Season 3 Episode #4 My Conversation with Author Silvana Spence

On today's podcast we'll chat with guest author and educator Silvana Spence. Silvana Spence is originally from Brazil. She is an author, mom, presenter and educator who resides in Jacksonville Florida with her two daughters. Victoria is portrayed as a character and Isabella is the co-author of this book. She holds a bachelor's degree in early childhood education- ESOL Endorsed and a master's degree in Curriculum and instruction.

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Transcript

0:36

Welcome everyone to the Cultural Curriculum. Chat in our guest chair Today is a wonderful, energetic author, mom, and STREAM extraordinaire. Miss Sil. Spence and just a little background about Silvana Spence. She's originally from Brazil. She's an author, like I said, mom presenter, an educator who resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her two daughters. Victoria is portrayed as a character, and Isabella is the co-author of her book. Bella, the scientist goes to outer space. She holds a bachelor's degree in Early childhood education, an E S O L, endorse and a Master's degree in curriculum and instruction. So welcome to the guest chair. Sil. I'm so excited to have you here so much for having me. I'm so excited too. Oh, thank you. Thank you. So tell us, Sil, I love your story. Can you share with our audience, you know, your love of multicultural education, especially interwoven with STEM and your background? Yes. my love is started a long time ago because I started teaching back in Brazil and I was teaching English, um, as a second language. For me, it's very important to incorporate your culture and everybody's culture into your teaching, so that way everybody feels valued, you know, and they can be more interested in what you are teaching, in what you are doing, and they can participate more. So with the stem, I have two beautiful girls as you read over there. They're the world to me and I try to make sure that every activity that we do, it's engaging and hands-on and nothing better than science to make things hands-on because science is just a beautiful combination of reading. and hands-on experiences and some of math too because you have to use measurements and things, right? So every summer that we're together, I tried to make sure that we had educational activities to do for them to be busy and things like that. So we were always doing science, science experiments and that's when they STEM speak. So why would I just pick science experiments I would pick based on theirinterests. So it's not something that I imposed to them. It's something that they were already interested in doing. So I would just pretty much kind of cater to what, to their interests and because I also loved it. It was just a beautiful combination, right? So then we started doing on, in Instagram, we did some stories. We didn't really post on the page when I first started with Bella and Vicky. But if you go on Bella, the scientist Instagram, you scroll all the way down. And you can see a video of the two of them when they were very little, you know, in Bella with her squeaky voice like, I'm Bella scientist Love that. It's so funny, you know, that we would record and we were doing things just really for fun. Right. And we would post and share and they would dress up, you know, really like a fun thing. And then it turned into a, the fun thing turned into an idea. Wow. And the idea turned into a book. Mm. That is so neat and how you and your daughter co-authored it and your second daughter is the main character. It just is a family dream come into fruition and following your story and, you know, going to your event. Your book events that you have with your daughter dressed up like astronauts. That's just, she's gonna look back in this moment in her life and just say, wow, I did this with my mom, and oh, I tip my hat to you. That's amazing. Yeah. Life is very hard, but I think if we put effort into making good memories, we can do, we don't need a whole lot of Shebang. If you can, let's put on it. But you to make beautiful memories, you know, with the ones you love. And I really try. To make sure that I do that with my students in my classroom. And I try to make sure that I do with my own children too, because they look at stuff in the classroom that I do with my students and I can see sometimes they feel kind of little heavy, harder. Mm-hmm. Cause their teacher doesn't do that. And then I just explain, well we are kind of on a different grade level. Mm-hmm. I am teaching younger children. and I don't have as much, um, stress of a testing grade level. Mm-hmm. as your professors, your teachers have. Mm-hmm. Cause I have one in fourth grade now and the other one is in high school as a sophomore. So I said, so things are not gonna be kinda like that. I said, they're like, but we really love coming to your class, mama. And he was so, this, this time, I, I usually have a gingerbread house that I put it together every. December. I had a couple of parents that donated that house to me, and it was amazing because I kind of threw the idea out there. It was like four years ago, and I said, I would love to have a gingerbread house for the kids to go inside and read a book. Wow. And they put the house together. Oh, that's awesome. And then one day they came in with this huge house that can fit two or three grownups. Inside and they had a, like a whole intricate, you know, that's pure stand house. Oh, wow. And, and I kept the house and I took care of the house. All these years it's made out a cardboard. But I think the house. it's all about memories for the kids. When the kids look at the house, it's just like a whole world of magic happens to them. Yes. And that's how I love when the kids come into my room, and then she turned to me and she and my daughter turned to me, Isabella, and said, well, the gingerbread house is gonna stay here. It stays here every year after you do the gingerbread for the kids. I say, yeah, usually I transform the. Snow house, you know, for January year. Oh yeah. And then she said, I would like to take the house home this year. And I was like, okay. Mm-hmm. So I text, our father said, I need your truck. We need to take the gingerbread house home. Oh my goodness. Day that we were off. you know, the same Friday. I said, I'm putting this house together today and never cause I'm Or it'll never get reconstructed. Oh yeah, I've been there. So she had a little friend coming over said, your friend help me And we put it together. And she was a happy camper inside the gingerbread house with her friend and she worked great. There's something inside of us that never grows up. Yes. We just need somebody to. Motivate you to just leave the kids that never dies inside of us if we don't allow you to die. Because sometimes we suppress it because, you know, the world really requires so many things and so many changes in our behavior. And it was when the, her grandpa. Wanted to go in the house, Oh, I love that. Not wanted to go in the house. Yeah. We all have that inside and we just need kinda little push. We do and And don't you feel that too? Sil. When it comes to us educators, we need that little push to step outside of our comfort zone. Invite all kinds of different authors like yourself and different perspectives in science, technology, reading, math, arts. Because I feel like in this space and even following you in your diverse STREAM books that you selected, can you tell us more about how you can give us educators as adults that kid energy to pursue, this work? I will tell you based on how I get it. I give what I didn't have. And what I dreamed to have in a classroom based on the resources that I can get. So I don't, I don't believe in working alone. Right. Yes. Because it's really hard. Yes. So you need somebody or a group of people. That we will believe in your idea to make things easier for you that will always have that teacher that people call the crazy teacher, right. That will say, that will be like, come on, let's do this, and they will help you put the house back together because our school has something to, this year was a little different than the other past years that I usually had, like a whole transformation happening and just to hear. Wow. And that would just fill my cup. For a quarter or two. the crazy. Yes. We need that. Oh, we need that. Mm-hmm. we need that because so much is required from us and so much is taken from us. So much is taken and nothing is replenished. So the kids joy does replenish and, and refuel, our cup. Mm-hmm. you know, the kids joy help that it's, it's one of the components that help that, you know, when the parents also chip in and appreciate you and admin appreciates and your coworkers. It's a, it's a group of, it's a combination of things to keep us going in this profession, right? Yes. So, I, for me it is, I want the kids to feel that when they walk through my door, it's a world of wonder. It's like I have no manpower, right? To make this into Disney World and other teachers other, and they say was that you don't need all that for the kids to learn. Maybe I need. Yes, yes. Wow. Maybe I, that motivation to come in and feel that I am in a world of wonder so I can make them feel in a world of wonder and they can learn that way. So yes, perhaps somebody, at least one person that believes that is your go to, that will put it together, whatever transformation, whatever house or whatever idea that you have, hold on, tight to that person. and work with it, you know? Yes. So you can, you can stay in the professional a little longer, right? Yeah. Because we can get discouraged, you know, realistically speaking. Yes. So for me it's like, it's important to be hands-on. It's important to have a combination of things so they can learn, because it's a lot of things that we need to teach in one day. For the kids to absorb. So they need experiences that they can relate to the real. and if we can provide those experiences and those activities in a fun and beautiful way, why not? It might exactly give me a little bit of more work, but it will bring all of us a lot of joy and great memories that they will never forget. I love that. Sil and you do need that colleague or that teacher team that re-energizes you to fill your cup as well. You, when you touched on that, you know, teachers do, we take a lot of, you know, the stressors with the job, the expectations, the, the grade levels we need them and the objectives we need our students to attain, but we also get depleted. And like you said, you need some that'll. Our cup filled for two quarters just to keep us going. And if you see another colleague that is depleting, you're like, oh, I got some to fill with you to fill your cup too. You know? And that's seed because we work with humans. Yes, we are people. You know, we work with people, but we are people too. Yes, yes. There is our needs too. There's always gonna be the naysayers, the other teachers that are gonna be grumpy and say, you're just giving yourself more work. Mm-hmm. But if we don't have those teachers that say, that's not you. Yes. That's not you. And I had those people December. Yeah. Sorry, I got emotional. I love that. I have those people. So heavy, so happy. And one of them turned to me and said, you have to do what makes your heart sing. Mm. And that for me, and the way she said it was so sweet and kind. What we miss so much in teaching teachers. becoming so hardhearted with so much of this stuff that beat us down so much and we mm-hmm. we're just turning on each other sometimes. Yes. Where we're supposed to be other's support, right? Yes. So then she turned to me and said, Because the other one said, what happened is here with you. I haven't seen your class decorated. I haven't seen nothing outside. I said, I'm depressed. Yeah. And all people with those sweet and kind voices that come to and say, you know what? Even if your kids don't behave, even if your parents don't appreciate you, do what makes your heart sing. I tell you, oh, I'm tearing up Just thinking about, and feeling that. I told her, help me. I need to go get the house today. I only have today because the house is just gonna be here for two days. Cause usually when I know Christmas is coming, Thanksgiving is over. My entire class is already all transformed. Yes, yes. I was feel different and I needed a push. Yes. I needed someone to kind of motivate. because all the, the heavy voices of just like, no too much work. Mm-hmm. or all the negativity. It touched me so much that I kind of started to becoming introverted and when I'm not even introverted, right? But then these two people said, what happened? I have one that is like all over the place. What happened? Why is this stuff? So I turned to the other one, said, listen, you come with me to the storage cause Ah, so you change your mind. Yes. Oh yes. So powerful. And that was it. And I, we brought the house in, we quickly put everything together because I'm very fast, because it's, it's not really complicated, yeah. So, um, so we put it together. I, I organized the tables and I already had activities that were made, copies I already had because I planned a year ahead. Oh yes. Especially with that. I'm trying to get your stuff ready, open there. Yes. I already had, so I had to do was to put it on the table. Yeah. And provide the centers for the kids. That's it. That's it. And just open the door and let them in. And I bet that made your heart to sing. It's like you need that message at that time to go, wow. I also need to fulfill my heart to sing. And to and to see the eyes of wonder, like you said in your students eyes and why I teach makes it worth it. I teach because of joy. I teach because I love children and I love to make children happy. Yes. That's why I teach and that's why I teach little kids. Yes. And you also know too, Sil, the responsibility. We as educators are putting in that future human workforce. They're gonna come back to you when they're adults. They go, wow, I remember that gingerbread house. I remember doing this. Center with you. And um, you know, I feel like even with, uh, the late May Angelou, I remember when I was going into undergrad and teaching in grad school was when she said they'll never remember all of the lessons, but they'll remember how you made them feel. And that was my biggest motivator as being a teacher in the classroom of, wow, you know, I can do the best lesson I can, but how did I make that student feel? Did I make them feel welcome? Did I make'em feel seen? And valued that's when I knew I did my job. You know? Yeah. That's what reading matters is. I remember when I had a parent conference, I talked to the parents and I said, I am not here to discipline children. I really don't wanna do that. Mm-hmm. they looked at me like you were crazy. I said, you might think that I'm crazy. I might be, but I'm just letting you know I don't wanna do that. Because then they don't wanna come here and they don't wanna spend a day. I wanna have fun with your kids. I wanna teach them, of course, academics and make great memories. That's just really what I wanna do. Yes. So you do that part? I am. You do that part. You are that parent. Exactly. Let me be the teacher. Oh, I love this. Sil. Oh, I love it. I love it. I love it. So here's a couple questions before we get ourselves, going some more share with me too, of. Strategies that educators can do to continue this STREAM. You know, science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math, what strategies do you have for us educators out there in this space? I have, Have the parents to donate things to you, household items, um, paper, towel, tubes, everything that you can think that you can build. Of course, you are not gonna just have random stuff, but you're gonna look in your pacing guide and you're going to see, according to the standards that you have in your, uh, county, what are you teaching? For example, if you're teaching, uh, forces, you know, motion and things like that, then it's a cool thing to make. We madeCar right. And so we made a car out of, plastic water bottle and we had the axles in the, in the wheels. I had the parents, I had the little, wishlist from Amazon and the parents donated, right? If you are in a neighborhood, the parents can't do that. So you just ask them for the household items. If you have little, wooden sticks. That you can water caps, you know, water bottle caps. You can just throw a hole through that and that can turn into the axel and the wheels of the car that you need in your water bottle and cardboard and things like that. So you just need to be very resourceful and think of resources. The parents that do not have the means to purchase things that they can contribute to your classroom, you know, and somehow that you can put it together and help each child to have a kit for them to build their car. right? So that is one thing. So just, you know, use the village that you use, the resources that you have from the village that you have. Mm-hmm. And be aware of the village that you have, the economics status of that village. So then they can actually help you and use, um, donors choose. use, you know, places that they can donate to. You use grants that they can donate to your class so you can have the resources that you need in order to make these fun activities with the kids, right? Mm-hmm. So I think that it's like you look at your pacing guide, you look at, um, you know, what are the standards that you're gonna be teaching, and then you look at the resources that you have and what you will need. You put that together and you make it happen with the kids because that way Yeah. The kids are learning in a hands-on manner and in a manner that they are understanding process thinking, you know, creative. Yes. Thinking all the parts for a STEM will be there, all these standards for STEM will be there and they will never forget. Yeah. I love that. I'll never forgot when my godmother helped me build a castle. right out of, um, uh, it wasn't cardboard, but it was a paper poster. Okay. Right. And she already brought a paper poster that was already pink, so I just had to color a few details to make the details of the castles, because I used to read a whole lot. And she used to really nurture that reading with lots of you know, fairytales and things like that. And then she brought these resources and we put that together withtape Right. So this is one of the things I did in my class. I had tape and we were going over a unit that was about technology. And it was technology at work. So I said, do we wanna make a robot? You know, kind of like a robot. It was not gonna move, but let's do this. And I put writing together. So they had to do an expository writing, telling me, explain to me what kind of robot they woulddo And what would the robot do to help people? What kind of skills would the whole robot have? And then they would have to draw the robot and the robot that they would draw on their writing journal. They would have to do looking like that. So, and for them to do that, they had to bring, uh, soda can. or sparkling water can, whatever, you know, can, that they could bring. And they brought it and they built like that and it was really, really cool. Right? And they were really excited. So then the next piece would be a little more expensive because to make the robot move. Right. And they said, you know what, you can make the robot move in your house with your parents if you really wanna do that. Mm. Right. I didn't wanna, that's good extension lesson too, for them to go in and do that. Mm-hmm. for them to do that at home with their parents and that is is a life lesson. and memory that they are building with the parents? Yes. And it's only cause one of the parents turned to me and said, you know, when they were talking about reading at night, that they were just going real over it really quickly because they were tired and things like that. And then he turned to me and said, well, when we changed the way we were doing things and because they're twins. We had each a time with them and I was asking them questions and it was good, not just for the improving their comprehension, but it was a great quality time that we had together. So you see, so you can have memories with your children while you helping them learn. Yes. Oh, and I just love how you touched on Sil the parental involvement by contributing whatever they can economically, whatever they can to bring to the teacher, and then also contributing their time with their child after school. That I feel is so important that, bridging, STREAM STEM technology, all of that component in school and at home. A simpler bridge than we actually think about, you know? Even with my two boys, I used to call it Edmunds camp. you know, as a teacher, mom, you get it? Yes. Oh, we got them all summer, so we gotta make it work. Right. And they have summer camp. The whole summer camp and you know, two boys, and they're busy boys. And I just remember my youngest would just be crying. I don't wanna do Edmund's camp, but then when you put Mentos in the,, in the soda pop in the backyard, oh, this is fun, mom. What can we do next? What science experiment are we gonna do next, mom? So things like that, I, like what you've shared already. Sil. It's simple, but it's these memories that you're creating with your kids, you know, that is so important as an educator and as a parent. This is just great, great knowledge. Oh my goodness. Thank you so much. Si Yes, you try to tell your kids what? Tell kids that tomorrow is not promised. So we have to do our best for the time that we spend together with each other. Yes. Yes. So we never know when is the last where we, we can make sure that every moment that we are together is a great memory. Oh, I love that. And before we go, Sil, can you share with our audience where they can find you online? You can find me on Mrs dot s number four, success on Instagram. And it's the same thing on TikTok, but I would say more Instagram cuz I'm there more often. Uh, and Bella, the scientist on Instagram. Awesome. I ordered your book Bella, the Scientist. I cannot wait cuz on my show too, on my YouTube channel, I do book reviews of BIPOC authors like yourself and so to showcase to get more of your copies in our classrooms so they can see that representation. Yes. Thank you so much. I appreciate the invitation. Was lovely. Oh, thank you. Sil I had a wonderful time with you on the show. And yes folks, thank you so much for listening to the cultural curriculum chat. Feel free to, like and share and subscribe this episode with another teacher or parent who is interested in STEM with our students. And thanks again. Sil. I will have all of your information in our show notes. So our audience can follow your journey as well. So thanks again everyone, and have a good one.