Brains, Bias, and Building Champions -A Conversation with Nikkie Handy

2024-01-26

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Nikkie Handy Summary Nikkie Handy shares her personal story of facing discrimination from a teacher and how it shaped her understanding of minority and economically disadvantaged populations in education. She discussed how her own experiences have fueled her empathy in working with minority communities. Nikkie's personal story sheds light on the need for greater support and inclusivity in education, especially for minority students facing similar obstacles. The meeting...

Nikkie Handy

Summary

Nikkie Handy shares her personal story of facing discrimination from a teacher and how it shaped her understanding of minority and economically disadvantaged populations in education. She discussed how her own experiences have fueled her empathy in working with minority communities. Nikkie's personal story sheds light on the need for greater support and inclusivity in education, especially for minority students facing similar obstacles.

The meeting also discussed Dr. Anil Karim's innovative educational approach that integrates Montessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies to enhance children's brain development. Fueling Brains seeks to mold children's brains to effectively retain and process information, ultimately improving learning outcomes. This episode highlights the importance of building children's brains to hold on to content, the role of executive functions in learning, and the need for educators to focus on brain development alongside traditional content delivery in the public school system.

Bio

I am a consummate professional in the Early Childhood Education and Professional Development arenas. I am a leader, innovator, mentor and guide.

The reoccurring theme in my professional life and career is people. By nature I am an empath, a carer and a nurturer. This seed was planted early in life through caring for my two younger sisters and my elderly great-grandmother. It sprouted in young adulthood as I entered college and worked nights at a rehab hospital and babysat on weekends. It began to grow branches early on as my professional journey led me to early childhood education and found my passion for co-authoring the future of humanity by guiding and supporting our youngest and most absorbent learners. At this point in my career I have shifted my energy and focus to pouring into the next generation of leaders, teachers and trail blazers. There have been multiple times in my journey that a mentor or wisdom-keeper has changed the trajectory of my rise in a positive and meaningful way. I would consider myself blessed to be that advocate and cheerleader for those coming up in this next generation. #TogetherWeRise

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