This Restorative Justice Life
Restorative Justice is often framed as an alternative to punishment, and but that’s only part of the story.
Dive deeper with David Ryan Barcega Castro-Harris in conversation with RJ practitioners and other justice seekers as they reflect on the things happening in the world around us to offer insight on how YOU can embody RJ philosophy, practices, and values in every aspect of your life.
This Restorative Justice Life
Abbott Elementary S1E12 "Ava vs. Superintendent" w/ Deonna Smith (Restorative Justice Reflections)
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How can you use Restorative Justice when you have to "lead" your leaders, sacrifice your own interests for the good of the community, and compromise values to get the job done? Find out on this episode of Restorative Justice Reflections!
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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.
Speaker 1:I'm David, Ryan Bresega, Castor Harris all five names for all the ancestors and today I'm here with Deanna Smith to dive deep into the restorative themes or lack thereof, found in Season 1, Episode 12 of ABC's Abba Elementary Ava vs Superintendent. As always, our conversation here is not a critique of the story or production choices of the creators, but we'll highlight how Restored of Justice could apply to situations like leading your leaders, sacrificing your own interests for the good of the community and maybe compromising your values in order to get the job done. Hopefully, this will give you some insight about how to apply restorative ways of being into your life in and out of the classroom. If you want to take a deeper look at applying Restored of Justice to your life, join our Inner Circle community to connect with RJ-minded individuals and get bonus content. Deepen your practice by checking out our courses and, if you want to see this work in your school or organization, invite us for coaching or training on implementing this work. Of course, links to everything down below.
Speaker 1:Now let's get to it. I want to welcome Dr Deanna Smith into this podcast. Deanna, welcome, how are you today?
Speaker 3:Hi, thank you so much for having me. I'm doing well. I'm really excited to jump into this conversation.
Speaker 1:Beautiful and tell the people what you want them to know about you, your journey with education, your fandom of this show.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so, as mentioned, my name is Dr Deanna Smith and I am a former teacher, taught fifth grade, intervention, middle school, math, a bunch of different things.
Speaker 3:I also was a director of equity and inclusion and worked in schools as an assistant principal and, like various leadership roles, dean, that kind of thing. I have a lot of firsthand experience with restorative practices and how to do them well and also how to do them not so well. And now I'm also working on a book that will be released later this summer and really my passion is talking about asset-based pedagogies like anti-racist teaching and culture-responsive teaching and really infusing them with joy and making them very accessible for teachers. And when I started watching Abbott, it was really just kind of love at first episode. I love the way that Kinta Bronson is very like down for teachers and supports teachers and I think the episodes do a great job of showing some of the reality realities of teaching while still making it fun and, you know, still something that you can watch with like some popcorn and enjoy, and my little routine is I watch an episode every Sunday to help me with the Sunday scaries. So I'm very excited to be chatting about what has become one of my favorite shows.
Speaker 1:Beautiful, beautiful. This episode 12, ava vs Superintendent might be like the most challenging episode for me to do this show about. Right, because we have lots of arcs that are coming to you ahead and, like almost all of the characters, are making choices that I wouldn't necessarily call restorative, and so you know, as we think about this, I really appreciate the conversation that we've had before this to like make those connections and pull out those moments. So, as a whole, thank you Wikipedia for the summary. With Ava's job and the school funding in Jeopardy, janine asks Gregory to help her and Ava with the important upcoming presentation to the school board pleading for funds.
Speaker 4:We need to find someone who knows what presentations like this should look like. I know how you feel about Ava and the whole principal situation, but this is for the kids.
Speaker 2:It feels like it's for Ava.
Speaker 4:Yeah, but it'd be for all of us too.
Speaker 1:There is a lot going on here, but when you first watched this episode, you know, with a restorative lens, what stood out to you.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I first watched this episode and kind of rewatched it with a restorative lens. A lot of different, just relationships stood out to me and I think you know, obviously restorative practices and just anything pertaining to teaching. You have to have a really good grasp and understanding of relationships and the dynamics between people and so the relationships like whether that's Melissa and Barbara's relationship kind of having strain throughout the episode, or that is Janine and Gregory's relationship with Ava, or even Ava's relationship, you know, with the school board and the superintendent there were so many relationships that were like hanging in the balance.
Speaker 3:But on the other side it's the, it's the well-being of these kids, right, it's the they and it opens with the kids like they love the music class, it's like their favorite class, right, and the teachers are getting that break that we know that they need, must have a prep, and so you kind of open with seeing like wow, the, the lives of these kids and like even the music teacher. All this stuff is hanging in the balance and it's really dependent on all of these like relationships that don't really have anything to do with the well-being of the kids, right. They're kind of just kind of petty adult dynamic relationships. So that's a really stood out to me is like, wow, this is a lot of intricate relationships and in the balance is this school, the Abad elementary kids that you know want their, want their music class.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what I love about that is a lot of times when people are thinking about restorative justice in schools, right, they're just thinking about, like, student to student dynamics or student to teacher dynamics.
Speaker 1:But when we think about the relational dynamics that are happening amongst the adults the nature of those relationships being restorative, punitive, oppositional or whatever like that does have a very real impact on the students.
Speaker 1:Here it's tied to funding, but there are lots of other impacts that that might have on students on the day to day. When we see this episode being framed around funding, that brings up a lot in schools. We all know that schools in large parts are underfunded, both from staff admin salaries and resources for supplies, resources for extra programming, like there is a lack of that, and so you know, the episode frames this in a rather limited way. We know that school funding is a lot more complicated than making a presentation to a board or, you know, extorting a church member. But this is a real issue and what I really appreciate about what happened in this episode is like there are multiple ways of getting things done right. Ava fails, even with the support of Gregory and Jeannie. Ava fails to secure funding Based on what you've shown us so far what metrics are your funding targets keyed to?
Speaker 5:Thank God you brought that up. I was like I hope he asks about targeting or whatnot, because I have another slide.
Speaker 2:I think we've seen all we need to see here today.
Speaker 1:Thanks for coming in Because of the relationship the strange relationship she has with the superintendent right, and while I don't agree with her methods, barbara, with the coaching of Melissa, is able to secure funds through this grant that she's been applying to for years and years.
Speaker 4:I have good news. Oh really. Regarding Regarding the fact that Abbott will be a recipient of the Advancement Grant this year.
Speaker 2:What a surprise. After 10 years of impeccable applications, we suddenly find ourselves worthy. How wonderful.
Speaker 1:You know yay episode has a happy ending. School funding is a lot more complicated than that. As we're thinking about specifically like restorative justice programs coming in, those things need to be supported by funding both for training for educators, consultants like myself, amplifierjcom. But it's also like a time and capacity issue, right when we're thinking about when is this learning going to happen? Are you going to have funding for substitute teachers to come in and support staff when they're going to do their training? Are you going to have funding for additional staff, whether it's deans or a quote unquote restorative justice coordinator, to do all this Like that? Money has to come from somewhere and you know we got to get creative about the ways that we do that when we think about school funding. In this episode, what were the things that came up for you?
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, I have a little PTSD Funding was such a. For folks who don't already know, I started my career at a parochial school, so not so it was really challenging to get funny because I was in California so there aren't a lot of state funds for Catholic schools. So when I was just thinking about, you know, the presentations usually in a public school you wouldn't do that. But like we would literally have to do presentations to get funding to like keep our doors open at times, and so I was put back in that mindset. I was like, oh my gosh, that was terrible. But I think what? What?
Speaker 3:The show does a good job of doing and it obviously exaggerates it a little bit. But you would be surprised how much funding is just about schmoozing and knowing the right people. And so I think what was coming up for me was like I wonder if people understand that this is kind of satirical, of course, but there is a good amount of you know networking and you know finagling. Obviously I'm hoping people aren't extorting their you know their church members, people in their congregation.
Speaker 3:But there is a little bit of finagling that has to happen for school funding. So I was thinking about that and then just obviously within that, the sad reality that that is. You know, schools are often faced with music programs being cut or just things being cut and there's really no way for principals or teachers to have agency to change that and this you know. You see Janine and Gregory and Eva kind of able to make their case, but a lot of times in reality when things get cut or things go away, that's just kind of it, you know. So it was really interesting to see the parallels in reality and then the things that are a little bit different with the way that school funding actually works, at least in my experience.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's not so much that like this is something that is based on like needs, because all of schools have needs, right, all schools are deserving of more funding, right. And so you know, to pit schools against each other and like this presentation, like you'll get it versus you'll get it. Like you know, sometimes we do have to make the choices with the limited financial resources that are available. But like the way that schools are funded, especially in the public sector and you know, with the rise of charter schools, which you know will address in the next season, you like is really complicated and you know the show gives us a version of that. And you know, thankfully Barb is able to figure out some ways to get the music program saved and all of that. But that's not always the reality for schools. And then people have to get creative.
Speaker 1:We've seen the ways that Abbott teachers do that with other things over the years. But you know that's where we end up in this episode. For now, while Eva did fail at securing the funding for Abbott going into the next year, right, the it wasn't for lack of trying from Gregory and Jeanine. And while we're not thinking about Eva so much as like school leader because, like she's not a great school leader For a number of reasons. It's really interesting to think about her as a student of Gregory and Jeanine and you know, as you were watching this episode, you were saying that like this reminded you so much of the ways that you had to work with some of the students under your care who, like, were really struggling.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I think Eva, like if you, if you're trying to glean anything, or like learn something from this episode or or unpack something from this episode I think the lens of Eva as a student and Jeanine and Gregory as the as her teachers, is a is a better way to understand kind of what I I work with a lot of teachers on which is a few, a few understandings about, like, just kids and the way people learn. But people are in general. So one thing that you know we were talking about is Eva is not great in so many ways and Jeanine, gregory deal with the direct repercussions of that. Like they, she, she puts them through it, like the whole school is going through it, because Eva is incompetent and obviously this is an exaggeration, but there are incompetent principles all over the country, I'm sure. So I think, understanding that like, yeah, eva does have a lot of these problems, but you see Jeanine and Gregory with a really humanizing approach to helping her and I think that that is really meaningful. You see them really meet her where she's at, and that's something that I really like to talk about with my teachers that I'm working with. I think you also see them. You know, give her, give her multiple chances, you know, fresh starts. That's something that is really important when you're thought, when you're thinking about having a humanistic approach and you see them use all of these really important tactics and moves that I think teachers need to use with their students.
Speaker 3:But I think also, you know, without spoiling like where the whole, where the whole series goes, eva is also somebody that, like you are, you're rooting for her to have a redemption, or at least I am like at this point she's pretty bad and you're rooting for her to like kind of get it together, because they give her these moments of like okay, like, yeah, eva kind of gets it.
Speaker 3:Like in this episode she, you know, she does kind of make her case for Abbott In another episode she has these moments where you're like okay, like she kind of does, like she cares. So you're rooting for her. But you also recognize that like it's not going to happen overnight, and I think Janina, gregory do a great job of modeling that like when you're working with a challenging student or challenging situation, it's just it's not an overnight thing. A lot of time you're planting seeds, and so I think there's so much about how Janine and Gregory approach Eva. That is actually, you know, a good, a good example of what it can look like to have a an effective approach with students that you're struggling with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, students, or like your colleagues, right, this is just about you know how we we teach humans, how humans learn, how humans develop new skills, right, I do appreciate how Gregory and Janine you know they got shut down by the superintendent, but they were going to be standing like right beside Eva, accompanying her, doing the thing that they could to support her, not just throwing her out on her own, saying like, alright, you learn this, alright, go and go and do like she was unequipped to do that. Right, she does have strengths and I think you know one of the core assumptions of restorative justice that, like you know, all human beings have gifts and everyone's needed for what they bring. Eva being charismatic in that way, like is a great help, like the speech that she does give at the end.
Speaker 5:No, you're not about to rush me out of here like I'm a little mom at the VMAs, because you know what? No matter what happens to me, abbott will be fine because the teachers that work there are some of the most dedicated, hardworking and creative teachers in this entire city. You tell him, eva, and it's not like y'all been making a rain up in here. We've been taking appetizer money and giving these kids a charcuterie experience. Don't give us the money because we need it. Give it to us because everyone at Abbott deserves it.
Speaker 1:Like was really great, really well thought out and really did like pull up the heartstrings of you know, at least some of the members of the school board, and that's needed Gregory and Jeanine might have provided like a lot more substance to all of that and again, it wouldn't have mattered because the superintendent and even like have beef. But you know, when we think about doing things together and not just putting people either as leaders or as solo practitioners like, it's not all just on one person. Like the ways that we can collaborate, using the strengths of multiple people in our communities, like can help us go a lot further. Right, and so thinking about that in at the intersection of you know, should Eva continue to be the principal of this school, like is a really hard thing to grasp. We know we have Gregory like openly ask that.
Speaker 4:Maybe the best thing for the school in the long run is for her to fail and they get a new principal Not necessarily me, just a new one who is like Gregory means somebody who has, like training and educational leadership.
Speaker 1:Right, assume this role. I would say yes, right. I think it's something that is really helpful to think about when you're making changes or when you're trying to accomplish goals is, when you make changes like that, there is going to be loss there. There will be things you lose, right. In this case, it might be like losing a core member of you know, the, the show cast or the, or the school community, right, but what is that? A lot, what is that growth? What is removing that person? Allow growth for right.
Speaker 1:I like to lean on the metaphor of you know, growing plants all the time within, like restorative justice work, and you know we plant seeds, and in order for seeds to grow, of course they need food, sunlight, water, all these things.
Speaker 1:They also need, like, space to grow, and so, like, if there are weeds or rocks encumbering the growth of a community or a plant, right, do those things need to be removed In this case? Right, eva, being the incompetent school leader that she is, like, is probably best served. Like, her talents are probably best served like in some marketing role somewhere. Right, like and it's not to say like cancel Eva as a person but like you're not the best person who is equipped to do this job. Maybe Gregory is, maybe it's somebody else and, of course, like for casting reasons and you know continuity of the show and you know the comedy that Eva brings like she remains a member of the community. But really thinking about, as you're making, changes like what is acceptable loss, who are the people that we're willing to lose is a really important conversation to think through as you're trying to do things that you think are for the benefit of your school community.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I think it's really clear like again, I don't wanna spoil anything because there's a lot of changes that happen, but I think it's really meaningful to recognize that when you see people and you're thinking about, like, what does it mean to like reappropriate? I like almost reappropriate, right, Like we would lose Eva in one sense, maybe as principal, but then, yeah, what are her gifts and what does she bring and how might she, you know, maybe serve even better in a different role? And really tapping into whatever her unique genius is and whether that's like social media coordinator for the district because it seems like that's one of her unique talents is like social media or just like being a personality or whatever it is. But I think there's a lot to say. And, you know, putting people in roles where they were flourishing.
Speaker 3:In this episode they kind of allude to maybe Gregory being the person that would flourish, and I don't know if that's true either. You know we haven't seen what that could look like, so who knows? But I really think that there's a lot for folks to reflect on in just the ways that these relationships are kind of unfolding and mirror how that's unfolding in their classroom or, yeah, with their colleagues.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 1:I think it's also really important to think about. You know, the harm that would come with Eva continuing to be the school leader, right, and you know this is played for laughs, and you know she does have somewhat of a redemption arc in season two, right, but you know, while Gregory and Jeanine were trying to get funding, trying to support Eva in order to get more funding for the students, right, somebody else in that role, like, could have opened up one, just like more funding opportunities. But two, right, probably taken like better or more care of the school resources that were already available.
Speaker 1:Right, not blinging out the school bus with you know 26 inch ribs right, or you know, I don't think that, like having lotion across school is necessarily a bad thing, right. Like Eva is creative and like does care about the needs and the aesthetic needs of people around it. Like I don't want to belittle that, but there are so many other ways that the school could have flourished with you know, somebody else more equipped for that role.
Speaker 3:If you're appreciating this video.
Speaker 1:Like to help us in the YouTube algorithm? Subscribe so you won't miss the video and share it with someone to help us further amplify this work. Now back to the show. On the other side of this episode, you know, we do have Gregory questioning whether or not he should be gunning for the principal role. Gregory at it right. Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's good to see you again. You know I'm sorry I couldn't hire you as principal, but my hands are tied To the bed, Pardon, Not that. Look, if you're still interested in being principal, I think maybe some positions might be opening up, even at Abbott. So if you're interested, email me.
Speaker 1:In the end, though, the email he sends ends up being to Ava.
Speaker 5:I saw your little email. I know that's why I'm sitting here. Well, welcome to teach a full time at Abbott, Mr Eddie.
Speaker 1:Thank you. There's a lot of difference between, you know, doing administrative school leadership work and doing like on the ground, classroom teacher work. You know Gregory's commitment to continuing to learn and grow in this way is a choice. What came up for you, like as somebody who's played both roles.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I think that was honestly. I had a lot of respect for Gregory in that moment because you know, if y'all remember not spoiling anything because you've already unpacked the previous episodes but if y'all remember, you know Gregory wasn't a teacher, so he was going to be a principal without being a teacher and I think that's something about the show that's not satirical. I think that there are lots of people that you know are go through these programs that are meant to like get you ready for school leadership and they don't necessarily have classroom experience. In fact, in my own life I have a close friend that kind of wanted a career change and he was sort of just like I think I'm just going to go be a principal and I was kind of like what? Like he never taught or anything like that, you know, and he worked at a nonprofit and he was like I think I want to be a principal and I was like I just don't think that that's appropriate if you've never taught in a classroom, like I couldn't imagine that. But because there's such a shortage y'all, they actually like he was actually set up to get a job, like he could have gotten a principal job never having taught.
Speaker 3:So I think that that part is not satirical, but I had a lot of respect for Gregory and wanting to stay in the classroom and learn more, because I think that that's and whether he does it like ultimately, like his grand plan is to stay in the classroom to learn more or to, you know, usurp Ava from the inside. I don't know what his grandmaster plan is, but the impact of not jumping into leadership, even though he was offered that role, and like staying in a school, I think that landed with me as something that was a really good choice for him and showed what we should be doing, like you should be teaching before your principal personally, is my belief.
Speaker 1:Yeah for sure, because you know there's so many people who are in school leadership who have no idea what they're asking their teachers to do on the daily right, both in like the lesson planning and like overall classroom management, but also in the nuanced ways that you have to exhibit care to.
Speaker 1:You know the 30 or you know More students that you are dealing with every single day. Right, it's easy enough for a principal or a school leader to say like hey, we're rolling out this program. Here's the thing, go, do it. It's another thing to have experience. That experience the impact of Decisions coming down from on high right and not like really being consulted about how that is going to impact people, like being able to Empathize through having experienced that is so important and I think it makes for a much more empathetic leadership for people who have Been able to embody that role. And that's not to say that people who are principals, like aren't capable of doing the job Well if they weren't teachers. But it is so much more helpful to have that experience and yeah, I think it's.
Speaker 3:It's just really interesting to see kind of going back to seeing Eva, as you know, like a student role and how Jeanine and Gregory are Supporting her, you know, and kind of maybe helping her in her development as a principal, in their in their teacher role.
Speaker 3:And I think that the school we've seen in past episodes and we're gonna see in future episodes that the teachers really do do a good job of rallying around Eva and supporting her when she needs support and she does sometimes not always, but she does sometimes show up for them.
Speaker 3:But I think what's also clear is, at the end of the day, the commitment to the kids is something that you see and I know we, you know I don't believe in in a narrative of supporting like a toxic commitment to the kids, like so committed to your school that you're Staying even though you know your mental health is at stake or you don't have good boundaries. But I think that it is really great to see the way that Abbott displays that, at the end of the day, like teachers are very much oriented towards Centering their kids and getting it done for their kids and in that moment Gregory is, you know, doing something for himself because he's learning more. But he's also, you know, moving out of a sub role and really saying like I'm in this, I'm committed to these kids in the school and helping it be the best place that it can be, because he obviously sees, you know, the magic of Abbott and knows that he can play a role in that. So I think it's just a really beautiful moment for that character.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and a beautiful moment now that he has human resources at his back. You know, prevent like more sexual harassment from Eva. You know Some kind of redemption for him there as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, hr workshop. She did not go to the mandatory training. I'll tell you that, like clearly.
Speaker 1:Most definitely. You know, while we don't agree with, like Barbara and Melissa's schemes to get funding, like it was effective, but what came out of that is a moment that I wanted to highlight was this moment of Barbara looking down on Melissa's time.
Speaker 2:I saw you two set apart is when Melissa said you should put sugar on grits. There's nothing to talk about yet because it's very straightforward we're under attack and she's got her head buried in the sand. Better the sand than the mud, Okay? You refusing to cooperate doesn't stop bad things from happening.
Speaker 1:We should be using people doing bad stuff to do good stuff for our kids saying like I don't think of myself as someone who like gets down in the mud like you, right, and you know we have Melissa and Jacob to some extent saying like you know, if we don't do anything like, we are going to lose and this might be the only way for us to go and get this funding. And you know we have to balance. You know how we hold our values and our actions on the on the daily right. They made a choice that you know Maybe less than ethical, less than moral. It got the job done.
Speaker 1:We're often confronted with those choices every day, but what it's important for me to take away from this is like not to judge other people for taking actions that, like we ourselves Wouldn't take. There's some things like for legal reasons or for like that you might like draw hard lines as boundaries for yourself, but you don't know everybody's story, you don't know everybody's background and you know the way that Melissa has been able to finesse her way through life and like her teaching career. There's some things to be admired from that and we shouldn't like wholly dismiss like somebody's method of doing things just because, like that doesn't fit with the way that we would want to do things. Yeah, and I love me some Melissa, like I love her, because I mean I I, I understand it's question.
Speaker 3:It's questionable ethically, but you know one thing about her is she's a very good person.
Speaker 3:She's a very good person and she's a very good person and she's a very good person and she's a very good person and she's a very good person and I think her is she's gonna get it done like she's committed to the kids and I think her and Barbara are such realistic like oh geez, I don't know if you've had the experience of working with these people, but in every school I've been in, there's been like a couple of ladies like Barbara and Melissa, that are just kind of like they know what's up and they really help.
Speaker 3:You understand a lot about what sustainability in this profession looks like, what it means to stay in this profession, because you got to remember, so many teachers like two thirds of teachers aren't even teaching after five years, right, so our turnover is crazy. So when we have people like that that have really been in it, I think it's really cool to see how they interact with their jobs and and how they, how, what models they can show us, even if it's what not to do. But yeah, I love, I love their dynamic. They are like my two of my favorite characters on the show. They're hilarious.
Speaker 1:Right and like the way that they were able to navigate past that right there with their long term relationship. Right, there are bound to be disagreements between people. Right and the way that you're able to value relationships and not write people off and have Restorative conversations maybe not like with what happened, who's impacted and how and how to what. How do we adjust the needs to make things right as possible? But like saying making apologies right, admitting when you're wrong or Acknowledging when you've caused somebody harm and figuring out a way to move forward is something that we can see that they have definitely practiced over years and years of being colleagues and friends.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, they are there. A relationship is a really healthy model, I think, for people and the way that they push each other and the way that they support each other and show up for each other, like and I think it's. It's funny too because if, if you know about the actors like I guess they're Like that in person, to like they're like bfs in person, which I just love that fact because I think their chemistry shows that in the show. But I think they're a really great, like I said, a really great model to look at and I think there is like.
Speaker 3:The unfortunate reality of some of that is, though, is I know that there is a little bit of you know finessing I'm not going to call it scheming, I'm gonna call it finessing that sometimes you do have to do, you know, when you work in school, so there's definitely a reality to it, because sometimes you got to you know, bob, and weave a little bit, make it work to to get, to get what you need to get done.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely. Is there anything else from the episode that you wanted to highlight before we ask you the questions that everyone answers when they come on?
Speaker 3:I don't think so, but I just think it's a really. It's a really interesting episode. I would say it's definitely worth a rewatch with the lens of relationships and how people are like working together as colleagues and working to support each other. And just looking at the again, I think Janina is probably a great example of this in any episode because she does have just infinite page patients.
Speaker 3:But I think it's really beautiful to kind of look at and see how, how they care for each other, how they show up for each other and as deeply flawed people, right, because even Marvara, melissa, like you know, and even the lady on the school board is like skimming petty cash from, like the church fund, right. So everybody is flawed in this episode. Everybody is, you know. So I think it's kind of a nice way to reflect on, you know, interacting, because we're all flawed in different ways, to different extents and some of us are in positions of power, which makes our flaws more harmful, like Ava. But I think it's just really interesting to watch it with that lens. So definitely give it a rewatch. And, yeah, I think there's a lot to glean with how we show up with our students, with each other.
Speaker 1:Beautiful, beautiful. You've heard from us. Now we want to hear from you. Drop your restorative justice reflections in the comments and, if you want to join a live community conversation about our restorative justice lessons from Ava Elementary, join us for a live event on Monday, july 31. Link with more info in the description. So you've got the ear of Quinta and the writers, so you can pitch yourself as a character on Ava Elementary and what would be your arc.
Speaker 3:So coming in as a you know DEI consultant to support the teachers would be really fun maybe not every episode, but like every few episodes as a recurring character, somebody that is right in between dispositionally like Barbara and Ava Because I think Ava's kind of on the far end of like the crazy spectrum, so I wouldn't be quite that crazy, but still probably a comedic character and just coming in and helping the teachers, you know, with some sort of like district wide DEI initiative and maybe kind of poking fun at Jacob a little bit for his like hyper awareness of being like a white guy and in a mostly black school and kind of maybe getting the side eye from Barbara and Melissa, because I think a lot of teachers kind of give consultants the side eye at first but then slowly kind of growing to gain their respect and appreciation and working with the teachers, because we don't see a lot of how they handle it.
Speaker 3:We don't see a lot of like crazy behaviors for kids. We don't see a lot of how they handle it. We don't see a lot of DEI work. So I would love to do that and I think it could be really current because there's all this stuff in the, in the national discourse now about DEI and school. So I think it could be a kind of fun way to bring in like what's actually happening in the national conversation as a recurring like district consultant role.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I would love to see it Like I think about the limits of putting the show on ABC to a national audience, but you know, from your ear, from your mouth to Quinta, and the right is ears. Let's make it happen. Thank you again so much for being here with us, sharing your stories, your wisdom, your experiences. How can people support you, deanna, and the ways that you want to be supported?
Speaker 3:Yeah. So if you're not already following me on Instagram, that's definitely the place to be. That's where I kind of build this community of educators across the country who are dedicated to joyful the culture, responsive classroom spaces. So make sure you check me out at. Deanna Smith it's just my name to you and an as my T H and I'm really excited to be publishing a book.
Speaker 3:I'm not sure when this episode will be coming out, but the book comes out August 8. And if you buy it during pre sale, you get access to a free workshop with, like all the information even more information on implementing the strategies that I talk about in the book. And the book is called rooted in joy and it's all about creating a joyful, inclusive classroom space of belonging so a lot of the things that we talked about here, but really making that doable. I'm really focused on strategies and frameworks and specific practices for teachers. To me, it's like it's a self care issue, is a sustainability issue.
Speaker 3:I know our classrooms are not spaces where our students feel supported, but then our teachers also don't feel supported either. So really working to hopefully close that gap with this book. So check that out. It's called rooted enjoy. It is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. And yeah, like I said, if you follow me on Instagram, there's info for my mailing list, and we just create a fun community of teachers who are passionate about this work and are also multifaceted, so I'd love for you to join me over there.
Speaker 1:Beautiful, beautiful and of course all of those things will be linked down below will be back very soon, recapping, analyzing, reflecting on the season finale of season one of Abba elementary zoo balloon. Thank you,
