The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education Leaders

Patrick Harris II, a middle school humanities teacher outside of Detroit, is the guest on this episode of The Authority. His book, published by Heinemann, is The First Five: A Love Letter to Teachers.   The First Five is a memoir with a call-to-action. Patrick writes about his early life and what brought him to the education profession, and outlines the lessons learned in his first five years – as well as insights from other educators.   In the interview, Patrick and Ross discuss:   ●      What pushed Patrick to write the book ●      What it’s been like to share his story with others ●      Tackling toxic positivity and being honest about the profession ●      What does it mean to teach in 360 degrees? ●      The difference it makes to have black male teachers ●      Remembering your why. Who needs to know this and why? ●      Do most teachers know the entirety of their why? ●      Patrick’s greatest fear in writing the book ●      What can be done to be more inclusive in recruitment and retention in the profession?   The First Five is published by Heinemann. Find it here: https://bit.ly/3VQcrhC   Subscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.   About today’s guest Patrick Harris II is a Black queer writer, storyteller, and middle school humanities teacher. He has won multiple national teaching awards for his leadership and innovation in the classroom, including recognitions from NCTE, ASCD, and ILA. Teaching and creating is only part of who Patrick is. He is a big brother, a cat dad, lover of all things horror, a WWE fanatic, and is obsessed with scenic hikes.   Find Patrick on Twitter & Instagram @PresidentPat.   About the host Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies LLC, a consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano