Shawnta S. Barnes

Shawnta (Shawn-tay) S. Barnes, also known as Educator Barnes, is a married mother of identical twin boys. She navigates education from not only the educator’s perspective but also the parent’s perspective. She has been an educator for nearly two decades. Shawnta works with K-12 schools, universities, & education adjacent organizations through her education consulting business Blazing Brilliance. She is an adjunct college professor, supervises student teachers, Indy Kids Winning Editor-in-Chief, Brave Brothers Books Co-founder, & CEO, and Brazen Education Podcast host. She holds five education licenses: English/language arts 5-12, English to speakers of other languages P-12, library/media P-12, reading P-12, and school administration P-12, and she has held a job in every licensed area. Previously, she has served as a school administrator, English teacher, English learners teacher, literacy coach, and librarian. She won the 2019 Indiana Black Expo Excellence in Education Journalism Award. In 2023, she completed her doctorate in Literacy, Culture, and Language Education with a minor in Learning Sciences. She is an urban gardener in her spare time and writes about her harvest-to-table journey at gardenershicole.com. To learn more about Shawnta, visit educatorbarnes.com.

Posts By Shawnta S. Barnes

anti-racism

2024 is the Year to End Hair Politics In Schools

When stories of hair politics go viral, people are outraged for a moment, but the student at the center of the incident is quickly forgotten and the masses move on to the next topic to rage about....

An Educator’s Tips for Navigating the AI Revolution

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into education has ushered in a wave of excitement and uneasiness among educators and students alike. We must adapt rather than ban the usage of AI out of...

Literacy

Elevate Teacher Preparation Standards to Safeguard Children's Literacy

In a critical examination of our education system, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) revealed a disconcerting reality that demands immediate attention: the precarious state of our...

Say Your Colleagues’ Names Correctly

For years, I have advocated for why it's essential to say students’ names correctly. And while I spoke out for teachers to pronounce student names correctly, I was still fighting for people to say my...

Support Black Youth Before They Become a Hashtag

While too many children are harmed and killed yearly, none are affected like Black youth. When our kids are the victims of senseless violence, rage spills online through long posts or videos....

anti-racism

Let Me Wear My Crown: Black Hair Discrimination in School

“That girl has always had a head full of hair.” Whenever there is a large family gathering, my hair becomes part of the commentary. I have always had thick, long, afro-textured, curly hair. My hair...

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