Episode 15: National Facilitator for Welcoming Schools, Associate Editor at WeAreTeachers & Bullying Prevention Educator, Kimmie Fink

Kimmie Fink Show Notes

“I think it’s very important for coaches and all caring adults to know who is safe to talk about the child’s identity with.”

The purpose of the Student Fitness Experts Podcast series is to empower and educate anyone that works with kids, in a way that benefits the whole child to become successful, strong, and empowered young adults. In this episode of the SFE Podcast, Karen Gilbert, alongside her co-host, Farah Zweig, interviewed veteran educator and Associate Editor of Branded Content at WeAreTeachers, Kimmie Fink.

With Kimmie as our special guest for the day, this episode has thrown light on a lot of factors that go unnoticed throughout our teaching-learning journeys. Kimmie discusses the need to make classrooms and schools inclusive of LGBTQ families and says that it would not only strengthen the bond with the kids’ families but would also help bring a feeling of connectedness in school and make the child find an environment of emotional safety. She talks about preventing bias-based bullying in schools and the growing need to support

Transgender and non-binary students. Kimmie, with such simplicity and honesty, tells us how to help kids understand and adapt to the diversities around them and grow in the changing world of today.

Tune in to learn how you can plant the idea of diversity in your kids and set them up for ultimate success.

 

About the Guest:

 

Kimmie Fink is a veteran educator with 13 years of classroom experience. Issues of diversity, equity, and justice have always been central to Kimmie’s work with children and families. Kimmie is currently a Certified National Facilitator for Welcoming Schools, a project of the Human Rights Campaign. Kimmie also works as an associate editor at WeAreTeachers and teaches courses in for the Bullying Prevention Certificate as part of Hamline University’s Graduate Continuing Studies Program. Her writing has been featured on Romper, Scary Mommy, Mabel + Moxie, POPSUGAR, CafeMom, BLUNTmoms, NextGen MilSpouse, and Sammiches and Psych Meds.  Kimmie is also a Middle Childhood Generalist, certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Kimmie says that while on her high school days, she had decided that she wanted to be an elementary school teacher. She completed her degree in just 3 years because she was sure of what she wanted to become. Kimmie is a very determined and influential individual who gives us a lot of reasons to implement her words of advice in our day-to-day lives.

 

TimeStamps:

 

[00:47] About Kimmie Fink, a snippet of her Journey

[02:08]  Kimmie Fink talks about her personal journey

[03:05]  Kimmie on what the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification is

[04:08]  Kimmie’s life-changing experience

[07:15]  On deciding to make writing a source of revenue

[09:51]  About “Welcoming Schools”

[12:00]  Kimmie’s advice to educators or coaches on communicating the right way

[15:37]  Kimmie talks on how to help coaches get familiar with LGBTQ families

[16:39]  Kimmie’s take on elementary school education and how it has evolved over time 

[20:50]  About parents who aren’t very supportive 

[22:51]  Kimmie talks about depression among the minority kids

[24:21]  To kids who are unaware of gender differences and changes

[27:40]  How to ask about the family structure of kids

[29:51]  Kimmie, to her 13 year-old self

[31:58]  What “fearless” means to Kimmie

[36:18]  On people who influenced Kimmie

[42:39]  Kimmie talks about the role of fitness in her life

[49:43]  Kimmie’s final message to coaches or educators working amid the pandemic

[56:32]  Connect with Kimmie Fink

 

Quotes:

 

“Whatever my kids’ identities are, I want them to know that they are accepted and welcomed and valued.”

 

“People are afraid of saying the wrong thing and so, sometimes they don’t say anything at all.”

 

“I think it’s very important for coaches and all caring adults to know who is safe to talk about the child’s identity with.”

 

“I think what’s really important is giving kids the language to talk about it.”

 

“Taking calculated risks is a good thing.”

 

“Hey! I’m weird. Take me or leave me. This is the entire package!!”

 

“It taught me that these limits that I’m putting on myself are pretty arbitrary.”

 

“This is an unprecedented opportunity for them to just be kids.”

Connect with Kimmie :

 

Twitter : https://twitter.com/kimothy04

Website : http://www.kimmiefinkconsulting.com/