Inspiring Voices from the Classroom, a video interview series, is designed to recognize and highlight current mathematics classroom teachers and provide a positive platform that allows their authentic voices to be heard. Teachers will have the opportunity to sit-down with the host Dr. Kristopher J. Childs to tell their personal stories of being a teacher. These stories will be vital as the responsibilities of a teacher have shifted due to the pandemic and a once in a lifetime opportunity is occurring in education to reimagine the field.
Educators and other viewers can follow Inspiring Voices from the Classroom Show on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, visit the series homepage.
Inspiring Voices Series 2 Playlist (2023)
New episodes are posted July-October 2023. This season features interviews with educators Jose Vilson, Dwaina Sookhoo, Sophie Brady, Ricardo Estrada, Shane Wiggan, Abi Ruiz, Nisha Phillip Malahoo, and Carrie DeNote.
Inspiring Voices Series 1 Playlist (2022)
Released in Spring 2022. Featuring interviews with educators Nickeva Jones, Dr. Damarrio C. Holloway, Georgina Rivera, Cori Colby, and Kenneth Golden.
About Inspiring Voices from the Classroom
The show focuses on three pillars: educating, inspiring, and advocating.
- Educating: Asks the teacher to describe their mathematics teaching philosophy. In addition, the teacher will provide teacher tips, these tips can range from classroom pedagogy to self-care.
- Inspiring: Allows the teacher the opportunity to provide positive words to the audience and highlight the joys of teaching. Teachers will have the opportunity to tell their story of becoming a teacher, their defining moment as a teacher, and their ‘why’ for teaching.
- Advocating: Used to challenge the audience to spring into action. Education is always in need of some strong advocates willing to fight for change and fight to ensure every student receives a high-quality educational experience. Thus, the need to provide a call to action.Intertwined in all of this is a focus on the special work teachers do in light of their sense of mission, to engage students in mathematics -- and what "mathematics" in their classroom comprises-- what competences they are explicitly trying to lift up, how they are supporting young learners to identify with math.
About Dr. Kristopher J. Childs
Dr. Kristopher Childs is the Chief Academic, Equity, and Social Justice Officer at Open-Up Resources, a former secondary school mathematics teacher, and host of the DrKChilds YouTube channel with videos for teachers. Childs holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Florida A&M University, a Master of Science in Mathematics Education from Nova Southeastern University, and a PhD in Mathematics Education from University of Central Florida. Learn more about his work and advocacy at http://kristopherchilds.com/about.