In this final encore episode, Arianne recounts the incident that led to her making the decision to leave the traditional classroom for good. This incident clearly confirmed for her that she was caught up in the web of a school system that did n

TYOK 064: Behind the Scenes- My Life As a Teacher (Encore Part 2)

Apr 15th, 2019 28m 38s

In this episode, Arianne offers an uninhibited and transparent view into some of her struggles as an early teacher. At one point, "for the sake of the team", she was placed in a classroom setting for which she was not qualified and received min

TYOK 063: Behind the Scenes- My Life As a Teacher (Encore Part 1)

Apr 6th, 2019 32m 9s

Arianne has wanted to be a teacher since she walked into Mrs. Flora Weber's 4th grade classroom. She vowed that she would impact kids just as Mrs. Weber had impacted her. In part one of this encore episode, Arianne shares her own story in hopes

TYOK 062 (Part 2): Classroom Conversation with Earnest Salsberry

Apr 1st, 2019 36m 31s

In this final installment of a two-part episode, Earnest Salsberry (the youngest Chaplain to serve at Dillard University) shares how he almost failed to get his college degree because he had become distracted by the lucrative jobs he held duri

TYOK 062 (Part 1): Classroom Conversation with Earnest Salsberry

Mar 25th, 2019 44m 20s

Earnest grew up in the small town of Port Arthur, Texas. He had no way of knowing that the same university he called home as a student- Dillard University- would eventually become his home base as its youngest Chaplain to ever serve. Although i

TYOK 061: 5 Ways to a Productive Summer!

Mar 18th, 2019 17m 14s

Don't let your kids "lose it in the pool"! Arianne offers 5 ways to beat the summer brain drain in this short, sweet and hard-to-beat episode.

TYOK 060: Classroom Conversation with Alexander Brian McConduit

Mar 11th, 2019 57m 4s

Alexander is a children's author who grew up in the city of New Orleans. A product of a family of educators, "Alex" has made it a part of his life's work to expose young people to possibility through writing. Alex has traveled to over a dozen c

TYOK 059: Classroom Conversation with Gerod Stevens

Mar 4th, 2019 57m 13s

Gerod grew up in Warrenton, North Carolina. Having moved in with his grandmother at an early age as a result of his parents' divorce, Gerod considered himself an average student. It wasn't until representatives from a local radio station visit

TYOK 058: Classroom Conversation with Councilwoman Cyndi Nguyen

Feb 25th, 2019 56m 39s

Cyndi Nguyen, born Xuan Thi, and her family escaped from Vietnam on a boat in 1975. Cyndi struggled to adjust to American culture while still being expected to behave like a traditional Vietnamese girl. Cyndi's parents shipped her to several b

TYOK 057: Classroom Conversation with Krystal Hardy Allen

Feb 18th, 2019 1h 8m

As a kid growing up in her hometown of Selma, Alabama, Krystal often got into trouble with teachers who complained that she "talked too much" and "asked too many questions". Today, Krystal uses that same gift of voice to champion the cause of

TYOK Ep 056: Classroom Conversation with Roger "Raj Smoove" Dickerson

Feb 11th, 2019 1h 12m

Roger 'Raj Smoove' Dickerson set his sights on becoming a deejay as a teenager. Although he flunked Earth Science in middle school, he learned from that experoence and finished as the number one student in both his high school and college grad

TYOK Ep 055: Classroom Conversation with Latoya Dequair-Thomas

Feb 4th, 2019 1h 13m

Life, for Latoya, wasn't easy. She endured the pain of witnessing both parents battle drug addiction and viewed education as her way out. Latoya credits her grandmother with 'rescuing' her from this dire situation and has dedicated her life to

TYOK 054*: Finishing Strong- Study Strategies for the Spring Semester (Encore)

Dec 31st, 2018 30m 28s

In this episode, Arianne uses the new year to pause for reflection. She suggests that since the Fall of the school year is gone that this second half is a prime time for behavioral review and adjustments. Arianne offers strategies that teachers

TYOK 053*: Parents Who Teach- "I Figured Out How to Homeschool My Children" (Encore)

Dec 24th, 2018 42m 45s

In this NEW FEATURE- Parents Who Teach- Arianne took the Teach Your OWN Kid! classroom on the road to Washington, DC for the American Federation for Children's Annual Policy Summit. She sat down with Linda Ann Crosby (Phoenix, Arizona) to discu

TYOK Ep 052*: 10 College-Worth Extra Curricular Activities (Encore Episode)

Dec 17th, 2018 26m 51s

In this week's episode, Arianne discusses ten extra-curricular activities that will make a high schooler's resume more attractive to the best colleges. She says that colleges are looking for young people who can think critically and that one wa

TYOK 051: Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing the Right College

Dec 10th, 2018 21m 34s

One of the biggest mistakes teens make when choosing a college is deciding to attend based on what's hot now. These teens fail to take into consideration that pledging a fraternity/sorority or gaining entry into some elite club will not necess

TYOK 050: Is Your Kid REALLY Prepared for College? Take the Quiz!

Dec 3rd, 2018 23m 33s

Think that just because your kid attends a 'College Prep' high school that she's ready to be set free on a college campus? Think again! College preparation entails so much more than just academics. Teenagers are crossing the threshold from chil

TYOK 049: College Can Be a Very Scary Place...and Other Things Every Parent Should Know

Nov 26th, 2018 27m 19s

This week, Arianne begins the TYOK College 101 Series- a collection of episodes that will cover college topics submitted by the TYOK community. In this week's episode, Arianne discusses the ten things every parent should know about college. She

TYOK 048: Parents Who Teach- Two Everyday Moms Who Stopped Their Kids' School from Closing

Nov 19th, 2018 1h 4m

Parents are powerful! In this week's episode, Arianne sits down in the Teach Your OWN Kid! classroom with two of them. Latoya Douglas and Dana Wade refused to sit idly by and allow test scores and hasty community/political leaders to decide the

TYOK 047: How to Motivate a Child Who Doesn't Seem to Care (Part 2)

Nov 12th, 2018 17m 51s

Far too often, parents and educators encounter those kids who just don't seem to be motivated by anything. They just don't seem to care. In this second part of a two part episode, Arianne proposes that these kids do, in fact, care and that ther

TYOK 046: How to Motivate a Child Who Doesn't Seem to Care (Part 1)

Nov 5th, 2018 27m 14s

Far too often, parents and educators encounter those kids who just don't seem to be motivated by anything. They just don't seem to care. In this first part of a two part episode, Arianne proposes that these kids do, in fact, care and that there

TYOK 045: What Your Child's Teacher Expects of You

Oct 30th, 2018 30m 14s

The partnership between the school community and the family is far too often riddled with missed opportunities and, at times, outright confusion. One way to remedy this, Arianne believes, is through effective communication. In this week's episo

TYOK 044: 5 Ways to Guarantee Your Child Becomes a Better Reader

Oct 22nd, 2018 19m 18s

In the city of New Orleans alone, 7 out of every 10 third graders are unable to read on grade level. Unfortunately, a similar statistic rings true in cities throughout the country. In this week's episode, Arianne unpacks the impact of that stat

TYOK 043: Cursive Writing and Other Skills You Wish Were Taught in School

Oct 16th, 2018 29m 48s

Have you ever wondered where basic skills like cursive writing and penmanship have gone? It seems like those fundamental skills that we once learned in school have been forgotten in today's classroom. This week, Arianne takes a stroll down memo

TYOK 042: 5 Reasons You Should Not Miss Your Child's Parent-Teacher Conference

Oct 8th, 2018 22m 49s

In this age of technology and savvy shortcuts to communication, it's becoming increasingly difficult to prove how critical face-to-face parent-teacher meetings are to the overall student experience. Most parents are busy and have very little e