45 – Cultivating Education in a Correctional Facility (w Dawn Matthews-Nichols)

Have you ever wondered if one of your students is capable of murder? Well, what if you knew that your entire class had committed violent crimes? How would you build a positive classroom culture!? Dawn Matthews-Nichols has been teaching since 1987 in a variety of settings with “emotionally disturbed” youth. She’s seen education from the margins and has some powerful advice for mainstream teachers.

Show Notes:

• A call to action for progressive teachers wanting to amplify their impact and challenge the status quo! (1:37)
• Can revolutionary knowledge be held by those benefiting from the current system? (5:23)
• What drew Dawn into education and what made her decide to not teach in a school right away. (9:25)
• Working with “emotionally disturbed” youth at Project Trust and the Calgary Young Offenders Centre. (16:39)
• The demographic factors of students in the Young Offenders Center. (32:15)
• Sustaining the work of change through joy, boundaries, and emotional regulation. (35:52)
• Building relationships and trust through classroom expectations. (41:42)
• Exploring the over-representation of BIPOC youth in the jail system. (45:02)
• The advice that Dawn offers to mainstream teachers from her years working in a correctional facility. (49:07)
• The purpose of education. (56:16)

Connect with Natalie if you’re a progressive teacher that wants to break free from the pressure of the status quo and amplify your impact -->Book an empathy interview!

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