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Shelina Warren - Social Studies Teacher/Leader - Dunbar High School - Washington DC
55 Plays1 year ago
Dr. Shelina Warren is an Arkansas native, army veteran, and social studies teacher/leader in her eighth year at Dunbar High School in Washington, DC, and her 21st year in education. She teaches 10th – 12th-grade students Constitutional Law, Law and Justice Advocacy, Peer Mediation, and Human Rights and Social Action. Shelina is also the director of the Eleanor Holmes Norton Law and Public Policy Academy, whose mission is to nurture students to use their voices to affect change. Before moving to DC, Mrs. Warren taught 9th-grade Civics and Economics for ten years and spent three years teaching gifted and talented K-6 students in Arkansas.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Science Education from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a Master of Education in History and Educational Technology from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, a Master of Education in Gifted and Talented Education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University. She recently received a Doctoral degree in Urban Leadership from the Johns Hopkins University. She had the distinction of achieving National Board Certification in Social Studies, Adolescent to Young Adulthood in 2013.
She has won numerous awards in the past, including the 2012 Arkansas Teacher of the Year Finalist – 2nd Runner-Up, the John Morton Excellence in Teaching Economics (national) Award in 2015, the Mikva Challenge DC Inspiring Education Award 2018, the Anna Julia Cooper Award in Civic Action and Social Change in 2020, 2021 District of Columbia Teacher of the Year Finalist - 2nd Runner-Up, 2022 American Civics Education Teacher Award (ACETA) and the 2023 Street Law Classroom Champion award.
Twitter: @NBPTS
Instagram: @NBPTS
Facebook: The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
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Transcript
Introduction to National Board Conversations
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey everyone, welcome back to National Board Conversations. This podcast is a chance for me, Eddie Santiago, to chat with National Board Certified Teachers from across the country.
Meet Shalina Warren: Teacher & Army Veteran
00:00:08
Speaker
On this episode, I get the chance to speak with Shalina Warren. She's a National Board Certified Teacher in Washington DC and an Army Veteran. I speak with her about her education career and get into how she has been able to lean into her experience in the United States Army while in the classroom. She brought so much insight for this episode, so I won't hold you much longer. Here's my conversation with Shalina Warren.
Teaching Journey and Certification
00:00:33
Speaker
Shalina Warren, thank you for joining me on the podcast. How are you doing today? I am great. How are you? I'm doing well, you know. So we're going to get into it. What is your current role, and could you give a brief intro of yourself? And then we've got a few things to know a little bit more of you outside of the classroom. Sure. So I'm Shalina Warren. Well, Dr. Shalina Warren now. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. It's been a long three years.
00:01:01
Speaker
Definitely, but I teach law classes at the Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School in Washington DC. I am the director of the Eleanor Holmes Norton Law and Public Policy Academy there.
00:01:14
Speaker
I am a national board certified teacher in social studies, adolescence to young adulthood. And I first certified in 2013. I just started my 21st year in education with 13 of those years teaching at Pine Bluff School District in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. So you from Arkansas?
Personal Interests: Food & Music
00:01:38
Speaker
Yes, born and raised. All right, so what are your three favorite foods?
00:01:43
Speaker
Um, anyone that knows me would say my first favorite food would be salad. I love salad. So I don't look like a rabbit, but I guess that's how I act. Um, cinnamon roasted pecans, weird enough, but, um, I used to go in my childhood to Branson, Missouri with my family for, um,
00:02:09
Speaker
relaxation and travel and we would stop at this place called Mixed Nut Shack and I fell in love with their roasted pecans. They're not okay, but yeah. To show my Arkansas roots, I love this pizza from a place called Shotgun Dan's Pizza. And then the Texas Roadhouse ribeye. I've never ordered anything else but their ribeye. I like it. I like it. I like it. So what's your favorite kind of pizza?
00:02:39
Speaker
Um, they call it the Big Dan, but it's just the meat lovers, basically. Okay. Okay. Cool. So next three songs that describe you. Um, right now, I guess I fell in love with this song called always by Daniel Caesar featuring.
00:02:58
Speaker
It's just a beautiful song and it talks about unconditional love and love that is withstanding anything. So I love that. Better Days by Ant Clemens featuring Justin Timberlake. Shout out to Joe Biden because he invited them for his inauguration. But that song to me shows perseverance. And then Stand Up by Cynthia Arevo.
00:03:26
Speaker
from the Harriet Tubman movie soundtrack. Like every time I hear that song, I get goosebumps, I wanna cry. But like the song is about honoring your ancestors, focusing on activism. And that's what I'm all about as a social studies teacher. That's important. So the one sports team that has your heart, and if you're not into sports, one movie you think you can recite line for line.
Motivation to Teach: Personal Experiences
00:03:54
Speaker
I'm going to date myself, but I would have to say the Seattle Supersonics has my heart. I actually went to Seattle two or three years ago and they're not in existence anymore. But just being in the city when I was a kid and I loved watching them, Sean Kemp, Gary Payton, all of them. Yes, I loved the Seattle Supersonics.
00:04:24
Speaker
Okay. Okay. I like it. I like it. Oh, we're going to get into your career a little bit. Can you share why you became an educator and why you remain in the education field? Sure.
Bonding with Students
00:04:34
Speaker
So I've wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl.
00:04:39
Speaker
I became a teacher for the students who were like me growing up. They were smart but quiet. I wouldn't really volunteer because it felt like I wasn't smart enough in the class. Very few teachers encouraged me. I kind of felt a little invisible to some teachers. And those teachers actually taught me how not to be as a teacher. And I remain in the education field because of my students. I mean, they teach me so much.
00:05:09
Speaker
Over the years, I've learned so much from my students, but a few, like one of my students who passed away, the late Richard Bangora, encouraged me to keep pushing students to the next level. So that influence has made a difference in my life. So what do you enjoy most about being a teacher? I'm assuming, I'm going to say it's just guess as your students.
00:05:31
Speaker
Yes, mostly the connection with my students. The love that we share over the 21 years, this is starting my 21st year, so the love that we share is nothing like I've ever experienced outside of my familial love.
00:05:48
Speaker
But my students love me. I love them. They're fiercely protective of me, which warms my heart. And then I still have students coming back year after year telling me what impact I've had on them. And then I can share how they have impacted me as a teacher. They love Ms. Warren. All right, so 21 years in education,
Challenges and Achievements in Certification
00:06:14
Speaker
And now you're a national board certified teacher. What puts you to pursue board certification? And what was your journey like? Did you achieve on your first try?
00:06:22
Speaker
I did not. So at the time I had been teaching in Arkansas for about three years when I first heard about board certification. And I knew I was doing the things that a board certified teacher would do, like having students discuss their rights using primary sources and collaborating with English teachers to
00:06:46
Speaker
for letters to the editor of my students. So it was a no brainer. Then I found out that Arkansas gave a $5,000 bonus to those who achieved. So my journey was long. I had trouble capturing and writing about what I did in the classroom, which caused me to not achieve the first time around, but eventually I did. So I'm excited about that.
00:07:13
Speaker
So what was the most helpful coaching conversation, resource, or piece of advice you received while on your journey? So eventually I joined a national board candidate cohort at a local college for support. And I had a mentor at my school who was pushing me to be national board certified. She had already achieved. And so she read my entries and gave me feedback.
00:07:38
Speaker
But I would say the best advice I received was to have a non-educator give me feedback to make sure that my entry was actually clear, concise, and convincing because they're not actually in the classroom, not a teacher. So they would see the loopholes that were there that were glaring to them, but not necessarily to me because it was familiar, yeah, familiar to me.
00:08:05
Speaker
Yeah, it's like a two set of eyes thing. You know, it's going to see something you didn't. Yes. So how did becoming an MGT impact your career? Well, it definitely taught me perseverance. But it opened up doors for me in education. I was able to present it presented different opportunities to
00:08:29
Speaker
established my knowledge to a multitude of audiences, local, state, and national. And then, of course, my students and my colleagues were very proud of me when I achieved. So that made me feel, you know, good because I'm able to show them lifelong learning. There's so much to learn and so much to know outside of the classroom and inside. So were you able to incorporate your students into your journey?
00:08:55
Speaker
Yes, they were a part of my videos. They were all in the writing. I think right before, in one of my entries, I actually had them kind of read over the entry so that they could see, you know, and they saw their names. Oh, you're talking about me? Oh, you know, it really made them feel good. And I always talked to the class about what we were doing and why. That was really cool. It probably makes them feel proud that they see their teacher trying to get better just like them.
00:09:23
Speaker
Yeah, and we watch the videos too, after we, you know, so they're like, Oh, can we do it? No, we cannot. But you were good. Thank you. So,
Military Influence on Teaching
00:09:34
Speaker
all right. So aside from a 21 year educator, you're also an army veteran. How has your military experience influenced your approach in the classroom discipline and management area?
00:09:46
Speaker
It influenced my approach because I knew to pay attention to detail. That was one of the things that they drilled into us in the Army. And so I used that in how I structured my classroom environment, like my seating.
00:10:03
Speaker
the discipline that I was taught in the Army seeped into my classroom because I learned to take care of my own behavioral problems with students instead of calling the office and dealing with administration. So I would have my students join me outside and we would have a conversation, just the two of us. And so in the Army, you know, if you stood out
00:10:31
Speaker
from the rest of the platoon, you created problems for yourself. So I used that same mentality in my classroom, but I did the exact opposite. So if you did not stand out, I would invite you into the classroom community asking you a question. I don't know, what do you think about this? Is this a part of your lived experience? Have you experienced this before? Things like that. So really using my military experience to my advantage
00:11:00
Speaker
in good ways and in even better ways, I think, when I tweak it. Yeah, it sounds like you had to have a versatile communication style. How do you think your experience influenced your approach to different colleagues, students, parents, and things like that while you were in the classroom? Funny you should say that. So I can recall a time when I was in basic training.
00:11:22
Speaker
And we could call home on Sundays. But in my household, my parents, Sundays were all about church, all day, church, church, church. And so it was hard for me to call home because they would still be at church. And we had a designated time in which I had to call them. And so they were never there. I didn't leave a message. And at that time, we didn't have cell phones like we have now.
00:11:49
Speaker
And so my mom got scared and called my drill sergeant. She effectively got me in trouble, but she wanted to make sure that I was okay because she hadn't heard from me. And so my drill sergeant, you know, he made me go and call my mom immediately.
00:12:07
Speaker
And then once I got back from calling her, he checked on me, your family's good, everything's good. Yes, drill sergeant. Okay. So you owe me all of this physical training activities, what's up, set ups, all of that, because your mom called you. Don't ever let that happen again. So suffice it to say, I called home every Sunday, like I was supposed to, if they weren't there, I left a message.
00:12:35
Speaker
And I kept trying to call back within my little timeframe because I didn't want that to happen again. But how does that relate to my class? So that experience was the foundation for my communication. I wanted to keep parents informed, especially for any good news that occurred in my classroom.
00:12:58
Speaker
I tried to be open and honest with my students and I expected them to do the same with me. So if I wasn't having a good day in class, I would let them know that. Or if I wasn't feeling good, I would let them know that in the hopes that they would do the same with me.
00:13:14
Speaker
And I contacted parents regularly, leaving messages. If I couldn't contact them over the phone, I would email and then eventually now I text a parent. So I make sure that I use all of those modalities to ensure that I am really constantly in communication with parents. So can you share how you have fostered teamwork and collaboration with your students given your experience? Sure.
Collaborative Classroom Environment
00:13:43
Speaker
So in the military, you're taught that you are never to go anywhere alone. You have a battle buddy, you have soldiers in the platoon. It's a familial bond between a group of like-minded people that you grow close to. We may disagree and get mad at each other, but at the end of the day,
00:14:05
Speaker
that person has your back and that person could essentially save your life. And so that mentality kind of helped me create the type of classroom community that I have now. We all have something to offer to the community and I helped cultivate that sense of family and brother and sisterhood. The manner in which I planned my classroom
00:14:32
Speaker
kind of instilled collaboration, teamwork, and leadership. In the Army, you have various ranks, just like in the other military organizations. So you always had a higher ranked soldier who you would report to. And so I mimicked that in my classroom by creating
00:14:51
Speaker
class officers in my class to become my leaders in the class. They were effectively my eyes and ears among the students, ensuring that I truly cater to their needs and interests. That's really cool, and it gives a sense of bringing that sense of community to every student, because there's those students that will sit in the back and won't talk. Even the ones that will sit up front and try to be in the corner won't not be noticed. It's very helpful to have
00:15:20
Speaker
a student bring you in as well to the conversation to make sure everybody's engaged. It's really cool. So can you describe how your background contributed to helping students overcome challenges and persevere through problems they were having? So for some odd reasons, my students always said that
00:15:50
Speaker
they could tell that I had been in the military right after I told them that piece of information. They said my mannerisms, my seriousness, and my need, classroom, and appearance gave it away. And so I don't know about that. But they always think I mean, because I don't know. I guess I show my feelings on my face. John, you just have a standard, right? Like you've got expectations. These kids know your expectations sometimes. Yeah. But within a few weeks later, they will come back. And then Ms. Warren, you know,
00:16:20
Speaker
act like you're mean, you look like you're mean, but you're really not. We are a softie. We love you." And I was like, okay, well, good. I love you too. But I mentioned that I joined the military as a 17-year-old junior in high school. And I get to get my parents' permission and signature.
00:16:43
Speaker
And the army provided me with my first flight. The first time I was away from my family for an extended period of time and the first time I had to fend for myself. So I met some awesome battle buddies that I still see as lifelong friends. And in spite of all the obstacles that I face, I'm happy that I had that experience. So I really try to connect with students
00:17:12
Speaker
using my own experience in the military and how it actually, you know, I'm thankful for that experience and I would do it again if I had the opportunity because it really opened up doors and really opened up the world to me, honestly. No, that's like super true. My mom was in the army and she was based in Germany.
00:17:35
Speaker
She got to go to Germany for a couple of years. And that's just really cool. I've always loved hearing her stories about being over there for October fast, driving the Audubon and things like that. So it's really cool. How is your military service? So the teachers, your students obviously respect you. And like you said, they come out, they come up to you and say, they think you're mean. So you've established a sense of respect and responsibility.
Building Respectful Classroom Culture
00:17:59
Speaker
How have you done that in your classroom and been able to maintain that over the years? Yeah.
00:18:06
Speaker
I realized that I would always call my students Miss Brown or Mr. Black because my military experience left a lasting mark on me. So that showed a level of respect that I gave to my students by calling them, being respectful of them as people. But I also developed classroom expectations and we do it together in the classroom.
00:18:35
Speaker
I think that showed a level of responsibility on both of our parts. And then I hold them accountable and myself accountable by going back to the goals that we, they, I drafted at the beginning of the semester or the year to make sure that we're on the right track. So really giving them voice within the classroom as far as the things that we actually do.
00:19:04
Speaker
and really being respectful of who they are, knowing that they are humans. And we all make mistakes, but I never held that. In our classroom community, we were together at all times. And so I really, really respected them in that manner. Well, you didn't like that lesson. What was wrong with it? How can we fix it? What would be better for the next period? And so I always wanted to hear from them. I like it. I like it.
00:19:34
Speaker
I like seeing, I like hearing these stories and we love that
Crafting Future Leaders
00:19:37
Speaker
you're in the classroom. Now we get into the recruitment part of the podcast where I get to ask you a little bit about, first off, we need some teachers in the classroom. So if you had to sell the teaching profession to someone looking to get into it in one to two minutes, what would you use as your elevator page? Hmm, let's see. How would you like to affect the future?
00:20:03
Speaker
That means getting to know a group of young people, helping to craft their self-concept and character by teaching what you love in a way that reaches all of your students and uplifts their lived experiences by using various best practices and strategies. You reflect constantly and you lead with love in all that you do, knowing that you are affecting the future.
00:20:31
Speaker
There will be people speaking your name when you are gone talking about how you have made them feel. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what a teacher is all about. Don't you want to join us? Come on, let me show you how to do that. We're going to join the ranks. Right. And up in the classroom soon. Yeah. So who was your favorite fictional teacher? You know, I had to think about this question.
00:21:00
Speaker
But I finally centered on, believe it or not, Professor Annalise Keating from How to Get Away with Murder.
Inspiration from Fictional Characters
00:21:12
Speaker
And not because she had her students fear her and admire her, which, you know, going back to how my students knew I was always in the military. And I think that was a little fear. So I can relate to her, but she also
00:21:29
Speaker
showed the students the world or I'm sorry, she showed the students that not only was she she strong and independent, but the private side of her is that she was sentimental. And again, I can relate to that. With her students, she believed in experiential learning and student leadership and collaboration with her students, especially the ones that she trusted. So I can really
00:21:59
Speaker
relate to her, and I love Viola Davis anyway. And I'm a law teacher, so it was a no-brainer after I started thinking about it. All times together, perfect. All right, so you live in the DC area, just like I do. What are three restaurants folks should try when visiting out here?
DC Food Recommendations
00:22:17
Speaker
Oh, this was a little hard too, but I would say the first one would be Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street, 1213 U Street, Northwest. I took a group of students there,
00:22:29
Speaker
Heard about the place, I've been here for seven years, finally visited with a group of students, and I fell in love with the atmosphere, with the people, and the food, of course, was wonderful. So definitely recommend Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street. I'll say number two, True Lux Ocean's Finest Seafood and Crab, 700K Street Northwest.
00:22:58
Speaker
They have the best crab fried rice I've ever had. Well, the only crab fried rice. But it was so delicious. Like, you really should try it. Beautiful atmosphere. It had music playing. The ambiance was nice. And then lastly, I had to go with a no-brainer RPM Italian DC. 650 K Street, Northwest. I saw the pictures of our former president there and his wife. And I said, you know what? I want to go.
00:23:29
Speaker
And I feel like I sit almost near where they sit, so. But the food was awesome. Yeah, yeah. Three places you should try, those are the three places. Yes, Ben's Chili Bowl, little piece of Black History, and RPM. I had their lobster tortellini not too long ago, and it was amazing. Ah, yes, yes, yes. We have a feature on the podcast called the shoulder tap.
Recognizing Potential in Future Educators
00:23:58
Speaker
Like you.
00:23:59
Speaker
your mentor to shoulder tap you and got you into the process. It's when you give somebody to tap on the shoulder and let them know they're ready to become national board certified on here. You're going to give them a quick shout out and then we're going to encourage them on social media and different channels to go through the process. So Ms. Shelina Warren, who are you tap, who are you shoulder tapping? I am actually shoulder tapping two individuals.
00:24:20
Speaker
Adrienne Glasgow. She's one of my social studies colleagues at Dunbar High School in Washington, DC. And my best friend from Arkansas, Larissa Davis, who is a former social studies teacher, now a librarian in Pine Bluff School District in Arkansas. So ladies, you have been tapped.
00:24:40
Speaker
Love it. Look out for those messages. Shalina Warren, thank you for joining me. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Shalina was awesome. Really cool stories about her experience in the United States Army. So many different things she could use in her classroom. I want to thank her again for joining me on the podcast and thank you for listening to National Board Conversations. Be sure to follow us on social media for national board related information and we'll see you next time.