Abbott Elementary S1E3 "Wishlist" w/ Ashley Lipscomb (Restorative Justice Reflections)

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Transcript

David: 0:00

Heyo, david, here. Restored of Justice Reflections was created as a video first medium because we're including video clips from the shows we're talking about. You can still hear our full conversation here with the audio from the clip, but for the full experience and to see our beautiful faces, head over to our YouTube page link below. If you're only going podcasts or your thing, please bear with the mentions of video and clips and use your imagination. Enjoy. Welcome back to Restored of Justice Reflections.

David: 0:47

I'm your host, david Ryan, and I'm your host, david Ryan, and I'm here with Ashley Lipscomb to dive into the Restorative Themes, or lack thereof, found in Season 1, episode 3 of ABC's hit show Abba Elementary Wishlist. As always, our conversation here is not to critique the story and production choices of the creators, but we will highlight how Restored of Justice could apply to the situations in this episode, like creating a welcome, nurturing classroom environment while dealing with limited supplies and funding. Hopefully, this will give you some insight into applying Restored of Justice ways of being inside and out of the classroom. If you want a deeper look into applying Restored of Justice to your everyday life, join our inner circle to connect with other RJ-minded folks and get bonus content If you want to deepen your practice, check out our courses and if you want to see this work in your school or organization, invite us for coaching or training so we can help you implement this way of being into your community.

David: 1:42

Of course, links to everything in the description. now let's get to it. I am so excited to welcome Ashley to the show. Ashley, tell the people about yourself.

show clip: 1:51

Hello, oh, you said all the ancestors, so I'm going to say Ashley, yolanda Lipscomb, yolanda being named after someone from my matriarchal village, one of my favorite people, my auntie, who taught me how to be fierce, to be myself and to be loving self Myself. I am the co-founder and one of the leading facilitators of the Institute for Anti-Racist Education, where we work with schools right to be truthful sites of social transformation for students by creating really radically loving and caring schools. I also am a scholar, now heading into my second year as a PhD student, studying Black educational activism from communities who had to fight to even learn how to read, so definitely interested in 19th century things. But most importantly, i am family friend. I'm a godmother, everyone's favorite auntie, you know. Hopefully one day, as we affectionately call them, rich auntie, and all the things that you know are part of living in life. Most times I'm a mess, but today I'm just glad to be here.

David: 3:12

And I am so glad to be here. You know so many of the people who are coming on here are people who I've built relationships with over the past few years through our connections over the internet and social media, which is a big part of today's episode. But you know we've also had good conversations about what it means to do equity work, anti-racist work, justice work within the context of schools, and Abbott Elementary has been like a really great vehicle to have these kind of conversations. Tell us about your experience viewing the show.

show clip: 3:44

I first of all, i love this show. I think Abbott Elementary is hilarious And it feels like we were seen, like you know, when I was teaching, i was like these are, so I can see some of the people who I work with in this show And I just thought it was the best. Yeah, and then this particular episode, too, was a joy to watch, right, because there's so much that comes up, so I'll wait to talk about it, but we really, really love this show overall. Huge fan.

David: 4:16

Beautiful, you know, as somebody who spent significant time in a classroom and is now doing work tangential to classrooms. Right, the ways that this show brings up so many of the issues that teachers and educators and people who are like around schools are facing is so important, and so we're going to highlight a couple of those. But to give a short synopsis of this episode wishlist, thank you Wikipedia we have Jeanine trying to make a viral video to get supplies for her classroom with Eva's help. She then also asks if it's a secretly make a video for Barbara, who also needs supplies but is refusing any help.

David: 4:56

Eva makes exaggerated videos for both Jeanine and Barbara's, which you know go viral but create an uncomfortable situation for her, with the tragedy porn of it all. At the same time, jacob is trying to do what he can with the donated items that, like were not requested, and Jeanine is also supporting Gregory Eddy to decorate his classroom to feel like a more welcome space. So so much to unpack here. Let's start kind of at the beginning, right? We have this framework of teachers not having what they need are, so they're resorting to having like people donate in so many ways. She performs.

show clip: 5:38

So it's wishlist week here at Abbott Elementary. The city doesn't always give us the funding we need for our supplies. I know I keep saying that, but it keeps being true. It's not like we have nothing. We clip old pictures out of magazines from the barbershop down the street. The whole wishlist thing makes it very easy for the community to help.

David: 5:55

Obviously, some of the things that are donated aren't welcome, aren't needed, but then they do make really specific asks And, as we watch this right, you're fortunate enough to have work in spaces where that kind of thing wasn't necessarily needed And donors choose as important, like all, the ways that teachers and educators fundraise to meet their classroom needs are important. But as you were watching this, what were the feelings, reflections from your experience and the things that you've observed? What were the things that were coming up from you?

show clip: 6:26

Yeah, i mean, the fact that they even need a wishlist in the first place is just a hot mess, right. And the fact that sometimes we even have to ask parents for supplies, i think is also a hot mess, because at the end of the day, these are things that the schools should supply At the basic, fundamental level. We think about what students need to learn. Why do teachers not have all the tools that they need right To do that and do it well? When I was teaching I did not have that experience right. My school district did a great job of providing so many foundational materials that I would need, like we got a catalog, i got a certain budget that I could have used to purchase all these things from the catalog. So, you know, you got to fill out form to meet the budget that they gave us And it was a decent budget, right For the catalog that I could order from, and so that took the pressure off of having to do some of those things. So that means my energy is spent elsewhere. And if I really do want to think about the more creative things I want in my classroom, shout out to Mr Eddie who was trying to figure out how to, you know, really shape his classroom environment. I was able to focus more so on that creative energy there, you know, especially when I got into my own little classroom, really excited.

show clip: 7:45

I had taught in the media center for a while And then when I finally got into my own classroom, i was like, yes, this is my space, i can do what I want.

show clip: 7:53

And that freedom and the beauty of having being able to cultivate that space outside of the supplies that the school is already giving me. Right, if I needed more paper on to do something, i knew they would supply it, and so that was a beautiful gift that I had, that I was able to sort of teach in that experience, whereas some of my best friends, who are also teachers, who teach in a district that is underfunded, they don't have that experience. So I hear the stories about how they have to do this for their classroom. They're already not getting paid enough, like, let's just be clear, you're already not getting paid what you should as teachers. And then now, on top of that, i got to buy supplies to make sure that students have what they even need, like a pen or a pencil, like those are the basic necessities And like teachers are buying them, and so I do think that the wish list is a great way to get around that for now, but it's an awful thing that they have to do, knowing that schools can supply their needs right.

David: 8:53

Yeah, when I think about principles of restorative justice and, in tangent to what we're observing here, something around the idea of communities have what they need to solve the problems that they have, right, they have the resources, they have the skills, the know-how right, part of what would solve all of these problems is that funding from the state, from the district, et cetera. But when that's not happening, right, what are the ways that we can go about making ends meet? And I think the teachers in the show and teachers everywhere are really resourceful at figuring out the ways to meet the needs of their students, right, some less than legal that we've seen, like Melissa, engage in in other instances, but here in this show, right?

David: 9:40

No, that's not the question that comes from Melissa. Sorry, Exactly right. What are the ways that we can leverage the resources available to us? right, And we see Jeanine do her best in engaging in social media campaigns to drum up support. Let's start from the beginning.

show clip: 10:04

Hi, i'm Jeanine Teens and I teach second grade. See how I spelled my name out in the back on the projector on the wall. Mm-hmm, what do we need? Tape, right-handed scissors. So I'm going to put the items over my head. pictures and as soon as I learn how to do that and you get the idea, two, three.

David: 10:23

So thank you for me. And you know, i'm sure what she initially created might have been helpful And like, hey, everybody is also uniquely gifted and we are needed for what they bring. Ava is somebody as problematic as she is, like really does have a marketing, storytelling production expertise And is able to make things meet. And so you know, as hard as it was for Jeanine to go to Ava for help, right Like doing that, making those asks of people like are really important so you can get what you need for your community.

show clip: 11:05

Yeah, for sure. And then, too, it also brings about a very interesting opportunity. Right, ava is great. She is a storyteller, she knows how to work social media, how to do what needs to get done. Right, she's also very popular. She's funny, all the things. But also how, as an administrator, could she have thought more creatively about what strategic partnerships are needed to get those supplies Like?

show clip: 11:32

teachers are wonderful right, because they have the skills and they're going to make a way. Like Miss Miss Howard I love her too We're going to make it do what it do. That's what we say money. but we're going to make it do what it do But also thinking about in the community, in a restorative approach. what partnerships are necessary for the community in order to help this school not operate in a silo right When the state isn't doing what it's supposed to do? how do we even think about? what can we do as a community to make sure that students have what they need? If there are organizations in your local neighborhood right that are doing the work of supporting youth empowerment, how is this also a part of that? What are some?

show clip: 12:12

strategic partners. can they make right To make this a really thoughtful communal endeavor to make sure that students have what they need to learn?

David: 12:21

Like you're saying, ava is like really great at the storytelling, the production of all that, but like her orientation towards it is like, yes, this is like a beautiful manifestation of my work and my expertise And, as much as you know, the kids do get to benefit that from that. The school does get to benefit from that If at all. If her orientation was towards like how can I use these skills to like comprehensively within the school like not just like, hey, for these two teachers help us get what they need right Things would be very different. Of course, like Ava is such an exaggerated, heightened character that has like shades of like people that you know we might see in school leadership, and so it's hard to like give like real critiques of a character on a TV show. But like we do wish that like people who are leading schools right, not play favorites right Or really do think holistically about you know the needs of the school, and instead of saying like, hey, go fund Miss Howard, our best teacher, but like in this tragic way, like doesn't have what she needs right, like Hey, what if we think a little bit more holistically?

David: 13:28

And I do think like that is something that in in like the fundraising world, the organizing world, in the world of messaging, asking people to support, like we need to be really careful of right. There are lots of ways that are messaging about our causes or the things that we're doing. Like can be framed like as deficit based versus asset based, and you know at different times like those things pull on heartstrings rather than effectively. But like at what cost? What is the damage that's being done?

show clip: 13:58

For sure, and I think about, even in the work that I do. Right, i'm a nonprofit And so I have to wrestle with the fact that I'm a part of the nonprofit industrial complex that lives and breathes off those sad stories. And I think about you know, some of the students I work with whose stories mirror mine, and I think about how you know, as a child who's had different experiences, who was raised differently, who had to go over certain hurdles, like to tell the story of people's heartstrings. Of course they're going to want to give and donate to other kids who have that experience, but it's my story to own And you don't have to hear the hardships in order for my story to be valuable.

show clip: 14:41

Like, when do we begin to think about? like we just give because every child and I think this is over a sort of approach every child, every human being is deserving of radical care at the basic foundation, right, not because they're so, they're so needy, they don't have all these things, and we know that that's true. But maybe, just maybe, we want to give to students simply because they need it And they deserve it. Like, why is that just not the basics of wanting to give, of wanting to give to kids, not because we hear these stories and they're pulling our heartstrings. Why are we, as individuals, as communities, not just like let me just do it, just because kids need it right?

David: 15:24

Yeah, it's impossible to have a real conversation about this and not talk about, like wealth inequality And I say wealth inequality not income inequality, right, because, like, the hoarding of wealth like has relatively little to do with, like how much people make an exchange for their labor. Right, like the people who control most of the world's assets, right, like, did not make their money through like a salary right. And so when those people go out and try to decide like oh, these are the philanthropic endeavors, these are the people who are deserving of, like my philanthropy dollars for my tax write-offs, right Like, that's a really hard way to like think about exemplifying care. Right, and you know, we are in this world where that is the primary way that resources are allocated, and so, like, without that ethic of radical care that I think Ms Howard represents so beautifully, what are the ways that we can navigate the world, schools, our organizations, with those things in mind?

show clip: 16:34

For sure, And I think she gives us a great framing right.

Ashley: 16:37

My kids don't have half the supplies they need most of the time, but they don't need to know that.

show clip: 16:41

Yeah, but I saw your kids painting with empty watercolors. It's our job.

Ashley: 16:46

Our job is to build them up, make them confident. Is it nice to have stuff? Sure, but my students do not need to feel less than because they do not have stuff. So we talk about what they do have, not about what they don't.

show clip: 17:01

And I think that that's a really important starting point. What do they have, right? This creative energy? What do they have? this brilliance, this kind Look at how they were drawing pictures for Mr Eddie This care, this kindness, right, you have beautiful ways that students show up in the world. That's something they do have, and we get to really fund and nurture that creative energy. We get to ensure, right, that students have more of that. They can cultivate more of those experiences in their classroom because they have those resources, and that's like, i think, a great framing that Ms Howard gives us. All right, we know She's like look, i know we don't have that, but my students don't need to know that. They don't have those things.

show clip: 17:50

And that's also a really important conversation. How do we, as teachers, think about that in the classroom? Are we saying to them well, you know, is schooling going to give us this thing? They're not going to do this for you Or is it that we got to tell them that? And most times we don't? I think students see just the love of educators, and I think during this time, we need to also talk about how loving these educators were, that this was not just about them getting supplies for themselves, ava excluded. This was not about them just getting supplies for themselves and what they need. It was really like OK, this is about the students And we really care about the students. We want to make sure that they have what they need in our classrooms. And when Miss Howard is like, yeah, we know we're not going to get it, but I know how beautiful my students are, what they do have and I'm going to feed into what they do have And I think that's a great framing we should start thinking about.

David: 18:49

And I think like that and holding the tension of love and care does not equal like supplies, resources, money, like is hard to reckon with, right Where, like she's like when Janine asked, like oh, so you're gonna give the supplies back? and she's like, oh, hell, no, i'm keeping that. Like one of those things are available to me, right, like I'm gonna use them. And like if I was able to have those things and be able to do more like you were saying at the beginning of this conversation, like it would increase, like my capacity to be more creative and like turn my attention to other things instead of trying to figure out like how we can source, you know, these supplies. Like that would like even like accelerate the level of like what your kids learned. It would alleviate a burden for teachers of like, oh, i can turn my attention to you know more generative things rather than just survival.

David: 19:46

And I think, as we are, we as listeners right now, viewers right now, are thinking about the ways that we can address these problems within schools. Yes, we've gotta figure out how to be sourceful, scrappy, give care and all that. But you know, for those of you who might be listening, who are holding the purse strings of foundations or philanthropic efforts, or even like, as yourself, as a person, of means right, like what are the ways that resources can be allocated to give these kids the radical care that they so deserve? And also On the other side of this, sorry, go ahead.

show clip: 20:25

And also policy right. How are they thinking about funding the ways that organizations are trying to make systemic changes? Right? What policies are needed so that there is never this type of shortage for teachers? And I think about that a lot, right And so like how can we also get behind efforts that are trying to really change the ways that education is happening in our schools?

David: 20:53

Right, because, like as you were saying from your experiences, there are places where teachers don't need to do this, right, oh, exactly, and we know what they are right And who they serve, and so I think that that's a really important part.

show clip: 21:11

There are schools that do it, and so, when we think about our underfunded schools, right, what are we doing to ensure that there is a gap that's being met right In policy, state funding and not simply just in the hands of teachers and administrators?

David: 21:29

On the other side of this story we have Mr Eddie Gregory. I'm decorating my room. you wanna come see?

show clip: 21:35

Oh yes, excuse me, i love a reveal. Let me see this. What You don't like it. Look, Gregory, this is a classroom, not an office. It's just missing a certain warmth. Those stores are great for like ink cartridges or whatever, but I wouldn't rely on them to represent me as a teacher. Is this really a reflection of you?

David: 21:58

As you saw this storyline playing out. Yeah, we know that teachers do have limited resources, but you can do things that are building like welcoming, inclusive environments. Talk about what came up for you as you were viewing this and like the importance of you know what might seem frivolous as like classroom decoration, but like why is that important?

show clip: 22:19

Yeah, i just, oh man, i love Mr Eddie for so many reasons, but I think you know that moment where he goes out because Janine is like you need to do something with this classroom. It's really bare, and he like goes out to decorate the room with these generic nature posters that have these like very cliche sayings on them. Janine says it just misses the warmth. Right, is this a reflection of you? And it really made me think about how classroom relationship building happens not just on the walls but within them and the ways that students are thinking about their relationship with Mr Eddie. Doing the everyday things is just so, in my mind, just so beautiful, because we're able to try to make Ms Howard and Janine like these superheroes in education and that's how we get people to donate.

show clip: 23:13

Students are seeing Mr Eddie as everyday people someone who's playing baseball, someone who's a businessman, even Santa Claus, right. He represents these communal moments of joy, he represents the everyday life and that is how they connect to him. His existence, just simply being, is how they connect him. They don't make him a superhero, they make him the everyday, and for me, i think that was such a beautiful thing in terms of how they conceptualize him And then, as he like, starts to really think about him decorating the walls.

show clip: 23:47

He even says he's like I'm trying to figure out who I wanna be or the type of teacher I want to be, and I think that's also a really important thing for teachers who are just getting into it. You have time to think about what type of teacher you want to be, and one way to do that is thinking about what's going to cover your walls, because it speaks to the type of environment you're cultivating, the culture, the relationships you're building with students. How does that, how does the way that you decorate your room represent and mirror the relationships you're having with your students? And that's what Mr Eddie is really trying to figure out and does, i think, at the end of it, right? He lets those relationships speak louder and he puts all those pictures up on the wall. Even the ones are not as flattering.

David: 24:40

So, yeah, yeah, as you were seeing this, i'm curious what you were reflecting on as it came to the way that you decorated your classroom, the way that you created welcoming environments with the things that were on your walls.

show clip: 24:53

Yeah, it made me think about. I taught in a media center at first, so I didn't have my own classroom, and then when I finally got my own class, it gave me a freedom to bring in some of the things that I really like to teach with, which was like emojis and memes and popular culture and really cultivating the space where students can also sort of be creative and have their own space and put their stuff up. So when I thought about it I was like, ooh, i was really trying to figure out what type of teacher I was, too in a space that was my own, and I think, yeah, using popular culture is just a way to go, because I'm I like fun, i love music, i love having a great time, and so I wanted to bring that energy into my classroom.

show clip: 25:36

So you saw emojis everywhere. I use that to also journal with students and things like that.

David: 25:43

Yeah, and like speaking to that piece, right, it's not just about what is on the walls, but like what happens inside of those walls, and so having those emojis up there like using them as like yes, decoration, but also like ways to check in with students, right And prompt, like what did that look like? How did you think about that strategically And how did you use those moments to like build relationships with the students with each other and students with you?

show clip: 26:08

It was one of my favorite activities. I love journaling and I love journaling with students, and so at the time we had to do like do nows were a big part of teaching at that time. So when students come in, what's the first thing that they're doing as soon as they sit down? How are they transitioning into the learning space? And so I'd put on some music, i'd have the emojis on the board and I'd say, hey, choose an emoji that represents how you're feeling right now. How are you showing up right now? What's coming up for you?

show clip: 26:36

And then students spent time in the very beginning of class, and if they saw it on the board when they walked in, they already knew what time it was. So it also sort of became part of our routine, and so when I was doing conferences with students, i'd give space for them to share you know their reflections if they wanted to, and a lot of times they always did, and I just thought it was such a beautiful way for us to connect. Right, i'd share mine. Sometimes we do an opening sharing session if anyone wanted to share their emojis. And it helped me to think to not only listen to them but see if they have unique needs right? You mentioned, beyond the supplies earlier And I think that's one of the things about relationship building that I was able to really just sort of connect with students on a different, different level. Because of that, i got to know what some of their skill sets were right, what some of their assets were, their strengths, things that they wanted, things that were top of mind for them and things like that.

David: 27:34

Yeah, i mean, and it's really important to think through some of those things Like, of course, like you do want to get that information from students so you can be informed, but like it's not just enough to be informed, it's not just being responsive to those needs, like following up and engaging both. When there's a need that's expressed, you want to be able to respond to that need as appropriately as you can. But also, like, hey, i learned this new skill. Like I learned that you're, like you're really skilled in this. And like, hey, i want to give you opportunities to like further develop those skills. Or like, hey, you're really interested in this. Like, hey, i read this article, i saw this book, i saw this video. Like it's just another point of connection, right, i was in this meeting before we were on our call today, where I was with a group of people working for this organization You were talking about.

David: 28:20

You know, we really need to do community building circles, we need to build community, and I was like, great, wonderful, we can talk about the ways that we can structure building community building circles into your, you know, monthly, your monthly staff meetings, right, your monthly, all staff meetings. But community building doesn't just happen within the framework of a circle, it can happen in the way that, like oh, you remembered my nickname. Oh, you remembered my favorite XYZ. Oh, you checked in on me when you saw that I wasn't feeling my best. That one day, right, those moments of building and strengthening relationships are the things that we're like following up on in our day to day interactions that can go so much farther than like all right, it's circle time. Let's get together and share, not to say that that's not important, but it doesn't mean that it's limited to those spaces.

show clip: 29:11

Oh, absolutely Absolutely. And it also helps to model the ways that students can also advocate for themselves. So, if you knew that in your you know your journal, what was coming up for you was that you had the red faced emoji because something happened at home. You were frustrated, you just couldn't connect. That was also a signal to some of them to say but still, my think I need some space because I would model that for them as well. Right, i would say listen, this is where I am today. This is what I'm feeling. I'm a human being too.

show clip: 29:43

Would we mind if we thought about you know how we engage our classroom time today in this way to help support me doing that? Not only did they respect it and like sort of lean into that, you know, they were less rowdy and had less interruptions. That you know. Because they were like we hear you, because I would do that for them If they had a need, i followed their lead. If they were like I just can't do the participation things today, i feel you, that's cool, we don't have to, right. I think that's a great way of not only teaching students how to name emotion, how to speak for themselves, how to advocate, but how to respect the community. To hear that Oh, you know somebody else in the class also feel that way. I got you. Let me help you out. You need a little bit more support. You want to sit with us? You know you can kind of just chill and listen to our conversation, if you want, from New Jersey.

David: 30:40

No, no, it's beautiful. All the ways that and I'm thinking about all the ways that you know, these little things that might seem trivial in any given moment, like are actually really important. And so it's just encouragement for folks to be intentional about the ways that you are structuring your classrooms, the time that you're allocating towards making those connections, giving yourself opportunity to make those connections Again, like. This wasn't necessarily a theme that was present in this video, in this episode, but it does remind me of something that you know, one of the teachers that I used to work with that, like I realized as a math teacher specifically, right, there's so much, there's already a lot of intimidation with students coming into my classroom period and so many of my interactions with them are like, corrective or negative, seeming right where it's like Oh, this is based out of need, or like, Oh, you did something wrong and you need support.

David: 31:42

Like, what are the ways that I can create moments of connection that aren't necessarily tied to math, specifically like, but like we just wanted the positive touch points that I can build, and if there's things in your classroom walls that, like, can do that and help build those connections, all the better. Lots of different creative ways to do that, but I did want to touch on one more point of something that happened in this episode. If you're appreciating this video, like to help us in the YouTube algorithm, subscribe so you won't miss the video, and share with someone to help us further amplify this work. Now back to the show, jacob, who is doing his best all episode to make the most of what is essentially trash right. I know what it's called. It's called trash.

show clip: 33:39

I love Jacob. I wish I had Jacob for always trying. I think about our times are just stretched, especially in a time where our service, our work, what we put out into the world. Sometimes it feels as if the world is just trying to extract so much from us And I think about this sort of radical love and care for this self, sometimes the good intentions, about what people try to give to us and things.

show clip: 34:07

And if I have to put more effort into making something work, i'm taking away from the opportunity to be more creative, right, like Ms Howard working with what we've already got. I'm taking time away from even putting out creative energy, like Janine trying to get it in those donations through the wish list. Jacob, the entire time, was trying to make this one thing work. That wasn't working. So when do we acknowledge that? sometimes we just got to step away And I think it's in that moment where it's like all right, i'm putting too much, as this is not working, it's okay for something not to work out. I think there were started pieces that we always find our way toward, like we have enough creativity, flexibility, knows to do what needs to get done.

David: 35:02

You know, when we think about like having limited resources, limited time, really I think about like, what are the things that are like high impact? right, All of this effort was to make a planter, right, And what was the planter going to do? Like, what was the benefit of that in your space, right? And so, like there are things that are worth like banging your head against the wall, like iterating on over and over and over again. There are needs in your community that like, hey, I'm going to put like all that I can into making this work because it is that impactful. Creating a planter is not one of those things.

David: 35:41

out of trash, right, Like just let it go is fine, right On its face. no one would be critical of saying like, oh, like, you shouldn't spend your time like trying to like upcycle something, Like I think that's something worth doing, But like is that achieving your goals of being a teacher in the space, like a great teacher in the space And like? they answered very clearly no right. Knowing the appropriate time and places to expend efforts on certain things is important, And I think you know Barb and Melissa as the veteran teachers. you know this is only episode three, but we see them do this throughout the show. It's like, hey, those things are beyond my scope, beyond my control right now. It's not that I don't care about you know, upcycling, but like, is that going to serve my students? Is that going to allow me to show the best that I can for my students? No, I'm just not going to do it And like be unashamed.

show clip: 36:32

Right, because Miss Howard was also like it's alright, we don't have it, but we'll work with what we have, not into like buying something new either, right, i think he critiques them like you know, i'm not going to. Maybe we don't need to buy new things, we can just use what we just got And I'm like, well, didn't that look? Miss Howard kind of did too. So, yeah, you're right, There are other ways that we can think about doing exactly what he was trying to do and create more creative ways.

David: 36:57

Beautiful, beautiful. Now you've heard from us. Now we want to hear from you.

David: 37:01

Drop your restorative justice reflections from this episode in the comments And if you want to be a part of a live community conversation about this show, we're hosting a live event on July 31st Unpacking Restorative Justice Lessons from Ava Elementary Link down below. Hope to see you there. Well, it's come to the time where we ask the questions that everyone answers on the show, and so you have the ear of Quinta. The writers. Picture yourself as a character on Ava Elementary and what is your arc?

show clip: 37:33

Yeah, i think if I had a story arc it would be the teacher who was sort of on this journey of unlearning. Because I think first year teachers we come into it thinking of the teachers who taught before us right, the Miss Howard that we've seen And so teaching has to look this way I have to be sort of strict. I came from middle school setting. You got to be strict because I run all over you and things like you can't, you're not their friend, you can't. You know, i learned unlearned a lot of those things And really sort of like, let me just be myself, let me bring in the music, let me bring in the laughter, let me make those connections. That's what makes me the teacher that I am And I think doing that I had a beautiful experience.

show clip: 38:14

So I'd love to see that story of the teacher who thought that teaching had to be this one way And that's exactly what they were going to do, but then goes on this unlearning journey to figuring out well, who's the teacher actually want to be? Mr Eddie, right, but I'd love to see more of that. I love seeing Quinta and Eddie like develop this love story and as it unfolds and like more of the perils of that black single teacher teaching in schools Also I find that funny, so I'd love to see more of that.

David: 38:47

Yeah, beautiful, beautiful. So from your mouth to the writer's ears.

show clip: 38:54

Oh my goodness, I'll come in there. I'll be on the show too Beautiful beautiful.

David: 39:00

Well, thank you so much for your time, your wisdom, your reflections, your stories. How can people support you and your work in the ways that you want to be supported?

show clip: 39:10

Oh, yes, thank you. You can definitely follow us on all the social web. So Instagram we are anti racist ed instituted. You can support our work by donating. We currently run a completely free program to 18 to 25 year olds who want to learn about social transformation and art Right, so we teach them about how you your story doesn't have to be manipulated to be told, and so how can we do this and creative ways to honor your truth, and so if you want to donate to our create freedom fellowship, art of this fellowship, you can do that on our website, anti racist edorg, and sign up for our newsletter too. We give a bunch of free resources to help the community grow And some of the things I've unlearned right as an educator, and, yeah, so many other ways. We love volunteers to connect with us.

David: 40:06

Beautiful, beautiful, and of course all that will be linked down below. Again, ashley, thank you so much. We'll be back with another restorative justice reflection on Abba elementary season. One episode for very soon, but until there, take care, y'all.