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Candidate Conversations - Keke Powell - Austin, Texas
260 Plays7 months ago
Candidate Conversations by the National Board is a chance to speak with educators who are currently on their National Board journey. Danielle Brown, NBCT, continues our school year-long journey with Keke Powell! She is a second-grade teacher in Texas and is super fun and engaging! In this episode, we catch up with Keke as the submission window opens and talk about how she plans to attack submitting the two components she is working on.
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Transcript
Introduction and Host Background
00:00:06
Speaker
All right. Welcome back to National Board Conversations. I am your host, Danielle Brown, a board certified teacher here on staff at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. And it's been a while. It's actually quite funny.
Kiki's Journey and Third Interview
00:00:23
Speaker
A friend of mine, local to me, was like, who's that teacher you've been talking to? Like, you're following her journey.
00:00:30
Speaker
Kiki's her name. I feel like we haven't heard from her in a while. And then that prompted me to like immediately check my email and be like, wait, like, did we miss a recording? Like what's happening? Yeah. Well, it wasn't really us, Kiki. It was something didn't populate on her end. But I just thought it was so serendipitous that this is someone that I know like professionally here in Arizona who has been listening to the podcast, has been listening to your story and was like ready for more.
00:01:00
Speaker
So Stacey, if you're listening, here's Kiki's third interview with us. Yeah, shout out to Stacey. Yeah, Stacey. Now she's going to be real hype about this. So with that, let's go ahead and get started,
Achievements and Community Support
00:01:14
Speaker
Kiki. It has been a while. I think our last interview was in October. Yes. And our plan was to kind of check in like almost every quarter, right, four episodes. We're kind of watching your journey. And so while it's March, a little bit
00:01:30
Speaker
you know, more than once a quarter. I'm just so curious, like, what has transpired either professionally for you that's exciting or personally? I mean, we've had lots of breaks in between October and now. There's been holidays and celebrations. And so maybe just some level setting with anything exciting for you that's happened between October and now.
00:01:55
Speaker
Something that has been super exciting to me is the last week of February. I had a big surprise. I had a TB buddy come into my classroom and present me a
00:02:10
Speaker
Check $4,000. And I am in the running for a rising star award. So I'm one of five teachers in the state. And my category is for teachers that have been teaching under 10 years. So that was super exciting. And my kids were going wild and crazy because I'm also a diehard for HIV. And I have all the things, HIV, buddy. So it was just all excited. Okay.
HEB Excellence in Education Award
00:02:39
Speaker
So that
00:02:40
Speaker
because we're a national podcast. And I've lived in Texas, so I know what HEB is. Can you give our listeners insight into who is HEB, what is HEB, and then the significance of this?
00:02:56
Speaker
So HEB is our local grocery store. They're known for here. Everything's better. And I love HEB. I think they're wonderful. And they're always giving back to the community. And it's just like a big prestigious award for their excellence in education. And I've always wanted to win this award. Two years ago, I was a semifinalist. So to actually be an actual finalist is
00:03:22
Speaker
like a full circle moment. I just kept applying and hoping that I can do this, I can win it one day. And so if I can bring home this award, it'd be the world to me. Wow, I appreciate so much your tenacity from like, you know, becoming a semi-phylumist and not saying, well, I guess that's the end for me, right? But really going after what you want, which I mean, I'm not surprised. I feel like that's just who you are.
00:03:48
Speaker
In our conversations, I get that energy from you. So on behalf of us, congratulations on top five, and I can't wait to hear the outcome. Yeah, I'm super excited. In that same week, two days before that, I actually won two grants from our Education Foundation. And so it was a wild week. Everyone joked that no one has ever won three grants in a row in the same week. So it was super cool.
00:04:18
Speaker
Wow. And this is all at the end of February. Yeah. Wow. That is amazing and so exciting for you and your students. And I can't wait again just to see what happens in your next steps.
Inspiration from Educators at the Texas NBCT Conference
00:04:33
Speaker
So with that, I know in between October and now, you were at attendance at the, you're gonna have to correct me, but it was Texas teachers. It was a pinning ceremony. Can you tell us more about that?
00:04:47
Speaker
Yes, so our Texas NBCT Coalition put on a huge
00:04:54
Speaker
conference for everyone to be a part of and I my first time going was last year and this is my second year going and it's just so fun to be around people who just are so excited to want to learn and grow in this profession and I'm starting to make friends with people there's a guy who sat at my table was like hey I remember you from last year or I follow you on Twitter I'm like yeah I know exactly who you are too so it's just that
00:05:19
Speaker
thrill and excitement of being around so many powerful educators in one room. So how does like being in spaces like that do you feel impacts you either in your practice or on your journey to board certification? I mean you're around I'm assuming educators are already board certified, newly board certified, maybe people who are curious about the process. I'm wondering like what does that energy do for you as you think about okay I have like writing to do still or
00:05:47
Speaker
forms to collect, like what does that do for you being in those spaces?
Impact of Reflection on Teaching Practices
00:05:53
Speaker
It inspires me to want to keep going and keep pushing through.
00:05:59
Speaker
And just hearing people's different perspectives on how they finish certain components and hearing every person's advice is like, yeah, this is, I know exactly what you're going through. You know, everything is relatable to one another. And I have friends who just did their maintenance of certification. So seeing them like continue the journey as well. And one of my friends in our cohort, she just got certified. So seeing the joy and happiness in her face is like,
00:06:29
Speaker
I want that and I want to keep going to like, you know, I was very driven. I want the best for myself and for my career. And it's just really cool. I just really enjoy it and happy for everyone who pours their heart and soul to making this conference happen. So it is wild to think that we're in the last at the time of this recording, at least the last week of March.
00:06:55
Speaker
I felt like January was, I don't know, two days ago. We're creeping into April and as we both know, whether it's on your calendar, a countdown just on the top of mind, April 1st, submission windows open, right? And so you're in this process, you're getting closer and closer to submission. Before we even think about what that will feel like or even steps that you'll take,
00:07:20
Speaker
I'm curious from October to March, what are some changes you've either noticed in your teaching practice, now that you've probably like deeply engaged in writing, anything that you notice that's changed, things that you've even refined? I'm very more intentional with how I say certain words or even feedback.
00:07:43
Speaker
especially after a reflection, when you write your reflection piece, I'm thinking, oh man, I need to be more elaborate and I'm not a very specific person. And so being more detail oriented has helped me with my kids and given them the understanding of this is why we're doing this and this is why I like to tell them this is what Ms. Powell needs to accomplish for you to be successful in third grade.
00:08:11
Speaker
And so like hearing those tidbits and ensuring them that they are going to have a good education and that they're going to be doing great things soon and I want to continue to build them up and just allow them to grow and shine because every kid has the power to just be amazing. They just need that person to instill that in them.
00:08:33
Speaker
So Kiki, you fell into this trap that I didn't intend to set. I feel like you kind of set it for yourself. But you said like this magic word that has been sitting with me professionally and personally and in other endeavors that I engage in and it's feedback. You were sharing how you feel like your feedback is getting stronger. You're refining it, especially as you give it to students. What were some ways that
00:08:59
Speaker
you felt you had to grow in that area.
Managing Board Certification Submissions
00:09:02
Speaker
Because I think that's a space that oftentimes many educators feel the need to grow, right? To be more specific, to make it more actionable. What are the things that you did to help you expand your knowledge there or feel stronger in that piece?
00:09:18
Speaker
from specifically my national board writing, my mentor Wendy is awesome. She is, she'll tell me like, you need more here Kiki. Like she knows how to pinpoint my brain and ask me those guiding questions to get it out of me. And I really appreciate it. And she always says, you know, don't take anything I say personal. And I always tell her, trust me, I am not, I need all the help I can get.
00:09:45
Speaker
and I'm here for it and I just love that she just keeps pushing me and it's...
00:09:53
Speaker
allowing me to continue to grow. And then in class, a lot of the people come and watch me teach and they come in my classroom and stuff. And so I'm always like, hey, what do you see? Like, what do you like? What do you don't like? Sometimes I feel like it can be too harsh. And with my students, if I say something not the right way, and we always talk about being kind, they're like, you didn't say that with love.
00:10:18
Speaker
So, you know, they are second grade, they call you out for anything. And so I really just appreciate anyone who steps in my room and just wants to help out in any type of way. You gotta love the authenticity and transparency of, I feel like elementary school kids in general, but I feel like when like they're 10 and younger, the filter that we learn to put up as we get older. Yeah, they don't really have it.
00:10:48
Speaker
No, they don't. They're just like, oh, you want the truth? I got you. Let me call you in, Miss Powell. Let me tell you how I'm really feeling about how you just provided me with that feedback. Oh, yes. If something is slightly different about me, they'll ask me questions about it. I've never seen that dress before. When did you get it? Where did you buy it? And I'm like, this is great, because this is literally like elaborating when you're trying to tell a story or when you're trying to write on your paper.
00:11:14
Speaker
Look at you! Always a teachable moment. I love that. I love that. It's funny. So we have to talk about the elephant in the room. April 1st is coming, which is when submission opens. And by the time this airs, it most likely would have already opened. And then you have until May 18th to submit whatever components you're working on.
00:11:37
Speaker
I'm curious if you at this point have thought about what's your plan for submission? Do you have a self-imposed deadline? Are you taking submission in steps? Are you going to upload one thing and let it rest for a bit and go back and upload something else? I'm just so curious how you're engaging in submission planning. As the school year ramps up,
00:12:02
Speaker
Spring breaks out are over. There's a lot to juggle around submission time. Yes, I have a countdown in my brain and every day I'm like, I need to critique this, this needs to be done today, I need to send Wendy this. And so I'm almost done with component two.
00:12:23
Speaker
Looking at it, I'm like, why didn't I start component two so much sooner? But you know, it is what it is. I have all the evidence throughout the whole year. I think that was my mindset. I was thinking I was collecting my writing samples all year. I have all my evidence for me to make me feel successful with it.
00:12:41
Speaker
And my goal is to submit component to anytime in April just because when you have that one thing off your plate, you're excited and you can just check it off and get that completed. And my goal was to have my mentor look over it one more time and then my PLF with Dr. Esme and then be like, all right, this one is done.
00:13:10
Speaker
now for component four. And I honestly feel like component four is going to take me until like May 16. My goal is not to submit on the last day, but like two days before I can do. I so appreciate your honesty. I sometimes have conversations even with like my peers and they're like, yeah, it opens, you know, April 1st, I'm there. I'm going to submit. And then we'll have conversations later. And they're like, yeah, maybe May 1st.
00:13:37
Speaker
And I'm like, you have a window for a reason, right? Even how you're extending yourself grace by saying, you know, sometime in April, I'm going to submit component to you so that you're not like sitting down at crunch time and you've set this goal of April 15th and you're not ready. So I appreciate how you're building in grace for yourself in that way.
Balancing Work and Relaxation
00:13:59
Speaker
And then also not trying to
00:14:03
Speaker
make your timeline the same for both components. And again, just your honesty that like if it's two days before submission, that's still a win in my book, which is for you. Most definitely. So okay, we go through, you've been in this process, you've been collecting evidence, seeking feedback.
00:14:25
Speaker
on top of all this, right? Your normal teaching duties, your extracurriculars, these grants that you're winning left and right. And yet you're going to take some time to kind of like savor the moment, I hope, of like what submission feels like and means to you. And so I'm curious, do you have any plans to celebrate submission? Yeah, I just feel like that's so important.
00:14:53
Speaker
knowing me, like my go to happiness is like eating a cheeseburger. I'll probably just go celebrate and have a burger, but I'll probably most celebrate in the summer because I have a lot of rips planned. And so just being able to rest my brain and not think about
00:15:12
Speaker
what type of writing I have to do is going to be so essential. But I'm also very excited that, you know, after having two submissions in, I know exactly what I need to do this coming school year to get everything that I need done for component three and component one. So that's a good feeling for me to know
00:15:33
Speaker
that i have a plan going forward and you know once you do one component of writing you're like i got this i know what i'm doing now i got it
00:15:43
Speaker
No, I totally agree with that. And I love that you're going to celebrate in a way that makes sense to you. So enjoy that delicious cheeseburger upon clicking submit, whether it's for both or just, you know, one at a time. And I think it's so important how you see that that you're going to spend a little bit of your time this summer not thinking about your writing necessarily either one after it's been submitted or two for the work that you have to put in for components three,
00:16:12
Speaker
and one, why is that a choice that you're making instead of saying, okay, time to get right back to it? I think that would be helpful for the audience to hear. I do a lot of work behind the scenes. I definitely do a lot with
00:16:30
Speaker
social media and I do a lot of collaborations with people and so I do a lot of work during the week and so I work hard to not have to work on the weekends if I don't have to and it's just summer is the one time when I don't have to
00:16:48
Speaker
feel sometimes forced to do some work. As teachers, we feel like we always have to do something all the time. And we cannot sit still. I don't know if every teacher feels like that, but I feel like a lot of teachers at my school are that way, and they're always doing something really cool and creative. And I'm like, what am I doing right now? I need to keep up. And so just taking that time for my own mental health and being fresh and ready when the school year picks up would be good.
00:17:16
Speaker
So with that being said, I actually have a follow-up question. Spring break has already happened for you, correct? Yes. So tell me, how did you spend your spring break? Were you writing for your components? Were you taking a break? What was that balance like for you?
Spring Break: Family and Writing Balance
00:17:34
Speaker
The first weekend I spent with my parents and I just enjoyed having fun. It was my
00:17:43
Speaker
We celebrated my mom's birthday because all my family came into town, so that was great. And then Monday and Tuesday, I actually ended up spending two days of just writing. And it was great because I'm a morning person, so if I write first day of the morning, I'm thriving. And so I was able to knock out what I had accomplished. I can't do a whole lot in a whole day because I need to chunk things.
00:18:10
Speaker
I'm such a teacher, I have to chunk it. And so when I email Wendy, I'll say, hey, I entered these two questions. Tell me what you think I should fix and then I'll fix it and then I'll keep moving forward. And then my next door neighbor reached out to me and she was like, hey, let's go to SeaWorld. And so she's a teacher, too. And SeaWorld has free teacher season passes.
00:18:33
Speaker
So we went and took her son to SeaWorld and then I just spent more time with family. So I didn't have to give up my whole spring break, but it was nice to just have that whole day of break to just knock out some writing and not feel so stressed about it. That's amazing. And again, just like the reality of taking time to balance your engagement in this process, but also just living life as you were talking about, like sometimes it's hard
00:19:01
Speaker
to kind of just like be still and you see people creating or being innovative and doing all these things. And you're like, what am I doing? And my answer to that is always I'm being, and that's okay, right? It's okay to just be sometimes. A human being, not always a human doing. I have to remind myself of that sometimes. Yes, totally agree.
Post-Submission Relaxation and Gratitude
00:19:23
Speaker
So Kiki, I would like to end this conversation in a way that we haven't ended it before. Almost like a dear Kiki letter, if you will. The next time we're going to connect.
00:19:37
Speaker
The next time we'll connect will be post submission. So we're going to give you that space and time to engage and dive in and click submit. Um, so with that being said, if you could do, uh-oh, it looks like we're not connecting. If you could do a verbal dear future Kiki letter, what would you tell yourself or hope for yourself?
00:20:04
Speaker
my dear future Kiki letter would state to relax more and not stress over the different
00:20:16
Speaker
guidelines that I set for myself and to just be grateful to have finished the process and to be thankful for all the people that has helped me along the way because it takes a village to help a bunch of teachers to continue and want to keep growing and wanting to just enjoy all the fun things that teaching brings. Oh, I think that is so beautiful.
00:20:44
Speaker
And so Kiki, we will check in after submission. We'll make sure that there's not too much of a lull between hearing about the exciting things in your world. So, you know, my friends will have to be like, hey, Danielle, we'll have them to the next podcast. So we're going to be on How to Stacey this time.
00:21:01
Speaker
Yes. We appreciate you so much. Best of luck on submission. Best of luck on your impending award top five. There's just so much going on for you and we can't wait to celebrate you either way. Yay, thank you so much. I'm always excited. Yeah, have a good one.