In this episode we sit down with Dr.Shelly Yarbrough. Shelly talks about how we need to think about a structure of multi-tiered support for not only ur students, but the adults in education as well. She was raised in many different places as she comes from a multi-cultural military family. These experiences lead her to be an empathetic leader for her school and community.

Barriers to Bridges

enMay 20, 2021

education

leadership

love

courage

principal

“Know Your Story” with Josh Godinez

Call to action:

Student Mental Health Week Resources:

https://www.schoolcounselor-ca.org/smhw21professionaldevelopment

Donate to:

https://www.komen.org/

Visit our website https://barrierstobridgespod.simplecast.com/

Or email us: barrierstobridgespod@gmail.com

Barriers to Bridges

enMay 05, 2021

“Anger to Advocacy” with Dr.Reggie Thompkins

Topics of discussion in this episode:

Growing up in with a single mom in poverty
Doing well in school with the mindset that he wanted a different lifestyle
Growing up in a crime-stricken neighborhood
Being a tight-knit community
Going to a school on the west side
Being called a racist slur and his friends standing up for him
Racial bias in grading and expectations
Finding sports in middle school
He remembers teachers and coach’s names that touched his life
Splitting up his senior class
How his experience influences how he works with families
Played basketball in college at Cal State San Bernardino
The importance of sports for engagement
Reflecting back on how hard it was for her mother
Talking back and being a teenager
Reflecting on his mother - mental illness and being raised in the South
Working at Stater Bros and how Bob Molina pushed him to do more
Coaching and becoming a PE Teacher
Becoming an assistant principal
Standard discipline practices and reflecting on being true to your values
Interesting fashion choices
Doing what is best for kids AND the adults who work with kids
Kids with behave badly when they don’t feel safe
Being scared to be a principal and receiving full support from his superintendent
Being collaborative with your staff
Understanding all students
Supporting all kids
Shifting mindsets and societal norms
Suspensions and changing behaviors
Kids who are engaged in sports
His service in CIF and supporting cheerleading becoming a sport
Boys and Girls Club

Call to action:

Donate to: The Boys & Girls Club

https://www.bgca.org/

Visit our website https://barrierstobridgespod.simplecast.com/

Or email us: barrierstobridgespod@gmail.com

Barriers to Bridges

enApril 21, 2021

“Strong in Faith” with LeAnn Southward

Topics of discussion in this episode:

Growing up in a household with high expectations and a strong faith in God
Finishing college quickly and getting married at a young age
Tackling failure and challenges
Supporting her husband going back to school to be a pastor while being a teacher and having young children
Struggling with the mixed feelings of setting boundaries and balancing the expectations of being a public figure
Finding the positive in something that you are experiencing as negative
Finding your community of support
Having a miscarriage and leaning on her faith to get her through it
Introverts versus Extroverts
Feeling the calling to lead a campus in a transition to using technology
Transitioning to remote learning when schools shut down while supporting her campus
Teachers communicating with families
Changing expectations and being flexible while setting boundaries
Transitioning to being a virtual teacher
The strong emotions of transitioning to something you didn’t expect or possibly want
PIVOT !!!!
Virtual teachers and students : WE SEE YOU, WE HEAR YOU and WE APPRECIATE YOU!

Call to action:

Donate to: Guide Dogs for the Blind

https://secure2.convio.net/gd/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20101a?4583.donation=form1&df_id=4583&mfc_pref=T&s_src=IBGMM21000&utm_source=IBGMM21000&pk_vid=e180022a50057f411616777384afc72f&NONCE_TOKEN=B4EDA1024FE12D29AAE9D841BB8675DB

Mentioned: Documentary “Pick of the Litter”

https://g.co/kgs/rWcrzs

Visit our website https://barrierstobridgespod.simplecast.com/

Or email us: barrierstobridgespod@gmail.com

enApril 07, 2021

Happy International Women’s Day

Call to action:

Donate to: Stop AAPI Hate

www.stopaapihate.org

Visit our website https://barrierstobridgespod.simplecast.com/

Or email us: barrierstobridgespod@gmail.com

Barriers to Bridges

enMarch 24, 2021

“Inclusion Benefits All” with Tricia Thompson

Topics of discussion in this episode:

The importance to stay grounded and have a circle of people you can be real with
Her Cuban Dad migrated to this country and this instilled in her the importance of the American dream.
Her experience of how different education can be when you go to an all-girls school and her thoughts around gender differences in education
How she started out as a Math major in college and the barriers she faced which ultimately resulted in her changing her major
Her career as a teacher and how someone planted the seed with her and told her she should become an administrator
She explains how being a Principal stretched her
An open position in the Special Education department that really spoke to her
Being a Mom of 5 kids in a blended family and a role model for them
Having a supportive husband and being a supportive wife of a first responder
Boundaries and mental health in her own life and with her staff
Managing stress
Positives that have come out of the pandemic
General education and Special education to meet the needs of all students
Inclusion of students with disabilities BENEFITS ALL
ABC Hopes

Call to action:

Donate to: ABC Hopes https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E350775&id=7

Visit our website https://barrierstobridgespod.simplecast.com/

Or email us: barrierstobridgespod@gmail.com

Barriers to Bridges

enMarch 10, 2021

"Find Your Voice” with Melissa Bako

Topics of discussion in this episode:

Leadership lessons she learned throughout her story
Growing up in Michigan
How her love for coaching brought her to the field of education
Moving to California and the surprising opportunity of Athletic Director at a new High School
Experiencing the death of her Dad and how that changed her
All the challenges of being a new assistant principal and being moved to a new school
Finding her voice and passion in Social Emotional Learning with students and staff on her campus

Call to action:

Donate to https://www.als.org/donate

Visit our website https://barrierstobridgespod.simplecast.com/

Or email us: barrierstobridgespod@gmail.com

enFebruary 24, 2021