“My intention for this podcast is pretty simple. I really want people who are listening to feel less alone.” —Episode 1, Street Data Pod

“This podcast is so cool. I’m gonna tell all my friends to download and listen!” —Remo, Alcine’s nephew

Dear Community,

How are you all doing, really? Here we are in October—one of the grueling valleys in the rhythm of a school year. How are you taking care of yourself? As we’ve been asking podcast guests, what is a practice or ritual that keeps you grounded in the face of resistance, oppression, and fatigue? I am continuing to wake up early each day to light a candle, take a few breaths, and explore what is alive for me (often followed by journaling). This simple practice keeps me rooted in my purpose and makes space for the range of emotions in my own human experience. And when I miss it for a day or two, I feel different!

Today, I just have a quick note to update you on Street Data Pod, my latest creative endeavor hosted with the phenomenal Alcine Mumby. If you haven’t subscribed or checked it out yet, there’s no time like the present! Street Data Pod: Imagining the Next Generation of Education is for those of you in the classroom, or leading schools or districts, who are committed to the generational work of anti-racism and equity. As feelings of isolation among educators grow, we hope that the pod will inspire a sense of connection to a larger project of humanizing schools that is rooted in relationships and love.

Satellite Data: We’ve had 1,800 downloads in the first two weeks, which is a phenomenal response! About 65% of listeners are in the States, 30% in Canada, and the remaining 5% spread out across the globe.

Map Data: Alcine and I have received many texts and tweets that you might call map data–an early pattern of engagement and excitement about these conversations. Here are a few.

Street Data: We are setting our sights to host some live conversations on the pod around what is resonating and beginning to permeate people’s work and ways of being. Stay tuned! I will also note that our embodied experiences of hosting these conversations is its own form of street data. Alcine and I, along with our producer Maya Cueva, often text or voice-memo each other to celebrate how joyful and invigorating this project feels in our bodies and spirits.

So join us! Here are a couple of highlights from recent episodes:

Episode 2: “You Are Somebody’s Ancestor: Teach Like It” with Dr. Chris Emdin

“I spent an entire adolescence becoming something other than who I was designed to be. I do my work today to ensure that young folks don’t have that experience.”
LISTEN TO EPISODE 2

Episode 3: “Walking Shoulder to Shoulder with Children” with Denise Augustine and Dr. Jamila Dugan

“Indigenous pedagogy is how we as educators choose to show up and choose to engage. Do we view ourselves as dominant over children, or do we have the humility to see ourselves walking shoulder to shoulder with children?”
LISTEN TO EPISODE 3

Episode 4: “What Does it Mean to Freedom Dream?”: Disrupting Traps and Tropes with Dr. Jamila Dugan

“So now my radical dream is we really completely reorient toward working toward a future together that’s defined by us for us… And I mean that in whatever context we’re in because every context, every school has a different way that they’re operating. Different groups of people there. What are our big dreams? Not the ones that someone told us that we wanted to have.”
LISTEN TO EPISODE 4

SAVE THE DATE!

Our next virtual Brave Spaces Institute will be May 8-9, 2023. We’ll announce in the newsletter and on the website when we open registration!

Behind the Scenes: Interview with Manager and “Cat-Herder” Jamie Valle

How did you become the wizard behind the scenes of this growing body of work?

When you (Shane) first wrote The Listening Leader, and were developing a new website, my colleague Leeann introduced us. I was initially brought in to execute on a larger marketing plan but over the span of five years, my small role has expanded greatly to what is is today.

Tell me about your business (Herding Cats Concierge) and the core values that drive you as an entrepreneur.

I came from a background that included over 20 years of administrative experience, mixed with forays into live theater, video game development, television production, and more. I’ve always been drawn to supporting creative folks with a vision. At some point, I decided to hang up my office job and start my own business with a focus on helping people launch and strengthen their organizations. I think about my work as “adulting” for my clients who, like many, sometimes struggle with the minutiae of day-to-day life.

What’s a connection between your own schooling experiences and the work you are supporting around Street Data and Listening Leadership?

My schooling experiences were good academically, but I was verbally bullied by my classmates for about 4 years and nobody really did anything about it. It was third through sixth grade, and my self-esteem took a real beating. It was a rough climb out and I would say it still somewhat affects me to this day. It would have been nice if an authority figure at my school had checked in and really listened to me about what I was going through.

What brings you joy in life? (beyond work!)

I love singing karaoke, particularly the ladies of the 80’s! In the “before times”, we used to do this at The Mint in San Francisco, but now my friend has created a karaoke bar in his house and we gather once a month to sing together. I also enjoy cuddling and playing with my two cats, Jake Ryan and Zuul.