of college, and then now they're in a position where they can be a Mr. 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:34.720 or miss somebody in the classroom. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:44.079 And they'll have those moments that were very, very intentionally planted, but not in an aggressive way at all. 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:56.000 But I think too, to that point, you know, um you and I have

some some similarities because that was one of my favorite things was being in charge of student counsel at the high school I taught at. 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:59.839 And and you know, National Art and Honor Society and those things. 00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:09.440 And what I found is that it contributed to my joy because the kids were more tapped in when they had a voice in leadership. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:16.799 I think they get more excited about, you know, what someone's listening to me, and I can do these things for my community. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:28.559 I still remember us doing, we did every year a fall carnival, and the kids planned everything from beginning to end, and they included so many different art activities. 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:34.480 And it was, it brought me so much joy to see them take ownership of something. 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:54.640 And when you can do that in a classroom setting, even you know, just in your curriculum to give them that, you know, that's one of the reasons I do really like choice in in art education curriculum, because then there's that buy-in and kids get excited about it because it's theirs, it's not yours, it's theirs. 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:54.960 Right. 00:25:55.119 --> 00:26:02.799 And it just brings, I I just remember those are some of my most joyful moments in teaching is seeing them lead things. 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:03.839 Yeah. 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:07.839 And you know they got it when they start quoting you. 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:09.039 Yeah. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:10.160 Oh, absolutely. 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:11.119 And they want to. 00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:19.759 I mean, yeah, there's I'm sure numerous stories that uh many of us could share about those things. 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:30.319 Um, so Steven, I'm just curious, like how you know, we're talking about we're talking about leaning into your own or tapping into your own joy. 00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:35.839 Is there a way in which, and then you know, for some of our listeners, they might be like, yeah, duh. 00:26:36.160 --> 00:26:41.759 But and um and some are like, well, I didn't know we could even that was even doable. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:58.480 But is there a way for teachers to be able to kind of tap into their own creative energy or what they're passionate about when they are when it comes to like curriculum or when it comes to you know designing the room? 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:00.640 You know, we started to kind of talk about it a little bit. 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:09.759 So that way it doesn't just feel like I'm meeting, I'm just meeting the standards, I'm checking the boxes for the standards, and and that's that's it. 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:13.599 That's all I can do, even though that's not no, yes. 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:36.000 No, I I I just no, this question has me thinking a lot right now because uh not to get political, but in Texas, we're seeing a lot of districts being taken over by the state, and you're seeing uh teachers posting like emails they're getting from their admin about like their their desks have to be in a certain way and they're they they have to have certain things on the wall and stuff like that. 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:51.519 And I I think this is a really, really important question because we have the gamut of folks that you know the administration's like, you go do you, it's gonna be awesome, have a great do whatever you need to do in your classroom, paint the walls, do whatever, make it your own environment. 00:27:51.680 --> 00:28:00.960 But then you have the other end of the spectrum where they're like, okay, the tables have to be laid out this way, and you have to have these standards on the wall and those kinds of things. 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:15.200 So, how do we make sure that regardless of the situation you're in, you can find a way to going back to your words, curate the environment, really, you know, for that joy for yourself and for your students? 00:28:16.079 --> 00:28:19.200 Well, the first thing I want to say is you get to be happy. 00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:22.160 You you get to be happy at work, right? 00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:25.119 You don't you don't need anybody's permission to be happy. 00:28:25.200 --> 00:28:42.000 And before I go into answering the question to the best of my ability, Laura and Matt, um, I recall walking into a school where some of those experiences where you had to have the standards this way or the instructional soup is coming into the building. 00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:45.359 And I have someone say, Well, why are you so happy? 00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:48.240 You walk around like you own the place. 00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:53.680 And I I had to sit back and think about like what does that mean? 00:28:53.920 --> 00:29:19.680 Like I'm just walking through the hallway smiling because I just hung up some art in the hallway, and it's almost like resentment from somebody that because I'm the creative um person in the building, that I have more opportunities to be joyful, but I still have the same evaluation system that everybody else has to be judged off of. 00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:24.319 So those school districts that might be more strict than others. 00:29:24.559 --> 00:29:34.240 Um, you know, I fortunately have been consistently rated effective in my school district in the 11 years that I've been there. 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:39.519 But out of that 11, six of those times have been highly effective ratings. 00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:46.799 And I'm proud of that, but I'm intentional about using the parameters that are set in place. 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:51.200 Hey, you got to do this thing, this thing, this thing, this thing, and this thing. 00:29:51.359 --> 00:29:54.799 You have to cover those things because that's what your job requires. 00:29:55.039 --> 00:30:04.079 But what are those ancillary experiences that you're gonna bring to the table to make sure that you feel joyful and your students feel

joyful? 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:16.880 And that's what each individual person needs to plan out because self-care and professional or creative joy isn't a one um shop stop, it's one stop shop for everybody. 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:22.000 It needs to be unique to what you need as a person and as a professional. 00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:28.319 Some people might say, Hey, I've been teaching, and this was my my case recently. 00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:30.960 I've been teaching for X amount of years. 00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:36.319 In my mind, I think I'm now supposed to go become an administrator. 00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:39.279 So become an administrator, what does it do? 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:41.519 It automatically takes you out the classroom. 00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:45.920 It takes you from in front of the student as their primary instructor. 00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:56.240 So now you're managing um parent-facing issues, teaching facing issues, and student facing issues that come down from the district. 00:30:56.559 --> 00:31:02.079 Am I going to still have this same optimism and joy in this role? 00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:03.920 Maybe. 00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:24.960 But I still need a chance to experience it to see how I could cover all the bases that my job requires and still find a way to bring myself or my optimism into the experience because that's what I need as a person to be able to operate in the space. 00:31:25.200 --> 00:31:29.839 I don't ever want to come to a space where I feel like I'm in constant battle. 00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:43.039 If I feel that way, it's time for me to move to another school or um take a couple days off because that's in my contract, too, where you can take a sick leave if you're not feeling well. 00:31:43.200 --> 00:31:46.480 Your mental health is a part uh of that as well. 00:31:46.720 --> 00:32:07.119 So if I had to to to just pin a couple points on how the educational landscape could be political, it requires you to um kind of be um proficient or at least um what's the word that I'm looking for? 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:11.519 Um compliant, compliant with district mandates. 00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:13.759 Those things are optional. 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:22.720 Do those things, but also find a way to still bring your joy, your happiness into it. 00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:38.799 And for me, what that looks like is me publishing research and then bringing the published research in to the students and just leaving it in the classroom and waiting to see how long it takes for a person to say, Dr. 00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:40.319 Nubo, what's that? 00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:42.480 You did that, you on the cover of that? 00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:43.759 How'd you do that? 00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:45.440 How can I do that? 00:32:45.759 --> 00:33:01.119 Giving them those opportunities and moments, and it it really sounds like I'm speaking from a place of privilege because I'm somebody who has this PhD from this major research institution, Florida State University. 00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:03.440 I'm not plugging, I'm just saying, right? 00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:14.559 I got a bachelor's in um art history, I got a master's in um art education and a PhD from in art education from this institution. 00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:19.599 But from the time of the bachelor's, I've been very different people. 00:33:19.920 --> 00:33:33.599 I've had to be very different people throughout this whole experience, and I had to be intentional about it, but I also had to live a little bit to get that data to determine how I need to move forward. 00:33:33.759 --> 00:33:47.599 So if I leave you with anything, you need to do a needs assessment for yourself, your classroom, and your school community and decide what you're able to do and figure out what your limits are. 00:33:47.839 --> 00:33:53.680 If it's something that's too much for you, maybe, and I'm not telling people to lead a teaching profession, right? 00:33:53.839 --> 00:34:00.000 I'm not telling people to do that, but we have a responsibility as educators, right? 00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:24.639 To um and compliant is the wrong word because it's the right word, but I don't want to feel like I don't want people to feel like if they believe in something and the system is broken or the system isn't aligned um to what they personally think, or turn it back around and bring the research. 00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:38.239 Turn it back around and use your your union contract if you have one as a source to say, hey, we can at least start from here because I know that I get an uninterrupted lunch. 00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:44.480 So me not doing art club during my lunchtime because I want to eat. 00:34:44.639 --> 00:34:47.119 That's not a gift that you're giving me. 00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:49.280 That everybody else gets to eat. 00:34:49.440 --> 00:34:50.400 Why can't I? 00:34:50.719 --> 00:35:01.280 So take those lunches, leave at 3:45 when you're supposed to do the work of planning for your lessons during your planning period. 00:35:01.519 --> 00:35:05.440 Once you get home, go to the gym, cook dinner, do whatever you need to do. 00:35:05.679 --> 00:35:25.840 But those instances that I'm explaining, it took some years for me to understand how to manage and find a voice to say, hey, you do get to smile, you do get to take a break, you do get to sit down and deliver that lesson. 00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:36.239 If you know your feet are hurting, but you're doing it in a way that when the administrator comes in, they can't question your work ethic. 00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:46.800 They see every student working, they see them doing the turn and talks, and not in a way where it's performative, they're doing it because that's the classroom culture that you built. 00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:56.480 So when Thanksgiving comes around and the kids are writing the thankful notes in English class, they're gonna tape them to your door and it they'll say, Um, Dr. 00:35:56.639 --> 00:35:59.039 Newball

always lets us be ourselves. 00:35:59.280 --> 00:36:00.800 What does that mean? 00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:13.360 Sometimes it's not going to be about the lesson or the objective that's written on the board, but you know, in this space, you're required to be productive and make meaning out of your lived experience. 00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:20.320 So when I come over and you guys are, you know, singing in art class, and I'm like, what are you singing about? 00:36:20.559 --> 00:36:30.880 And they know that to co switch and say, Oh, this is for my visual art journal, and I'm doing this and I'm testing out these lyrics because I wait, are you trying to scam me? 00:36:30.960 --> 00:36:32.639 But it's like it's not a scam. 00:36:33.199 --> 00:36:50.079 No, no, they're there, or I'm giving them space to create this language to say, hey, I can still be myself and still exist where their parameters that I have to perform, but I can still do it my way. 00:36:50.400 --> 00:37:04.800 So when it comes to, and I don't know, nobody talking about AI, but when it when it when it comes to them wanting to use chat GPT to craft a response to something, they don't want to do that. 00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:11.599 They want you to know who they are, and they want you to know from their voice because they know that you value their voice. 00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:18.400 And I they're not just doing it to be compliant, they're doing it because it's a part of this environment. 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:32.320 You know, kind of on the same vein of what you're just talking about, thinking about the intentionality of how you set the year in motion and create that space. 00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:45.440 I mean, we've talked about it throughout, but creating the environment, curating the environment, you know, it sounds to me like you really intentionally set at the beginning of the year a shared space of creative joy. 00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:52.960 Do you have any tips for teachers on things that you intentionally do at the beginning of the year to set that space up? 00:37:53.599 --> 00:37:56.960 Well, rules, um, first of all, are important. 00:37:57.360 --> 00:38:03.519 I can't just um stroll into work, you know, at 9.15 every day when our call time is at eight. 00:38:03.920 --> 00:38:16.079 So there um are things that are non-negotiable, but um uh punishment or being punitive when a person does these, that's not the goal. 00:38:16.239 --> 00:38:23.119 It's to get you to understand, hey, like so I have these things, I call them grandma rules. 00:38:23.360 --> 00:38:30.480 And um I I came up with these grandma rules because I feel like they're things that your grandmother would tell you to do. 00:38:30.800 --> 00:38:36.480 Grandma rule number one is please refrain from using profane language. 00:38:37.119 --> 00:38:40.000 Grandma rule number two, keep your hands to yourself. 00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:45.360 Three, keep your feet on the ground, and four, keep your spit in your mouth. 00:38:45.519

--> 00:38:47.599 Why do I have to tell students this? 00:38:48.079 --> 00:38:50.159 There's a number of reasons why I have to tell them. 00:38:50.400 --> 00:39:02.000 But those rules are like my non-negotiables, but when they are um not abiding by them, I'll say grandma rules. 00:39:02.400 --> 00:39:05.519 Someone go look, like, did I just gossip? 00:39:05.760 --> 00:39:07.119 And I'll just leave it at that. 00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:13.519 And then when you hear them saying it to each other, grandma rules, it's like, like I did it. 00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:28.320 Like I created a space to check behavior that is not appropriate for this space, but me checking it is not to punish them, it's just to say this is not the space for that. 00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:29.760 So please stop. 00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:35.280 But keeping your hands to yourself also means you can't throw stuff and all these other things. 00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:43.360 So you have to have these little subcategories to help them understand, like, that's a part of keeping your hands to yourself, you know. 00:39:43.599 --> 00:40:07.199 Um, so so those are the type of things that like I've done over the years where rules don't seem like they're being put in place to be compliant, but it's to create a safe space for everybody so that we can all come in here and feel like, hey, I'm able to get my work done. 00:40:07.360 --> 00:40:10.480 I had students like, oh, they're over there rapping. 00:40:10.719 --> 00:40:12.079 That's cool. 00:40:12.400 --> 00:40:15.440 Like, it's not taking, is it taken away from your experience? 00:40:15.599 --> 00:40:17.599 Like, this room's gonna be loud. 00:40:17.760 --> 00:40:20.880 Like, you're humming, they didn't say nothing about you. 00:40:20.960 --> 00:40:33.199 You get to exist as yourself, so they get to exist as themselves and being able to just and it again, it takes practice because you they might go into another space and it's totally different. 00:40:33.280 --> 00:40:35.119 Okay, hall passes. 00:40:35.599 --> 00:40:38.320 No, you don't have to ask me to go to the restroom. 00:40:38.400 --> 00:40:43.280 There's a procedure for the restroom, it's a log on the wall. 00:40:43.840 --> 00:40:47.039 Hall passes are just sitting up on on in the bag. 00:40:47.119 --> 00:40:50.559 If somebody's name is already on the log, guess what? 00:40:50.639 --> 00:40:52.320 You gotta wait till they come back. 00:40:52.559 --> 00:40:56.000 If that thing is empty, go get your pass and go about your business. 00:40:56.079 --> 00:40:57.519 I've already signed them all. 00:40:58.480 --> 00:40:59.280 You'll see them. 00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:00.719 Can I go to the restroom? 00:41:00.880 --> 00:41:02.159 And I'll just stop. 00:41:03.119 --> 00:41:04.480 The pass is over there. 00:41:04.639 --> 00:41:06.480 This is the kids telling each other. 00:41:06.639 --> 00:41:09.679 You know, he just let us go to the bathroom. 00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:11.679 You need to go to the restroom. 00:41:11.840 --> 00:41:16.559 That's not something that you need to feel like in their high schoolers, too. 00:41:16.719 --> 00:41:19.840 So, you know, don't maybe not do this with elementary. 00:41:19.920 --> 00:41:42.800 I don't know, but it works for my space, and it works for my space, and the kids are able to verbalize how those intentional actions that I put in place at the beginning, and we continue to practice them with throughout the year and them being held accountable, those things make them feel like this is their room too, this is their space too. 00:41:43.119 --> 00:42:04.880 So you don't have to do it like me, but whatever it is, you just need to make sure the 25 to 32 students that are sitting in your room that they all feel like, hey, I'm able to say this, but it needs to be in a way where the person who I'm saying it to one hears me and then has an opportunity to respond. 00:42:05.039 --> 00:42:09.760 So, and that comes from Eric saying, Steven, you need to listen. 00:42:16.480 --> 00:42:18.400 I think I need to send him the podcast. 00:42:18.480 --> 00:42:25.599 He probably one of the things we love is like having people call out those mentors. 00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:28.719 The shout outs to the mentors is really important. 00:42:29.440 --> 00:42:39.920 Um Steven, I think we could go on and on, but we've hit like the the that time when uh Matt's about to ask you the hardest question. 00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:41.440 So I'm gonna turn it over to him. 00:42:41.920 --> 00:42:51.360 So, you know, a routine that we have on the podcast is as we start to wrap up, um, we give you the hardest question. 00:42:51.679 --> 00:43:12.079 And basically, this question is what's one thing you would like to leave our listeners with, whether it's something you've talked about throughout the podcast or haven't mentioned yet, or but just some little words, wisdom, advice, um, whatever it is you want to leave our listeners with. 00:43:14.480 --> 00:43:22.880 Well, assuming that all of your listeners are art teachers, you know, it's more people listening, but this is for the art educators. 00:43:23.280 --> 00:43:33.119 Find a way to document your teacher's story from year to year, from 180 days to the next 180 days. 00:43:33.360 --> 00:43:44.960 Because you say all we got is 180, but if you're gonna do a career 30 years plus, you have multiple chances to perfect, to get it right. 00:43:45.119 --> 00:43:47.679 Not even perfect, because that's the wrong word. 00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:59.840 Um, you get to year 15 and experience a new challenge that you didn't even expect, but you know that you progressed through your own K 20. 00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:04.320 Of education, you know that you progressed through that first through 14 years. 00:44:04.400 --> 00:44:07.920 So if you can get through that, you can get through this challenge too, right? 00:44:08.159 --> 00:44:12.719 Just uh make sure that you are being the best version of yourself. 00:44:12.960 -->

00:44:17.679 You're going in knowing that you are a helping professional, right? 00:44:17.840 --> 00:44:20.400 That the role requires this. 00:44:20.639 --> 00:44:25.360 Even if you think somebody else, you know, failed the students. 00:44:25.519 --> 00:44:33.119 If they're in your face and you see that they can't use scissors, the lesson that day is for them to pick up scissors. 00:44:33.199 --> 00:44:38.320 You need to put this finger and this finger in here, then you need to open and close, right? 00:44:38.880 --> 00:44:44.639 So now you know moving forward that that kid knows how to cut and you're the person that taught them. 00:44:44.800 --> 00:44:53.440 You're not spending this time saying what somebody else should have done for them because you have now have the power to do that very thing, right? 00:44:53.679 --> 00:45:03.920 So make sure when you have moments like that to be the change that you are critiquing somebody else for, you make sure you do it. 00:45:04.159 --> 00:45:07.280 You you stop right there and you do it. 00:45:07.360 --> 00:45:09.039 That's what I'm gonna lead the people with. 00:45:09.440 --> 00:45:10.400 You do it. 00:45:11.360 --> 00:45:12.800 I wish people could see my face. 00:45:13.920 --> 00:45:15.440 I'm like, oh my gosh, yes. 00:45:15.599 --> 00:45:17.840 That's like such great advice. 00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:27.199 I I really just even on on the the note of joy, like, don't get stuck in the who shoulda woulda complaining. 00:45:27.280 --> 00:45:30.159 Like, just get do it, just do it. 00:45:30.800 --> 00:45:33.199 Oh, those are the kids that are in front of you. 00:45:33.280 --> 00:45:35.760 Take care of them, give them what they need. 00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:36.320 Thank you. 00:45:36.880 --> 00:45:42.960 This is coming from this is coming from a person who's quoting Langston Hughes that my life ain't been no crystal stair. 00:45:43.199 --> 00:45:51.119 So I'm not around here doing this, you know, this um positivity trip where you just have to always smile. 00:45:51.280 --> 00:45:53.119 That's that's not what I'm saying. 00:45:53.360 --> 00:46:09.360 I'm saying that you can still experience trial and challenge and still come out on the other end with the objective to make sure that as a helping professional, you be the best version of yourself to the students that come in front of you every day. 00:46:09.519 --> 00:46:11.440 That's that's that's all I'm saying. 00:46:11.599 --> 00:46:13.840 And um, I feel good to say it. 00:46:13.920 --> 00:46:19.039 I feel joyful when so thank you. 00:46:20.639 --> 00:46:23.760 Well, thank you so much for being on the podcast. 00:46:23.920 --> 00:46:25.519 I hope you'll come back sometime. 00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:28.559 And uh, we just really appreciate you and who you are. 00:46:28.880 --> 00:46:30.960 Thank you, thank you, Matt and Laura. 00:46:31.039 --> 00:46:32.559 I I appreciate y'all too. 00:46:32.719 --> 00:46:35.920 You know, I gave you a card, Laura, the other day at NFC. 00:46:36.480 --> 00:46:37.119 I called you. 00:46:37.199 --> 00:46:38.239 What what did I call you? 00:46:38.480 --> 00:46:47.039 You Sal Mama, and I I I it made me cry because I'm like, that's what I I mean, and I used to get called art mom from my kids. 00:46:47.119 --> 00:46:50.480 So, like, but like I just want to create space that everybody can grow. 00:46:50.639 --> 00:46:51.760 Like, that's the whole thing. 00:46:51.840 --> 00:47:01.360 Like my job as a leader is to grow other leaders, and so that just made me that made me happy because if I'm a mama, I must have provided some safe space for that. 00:47:02.320 --> 00:47:02.880 You do. 00:47:04.079 --> 00:47:04.800 Thanks, Steven. 00:47:05.360 --> 00:47:05.679 Okay. 00:47:07.920 --> 00:47:10.000 Well, that was really nice. 00:47:10.159 --> 00:47:10.880 I enjoyed that. 00:47:11.119 --> 00:47:11.599 I did too. 00:47:12.400 --> 00:47:13.519 I I enjoyed that. 00:47:13.599 --> 00:47:18.079 I I know it sounds bad, but so I enjoyed it from multiple levels. 00:47:18.239 --> 00:47:23.599 Like it was a real perspective on like you get to choose, it's not easy. 00:47:23.760 --> 00:47:46.719 Like, like there was this honesty, and like you're making a conscious choice about these things, like life and school and teaching and the things that you're gonna encounter are not necessarily always joyful, but if you choose how you encounter them and you go in with a certain mindset, and you think about what is it I'm gonna take away from this school year. 00:47:46.960 --> 00:47:55.440 Um, I think, you know, and then giving those those students the voice and making sure that they are able to connect and collaborate. 00:47:55.599 --> 00:48:02.960 And you know, I was thinking about too, like make the kids the curators, have them do your bulletin boards, depending on how old your students are. 00:48:03.119 --> 00:48:25.280 Of course, you're not gonna have kindergarteners do that, but you know, but uh you know, those are there's so many opportunities to and then like also I love that you at the end that you was also talking about like these are the students that you that are in front of you, take them from where they are, don't don't get mired down and like the they're not able to, they're they're not able to do this, they're not able to do that. 00:48:25.679 --> 00:48:30.639 That used to annoy me so other teachers say that see what they are capable of and go. 00:48:31.199 --> 00:48:33.760 Take them from there and give them the give them the skills they need. 00:48:33.920 --> 00:48:36.400 I mean, I really liked what Steven said. 00:48:36.559 --> 00:48:40.000 He's like, Don't be don't be fake about your joy. 00:48:40.079 --> 00:48:45.039 He's not saying walking around blindly smiling for no reason, right? 00:48:45.360 --> 00:48:50.400 You know, to this is what you get to do. 00:48:50.559 --> 00:48:57.199 You get to change how they're thinking and how they view the world around them. 00:48:57.599 --> 00:49:01.599 You get to give them opportunities to experience new things. 00:49:02.000 --> 00:49:03.840 I mean, that's that's yeah. 00:49:04.079 --> 00:49:05.360 So I love that too. 00:49:05.519 --> 00:49:08.320 Uh I think it was Bryce that talked a little bit about that a couple weeks ago. 00:49:08.400 --> 00:49:10.079 Is like we get to do this. 00:49:11.119 --> 00:49:15.920 So get in there and uh and uh have a great, you know. 00:49:16.159 --> 00:49:17.360 Hey, you know what else we get to do? 00:49:17.519 --> 00:49:18.400 Oh, what do we get to do? 00:49:18.639 --> 00:49:22.719 We get to tell people um like where they can find some resources. 00:49:22.960 --> 00:49:23.440 Yeah. 00:49:23.760 --> 00:49:37.360 So for every podcast, including this one, you can go to davisart.com slash free resources and find free resources from our great friends at Davis uh publications, uh, school arts and all the different things. 00:49:37.519 --> 00:49:42.239 But for every podcast, there's a set of resources that that sit side by side. 00:49:42.320 --> 00:49:47.679 And so go to free resources under davisart.com and check out those free resources for each podcast. 00:49:47.920 --> 00:49:55.280 If you're listening to the podcast, you can listen to it on davisart.com, or you can go to anywhere you listen to podcasts and check it out there. 00:49:55.519 --> 00:49:59.039 Um, Matt, if somebody wants to reach out to us, where would they do that? 00:49:59.360 --> 00:50:15.039 Well, they get to send us an email uh if they want to send us an email um through the creativity at gmail.com, or you can reach out to us on uh Instagram at creativity. 00:50:16.400 --> 00:50:24.239 We would love to hear ideas, thoughts, topics, um, artists, maybe you know, things you want to hear from us. 00:50:24.719 --> 00:50:27.920 And uh I think I think that's about it. 00:50:28.400 --> 00:50:28.960 That's about it. 00:50:29.119 --> 00:50:34.320 Um going back to where you listen to your podcast, make sure you subscribe, rate, review. 00:50:34.480 --> 00:50:38.159 That helps us keep the podcast going, and we appreciate you so much. 00:50:38.400 --> 00:50:42.559 Make sure to have a creative week ahead and thank you for listening.