On this week’s episode, Ali and JoDee sit down with Alicia Williams. Alicia is a former teacher turned founder and CEO of Teach Woke, an education consulting company. She talks us through the 4 "P's" framework for practical ways to transition from the classroom and her latest edtech start up, Justli.
Together, they will discuss:
Connect with Alicia:
Justli’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justli.co/
Teach Woke’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachwoke/
Connect with Ali and JoDee:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachershift
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachershift
Teacher Shift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-shift
Ali’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisimon/
JoDee’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodeescissors/
Website
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/
Episode Transcriptions
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/blog
On this week’s episode, Ali and JoDee sit down with Alicia Williams. Alicia is a former teacher turned founder and CEO of Teach Woke, an education consulting company. She talks us through the 4 "P's" framework for practical ways to transition from the classroom and her latest edtech start up, Justli.
Together, they will discuss:
Connect with Alicia:
Justli’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justli.co/
Teach Woke’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachwoke/
Connect with Ali and JoDee:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachershift
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachershift
Teacher Shift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-shift
Ali’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisimon/
JoDee’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodeescissors/
Website
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/
Episode Transcriptions
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/blog
Ali 0:00
All teachers are natural innovators, entertainers and problem solvers. They dream of growing old into the profession, teaching their kids kids. But sometimes career goals shift or change, and that makes opportunities outside of the classroom seem intangible questioning who am I, if I'm not a teacher? I'm your host, Alexandra Simon.
JoDee 0:30
And I'm your co host, JoDee Scissors.
Ali 0:34
This is The Great Teacher Resignation.
Today, our guest is Alicia Williams. Alicia is an educator, visionary and thought leader. She is the founder and CEO of Teach Woke an education consulting company that provides workshops and curriculum to center and advanced diversity, equity and inclusion in schools. Her latest venture is an ed tech startup called Justli. Welcome to the show today, Alicia.
Alicia 1:06
Thanks so much for having me.
JoDee 1:08
Thanks for being here. We're so excited to meet with you, especially since you're covering that CEO space that we talk about so often. And in one of our past episodes, another Alicia that was on the show, says that teachers are CEOs of their classroom. So how did you go from a classroom CEO to being a CEO of your own business?
Alicia 1:34
Really, it started off in 2016. I was a brand new teacher. I had gotten to teaching via Teach for America. So I moved to Houston, Texas was a founding teacher. So there was like eight staff members, 100 students. And we literally built a school from scratch, which was an exciting time, little chaotic, but we did it. And so there were so many lessons and things that I learned in classroom, and really a lot of essential transferable skills, from managing, to grading, to org. I mean, like teachers are so like, amazingly talented. And we do so many things every single day that I think that we often don't even give ourselves credit for, right? Like, we have a list of probably 10,000 things to do every day. And so really, I kind of took inventory to think about what are the skills that I'm doing? And like, how can I transfer them into not only my own business, but into other areas of my life? So more practically, what that looked like, was I developed a framework called the four Ps, and I'll explain each one briefly. But the first is Plant, right? The ideas that we have even for Teach Woke ,from our curriculum to our workshops, they all started with the seed. And those seeds started in my classroom, right, as a former science teacher, then as a social justice teacher, I really had these ideas all along that we now implement, and I sell in my company. The next P is to practice. So during my time as a teacher I got at bats. I was practicing leading professional development workshops, leading book clubs, being the grade level chair taking on leadership roles and responsibilities. And then the next P is to produce, right? So then I began to like produce, gather my lesson plans gather the things I was creating as a teacher, my intellectual property. And then finally, Protect. I thought, well, if I'm going to transition out of the classroom, like I need to legally protect myself, get my LLC, get my business going. And from there, protecting my intellectual property, my genius. And so those are just a few of the more practical ways that I was able to transition from classroom to CEO.
JoDee 3:57
Thank you for explaining that in a very instructional way. I like your little mnemonic device that you used to. Those are really excellent skills. And I liked the way that you brought it back to seeds and your students. Because I know as a teacher, I learned so much just from engaging with students on a daily basis, about their lives, about the way people learn, about how our backgrounds inform decisions that we make. They were really one of my greatest teachers of all time.
Alicia 4:27
I am a student always. And in my classroom, I really made it a point to teach from a lens of equity. And I didn't always get it right. But I tried to de-center myself as much as possible because I wasn't the only one that had the knowledge my students taught me. I taught them and there was this beautiful exchange of information every day. So I'm grateful for that.
Ali 4:49
I just see the teacher brain at work here. Like the organization, the thought, the methodology that you use to outline that. It's just teach your brain all the way. So I loved hearing about how you got started. And I want to know a little bit more, what was the transition, like, from classroom teacher to education consulting? And how did you make that happen?
Alicia 5:11
So I was a teacher. I taught for five years. And about year three, I knew and I felt in, like my spirit, my being that it was time to transition. I don't know what that transition was going to look like exactly. But I knew that a shift was going to happen. I thought, originally, it was going to be law school. My plan A was to go to law school and like, be an education lawyer and like, keep fighting the good fight. And then there was other plans for me. And so I was teaching, the pandemic happened. We went on spring break in March of 2020, thinking like, okay, great, we'll be back, you know, in a week. And we didn't go back to school, all of us, right. And so that experience really transformed so much, and me and even, like, awakened so much in me. And so from my experience, now being a virtual teacher, like millions of other ones, happen to figure out how to turn this like printed lesson plan into like a digital thing that my kids can type on. All of that. I learned so many skills. And so I really started to think about, like, one, what does this look like for me to continue and like enjoy this freedom of like teaching virtually? Once I got a taste of it, and I could go to the post office on a Tuesday and not have to call off work to get to that. Like, those were things that I really enjoyed. Or like being able to go to the doctor when I wanted to. And so getting that taste of freedom for me was beautiful. So I started to develop a plan. In January of 2021, I affirmatively like made the decision, I'm going to transition at the end of this school year. So what does that look like? Number one, money. I need to at least make my teacher salary. And so what in the world am I going to do to at least live my same lifestyle? Because I do not want that to diminish. So I started to backwards plan just like great teachers do. During my prep periods, or during when I was, you know, traditionally going to be at recess. Since I had that time back now. I started making a list of friends, principals, school leaders, district leaders that I knew personally, that I could reach out to to talk about, hey, I'm starting Teach Woke. We do DEI workshops, are you interested? And from there really just had consultations for the next four or five months to secure the contracts that allowed me to fully transition as a June 15 2021. That was our Juneteenth and when I fully transitioned from classroom to CEO.
Ali 7:47
What I think is amazing is that you were able to actually start that while you were still teaching and you had the like the ability, the time, you know, the wherewithal, I guess, really to get started ahead of time, which I think is really difficult for some educators. Like sometimes we're just, we're in survival mode, you know, and we gotta wait till June. I love hearing your story about how you made a commitment to yourself, and in January decided you were going to make this happen. And so you did. And you started to develop the plan. You've went through your four Ps. That must have been honestly, like such a relief to know that when you left in June, when you finished your last day of school, you were ready to go. So can you kind of tell us like what that balance was like of getting that all set up and managing your classes? I know that you were... sounds like you were remote. But like, what advice would you give to someone who wanted to set themselves up like that? Is it worth it? What was the feeling like?
Alicia 8:42
It honestly, was difficult at first, because I genuinely and deeply love my students. Like they're the reason that I even have Teach Woke now and even created Justli. And so to think about like, goodness, like, I'm going to be leaving them I'm not going to see them every day, because we had to close relationships. That was a really hard decision. Right? And I don't think that, you know, walking away or transitioning is easy. And so I don't want to glamorize that. But I think I've always tried to lead from a place of honesty and transparency. And so it was telling my students, Hey, Miss Williams is going to be transitioning out of teaching, and I'm not going to be a teacher next year. And what am I going to go do? I'm gonna go start my own company. And surprisingly, not even surprisingly, my students were like, wow, what kind of company? That's really cool. So they were even super supportive. So once they got on board and like, were able to still connect with me and follow us on Instagram and all of that. I felt much better. And so, you know, when I turned in my resignation, it felt like, this is real. My benefits end you know what day? So I can figure all of that out. But then really just trusting and believing that like, I'm a woman of faith, and so just like taking a step and knowing that everything that I need all the support, the resources, the money, like everything will come to me when it's supposed to. So that is how I really transitioned and took the leap of faith to make the step.
JoDee 10:09
I like how you brought that up, though ally, there was an overlap there that kind of prepared you. And I remember, I had a little bit of an overlap too. When I resigned, I was talking to people, networking, figuring out my skills, making a plan. It was like you were lesson planning, but we were life planning, you know? And I like how you kind of just integrated those skills into this choice in your life. And so I also do consulting, and I also do a lot of DEI work with the organizations that I work with. And as a teacher, I always felt like I was on all the time. As a consultant, sometimes people feel that way too. Do you feel that way as a consultant? As a CEO? As someone that is leading to companies now? What do you feel like?
Alicia 10:56
Oh, that teacher odd is very real. And I think, oftentimes, I wasn't aware of how on I was like, mentally, spiritually, physically. And so, as a CEO, and as leading, you know, two companies, there is this sense of, Oh, my goodness, I have so many things to do. There's so many people depending on me. So there's this on-ness that that happens. But what I really made it a point to do, especially after transitioning out of the classroom, was one, I'm just really intentional about how I show up and spend my time. Because honest as a teacher, I would wake up at 430, go to the gym, get breakfast, be at school at seven, not leave tilll like 5. Like there was just like all of these different demands. So the way that I'm like, dismantling that in my own life is one by starting my day with like ease and slowness. Like I wake up at five, I have my meditation, do my devotion, like, I ease my way into the day. And that spirit and energy feels really sacred. And so I tried to combat this spirit of like on-ness with ease, and also building and rest. So on my calendar Sunday evening, I spend about 30 minutes to an hour block planning my time in my calendar. And in that, like, I start with me first, like Alicia is going into her calendar before anything else. And so no matter the client, no matter the requests, and there are certain blocks in my calendar during the day, where I am available for meetings, phone calls, responding, so that not everything feels urgent in my time. I'm owning and not my time owning me. So those are just ways that I kind of de-center that on-ness that oftentimes people have and CEOs have.
JoDee 12:43
That's really great advice. I've actually never heard anybody ever say that. That when you're forecasting your week, where are you in there? Just you. Not your work. Not your other responsibilities, where are you and where you need to be. And I love that.
Ali 12:58
And I love the way that you wake up and you start your day, because I think like as a teacher, that morning was always so chaotic, you know? And it's my mornings are a lot different now. And I will say the big difference that I noticed. And I'm wondering if this is part of how your morning is a little bit more calm. When you're able to work remotely, you really get rid of a lot of the things that take up time in the morning. Like, I don't have to get ready to the same extent that I would get ready for school. I might be able to prepare my lunch right before I eat it versus having to pack it like the morning of or the night before. And so you really remove a lot of things that kind of stress people out in the morning, I think. So it's nice if you transition to something where you're starting your own company, or you're going into a role that's remote, you have more time built into your day. But I just think that's such a great thing that you share with our listeners to really start your day in a way that's going to fill you up and to prioritize yourself. Because as teachers, we always come last I feel like because we love our students. And then if we have our own family, it's like our family. And then whatever's leftover goes to the teacher. And so like reprioritizing yourself at the top because you cannot be a great CEO, or business owner if you're not taking care of yourself. And honestly the same thing for teachers like it's hard to be the best teacher if your tank is always on empty. So great tips overall really appreciate you sharing those. One thing that we also wanted to get into today was why is an educators perspective so valuable when you're designing and implementing DEI training? So having been in the classroom and then now you're working on this type of curriculum bringing this to other educators or other workplaces. How does that educator, that teacher brain perspective help you in doing that work andwhy is it so important?
Alicia 14:50
I'll answer it in two ways. One from Teach Woke side of what we do with DEI and then also as an edtech founder. I think both are important to have the lens of an educator. From a DEI perspective, especially working in schools... we work with organizations and companies and universities as well. But I think from the lens of an educator, it's important to go into schools, understanding the landscape, and really understanding the nuances, the challenges, the barriers that exist within education, right? We know there's so many statistics around educational inequity and injustice. And so having that lens, being passionate about those things, seeing it for myself firsthand, as a teacher, who... You know, we all have bias... has my own biases. Also seeing it within my own colleagues and how they treated certain students. That lens is critical, because it reminds me of why I'm doing the work that I'm doing, right? So students that look like me, students that come from marginalized communities and identities can really have a space where they feel that they can be anything they want to be. And so I think, as a DEI practitioner, and I'm not gonna call myself an expert, because I'm always a lifelong learner, and I haven't arrived, even though like I am deeply committed to the work. It's important that educators really understand education, and teachers, and schools like that is a really valuable concept. Transferring that to Justly, our edtech startup, you know, there are so many edtech founders that I've met in this space. So have you ever been a teacher? No. Have you ever been a school leader? Have you ever worked inside of a school building with kids at all? And 90% of them, maybe more, have never worked inside of a school, right? And so they're building these companies, they're building these products or building these platforms, which are great, but it's so money intensive and like center that it's like, I'm here just to let profit off of kids. And that doesn't feel good or right to me. And what we're building at Justli is the number one SEL platform to develop compassionate, socially conscious kids. And the reason I'm able to really speak to that, and my unique value proposition that I add is that I'm an educator. This is built for educators, by an educator, who deeply believe in equity and justice. So I think both need to be true when you think about why it's important for educators to do the work and to be able to speak to DEI and edtech.
Ali 17:27
Really thoughtful responses there. And I just want to jump off what you last said, which was that edtech companies need former teachers. They need people who have worked in schools. I feel like we've seen this already in the standardized testing industry. It seems like there's a large disconnection of like, its for profit. And you don't always have people who have been in the classroom managing, leading, creating the materials. And so we're in this new space now with technology. And that's what's being pushed in schools now. But we need the teacher perspective and the educator perspective, because they really understand at a level that you can't understand if you've never been in the classroom. It's just not possible. So I love that you brought in that perspective. And thank you for sharing your experience with meeting with other edtech leaders.
JoDee 18:19
Thank you for all the work you're doing too. Just starting it from the ground up. That's amazing. You started your career at a school that started from the ground up, and now you're kind of doing your thing, and it's all coming full circle. So you also kind of tap into the gamification space. And Ed Tech is really taken over that. Even though like, you know, I was an 80s kid. So like there was gamification even before the internet or technology. But what does it look like in terms of training teachers on gamification? And how did you enter that space?
Alicia 18:51
I entered this space, really, from the things I did in my classroom, right? And the lessons and the sessions, and stations that were most engaging. They were games. Like I would make anything out of a game. And so to see the joy in sparking students eyes was incredible. But then how do we translate that into an actual product, especially around SEL, which is social and emotional learning for those who may not know, and social justice concepts, right. And so we have a proprietary technique that we use at Justli to help us design and think about game design. And then we have some incredible people on our team. Like, we have an incredible game development advisor who worked at Xbox. And so they really help us think through the nuances and things that, you know, make games and tech, more fun for kids. And so, I would say that it's really exciting to create a game for you know, millions of kids to use one day.
Ali 19:46
Kids of all ages love games. Even adults love games. So there's no better way than to enhance learning than to include gamification, you know, as a part of curriculum design and what's offered in the classroom. So I love that and I'm really excited to check out Justli more deeply now and see what you offer because I'm just really inspired right now. Alicia, it has been so wonderful having you on the show. We hope that our listeners have been able to learn from your transition from classroom CEO to startup founder CEO of your own company. If you'd like to connect with Alicia you can find her on LinkedIn under her name, Alicia Williams. And if you'd like to connect with her on Instagram, you can find her at Teach Woke or @justli.co That's J U S T L I .co
If you liked The Great Teacher Resignation, give us a five star rating and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and Audible. Today's episode was written and recorded by me Alexandra Simon, and my co host JoDee Scissors. Executive produced by Teacher Brain. Produced and edited by Emily Porter. Original Music: Emoji by Tubebackr. Special thanks to our sponsor, Paper Planes Ed.