RAD Educator
Kate Weber is a an inspirational teacher and RAD educator. She is a high school teacher, yoga teacher, heart worker, writer and mom. Kate knows we can make the world a better place when we teach kids to love themselves. She also knows that it’s the educators that must model that behaviour. Her teaching is about bringing kids back to trusting themselves.
In this episode we talked about:
Assessment and grades.
Mindfulness.
The Mental Health crisis in schools.
Yoga and how it has impacted not only her health but her school.
Teacher burnout.
Her high school classroom.
Why students and parents have more pull in the education system than they realize.
Her amazing training course~RADeducators
Kate is a heart worker. Passionate is the first word that I would use to describe her. She doesn’t do anything unless her heart is in it.”
This podcast is about helping create a change in the world of education. So why not have a voice that works within the institution on the show? But I did say that Kate is a heart worker. So of course her classroom does not replicate the traditional high school class. She says there is a gap in how we are approaching education. “We forget that kids are human.”
Her foundational approach:
Approach with love and respect.
Give opportunity to form relationships.
Mindfulness
Inquiry based learning (a natural learning approach)
Mental Health
Kate’s biggest concern right now is the mental health of the students she teaches. Students are falling through the cracks. The mental health issues we see in the community are showing up big in the schools. Teachers are suffering burnout. She sees the need and is helping to create a solution.
But how does she do this within the public school system?
Kate’s Class
Kate’s involved in a pilot project for high school redesign. In Alberta high school redesign is a provincial initiative. It’s trying to make school more student centred and responsive. Kate works with her students throughout their high school year. (While many high school teachers may see their students for only one class in a semester. Kate spends 3/4 of their day with them.) She encourages creativity, connection and “un-grading”. She is a strong believer that grades and assessments do not support or reflect the student. While most high school classes divide on academic ability, Kate’s class is not. All academic levels are together. She uses the inquiry based learning approach. The student’s questions, ideas and observations are the centre of the learning experience. Testing and assessments are not. What Kate does can be radical.
RADEducators(Radiant Authentic Dynamic)
Kate saw that the people that work with students need support. This is where RADeducators comes in. Kate and the owner of her local yoga studio (the RAD Life) connected to create a program to reach the kids in the school. They do this by reaching the educators themselves. “If they are not healthy kids- how will they learn?”
RADeducators (like the studio) is a Radiant Authentic Dynamic program. It benefits teachers which in turn benefits their students. The course is inquiry based and incorporates yoga and mindfulness. It is about building connection, play and applying movement.
The program foundations are:
Body Positivity
Passion-creativity
Mindfulness
Healthy relationships and Boundaries
Social Media Responsibility
In this episode Kate delves deeper into this remarkable program and how it benefits the community. She reminds us that it is not only for teachers, but all that work with kids.
She also talks more about the issues her students face and how she plans to be part of the change. At the end of the episode her advice to parents and kids will resonate with you.
Tune in and let me know what you think. Will the change happen through the institution? Will we ever tackle the mental health crisis in our communities?
Kate has provided us with some free RADeducator lessons below along with ways to reach out to her or follow her journey.
Free Lesson Plans (RADeducators):
RADschool Lesson 1 Grades 7-12
RADschool Lesson 1 Kindergarten-Grade 6
RADschool=RADeducators+RADstudents
The Rad Studio: theradlife.ca
Kate on Instagram: @fullheartproject
Blogs
twitter: @kate_weber7
Book Recommendations
10 Mindful minutes-Goldie Hawn
Creative Schools Sir Ken Robinson
If you would like to hear more about other radical educators creating change check out this episode here.
