Hello, nice to meet you!
I am Sierah Tyson, an ELA specialist at UnboundEd. I taught 10th grade and now I create digital OER curriculum and professional development materials for ELA teachers. I’m on a journey to spend the next six months talking to educators across the country in order to hear their perspectives on teaching and learning.
I want to see more diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, and my position as a curriculum designer gives me a platform to do that. But I cannot do it on my own. I need to include others’ perspectives. So, I am going to see first-hand what teachers are doing, figure out what’s working, and incorporate the voices of many in my curriculum work. My journey will include travel to different states, school visits, and educator interviews so I can hear the stories of teachers and how they are making a difference—in and out of the classroom—for their students. And of course, I will share their stories with you.
Kaitlyn Sullivan, middle school science teacher in Parachute, Colo., shares what it means to be a teacher.
When I was teaching, I liked collaborating with other teachers, but my outreach was limited to the network of people at my school. I wished I had input from a broader range of teachers and began to think, ‘What if I could hear the voices and ideas of teachers all around the country and use their input to inform my decisions?’ Now, my journey is giving me the opportunity to listen to teachers and help share their ideas with others. I’m looking forward to making new connections so we all can share in victories, address the causes of setbacks, and work together to make better, more informed curricular decisions.
Before leaving the classroom, I told my students that I was going to develop a curriculum that would empower students and inspire teachers. I miss teaching, but I realized that the need for representation goes beyond the classroom. Having people of color making decisions about curriculum is JUST as important. As I worked on making curricular decisions I thought to myself, ‘What is your perspective and how does that play a role in the changes you suggest?’
How can you be a part of my journey?
My trip is based on the value of sharing experiences with others, and I’d love to have you along for the journey! Some of my future topics will include school culture, representation in education, curriculum, teacher communities and most importantly, the students. Follow me, @educationnomad on Twitter and @theeducationnomad on Instagram, to learn, explore and connect.
