Compelling Conversations with Jailyn Jenkins

Phenomenal Teaching with PEBC

Jailyn Jenkins believes that each and every learner deserves life-worthy conversations that promote community and deepen content understanding. Jailyn joined Michelle Morris Jones on the Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to unpack the PEBC Teaching Framework and specific ways in which teachers can promote student discourse that is meaningful, culturally responsive and sustaining, and inclusive of all voices. First and foremost, we must invest in building relationships with students and establishing rituals and routines that promote talk in our classrooms. This involves examining our internal biases and beliefs about who’s holding the power and knowledge and who gets to have a voice. Laying the groundwork for rich and lifeworthy discourse begins on day one by engaging students in conversations about their lives and interests as well as content. This creates an expectation that each and every student has something to say that is valuable.

When planning for discourse Jailyn considers:

• Lifeworthy Topics: What matters for students? How can you build a bridge between content standards and life outside of school?
• Intentional Planning: What do you want students to talk about and how will that build community or understanding? How are you going to scaffold the conversation for student success?
• Multiple Entry Points: Can everyone contribute something to the conversation in some way? What modes of discourse or languages are students able to use to express their ideas?
• Open-Ended Questions: Are questions crafted in a way that promotes critical thinking or are they designed to elicit a particular response? In what ways can students explore the “how” and “why” rather than the “what” or “who?”

In closing, Jailyn encourages us to double down on life-worthiness by building authentic relationships with students, expressing creativity that leads to innovation, and putting ourselves in the seats of students.

Jailyn Jenkins, "Educator, Advocate, Wellness Enthusiast" teaches science, facilitates professional learning opportunities, and serves as an instructional coach in Aurora Public Schools. Jailyn has a Bachelor's in Education from ASU and a Masters in Education Administration from GCU. She is a Denver native, loves adventure, trampoline parks, and just about anything that brings joy! Follow her on Instagram @Ms.Jenkins.Science

The "Phenomenal Teaching Podcast" is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework which is illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer's book, Phenomenal Teaching. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are making schools and classrooms more phenomenal than ever before by implementing community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment strategies that promote agency, equity, and understanding.