Hello everyone! Today, we are tackling some big and important topics. We are discussing the lives of our students, the importance of having a curriculum that shows that black lives matter, and asking, what happened to the change so often touted by educators in the summer months? To have this discussion, I have brought on an educator who is relatively new in my world, but is quickly becoming one of my top voices I listen to. Dr. Manuel Rustin is a veteran educator currently in his sixteenth year of teaching high school social science in California. A proud believer in the promise of public education, Dr. Rustin has spent all sixteen years of his career teaching marginalized populations in underserved public high schools. He currently teaches United States History, American Government, Economics, and a Hip Hop Studies course that he developed in 2012. Teach Me, Teacher has never shied away from big topics, because I believe they are important to have and to listen to. If we want to improve our world, we must listen, discuss, and most importantly, act on the change we say we want.     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships by Jaleel Howard, Tanya Milner-McCall, and Tyrone Howard. Getting to know our students during the year has always been important. But this year is definitely going to throw us all some curveballs. We’ll also get some new opportunities for building connections with our classes. No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships looks at the importance of knowing all our students, being culturally responsive, and protecting kids’ self-esteem. And you also get useful strategies for teaching through those positive relationships as you develop them. So, if you’re looking for support for making your student relationships even stronger, visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships or order your copy.