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Nikole Y. Hollins-Sims, Ed.D., is the senior instructional marketing consultant & strategist for Hollins-Sims Session and lead writer of Creating Equitable Practices in PBIS. She previously served as a technical help coordinator for the Midwest PBIS community and is a former Particular Assistant to the Secretary of Training on the Pennsylvania Division of Training (PDE). We sit down with Nikole to speak about her accomplishments and her drive to provide again.
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What drives you to provide again?
I’m pushed to provide again by the inspiration formed by my mother and father. Every of them taught me from an early age that it’s higher to provide than to obtain. As well as, my Christian religion has influenced the significance of giving again. In my youth, taking part in church-based occasions that gave to charities or ensured others have been fed, clothed or housed turned very useful experiences in shaping my life. Now, as a mother or father of a kindergartener, I need to instill comparable values and expectations into his life to indicate that to whom a lot is given, a lot is required. We’ve been blessed in our lives and it isn’t for us to be egocentric or ignorant to these in want. Want is a broad time period that extends to missing constructive experiences and entry to bodily, emotional and psychological security. My background, coupled with my skilled credentials sustains my drive to provide again.
![Photo credit: Nikole Hollins-Sims](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/05d96f_e19026936a7644a0a4b6658c6a269d28~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_155,h_169,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/05d96f_e19026936a7644a0a4b6658c6a269d28~mv2.jpg)
Picture credit score: Nikole Hollins-Sims
What’s your proudest accomplishment?
I’ve been blessed with many alternatives to affect and affect instructional methods, from a college, college district, regional, state and nationwide area. My proudest accomplishment has been serving as a particular assistant to the Pennsylvania secretary of schooling. Whereas on this position, I used to be given the belief and autonomy to construct and form how fairness, inclusion and belonging can be communicated and applied throughout the Pennsylvania instructional ecosystem. With the total assist of the schooling secretary, I used to be capable of develop the PDE Equitable Practices Hub, as a one-stop store of sources, instruments, and infographics for the sphere. As well as, having the ability to develop relationships with many key companions who shared the mission and imaginative and prescient of making equitable instructional methods for learners to expertise belonging was one of the crucial fulfilling elements of the position. Previous to my departure from the PA division of schooling, we have been trying to create a roadmap for Pennsylvania that described the academic ecosystem as a neighborhood, the place early studying, elementary and secondary schooling, put up secondary schooling and libraries are linked and embedding fairness, inclusion and belonging in every bit of their work. Whereas that work remains to be in progress, it is connection to my position as particular assistant secures it as a part of my biggest accomplishment.
What recommendation would you give to your youthful self?
If I had the chance to provide my youthful self recommendation, I might you should definitely inform “younger Nikole” that you could be really feel such as you aren’t sufficient, otherwise you’ll by no means attain your desires, however I need to encourage you that the challenges you will face, the rejections you will expertise, and the individuals who will disappoint you have been there to strengthen your goal, ignite your wishes, and remind you that you’re a gentle to many and keep in mind that you’re a drive. Proceed to dream out loud!
What’s an pressing concern going through schooling?
An pressing concern going through schooling is inequitable instructional experiences. This threatens scholar’s emotions of connection and belonging. Analysis means that lack of connection to high school will increase the chance of faculty drop-out. Systemically, inequitable entry and alternative to educational, behavioral and social-emotional outcomes has sadly created generations of scholars who haven’t been capable of have interaction in an academic local weather that’s obtainable for them to thrive. Inequities in schooling vary from societal inequities, socioeconomic inequities, cultural inequities, programmatic inequities, staffing inequities, and evaluation inequities. Educators are in want {of professional} studying to extend their consciousness of those essential inequities.
After skilled studying, teaching and job-embedded methods are needed for brand new and responsive practices to really take maintain and make a distinction. My ardour is to supply skilled studying and management teaching to assist create these alternatives for transformative instructional change. Hollins-Sims Session is my car to form the content material and efficient practices supplied to educators centered in fairness, inclusion and belonging and thru a sensible method.
![Photo credit: Nikole Hollins-Sims](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/05d96f_5406f68e99d54705a5e507265937f30e~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_119,h_108,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/05d96f_5406f68e99d54705a5e507265937f30e~mv2.png)
Picture credit score: Nikole Hollins-Sims
What’s one factor that conjures up you?
My mom, Yvonne Hollins, conjures up me. I contemplate her my “first instructor” and the epitome of a caring educator and difference-maker. She grew up within the housing initiatives of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and was advised throughout her junior yr of highschool that she should not contemplate being a instructor, however fairly change into a clerk primarily based on the place she lived. Fortunately, she ignored that recommendation and proceeded to comply with her dream by attending faculty and acquiring her instructing certificates. She returned to the identical college district the place she was advised she did not belong in schooling and taught for many years. She finally turned an assistant superintendent in an area college district and closed her profession as the chief director of the Boys & Women Membership of Harrisburg. Watching her in her latest position impressed me to focus nearly all of my instructional efforts in making higher methods for younger individuals. The households and communities she served benefitted just because she was there as a servant chief. My mother has demonstrated to me that every one issues are doable, and don’t enable ANYONE to discourage you out of your future. She has instilled in me a “blueprint” for be a powerhouse, whereas remaining humble and dedicated to the bettering of instructional methods. I all the time share her story after I supply keynote addresses to instructional organizations as a solution to show the ability of dreaming out loud.
Take a look at the guide, co-authored by Dr. Hollins-Sims:
Creating Equitable Practices in PBIS: Rising a constructive college local weather for sustainable outcomes
1000 Spotlights: Why We Give displays our mission of giving again, to mentor and to encourage these round us. Via a collection of interview questions, we discover intrinsic motivations behind why we give, and discuss with these inclined to make a distinction within the lives of others. In case you are concerned in charitable actions, volunteer and paid educational engagements or in group service, we need to discuss to you.
Write to us to appoint somebody distinctive who’s making a distinction in extraordinary methods.
In June 2023, FeedSpot.com acknowledged 1000 Spotlights as one of many high motivational blogs on the net.
1000 Spotlights is a part of UGSI that additionally owns SpeakerPost.com, a free social affect world platform that connects educators with trade consultants and with different educators for volunteer visitor talking in faculty school rooms. In case you are in search of a visitor speaker for a student-focused occasion, or need to discover methods to share your profession journey with college students, please attain out and request your free invite code by way of SpeakerPost.com.
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