Welcome to the Classroom Narratives Healing and Education podcast, the space where education
meets resilience. I'm Joey Weisler and in each episode we dive deep into the personal stories
of educators, students, leaders, and frontline advocates who are navigating the complexities
of modern education. Whether you're just starting your teaching journey or are a seasoned professional
looking for inspiration, we'll explore how to foster meaningful change, prevent burnout,
and build trauma-informed communities in our schools. Now let's take a seat at the front of
the classroom and get started. Welcome back to the podcast everyone. Today I am so privileged
to be joined by Colleen Crisan, a dedicated educator with over 19 years of experience
teaching middle and high school English. Colleen brings a unique perspective having taught in
Parkland near Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during a tragic time and she uses literature to
help students navigate their emotions in safe and open ways. Colleen has a really powerful approach
to integrating trauma-informed practices within education, especially by using stories as mirrors
and windows to foster dialogue and healing among students. And I'm so excited to dive into this
conversation with her because not only is she supportive and guidance students through the
power of storytelling, but she was also my sixth grade language arts teacher. Colleen, do you
remember what year that was? I do not remember what year, but I remember little Joey sitting in
my classroom. We're talking 2006-2007. Oh my gosh, that was my second year teaching. Wow,
and look how quickly time flies. Well it's great to have you on the podcast. Thank you so much
again for joining us. So the first thing I wanted to ask is in terms of education, you mentioned
that your first year teaching was 2005, right? What were your opening years like with teaching?
What were you experiencing during that time that even I was your student? And how have some of the
lessons from that time helped you now 20 years later for something maybe new educators can think
about as well? Well, there was so long ago. I remember just the enthusiasm and coming straight
out of my master's, I had all of these new skills that I wanted to share and some of them worked
and some of them totally flopped. And through the years, I just learned to inventory those skills,
those lessons, the texts that resonated with kids, the ones that were unexpectedly triggering
for some kids that I didn't think about. I think it's just an overall awareness of the age group
and the varying perspectives that are sitting in front of me in the classroom. And through the
years, I've learned to be more aware of that and more conscientious of that and make sure that I
use texts that I can reach all kids from all different backgrounds, all different experiences
with. I had this misconception that I needed to pick streamlined text that were kind of generic
and what I've found over the years, it's actually the more diverse texts that are more powerful
because they work on so many levels as windows and mirrors, as helping kids see themselves
in the literature and then helping other kids understand differing perspectives as well.
Absolutely. And Colleen, you reminded me of a conversation that we had with Enma
Leyva on the podcast series here that talks about the power of empathy within literature.
So Colleen, what are some of the different texts that you've used in your classroom
that you feel students have been most receptive to? And first of all, when I had you, you were
just teaching standard and advanced sixth grade language arts, but over time you've evolved into
gifted level instruction. Tell us about the difference in those students and how they've
received those texts and which ones worked the best or the ones you were trying to reach.
Well, as far as specific texts, I don't know that I can think of any off the top of my head,
like specific titles, but what I do know is I make an effort to choose from varying religious
backgrounds, from varying ethnic backgrounds. We chose texts from different countries. "A long
Walk to Water" is actually a really good one because it gives the kids a whole new perspective
that they likely have never seen before. And the main character, the protagonist is their age,
but has such a different experience than they do going through war and the violence.
Teaching in Parkland, at the high school, I have much more diversity. Teaching in Parkland, though,
you don't really see as much diversity. So as the years went on, I made a really, really conscious
effort to make sure that I included texts with protagonists that I knew were different from them
so that they could understand other people and other people's thoughts and feelings and
experiences better. And then I was in Parkland, so we would also teach texts that were about
the Holocaust. And that is so powerful with the demographic out there because many of them had
relatives who survived. And that was one way that they would share because typically they're a little
closed off. But when you get such a tragic event like the Holocaust and they actually know someone
and their families have spoken to them about this, they really start to open up. That was one of the
ways, but we just recently, I did a long walk to water and that was really powerful. Linda Sue Park
has a bunch of different books that are really great. I think when it comes to having a full
classroom of students, one thing that we think about is that they all have their age in common.
So as time went on in your more recent years of teaching, how have you noticed the climates change?
One example being from the Stoneman Douglas tragedy, which you were also on campus for with me,
by the way, I was also on campus that day as well, as well as even COVID, you were also still teaching
middle school during the COVID era. How have different recent events altered the way you
present stories in classrooms? Well, one of the ways, and this is something I'm actually really
excited about, is there's a lot more resources and a lot more of a focus on resiliency for both right
after Douglas, there was a huge push for teachers to be trained and to get the resources that they
needed. And for lack of a better word, previously a lot of the emotional management type strategies
might've have been seen in schools just kind of woo woo for lack of a better word, like, you know,
it like a waste of time. Like you should be teaching them academic skills, not stress
management skills. You shouldn't be spending your time doing meditation with the kids or doing
lessons that are not academically focused to your core subject. And since then, not only has there
been this amazing push for overall wellbeing for teachers, but for students as well. So I really am
loving like the district mandated resiliency training that they do, because now I don't feel
bad when I do the meditation, when I look around my classroom and I see that the kids are stressed
out because their course load is so heavy and they have three tests and they're overwhelmed.
And now I can put on a meditation and I can do it with the class and dim the lights and go over ways
that they can manage their stress. And now it's not frowned upon, which is amazing. And not only
that, but because the kids, it's been a few years now that the kids have been doing this in an
academic setting, they now are used to it. And so they participate and they see the benefits of
using all of these strategies. And I see clubs popping up about just making people happy,
spreading kindness, spreading wellbeing clubs. They focus on what you can do
when you're feeling overwhelmed. I am so happy to see that because I think for so long, school was
the sterile place where you came in and you learned the subjects and there was no room for the rest of
the child. And when you're a teacher, the rest of the child is who's in front of you. I mean,
if you don't reach the whole child, then you're not going to get much growth or learning out of them
because their mind is elsewhere. So I'm really, really excited that now I can, not only is it
something that the higher ups have made time for in the school day, but I can also supplement it
without feeling like I'm a bad teacher. I'm not using my time wisely. So I'm just so thrilled
to see the emphasis on that. It's amazing. I'm so glad you brought that up because as we go
through the series, I will start to slowly disclose a part of my own story where in 2019,
we're talking within the year of the tragedy happening, where I moved to another part of the
district and I was entirely shamed by my leadership for continuing to use the meditation strategies.
I was actually told it was a waste of time if they're not on iReady working through that.
And I was told that it is about the brain and not the child's heart. And it shamed me so much and I
was frowned upon so greatly for trying to work through those strategies that eventually it led
to me having to resign from that position because we were no longer a good match for me trying to
incorporate the whole child into my own learning. So for our listeners today that are facing any
kind of discouragement from any sort of resistance to approach a full child's being, what advice or
motivation can you give as educators listening today? I would say find some research. A lot of
times when you have the cold hard facts and you have peer-reviewed research that backs you up,
that's always a great place to start because then you have something that you can present them.
Find organizations that you can rely on to get some resources and then find the research. Find
other districts that have implemented something like this so that you can show how it's successful.
Get your data. If you see learning gains in your students after using these strategies,
get that data and show them this is from teaching the whole child. The teacher makes or breaks the
classroom. If the kids feel connected to the teacher, they're gonna work harder. But if you
have a cold teacher up there and the kids don't think that you care about them and think that
their only life is the life that they have with you in that classroom, then you're gonna lose them.
It reminded me of Rita Pearson, a very renowned educator on a TED talk who says every child
needs a champion. And she says again you can have a student in their favorite subject but if they
don't click with the teacher you're not going to like it. And likewise you can have a student in
their weakest subject but a great teacher can turn that around for them. And it makes me wonder when
it comes to focusing with literary instruction using some of the methods that you've already
shared with us, what are some trauma-informed practices that you incorporate into teaching
stories? So this is a tricky question because teaching in Parkland after there were a lot of
texts that I wanted to teach but when I read them over they were too close to home. I mean they were
too triggering for kids who had lost a sibling or lost their dance team member or close friends.
So I would find shared emotions or in other words if the character in the story lost a pet and then
use that as a starting point to open a dialogue about loss in general. That created a safe space
for them. A lot of times and a lot of people they don't want to talk about trauma because it brings
up all of their emotions. They just kind of want to push it down and get on with their day and
there's a place for that for sure. But I think and I'm not a psychologist so there's no authority in
what I'm saying but I think after a while if you don't let it out then you turn to some other
unhealthier ways to deal with those emotions that are bubbling up. And by talking about a character
it indirectly gives them an out. They are able to talk about this character without having to talk
about themselves. They're not talking about their emotions they're talking about the character's
emotions and how that character probably felt. And eventually if you talk about the characters
enough with them they'll start to feel safe with you and open up. I have found that finding
similarities that are not too similar to make them feel like you're targeting them. They just need to
be a commonality that they can piggyback off of to talk about their own experiences their own struggles
without feeling too emotionally overwhelmed. When I was teaching one of my favorite stories of all
time back with my middle school class in 2019 the text was John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". I love
everything about that story. I was asking the students when we're looking at these 1930s
characters during the Great Depression who come from different walks of life and struggle with
this image of a broken dream. These characters all lose sight of their dreams because of the
isolation that they face in society. So in helping my own students connect with these characters I
said think about a time where you have also felt isolated and what did that mean to your relationship
with these characters that were studying. And the feedback I got from these students was so incredibly
overwhelming to the point that I actually had a few kids walk up to my little zen area at the time
and called me out on the fact that I had a suicide first aid training badge in my zen zone. And they
said after doing this exercise can we talk to you about that because there was feelings that we now
feel comfortable sharing with you because we know you have that badge displayed in your room. And it
was a big eye opener for me because I knew that they felt courageous comfortable and vulnerable
because of our stories. But yes as our research also mentions from Katherine Tyler, Carole Deletiner,
all researchers in the subject field we're not pseudo-psychologists and that's really important
for us to know that line where we can cross it and if we can cross it. But at the same time it's hard
for us as humanities-based educators to try and sanitize learning because writing and stories are
anchors to bringing emotion into a classroom. So it gets my question Colleen is how do you navigate
those situations if and or when they've came your way? So I did take a training about what to do
when a student comes to you in a crisis and basically in that training was very you know
validate their emotions don't leave them alone. But the biggest thing I got about that is find
the professional and refer them to the professional as quickly and as quietly as you can. And that was
such a good reminder for me because as an educator and as a person I want to fix things but I'm not a
professional and I could easily say something with the best of intention that is not helpful
in that moment. So it's so important to have a designated person who is trained in that at your
school and truthfully I don't know what people do who don't have that person at their school.
There are numbers I know that you can call but if your school doesn't have one I would really push
to get someone designated in dealing with a crisis or a vulnerable child because that is my go-to
is find the expert because I am not that expert. I am thoughtful and kind and supportive
and empathetic but not an expert and that was really hard for me to accept because for so long
I was under the impression that I was the person that they should go to and you should be the one
helping them because they are your student and it goes so much deeper than that that is not fact.
It's a reminder that these trainings teach us especially as humanities educators but for all
educators but exclusively those dealing with pop-up emotions in the classroom if you will
that our job is to be there while keeping the student safe for now and again Colleen I had
you in your second year of teaching and it's an honor to know you and all that you've learned to
grow through since that time as well as I'm already in year seven so it's like I'm a few
paces behind you but I'm further than where you were when I had you as a student which is crazy
and I wanted to ask for also our newer teachers there is research from Ellen Moore and Ellen Moore
says that the sequence of a new teacher goes from this fantasy where they have this idea that they
can change the world and everything's going to be wonderful but then that fantasy switches very
quickly to survival mode within the first semester or so before you then progress into trying to
reflect and then find resilience and anticipation once again for the new year based upon what you've
learned and so for some of our new teachers listening can you inspire us by telling us
what that moment felt like where you had to accept your own reality and pivot your outlook on the
career because of that so this actually kind of happened very early on for me my very first day
of teaching I walked into the classroom full of hope and fairy dust and dreams and I went in there
and had this get to know you activity and it was a little squiggle on a line and so I'm going around
and the kids are doing great and then I go over to the student and so then I say again I'm a
naive teacher I say would anyone like to share and he raises his hand I go great and he gets up
and he shows his paper and ultimately he shows the entire class a phallic symbol from his paper
announcing it on the very first day of school oh my goodness and right then it just shattered
for me because here I am my very first day of teaching a class full of sixth graders and this
kid has just done everything opposite of my intention for this and from then on it was kind
of a rude awakening I'm grateful to that kid and it's a fun memory now but you talk about how it's
a gradual process it it really wasn't that gradual for me that's yeah that snapped me right into
reality and from that point forward I really did think about like how are all the ways that this
could go wrong before I did it and it's a good thing I have a good sense of humor because I was
able to like laugh about it but it did put a filter on the way that I looked at my lessons
moving forward and the fact that I am dealing with pre-teens here and they have no filter either
and you know I I learned to be able to laugh it off all the obstacles all the struggles you
got to be able to laugh and then get back up on the horse and reflect and keep moving forward so
I kind of experienced that early on it wasn't so gradual for me but I do remember feeling
overwhelmed later in the school year and I luckily had a bunch of great mentors and just lean on those
colleagues take all of the lessons that they offer take any help that's offered to you and use it
until you feel like you are back on your feet and you can start making it your own again but lean on
those experienced teachers or those people who are offering you support because that's really
what got me through and I'd love to take a shout out for a second here to a very dear mutual friend
to both of us Mrs. Fernanda Johnson who I hope will be listening to this segment Colleen was my
first period and Fernanda was my second period teacher for world history and the two of them
made our team come to life every day just because of their their dynamic dual relationship and just
supporting the both of us together so Mrs. Johnson if you're listening we both appreciate you and
supporting both your peers and your students so thank you again for all that you've done.
She is truly my work mom and she has given me through my entire career the best advice that
I received she's the one who told me to choose my battles because as a new teacher everything was
a battle that I was willing to fight until there was no more fighting left in me and she is the one
who told me baby you just got to choose your battles is it really worth it and it turns out
that a lot of it really wasn't but find your Fernanda Johnson in at your school because every
teacher needs a champion as well every student needs a champion but every teacher needs a champion
and I shout out to my own champions as well because they were my own by a flight when I was
working with a lot of resistance during that time as well and so Colleen as we come to the end of
our conversation I wonder if you could talk to us about some of your organizations such as, "Read On
with Mrs Crisan" and what can our listeners know about the kind of work that you're doing?
So with "Read On with Mrs. Crisan" I really try to reach out to the community. It's children's
books and a lot of them have to do with resiliency and I try to do book drives so that I can provide
new books and quality books to families who might not be able to get them for their children on
their own and who are going through a tough time. I try to bring families together through literacy
through finding the right book for them and I'm actually doing a book drive right now for an
organization in South Florida called "Deliver the Dream". They help families who are going through
either a crisis or an illness in the family and they provide programs for them, retreats,
and they focus on resiliency training for those families to help them stay together and support
each other through these times. So right now I'm doing a book drive for their event called Toy Chest
where they invite parents in to quote shop for their kids when they might not be able to do so
on their own. So that runs until November 30th and I have the link on my "Read On with Mrs. Crisan"
Facebook and Instagram and I just try to use it as often as I can to help spread literacy in the
community by donating books. Thank you for that and you can go ahead and learn more about "Read
On with Mrs. Crisan" through the social media pages as well through our show notes. I guess the
last question I wanted to ask Colleen is when it comes to the secret sauce to education or things
that you've learned what is one thing that you want our readers to take away from today's dialogue?
To know your students, enjoy your students, and have a really good sense of humor. And I echo
that I saw all of those in our classroom together. It's been 18 years but you were always an educator
who was kind, who was approachable, and showed that you were there for all the right reasons.
So thank you again for motivating us to go on to our larger dreams as we're doing now as we
talk to you. Thank you so much. Thanks Joey. Such a pleasure. So thank you Colleen again for sharing
your journey and your approaches of using literature as tools for healing as well as inspiring our
other educators on the show today. And your insight is a reminder to us that it's important
to create safe spaces for others as a way to build resilience while also using strategies and methods
that help gain insight to the whole child instead of just their brain because education is so much
more than that. And to our listeners, don't forget to check out our upcoming episodes and conversations
in order to learn more about resilience and healing. And until next time, remember that you
as educators all have the power to change student lives. Thank you for tuning in today.
Thank you for joining us on the Classroom Narratives Healing and Education Podcast.
If today's episode inspired you or made you think differently, I'd love to hear from you. Drop a
comment or review wherever you listen to podcasts and stay connected with us on the at Classroom
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into stars in education, one conversation at a time.