Dr. Sheldon Eakins, host of the Leading Equity podcast and founder of Purposeful Teaching Academy, joins the podcast to share his journey from history teacher to school administrator to equity consultant. He talks about what sparked his work in culturally responsive teaching after moving from the Virgin Islands to Idaho, where he served as a special education director for the Shoshone and Bannock tribes. Sheldon breaks down how cultural assumptions show up in everyday classroom moments, using a memorable refrigerator analogy to explain the difference between individualist and collectivist mindsets in group work, and previews a new tool he's building to help teachers create more balanced, engaging collaborative learning experiences. He also talks about what purposeful, intentional teaching looks like heading into a new school year. Stick around fo ...