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

student achievement

Hey Shawnta! Why Do First-Gen Immigrant Students Score Higher Than Native-Born American Students on All Standardized Achievement Tests?

Hey Shawnta! Why do first-generation immigrant students score higher than native-born American students on all standardized achievement tests? I have been asked a version of this question many times...

Hey Shawnta! How Can We Ensure Students Learn About Our Veterans?

Hey Shawnta! There is a lot of focus on adding more cultural months to the curriculum; that should be taught at home. What about Veterans? How can we ensure students learn about our vets? This...

Hey Shawnta! My Son’s Teacher Keeps Kicking Him Out of Class. He Is Already Behind and Can’t Learn in the Hall. What Can I Do?

Hey Shawnta! My son’s teacher keeps kicking him out of class. He is already behind and he can’t learn in the hall. What can I do? Sincerely, Keep My Son In Class Hi, Keep My Son in Class — You're...

Hey Shawnta! NAEP Scores Are a Disaster. How Do We Improve Students’ Academic Outcomes?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is frequently called the Nation’s Report Card. In 2022—from January to March—NAEP was given to a representative section of 4th and 8th graders...

Teaching

Hey Shawnta! I Hate My School, My Principal, and My Job. I Love the Students, but I Don’t Think I Can Make It Through This Year. What Should I Do?

Hey Shawnta! I hate my school. I hate my principal. I hate my job. I love the students but don’t think I can make it through this year. What should I do? Sincerely, Love the Kids; Hate the Job Hi...

Hey Shawnta! How Can I Ensure My Children’s School Incorporates Their Latino Heritage After Hispanic Heritage Month Ends?

Hey Shawnta! How can I ensure my children’s school incorporates their Latino heritage after Hispanic Heritage Month ends? Sincerely, Latino 365 Hi Latino 365, As a Black woman, I can empathize with...

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