Resilient & Resourced Educator Podcast #1

Kimiko: An Epic Helper Who Would Make Mr. Rogers Proud

Kimiko is a charming blend of positive educator and energetic, no-nonsense activist and she has been doing this light-filled work for 15 years. When she’s not found on a picket line playing her guitar or encouraging others on her Twitter feed, this self-proclaimed “nerd” is providing exceptional streams of educational resources to her professional network or parents. After several years of teaching Primary/ Junior, Kimiko is now an ESL Itinerant and a compassionate advocate for all of her students including the newcomers to her community. If you want to be regularly encouraged, you can follow Kimiko on Twitter at @ESL_fairy or log into her school website to access some incredible resources.    Kimiko firmly believes that educators are experts at making impossible situations work and who want to put wellness before curriculum so they can simply meet students where they’re at during this pandemic school year. She also believes that educators need to prioritize taking care of themselves, reaching out for help and supporting each other as three key ways that educators will make it through to the other side. “Extending grace” is her go-to phrase this year for herself and others especially to new teachers. And echoing through all of Kimiko’s grounding advice is the phrase “You are worthy of all the love you give to your students”. After exploring how the pandemic has highlighted so many injustices, Kimiko considers the ways that education may grow more inclusive and more creative in the post-pandemic setting.