Welcome to Cultural Connections Lab. I'm your host Dr. Kelly Forbes. We are here to talk with educational professionals around the world to impact and influence the education system as we focus on cultural connections and the education of multilingual, diverse students.
We're excited to have you join us today. We sincerely hope that you enjoy the show.
Are you ready to take your school district to new heights? Introducing EDGE Skills, the leading software as a service platform for Title III and multilingual support in education.
At EDGE Skills, we understand the importance of equitable education and empowering multilingual learners to thrive in today's classrooms.
Our cutting-edge technology provides school districts across the nation with the tools they need to enhance language acquisition, foster inclusivity, and improve academic outcomes.
With seamless implementation and comprehensive support, EDGE Skills ensures a smooth transition for your district, empowering educators to provide targeted instruction and personalized support.
So why wait? Unlock the potential of your school district today with EDGE Skills. Visit our website at edgesskillsllc.com or call us now at 405-879-9898 to schedule a demo.
EDGE Skills, transforming education, one student at a time.
Welcome to another episode of Culture Connections Lab with myself, your host, Dr. Kelly Forbes. I am so excited to be here today with our co-host, Dr. Jeffrey Taylor Tribble, the president and CEO of EDGE Skills and our sponsor for this podcast.
Listeners, I am so happy that you're here with us today for a very special treat. We have not only someone who is an amazing educator, but she is also our current Miss Oklahoma 2023, Miss Sunny Day.
Miss Sunny Day, again, she is Miss Oklahoma 2023. She is a first generation high school and college graduate. She graduated Norman Public Schools in 2013 and went on to obtain her Bachelor of Arts in Communications at the University of Oklahoma in 2018.
She has been a public school teacher at Bridgestone Intermediate and Western High School since 2018 as well. Sunny has had many roles in her school. She has taught sixth grade, served as an ESL teacher, and a fifth grade ELA and social studies teacher.
Some of her proudest moments in her teaching career are being named Next Gen 30 under 30 in education in 2020 and Teacher of the Year in 2021. She calls her school a second home, which is why she has decided to continue to teach during her reign as Miss Oklahoma.
Sunny has a personal connection to volunteerism. As a little girl, she and her family were often taken care of by churches, schools, and other generous people within her community.
As she got older, she decided she wanted to give back in the same way. She has invested over 5,000 hours in her community service endeavors. Two of her favorite organizations she has been a part of are OKC Team and the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Aside from her service work, she has done a lot within the walls of her own school, planting a school garden, starting her school's first cheer team, and establishing a recycling club are some of her many leadership roles in her school.
Over time, she has created her own character development school program called Ready, Set, Go! Building Skills Today for Tomorrow's Success. Her community service initiative is a mission that provides a path to gain life skills, mentorship, scholarships, and the dream life for youth of all ages and upbringings by helping them navigate school, the workforce, and life experiences.
Through her interactive three-pillet approach, the set is support, encourage, and teach. So Ready, Set, Go! empowers youth to embrace our mission, to provide our youth with the skills to be their most successful, confident, and empowered selves, no matter their life circumstances.
Sunny began her unique journey in the Miss Oklahoma organization in 2020. She held her local title for two years and went on to compete at Miss Oklahoma 2021, where she placed fourth runner up. She was also awarded multiple community service awards, interview awards, and overall rookie.
After the 2021 competition, Sunny's journey in the Miss Oklahoma organization came to an end due to aging out until Miss America announced their age increase in 2023. Sunny earned the title of Miss Norman and went on to compete at Miss Oklahoma 2023. She walked away as Miss Oklahoma 2023, and she won over $70,000 from the Miss Oklahoma organization and is now debt free and on her way to obtain her master's in education.
Sunny has big plans to travel the state as Miss Oklahoma and make Oklahoma her classroom by going into schools across the state and implementing her school program. As a big sister and educator, she is looking forward to educating and empowering today's youth. Aside from connecting with students, she is eager to speak with legislators about education reform, bring in new sponsors and partnerships to the Miss Oklahoma organization, and build an empowerment workshop program for the future women of this organization.
Sunny is also the daughter of Jamie Day and Samuel Day, the big sister to Callie Day, Marin Day, Harley Day, and Jordan Day, and a proud dog mom to her boxer, Ari. And you can also follow Sunny on social media. We will have this in the description as well for the podcast.
It is at Miss America OK and at Sunny M Day. Again, that's at Sunny, S-U-N-N-Y-M-D-A-Y. So without further ado, I am so excited to welcome not only Miss Oklahoma 2023, but more importantly to me, an amazing friend, a mentor, and an awesome colleague in peer and education. Welcome, Sunny Day. How are you doing today?
I am great. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited. I know that you said you were fangirling, but I am a fangirl of yours. So I was excited to get to sit down and talk with you today.
Well, it truly is such an honor to get to have you here. I know that we were working on certain dates and times and I know that your schedule is incredibly busy. So it is a humbling opportunity for us to get to have you and your wisdom here and as well as your platform.
And I'm just really excited to get to discuss you, your journey, education, and things that we've learned from our students through this process and kind of that role that culture plays and who we are, what that cultural journey has been like.
Culture being, you know, not just geographical locations, but also those are beliefs, our traditions, our experiences, culture within culture, but then connecting that to not only what we do in education, but also to your current platform and how you really leverage that platform to help support public education in the state of Oklahoma specifically, but also beyond.
And so I'm just really excited to sit back and to learn and to listen from you. But my first question just to start us off and get going and we can just kind of go from there.
I want to hear about your journey, your path, who you are. But before we dig into all of that, what is something that has been really exciting that you have learned from our students that has helped you as an educator and also in this Oklahoma?
I feel like something with the students is kind of fun.
You know, I love the position that I'm in right now. I think it's super special getting to carry both roles as Miss Oklahoma and Miss Day.
I love because I get to go out and I get to be kind of, it feels like a local celebrity in a sense when I go to all of these schools. But what's really neat is, you know, I get to go to all of these schools and all over the state of Oklahoma and I get to learn what they're doing differently from versus what we're doing at Western Heights.
And so it's a learning opportunity for me to be able to take this insightful information that I've asked principals and other educators across the state and get to take it to our principals so we can learn and grow as well. But in terms of being a teacher, the one thing I've learned about my students or from my students that's helped me as Miss Oklahoma is that sometimes it's more important to be the student than it is the teacher.
We oftentimes think of us as adults. We're the ones in front of the room with the microphone. We're the ones talking 24-7. But because I'm in this unique position as an emergent bilingual teacher, there's so much that I have yet to learn.
And I love getting to learn from them, whether it's about their traditions or it's about their languages. One thing that I do at the end of every day is I tell my kids, if you guys can stay focused and you can do what you need to do for you to gain the knowledge that you need to today,
for the last 45 minutes of school, I will let you guys teach me whether it's your favorite music from your favorite country. Maybe you can show me online a recipe that maybe I can go home and cook one of your favorite foods, or I can learn some of your language.
I did not come into this role speaking any Spanish. And now it's gotten a little bit better and it's inspired me to want to use my Miss Oklahoma scholarships to start Spanish classes this summer so I can better serve my students next year.
But I've learned to just be a better listener and to be a student. And when I go and do things as Miss Oklahoma, instead of me being the girl with the crown with the microphone in front of all the kids, I give the microphone to the kids because I want to hear their stories.
Because I as a teacher and as Miss Oklahoma, I'm representing people. I can't accurately represent people if I don't know where they come from. And so it's been really great to be able to learn about my students and the students of Oklahoma by just simply listening.
I know that a lot of what we do in education and what you were mentioning right now is really centered around the idea and the understanding of servant leadership. How are we best service to those to whom we are serving?
And I think that you bring up an incredible point of stopping and listening. And I know that I've mentioned this in previous episodes before that the students were the best professors that I've ever had.
And I didn't always realize that in the moment, but now that I look back, I really don't take that for granted. And I sit and I really do make sure that there's time to stop and to listen because I think that we can learn so much from our students that just empowers us even to be better educators overall.
So I really appreciate you bringing that to the forefront. With that, though, I know that there are personal stories and experiences that kind of prepare us to get to where we are today.
And I know that Dr. Tribble is one of the best co-hosts, and so I'm so glad to have him on. But he's really good about digging deep into like, where was the beginning of all this? So I want to pass this off to you, Dr. Tribble, just because it is exciting.
I know not everything about our amazing Miss Oklahoma, but I've been fortunate to work with you, Sandy, and to hear some of your stories. But I want to kind of pass this off to you, Dr. Tribble, for asking some questions about how do we get to where we are today?
Sure, yeah, no, it's a pleasure to be with you guys. I'm honored to learn from you guys today. It's always a learning experience for sure being on the podcast. And before we go too far backwards, I just kind of in reference to what you've already mentioned, I'm curious, what does the population mix look like in your classroom?
Approximately, how many students, what are some of the countries represented? And then maybe if you could give a specific example or two of like, some of the things that you have learned from your students in the classroom.
I have also worked as a teacher of emergent bilingual students and learned so much from them. And I'm just curious, kind of some specific stories that you might be willing to share about some of the things you've learned that might be inspirational.
Absolutely. So at my school Bridgestone, we are the intermediate fifth and sixth grade center of Western Heights. There are about 500 students and 141 of them are mine and qualify for my emergent bilingual services.
So they are in all different levels and all different tiers. And this year I have nine newcomers. They come from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. And what I've learned about them specifically is that a few of them have actually never set foot in a classroom before.
And that was something that I never realized that some countries kids simply just don't have the privilege and the honor to go to school. And I didn't know this right off of the bat. This is something that I picked up on really quick. I have a new kid.
He's been here for about six or seven months. And he was really all over the place. In the beginning when he was in my classroom, he did not know how to sit down in the desk. He was throwing pencils. And I was like, this kid is not acting out.
I don't think that maybe he knows what he's doing. And so I did a little bit of research and I realized that he's never been to school before. So I have this sixth grader who I'm not only teaching the alphabet. So he's far behind his other peers, but he doesn't even know how to sit in a desk.
And I thought it was such a cool and unique opportunity. I know it was really hard for me to grasp, but this kid has never had the honor to sit in a classroom and to learn before. But I saw this as an opportunity to let him fall in love with being in a classroom and to make it fun.
And so for the first month, it was all about him and where he came from. I'd started off being the student for him. And we use these incredible translating devices for, he is kind of like an AirPod. He has one in his ear. I have one in the other. And we're going back and forth and it's translating.
And I'm learning so much about him. And what I learned is that he was very scared, but he was very excited to learn. And I've taught, you know, Kelly read my bio. I did sixth grade ELA. I've done fifth grade social studies. But this position that I've been in this year, I've never had students with such small behavioral problems and students that were so eager to learn.
And oftentimes, you know, it can be a little upsetting to be in this position because I often hear remarks on the side that these kids are really fidgety. They are misbehaving. They don't want to focus, but it's simply that they can't because of that language and cultural barrier.
And so I wish that every teacher had the opportunity to work with them one-on-one like I do because I've never had kids that are just so excited and so willing to learn. But in the past, I've had students from Vietnam and we've had students from Afghanistan. So we are kind of a melting pot at Western Heights, which I think is really a beautiful thing.
But I think the one thing that most people do need to realize is that from a lot of these countries is some kids don't go to school at all. And so we have the opportunity to let them adapt to this country, this culture, this language, but to also let them fall in love with learning because sometimes our sixth graders, they take it for granted.
And I can speak from experience. You know, I wish that I would have known that maybe one of my classmates when I was sitting in a sixth grade classroom had never been to school before because I maybe didn't think that it was as special as it was. And so I wish that little Sonny knew what I knew now because I would have appreciated my school much more as well.
I think that's so accurate, right? Because I know, and you know, Taylor, I think from your experiences too, it's been the language learning students overall, but most specifically your newcomer students, and they're not taking anything for granted. They are there every single day.
Their parents come to every single parent teacher conference, and you also reap the benefits of having great food often delivered, great other cultural types of dishes, or you learn different beliefs and practices in the culture.
And I think all that does is just really help us understand more how to best serve our students.
Yeah, that's a great, great example of kind of a way we can learn from our students who oftentimes are viewed as having deficits, you know, in the emergent bilingual field.
We talk a lot about looking at the assets instead of the deficits or disadvantages that our students are coming with.
So in regard to that specific example that you gave with the student that's never been in the classroom, thinking about the assets that he has come with, like what are some of the assets that he has that you're like, man, I just wish my other students had this.
And just thinking about somebody that most teachers would think, man, poor student, but I'm sure he comes with so many things that you wish other students have because of his experience.
Are there specific examples that you have that you can share that kind of are an example of the assets that the students is coming with?
Honestly, the one that I can think of is respect. He has a totally different level of respect.
And I think that it's a cultural thing. And I think, you know, like Kelly mentioned, I see much more parent involvement than I see from any students that I've ever had before.
And I think that that is so special because there is this misconception about families that come from other countries and how they do not value and they do not care.
And I've seen that to be the complete opposite. Their parents are so involved. And so their asset is their family involvement and their level of respect that they have for the education system.
And I think another component to that is that whenever we have students, and most specifically our newcomer students that are coming to the United States, so anywhere where they're coming or wherever this episode might land and in the other country where you have a quote unquote newcomer student,
I mean, they are also bringing in not only the respect that is very cultural, I believe, in some ways, like the respect that other countries show to educators and professional educators in our pre-K through 12 system,
but also that superpower of already having another language. And so, I mean, there are there are students that pay thousands and thousands of dollars to gain.
And I am one of those students that was fortunate enough to be able to receive scholarships to go to the university to have a great high school teacher to get me engaged and involved in another language.
But these students are already coming with that. They're already coming with the opportunity to become bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural by choice.
And I think that is just an amazing superpower that they that they also bring. That's exciting.
Absolutely.
Now, I whenever I first got into education and our listeners know this, and I think that you you probably know this, too.
I didn't want to get into education. I was going to be a dancing bilingual veterinarian.
There was nothing in in the educational horizon for me. People would often ask me, what do you want to do?
Do you want to be an educator? You know, having Spanish as your major? And I said, absolutely not. No, no.
And then I found myself in the situation of becoming an educator and would never take it back for anything in the entire world.
So I was curious, what what what was your calling to get an education?
Like, who is Sunny Day from the beginning to get to where she is now to decide that, like, I have all because you have a rich, rich past of experiences that have helped form and shape who you are today.
I'm just curious to hear as much as you're willing and wanting to share and about how that developed into becoming the professional educator that you are today.
Yeah. Well, much like you, being a teacher was not the dream.
It was not something that I ever imagined.
It actually wasn't until three days after graduating from college with a degree in something different that I decided to be a teacher.
But I'll kind of start from the beginning. So education truly has always been, I would call it home for me.
So I grew up in a, you know, a very adverse childhood situation.
My mom was a single mom. My dad was addicted to substances and very quickly ended up living life on the streets for 18 years of my life.
And that's what I remember is my dad either living literally in tent city or in a car and struggling with substance abuse.
And because of that, I grew up very fast. I grew up, became kind of an adult at 10 years old, helping my mom raise my brothers and sisters, but also taking care of my dad.
I was one of the only ones that did not give up on him. I remember when I was first able to get my driver's license after school, I would go find him.
I didn't know where he was, but I always had a feeling location wise and I would go find my dad and I would bring him money and I would bring him food.
And for the longest time, I got called an enabler. And growing up now, maybe I'll accept that.
But at the same time, I think what it was was love because my dad came from, he was unfortunately a product of his environment.
Both of my grandparents about two years ago, both passed away six months apart from an overdose.
And that's whenever I finally had that conversation with my dad. But I knew for some reason at a young age that my dad almost didn't have a choice.
But what I did realize is that I did. I at least had a mom who was taking the right path and who could show me that there was a better life, a better outcome for us.
And I had a mother that chose us. And I thought that was super special.
So the one thing that I knew growing up is that I was in this position to make a difference in my family as big sister of five.
And so I said, you know, I don't know everything. I don't understand substance abuse. I don't understand homelessness.
But what I do understand is that neither of my parents are very successful and they're very much struggling and they both lack an education.
Neither of them made it past the 10th grade. So I said, I'm going to see that as the common denominator.
So my number one goal in life as like an 11 year old girl was to just graduate from high school. I didn't think beyond that.
I didn't think about college. I just said, I'm going to graduate high school. I'm going to get a degree. And so I worked really hard.
I joined cheerleading. I joined student council, which, as you can imagine, a girl living in poverty and living in Section 8 was really tough.
But like he mentioned in my bio, churches and teachers paid for every belief that I had when I was a kid. They paid for my school supplies.
They played for my cheer uniforms. They made sure that I was able to get accomplished the things I wanted.
And so in 2013, I became the first person in my family to graduate. And I was so excited.
Congratulations. That's such a cool story. Where did you graduate?
Thank you. And it was a huge honor. Norman High School. And I still live in Norman today.
Go Tigers.
Yep. Yes, exactly. I love it. And so, you know, I knew that I wanted to continue to go further.
So I randomly went out on a whim and I filled out this long scholarship application for the University of Oklahoma as a first generation graduate.
And I love to write. So it was like an essay. Sign me up. I'll do it.
So I spent countless hours writing that essay and I got accepted to OU.
And it was so exciting. But at the same time, I was terrified because I did not have people that I could ask questions to.
Neither of my parents knew anything about college or knew anything about how to choose a degree.
So I said, you know, I love to talk. I love people. I'm just going to pick a communications degree because that sounds fun.
And I anywhere, any job you do, you're going to need to talk to people.
So I chose communications, which a lot of people told me was, you know, the fallback degree. But I use it every day now.
So how about that? And so I got my degree from OU in 2018. And at the time I had just done my very first pageant.
I competed at Miss OU because I saw a sign for scholarships. So all of a sudden I became very interested in fashion.
And I was like, you know what? I'm going to go work at New York Fashion Week.
So right after graduating OU, I went to New York City and I worked at New York Fashion Week. And listen, guys, I did not love it.
I immediately was like, Mom, New York is not for me. It's too busy. And like growing up in Oklahoma, I was like, I just miss my Oklahoma people.
They're nice. They'll talk to you. You know, New York, everyone's on the go. They're too busy for anyone.
I was like, these people are not nice. So I came home. And at the same time, the teacher walkout was happening.
And my teachers have always been very important to me. I have a former eighth grade teacher, Miss Swapapa.
She was my English teacher and her husband, Mr. Harris, was my sixth grade art teacher.
And I saw that they were at the Capitol. So I said, you know what? I'm going to go for them.
So I went to the Capitol. I took my little siblings. And it was in that moment that I ran into Miss Swapapa.
And she said, have you ever thought about being a teacher? And I was like, absolutely not.
This is a terrifying idea. I was like, I bring it up here today.
Exactly. I was like, I have raised helped raise four kids. They scare me.
No. And she was like, I think you'd be really good at it. Have you thought about doing your emergency certification?
Immediately went home and got on top of it. And then I researched where I wanted to work because I love the city of Norman.
But as a student, I felt like an outcast. It is a very, you know, it's a college town.
It's a very privileged town. And growing up in poverty, I remember how I felt when other students could see me getting off the bus at my Section 8 apartments.
And I said, I want to work with kids who feel the way that I did.
And I did a lot of research and found Western Heights and saw that a lot of their kids have gone through similar situations as me.
Our adversity may be different, but I at least know I can stand in front of that classroom and say, hey, if I did it, you can do it too.
And so I have found my forever home and it was just meant to be.
And I am forever grateful for all the teachers that poured into me to get me to where I am today.
But most importantly, that teacher that told me to take a leap of faith because now I'm in love with my job.
Not a lot of people can say that. And you are so wonderful at it as well.
And I know I've been there. I've been in your classroom. I've walked the halls of that school with you both as a as an employee there myself working with you.
But also fortunate to be able to do some consulting work. It's just really, really been fantastic.
But you also I mean, so a lot of us have these Venn diagram kind of like stories where we don't necessarily have the exact same experience with our students.
But you have so many overlapping stories and scenarios and situations of not feeling maybe that sense of belonging and being quote unquote othered.
And so you are really coming into this profession as an advocate and as an ally and you were seeking where you wanted to go teach.
Our students do not always get to pick where they go to school, but we get to choose where we go and serve.
And you have chosen that so intentionally and so on purpose.
What is the part of that Venn diagram that you have really seen that connects your past to their current present?
And how do you bridge that together as you learn more about your students through that cultural lens?
I think for me, the biggest one, the biggest thing I find in common with my students is being a first generation, at least a high school grad.
You know, a lot of our students, especially ones that do come from other country, maybe their parents do not have a degree and maybe their parents either aren't over here with them at all.
Or they came over here too late in the game to get a high school diploma.
And so a lot of them do feel lost and like they don't have a person at home much like I did that they could ask questions too on how to navigate school and how to be successful.
There are so many of our students that don't even know about the Oklahoma Promise Scholarship that is offered to kids who live in poverty or single parent household.
And so even though they don't do that until the eighth or ninth grade, I tell my parents every single parent teacher conference about that because I want them to know that financial means are not always the number one thing that gets you to college.
And that this kid just needs to work hard. And as their advocate and as their teacher, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure they have the grades to qualify for that scholarship.
And so it's nice to just be able to tell them my story about being a first generation high school and college graduate, but also being vulnerable and saying like, it was really intimidating.
Like whether you do not feel like you fit in at school because your parents didn't go to school simply because of where you've come from, maybe the neighborhood that you live in or you have a parent that's incarcerated.
I get it. I know what it feels like to feel alone, even if you're the one self isolating because oftentimes I made myself alone more than I actually needed to be.
And a lot of our kids do that simply because they're ashamed. And so I think by telling my students that, you know, I miss Oklahoma.
I have this level of status or success that some people think. But what you may not realize is that I was a little girl just like you who didn't believe in myself and who was embarrassed of the circumstance I grew up in.
And it's OK. But at the same time, don't let that hinder you. And here's why you shouldn't be ashamed.
And so I think just getting to be a human, you know, oftentimes one of the things you hear becoming a teacher is you're not their friend.
You're their teacher. I think that is the biggest lie in the education system because you have to be their friend.
And, you know, teacher to student, it's a relationship and it has to be mutual. And the number one thing you need is trust. And so I always work on developing a friendship or a relationship with my students and their families before anything, because I want them to know that I'm just a person and I don't see myself above them in any way.
I'm just simply there to help them and to guide them.
That's really powerful that you have that background and can really connect with students in that way.
As I'm sure you are very aware, many teachers do not have that background that you have. They might have a more privileged background, even if it's just middle class.
But they still have a passion for kids. They might not fully understand how to connect. So wondering if you have one, two, three recommendations for teachers that may not have the same background that you do that would help them better support their students that do have a background similar to yours.
What can they do to help build a connection and support them better, even without having that background?
Yeah, there are two things that I always suggest. And I suggest this to Miss Oklahoma contestants as well, because I'm kind of an anomaly in the pageant world. I just come from a very different background than most title holders.
And I always tell them one, just like I said in the beginning, you've got to be a good listener. Pass on the microphone. Let the kids tell their stories and get to know them, whether you do some sort of compelling writing assignment.
You do some, some really cool activity. You know, this entire podcast is about culture. And I think your classroom is a culture. I think it has the ability to be a family.
So by creating the safe space and passing the microphone on to your students and letting them tell their stories to each other, because you may not be able, the teacher may not be able to relate to the students.
But what you're doing by letting them share a little bit about themselves and creating a safe space is you're letting them relate to each other. And a lot of the problems we have in schools as kids against kids, whether it's fighting or it's arguments, and it's because they don't think they have anything in common.
So by doing that, you're creating this better culture and this kind of this family. But secondly, I think teachers should go out and they should do community service.
You know, I've gone through so much in my lifetime, yes, but my community service experience has been very humbling for me because I realized that I don't have it as bad as I could have. And there's always worse.
You know, I have this experience with homelessness in my family, but I've done a lot of work with the Homeless Alliance and I've done a lot of work with City Rescue Mission.
And I've learned more about homelessness than just from my dad's side of the story. And it's been really interesting. So I think that if these teachers went out and did some sort of service at food banks or homeless shelters or even adoption centers, and they would be able to learn more about the kids and the communities that sit in their classrooms every day.
I know that we definitely have culture as the through line on this podcast. And just as a friendly reminder to all of our listeners, culture really does transcend just geographical location. There are cultures within cultures that we have.
But then to what you're speaking to specifically, there is a culture within poverty as well. And so I think that you really are able to leverage your personal and professional experiences because many of our multilingual students, sometimes because they have come through a system and they have been
encountering a lot of obstacles along the way that sometimes our families can often find themselves on the brink of poverty or they're currently in poverty and they may or may not be on a path toward, unfortunately, a homeless or an unhoused situation.
And so I'm so again, just thankful that you really do speak to this. You bring a lot of awareness to the topic. And I think that we really need to expand this conversation way beyond even this podcast, because we know that there are many different posses.
I'll just say trying to add in their thoughts of all of this. And I often just wonder how many people have released that down to have a real genuine conversation with someone who is unhoused. What would that be for financial situations?
What would that be for even domestic violence situations? These are still real world scenarios that our multilingual students, just because they're multilingual, doesn't mean that they don't deal with those same exact issues.
Sometimes it's like even compounded in some ways. Any thoughts or anything about that?
No, I think that's completely accurate. A lot of times people only see these students just as someone who speaks another language or just as someone who comes from another country, not accepting the fact that they're also now constituents of America.
We have this whole list of problems.
Yes, they have their own adversity that they're bringing over and then they're adopting. They're almost in a worse situation and have more levels of adversity because of that.
And we will be right back.
Are you ready to take your K through 12 multilingual programs to new heights? Look no further than the experts at Kelly B's Consulting.
We're not just consultants, we're partners in education with a passion for empowering students and enriching your classrooms.
At Kelly B's Consulting, we understand the unique cultural and linguistic needs of your diverse student population.
Our team of experienced educators will work alongside you, tailoring strategies that transform your multilingual programs.
And don't miss out on this opportunity. Visit www.kellybisconsultingllc.com today to learn more and schedule your consultation.
Kelly B's Consulting, shaping the future of K through 12 multilingual education across the nation.
Your success is our commitment. Contact us now and let's start building a brighter tomorrow together.
And now back to the show.
Got a side note, question, comment, way that I think if I remember your introduction correctly, that a way that you can connect multiple cultures that sounds like you do, it sounds like you have a school garden, is that correct?
Yes.
Yeah, so that's a side hobby of mine. I've done a lot of gardening, actually worked on a lot of farms all through Central America. And I've done some research on school gardens.
One other common thing that you and I have actually, my last teaching job was at Bridgestone.
And I taught EL there, like, I think that was like 2010, something like that. And I always remember looking at the back area thinking that that would be perfect for a school garden.
So I'm just curious to know a little bit about your school garden and if you found that that has helped connect cultures and kind of how long you've had that going. Just tell us a little bit more about the school garden.
Yeah, so, um, it's we started it two years ago, no, one year ago. And I will say it was the most special thing because the kid, it was their idea.
I gave them a list of things I said I want to do some sort of community service project, and I want you guys to the word of the day was legacy. I want you guys to leave behind a legacy on Bridgestone for the future students to come and for you to have something to look back on.
And I listed a bunch of things we could do a time capsule all these things. And then they said, Well, you really like butterflies. Could we do something with butterflies? And I was like, Okay, so I guess my legacy is a butterfly.
And I said, What about a garden? And I then I got to tell them the story about how whenever I was young, and we were living in poverty, that we started to grow our own vegetables because it was much more affordable.
So not only did I get to teach them a skill, something that they could take home and they could do with their own families like now, a few of them have told me that they now grow their own onions, and they're well, they're not my students anymore. They're well past that. But it's something that they've carried with them.
But it was so exciting because it was a full week project, we started off doing research about their different plants, I let them each have their own little flower.
And some of them got to do the fence and all of that. And so they did research and they got to work in groups, they did not get to pick their groups. And so I intentionally put them with kids because it wasn't just my homeroom, it was my homeroom and Mr. Cheeks.
So we combined our classes, and we put them in groups with kids that they would normally never willingly put themselves in groups with.
But they got to bond over the super fun project. They were getting down, they were getting their hands dirty, they were shoveling, they were picking up weeds, they were doing all the things, doing all the dirty and the hard work of putting a garden together.
But they enjoyed it because at the end, they got to see how beautiful it was. And that that was their collective work that they did.
And so I got to show them so many different life skills, which is really important to me is life skills and things that they can carry with them, is I got to show them the importance of teamwork, and how in a professional setting, you may not always work with people that you agree with or work with people who are just like you.
But if you have this collective goal to make something work and to make something beautiful, and you use your different skill sets and you do different things to make that work happen, then you can work together.
And so it was really cool to get to show them that no matter where you come from, you're going to work with people who are different from you. But if you work together with your skills, you can make something beautiful happen.
And then of course, they get to take the gardening skills home and hopefully carry that with them for the rest of their lives. So it was more so like a teamwork and working together type of project, but it turned out really beautiful.
And a lot of the kids during the summer, their parents would text me pictures and they said, so and so wanted to go get ice cream and to go see the flowers today. And so even after school was done, they were still making trips to the school to see their work pay off, which was neat.
That's so cool. Yeah. If you continue to do that, then what resources, things like that would love to sponsor and help that school garden and community garden grow.
The one of the coolest examples I've seen of school garden was in New Orleans, because I for a while back I visited a bunch of different school gardens.
And they had actually an employee that was just focused on on the garden. It was a very large garden, but then they would integrate it into their social studies class to teach other cultures, they would cook food, they would even take the kids to a farmers
market and teach them about business, how to sell sell the vegetables and teach them about money and management, money management. It was like the coolest all encompassing school garden and then they even invite parents and then teach them about serving,
putting tablecloths on. I mean, it was like, I mean, they connected the garden to so many things. And so that's wonderful. Yeah. So if you guys continue that at Bridgestone, let me know.
One of them awesome opportunity and a little full circle moment that I had forgotten to even mention to you, Sunny, that yeah, so Dr. Tribble had worked in Western Heights and was in the same role in the same school as you, so I'm glad you guys got to make that connection.
Yes, that's awesome.
You didn't know, you didn't know Taylor, right, that you were helping you know that you know set up the stage for from Miss Oklahoma.
Exactly. Fabulous education.
Thank you. Thank you for your help.
Yeah, I did so much.
Wonderful and as fabulous as as as things are. I also know that the reality is is that we do encounter obstacles along the way. And I really do want to just do a big shout out to to Western Heights for really having a very mitigated focus which I think we're all growing and trying to get better
in any district where we work across the nation and beyond, but has had a really strong focus on supporting their multilingual multicultural students. So big shout out to Western Heights for that. And then specifically to to Bridgestone, Dr.
Brandt, who's the principal there is very supportive and is very engaged in this as well. And then I just know that you have just been such a huge ally and an advocate.
But as you were discussing kind of the setup and how you've created this collective goal with the garden. It made me consider the question, what have been the obstacles and in what ways have you have you helped create and through the conversation a collective goal in how to best serve our
multilingual and multicultural learners in Bridgestone, for example, what's been like a real life obstacle conversation that collectively as collective goal that you've worked through as a faculty to be able to help better serve.
Like I said our multilingual multicultural students and then maybe something that our listeners can take away and also implement themselves in their own settings.
Yeah, so I would say that there are two. And the first thing is just really getting teachers to buy in to allowing students to truly be themselves.
When I first started teaching before I was even in this position, I would often hear, maybe more like veteran teachers teachers who have been in the position for a long time, and that they do not let students speak their native language in class.
And this year I loved being in this position and being able to be an advocate for these students because I get to tell them, no, no, no, we are going to let them speak their native language and here's why because these kids, whether you think so or not, are going to be so much more successful.
And I always tell my students the moment that they walk in my door. My goal is to not overshadow your native language with English. My goal is to teach you a skill set on top of the language that you already have, because I know and I believe in the fact that you're going to be more successful than people who only speak one language, and a lot of kids don't know that.
And a lot of kids see them having a different language as a barrier and as a setback. And so I get I love getting to pull up different job descriptions and I love getting to show them different salaries based off of being bilingual in any different career or career profession.
And so it's really eye opening them, eye opening for them to get to see that. And so really getting teachers to buy into the fact that they have got to keep using their language. And that's a way for them to connect with students because for a newcomer sitting, I mean, sitting in a classroom and not knowing a single word that any of your peers or any of your teachers are saying, you're doing that for eight hours. That is not fun. It is not enjoyable.
But when they can connect and they can speak and engage with other students who understand them and who they can communicate with, it's a beautiful thing. The second thing that I've done that I think really opens eyes to these teachers really wanting to and being willing to make those accommodations for those students because they are so important is I do a student led professional development.
And so I will have one of my students who is well versed in Spanish, sit in a classroom with all of the teachers, give them work that isn't complete Spanish and do the entire lesson and directions in Spanish.
That's so awesome. Just sit there and be like, you know, the same look that the students get is what I get from the teachers. And then I'm like, OK, guys, you have about 25 minutes to complete this assignment. And some of them literally walk out.
Some of them just sit there. A lot of them will start to ask questions. And I'm like, oh, you can't ask questions in your native language. You can't do that.
We don't speak English in this classroom. And so I kind of the roles are reversed. And it's really cool for a student to be able to have that power and to almost be like, this is me trying to make you empathetic to me because this is what I go through in your classroom.
But it's very eye opening for those teachers to be like, if I had to do this for 30 minutes and it was hard, I can't imagine what it's like for this to be an eight hour thing, five days a week.
And so I think that that's really cool as a way to get your students involved to do a student led professional development in a complete different language, because more than anything, teachers can be given a document all day long about why those own accommodations are important.
But until they're in that position, that level of empathy is not there and now it is. So I think that that's one of the most profound things that people can do for their remote and bilingual students.
I absolutely love I know I love it so much. I think that is so fantastic. And I'm sure that even through that, the student probably feels probably guilty in such a way to tell them that you can't use any English, automatically modeling when empathy looks like from the side, the flip side of the adult educator that has at least a bachelor's degree, if not a master's or a doctorate.
And so whenever we consider that like here we are full grown adults with a degree in this situation, and I'm seeing actually what I could and should be doing through the eyes of one of my fifth or sixth grade students.
Yes. I don't know how you get closer to empathy than that.
Yep.
It works.
It really helps.
And then it's also so true. I mean, I love these conversations where I get to go to other places and discuss the power of using the child's first language for both languages because again, just as a reminder, many of our, you know, multilingual students are born right here in the United States because sometimes contrary to popular belief, this is a very multilingual nation.
And so whenever we're, we're able to create space for students to use their entire linguistic repertoires to be able to build upon their language, that has never hurt me.
But that people see me, and they think well that what a privilege that you were able to do that and how great that is, but we don't always see that with our students coming in with the other language.
And so I think it really takes us as professional educators again to really reflect upon our own mindset and to consider the role that empathy plays in all of this.
We can make this appropriate cultural connections because language and culture cannot be separated. And how do we create space to have that be leveraged in our classrooms, whether it be through English, Spanish, Vietnamese or any other language.
How do we help students learn content, go through that cognitive process while still being very culturally responsive and uplifting the cultures, the heritages and the languages of our students.
I think that is so dynamic.
I had, I did have teachers before that would also tell me, saying, well, I don't want them to speak Spanish in class because maybe they're talking about me. So I just said you can't speak any Spanish.
I'm like, well, listen, let him talk because the English teacher might be talking to and you can't tell them to be quiet, but the rest of the entire.
Exactly. Yep.
We teach content and characters so I think that we can do that in any language and allow any language to be spoken, even if I myself may or may not be monolingual. I think it's a very, very good point.
I love it.
I don't know another ally or another advocate for so many different cultural groups.
You really, you really just jump in to the community at large.
You are truly, and I mean this as a professional and also as your friend.
I mean, you really are the epitome of an example of somebody who is not just talking the talk, but you really walk the walk.
You go into different communities, you, you, you listen to seek to understand, not just to respond and to answer.
I know that you've helped myself consider different, different things about me and how, how I play my role as a human in this world.
And I don't think that we always know the impact that another person might make in our lives because we don't call them up and say, hey, I was a better person today because of you two months ago whenever you said such and such.
Right. And so I want to take this moment to just stop and just to have gratitude and say thank you for doing that for me.
And I really do appreciate that.
And you just you really create a space where you can do that for so many other people.
So with that, I do wonder what's been maybe in education and then an example, maybe outside of education.
Maybe. But what really has been the biggest impact on you where you've walked away and said, wow, because of this or being involved in this, my life has also changed.
And I'm now a better person because I've experienced this.
Is there a moment like that?
You know, when I hear that question, I think of.
Yeah, I think of one specific situation, and I think it goes back to me saying that we must be our students friends more than anything.
And I had a student for two years and who was really just acting completely different.
I saw a huge attitude change more than anything.
And so I was like, if I don't say something, this is going to continue.
And I just want to ask what's going on with this sweet student.
And so I sat him down and I just said, you know, I want you to know that I see you.
And so because I see you so well and I'm constantly looking and checking on you, even when you don't think I am, I've seen a huge shift in behavior.
And is there something going on?
And he opened up about his sexuality and about how that was something that he was struggling with.
And because of his, you know, his culture, that's not something that's very accepted in his family.
And I was like, oh, this is something I cannot resonate with because I come from a very accepting family.
And I said, but what I can do is maybe I can be that person.
And so I wrote a sticky note for that student that said, I love you.
I see you. I hear you. I accept you.
Signed it, Miss Day folded it up.
And I said, here you go.
And I thought, like most students would just throw away the little notes that I give them.
And so, you know, six months goes by and this dad shows up to parent teacher conferences.
And I've been trying to work on this student.
Like, maybe you would feel better if you, you know, maybe told your dad.
But I'm not going to press you to do that because that's not my place.
This is done on your time.
And this dad is sitting in this conference is with me and this student.
And he says, is there something that you want to tell me to his student?
And his student says no.
And I just look at him and I'm like, OK, he's not ready.
That's totally fine.
After conferences, this dad comes up to me and he says, Hey, I know what it is that my son needs to tell me.
And it's because of the sticky note that you gave him.
He said, you may not know this, but for the past six months, that sticky note has stayed in his lunchbox.
And he puts it on his nightstand and repacks it in his lunchbox every single day.
And I was like, what?
The kid let like kept my note and it like, you know, it means so much to him.
Well, this year, the second year I've had this student, he finally came up to me and told me that he was ready to tell his dad.
And I was like, oh, wow, what a beautiful thing.
OK. I said, you know, when and how do you want to do it?
You want to do it at home?
Like, how can I help you?
And he said, no, I would like to do it here.
Can you be there?
I was like, wow.
OK, sure.
So we called his dad.
And of course, his dad already knew.
So the beautiful moment, whatever he told his dad that was so special.
And you know, he told me that he grew the courage to do that simply because I saw him and I accepted him.
And I didn't impress him to share that part about him in any timely manner.
And so I think what teachers don't realize is oftentimes those kids that are acting out are the ones that need us the most.
I think that I can relate to that a lot.
A lot of people look at me and they're like,
she was probably goody goody two shoes in school.
I will tell you right now, I was that kid
who was constantly either sleeping in class
or arguing with teachers or getting in fights at school.
And it's because I needed someone to give me attention
and I needed someone to see me.
I needed someone to hear me and I needed someone to love me.
And that's what I did for that student.
And I have showed up for that student
every single one of their honor choir things.
And so I think if teachers realize
that we can be more than just a teacher from seven,
from our contract hours to support them as who they are,
not as just a student, but as human beings outside of school
that we could change their life.
Because that's a demographic of students
who are usually battling mental health.
And that's a very high suicide rate.
And I would hope that by starting up that conversation
and by accepting and loving that student,
that I could have prevented that kid
from going through something very dark, a very dark time.
And that he now sees himself as someone
who is accepted, loved and beautiful.
And I created that safe space and that home as well.
And so I think more than anything,
get to know who your students are outside of just the kid
with the pencil in the desk, in the back of your classroom
and be there for them.
Because we may be one of the only adults in their lives
that do accept and see them.
And we get to see them for much more than their parents do.
And so I think that also goes to show the importance
of building connections with their parents
and their families as well.
So where their parents can trust you with their child also.
You touch on so many good points.
Whenever I asked that question and I had known this story,
but I didn't know you were gonna say that story.
And so it automatically like, I'm not crying, you're crying.
But it's-
That's tears to my eyes.
It means a lot.
And it's fun to have Ms. Oklahoma on here.
And then, formerly being Mr. Gay Oklahoma.
And so it's fun to have both of us on here doing this.
But yeah, I wasn't the language learner per se,
but I understand the aspects of what that's like to be,
participating or part of another even culture,
within a culture in the classroom and knowing about it
and knowing Carrie to discuss it or,
not having necessarily that adult to always go to in school.
And so just the fact that you do have great relationship
with your students.
I hear the same thing often about being a friend,
being versus friendly, et cetera.
I think you take that however you're gonna take that.
But I think the main takeaway is that we need to have
a real authentic relationship with our students
and getting to know them in such a way
that we can constantly show that friendly behavior
toward them because we need to create a place
of inclusion and acceptance for our students.
So I just, again, just thank you so much for that.
Yeah, no, very inspirational story.
I'm curious, you know, we,
Kelly alluded to, it's not all sunshine and rainbows,
you know, everything doesn't go perfectly every day.
Even though we love sunshine and rainbows.
Yeah.
Exactly, but you, I'm just curious
from a practical standpoint,
like when everybody faces challenges, right?
And adversity and some dark times,
do you, what gives you your fire personally?
Like how do you face those dark times?
Do you have any, like from a practical standpoint,
strategies, whether they're religious or just,
you know, meditation, prayer,
anything that you do on a daily basis
that just helps you be a better person
and support people in the way that you do?
Yeah, so I actually have a photo back here.
I'll show you, of my siblings
and specifically my little brother, his graduation photo.
And for me, when I was younger going through adversity,
I don't think if I wouldn't have had
little eyes looking up to me,
that I wouldn't have been willing to break the barriers
that my family had and to really break down those walls
and to be the first to graduate.
But I knew that I had little brothers and sisters
and I said, if I'm not going to be the change, who is?
Because they're so young and they need a beacon of hope.
They need someone to do it for them
and to lead the path and to ignite the way.
And so my students are the same thing for me.
So when I actually found out that I could compete again
in Miss Oklahoma, my journey is unique.
In 2021, I actually aged out.
I was 25, so I hit the cutoff.
So I made fourth runner up and I was like,
man, my journey's over.
Like my dreams were crushed.
I had that door closed on me
and then I found out in February I could compete again.
And I said, okay, well, I have one more chance at this dream.
And you don't get a lot of second opportunities.
Once a door is closed, it's usually closed.
And this opened back up for me.
So what am I gonna do different this time?
And I really involved my students in my preparation.
I remember asking them last year in February,
if I were to become Miss Oklahoma,
what kind of person would you want me to be?
And they literally said, I would want you to be goofy
like you are in the classroom.
Don't be so serious and don't think
that you're better than other people.
And that was so telling to me because at first,
these kids who barely know what Miss Oklahoma is told me,
do not gain a sense of entitlement.
And I was like, okay, that's so important.
Well, then I've heard kind of a little unspoken rule
that if you win Miss Oklahoma,
you do not work throughout your year of service.
That's just traditional the past 90 years,
Miss Oklahoma quits her job, quits school
and dedicates her year to Miss Oklahoma.
So I signed the leave of absence
two weeks before Miss Oklahoma
to kind of put it out in the universe.
I'm a big on manifesting.
I put it out into the universe.
I'm gonna win Miss Oklahoma.
So I'm telling my principal right now,
I'm not gonna work next year.
Well, the night that I won Miss Oklahoma,
instead of going back to my hotel suite
and crying about winning Miss Oklahoma,
I cried because I realized that my life
was just about to be devoid of teaching.
And the next day you sit down with your board of directors
for an entire 12 hours and you discuss your year of service
and what your plans are.
And the very first thing I said is,
can we please call my principal and my superintendent
and figure out how I can do both?
Because I can tell you right now
that I would not be in this room
and not be wearing this or this
if it weren't for my students.
They literally told me what to do
leading up to this moment to be myself,
to be authentic, to be sunny day.
And now I'm gonna spend a year without them?
That doesn't sound fun to me.
So my directors were very hesitant,
but I really told them, you know, like, I'm 28 years old.
I'm the oldest Miss Oklahoma you've ever had.
I've worked since I was 14.
I can do this.
I can do it.
And so I am so grateful that my superintendent
and my principal were able to let me work this year
and to have such a flexible schedule like I do have.
And I'm grateful that my directors understood
why my job is so important.
And the one thing that has really inspired me this year
is whenever I'm going to do all the work is Miss Oklahoma
and I get to come back in my room
and tell my students what I've done.
Because I think that I get to inspire them a little bit
to chase after their dreams,
but also it's very humbling to me.
I'm not able, like it keeps me kind of a sense of normalcy
in my life.
So there's no opportunity to become entitled
because I'm going and speaking to students as Miss Oklahoma
and I come straight back to mine
and share those experiences and share those stories.
So kind of leading to what you said,
I would say manifesting is a really big thing,
but in order to pursue anything,
I think you have to be 100% authentic.
I've done pageants for 11 years.
And I can tell you right now that I am guilty
for nine of those years,
going on that stage and going in that interview room
and pretending to be someone that I'm not.
This was the first year in an interview room
that I completely just let all the walls down
and I shared the story of my childhood.
And this was the year that I won.
I even tripped on stage, you guys.
I tripped on stage this year in my evening gown,
but guess who won evening gown?
I did.
And I asked the judges, I said,
why did you give me that award out of 45 women?
I'm the one that tripped.
And they were like, it's because you laughed it off.
And every one of us have tripped.
And so I think not taking yourself so seriously
is so important and just being so genuine
and authentic to yourself.
Thank you.
Wow.
I bet that every single time that you've gone
to serve as Miss Oklahoma and you come back
to the classroom, the kids are just so eager
and waiting to hear about what story it's coming up.
Oh, they love it.
They love it.
Is there a favorite or one that's been
most impactful for them?
You know, I did an appearance with the Homeless Alliance,
like I mentioned, and I got to talk to them about
how real these people were and that they,
at the end of the day, are human beings.
Because even kids have, I think maybe because they're told
from their parents that a lot of homeless people
put themselves in that situation
or that they deserve to be there.
And I got to tell them what I learned about them.
Like I met a homeless man who, he was a US veteran
and he just got really sick afterwards.
And the paperwork to fill out all of the VA paperwork,
completely stressed him out.
Because of the level of PTSD he had.
Or I could tell them about a mom with three kids
who was an incredible mom, but lost her job.
And they said, so normal people are homeless.
And I said, yes, they are.
And I think that it was so enlightening
to be able to teach these kids
that people all around them are struggling.
And at the end of the day, we're all kind of the same.
Each and every one of us are living in this world,
really just trying to make a living
and trying to survive in this world.
Trying to survive in our own different unique ways.
And do some of us maybe somehow make a mistake
and put ourselves in those situations?
Yes, but we can get out of it.
And then I get to tell them about how my dad
was homeless for 18 years.
And it was one really tough conversation
between he and I to change that.
And for the past year and a half, he has not been homeless
and he's gotten his life together.
And so I tell them that through love and support
that you could change the trajectory of someone else's life.
I am.
I'm just speechless whenever I get to sit with you.
And I'm just in awe of everything.
And hopefully one day, whenever I grow up,
I can be just like you.
Oh, stop it.
Yeah.
Just like this Oklahoma.
I know, I'm thinking I've got, you know,
I have four daughters, Sunny.
And I'm thinking that you're such an inspiration.
Can't wait for them to listen to your story
and hopefully learn from you.
Thank you.
Well, you, just so you know, to my friend Taylor,
she is an inspiration to many of us.
And every single time that we ever get to work together
or to collaborate together,
or even there's just a minute text message,
I'm always thankful to get to have this relationship with you
and to know that your students also feel the exact same way
as well as your colleagues.
So Western Heights, the field of education in Oklahoma
is very fortunate to have you.
I mean that sincerely.
And I know that you have a very busy schedule.
You've made time to be with us
and we genuinely do appreciate that.
I know the listeners really appreciate it as well.
Before we sign off here though,
is there anything that you would like to share?
Any last words, any thoughts for educators,
for Oklahoma, for advocacy,
anything at all that you would like to share
before we close up and wrap up today?
Yeah, so a few things.
So the first thing that I want to throw out there,
and this is for people
who are wanting to consider being a teacher.
This year I've gone to three different job fairs
to represent Western Heights,
but also as Miss Oklahoma to try to get to talk to kids
going to college about being an educator.
And I've really seen a discouraging amount
like how low the number is
of kids who are pursuing a degree in education.
And I know that a lot of it has to do
with what is going on politically, maybe in the state.
I know a lot of it has to do
with the financial burden of becoming an educator.
But what I will tell you is that being an educator
truly is the most special job in the world.
I am best friends with some very successful people,
people who are in political position,
people who make an amount of money
that I will never see the day in my life.
But I will tell you that I am,
I believe that I have a different level of gratitude
and appreciation for life because of my profession
than those people who may seem like they have everything.
And so the work that you get to do as a teacher,
no one gets to do and no one will understand other than us
because we are truly the only profession in the world
that gets to see a glimpse of the future.
Not a lot of people get to work with the future lawmakers,
the future teachers, the future presidents.
We get to help shape those minds
and we get to help kids figure out who they are
and such a beautiful and special thing.
But what I will say is the second thing is
to not be afraid to use your voice.
I have a meeting later today with someone very important
at the state Capitol and I have been super nervous about it.
And I will say that I had a really beautiful
planned out written agenda
of how this conversation was going to go.
And there have been a few different bills
that have come to the forefront the past week and a half.
And I've realized it completely changed
the route of the conversation today.
But I'm going to go into the meeting today
and to be a listener.
And I know I've said that a few times,
but you don't have to always be afraid
to meet with people who think differently than you.
Because one of the most beautiful things that we can do
is try to understand and try to get to know the other side
before we tell our own story.
So I'm going to go into today's conversation
with listening ears and a compassionate
and an open mind and open heart.
Because I think if we start a conversation,
a hard conversation off that way,
then maybe people may be more willing to listen to us.
And I know that with in terms of policies and advocacy
that it can be a very frustrating position to be in.
But if you lead with your heart,
then I think that we're more willing
to make a profound difference.
And so I do encourage people to use their voices,
especially if you are a teacher,
because there is no one who can speak for your students
and there is no one who can speak for you
and your colleagues better than yourself,
because you live it and you know what happens
in that classroom.
And I do encourage future teachers
to consider going into politics,
because I think that we need more representation.
So I will leave it on that.
Lead, learn and teach with your heart first.
Yes, absolutely.
That is exactly what you do every day.
Well, America, I hope you are listening
and I believe in putting things out
good in the universe as well.
Hopefully we will see you in some political realm
that would not be a horrible idea.
I think it'd be actual fantastic idea
where you can continue to be a teacher to many of us
and help lead that charge, lead that change.
And again, to be of service and doing what's best
for our communities and for those around us
and most specifically our students and most specifically
our most vulnerable students.
So I just wanna say thank you again.
Thank you so much, Dr. Tribble for being our cohost
and with us today.
A big shout out to our-
Thank you for the opportunity.
Yes, and also-
Yeah, Sonny, thank you for everything that you do.
Really, thank you for your service.
And a big shout out to our producer, Mike Overholt.
Thank you so much for being the one
who does all the editing for us and everything.
Thank you guys for having me.
Yes, and I'm just, again, so delighted
that we got to be here with you today.
So from myself to you as a friend,
just thank you with all my heart.
And as the one who is able to get to be here
and have a master class with so many people,
thank you on behalf of all the listeners
for everything that you shared today.
You are the real deal and a game changer
and I support you so much.
Thank you.
All right, but with that, everyone have a great day
and we'll see you next time in Cultural Connections class.
Adios.
Thank you for joining us today.
Don't forget to like, follow and subscribe.
Adios.
Two of our favorite organizations,
she has been a part of our OKC team
and the Tim Thibault Foundation.
How do you pronounce that?
Tim Thibault?
Thibault?
Thibault.
Thibault, Tim Thibault.
I probably need to go ahead and restart this.
Yeah, come on.
Mr.
That's my-
No, he's not an athlete.
No, what's funny is that as I was reading,
Mike, I'm gonna start over.
As I was reading this though, I had to know to ask you that
but then I was like, I know that my Spanish
is gonna mispronounce this, like Thibault, Thibault.
Thibault, though.
But you know who Tim Thibault is, right?
I do, but I just didn't want to.
Yeah, actually, but I wasn't reading the name.
Let me go ahead and start that over so it sounds better.
All right, my apologies.
There's anything else I need to look at?
I read through this already this morning.
I mean, I think it's better just to keep it in there.
Let me go ahead.
Mike, take two.
Here we go.
Oh my God, Thibault.
I'm gonna like say it, say it, Taylor,
if I say it wrong.
Yeah.
You say Tim, I say Thibault.
Tim, Thibault.
Oh my gosh.
I didn't even make the connection when I read.
I'm so, I'm just laughing at myself.
That's so funny.
I'm like, Thibault, I'm gonna have to ask you,
and then I did.
Thibault, got it.
Here we go.
Mike, my apologies.
Hi, I'm Dougくん.
Stay in my memory