In this week's episode, I chat with Osa Oyegun, Founder of Taurus Education Consulting, to explore the transformative role of libraries as spaces for identity, liberation, and joy. Drawing from her unique background as both an educator and a librarian, Osa shares how she uses literacy and storytelling as tools to build belonging, disrupt bias, and affirm every student’s lived experience. From curating culturally relevant collections to reimagining the library as a vibrant hub of community and creativity, Osa invites us to see libraries not as quiet archives but as living classrooms that nurture voice, visibility, and validation. Together, we unpack how school leaders and educators can move beyond the bookshelf to design spaces and systems that honor identity, promote critical consciousness, and celebrate the rich cultural tapestries of their learning communities. To learn more about Osa's work, you can visit the Taurus Education Consulting website at tauruseducationconsulting.com or follow her on Instagram (@tauruseducationconsulting) or on LinkedIn. To learn more about Identity Talk Consulting and the professional development services that we offer, visit our website at https://identitytalk4educators.com. STAY CONNECTED WITH KWAME: 👉🏾 Instagram: / https://instagram.com/kwamtheidentityshaper 👉🏾 YouTube: / @kwamesarfo-mensah5785 👉🏾 LinkedIn: / https://linkedin.com/in/kwamesarfomensah LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: 👉🏾 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/identity-talk-4-educators-live/id1509599570 👉🏾 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/23k0HRkXxi1OJSahtqS7xO SIGN UP FOR A E-COURSE WITH KWAME! 👉🏾 https://eduspark.world/profile/9312b128-7573-440d-8d78-fb24cc4fa066/creator SUBSCRIBE TO THE IDENTITY TALK NEWSLETTER! 👉🏾 https://identitytalk.kit.com/9e744003e9 READ MY BOOKS! 👉🏾 “Learning to Relearn” - https://www.routledge.com/Learning-to-Relearn-Supporting-Identity-in-a-Culturally-Affirming-Classroom/Sarfo-Mensah/p/book/9781625316226 👉🏾 “Shaping the Teacher Identity” - https://www.amazon.com/Shaping-Teacher-Identity-Lessons-Define/dp/1723480835 VISIT THE IDENTITY TALK APPAREL SHOP! 👉🏾 https://the-identity-talk-apparel-shop.creator-spring.com/ TO SEND A DONATION: 👉🏾 CashApp - https://cash.app/$idtalk4ed 👉🏾 Venmo - https://venmo.com/u/kwamesm 👉🏾 PayPal - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kwamesm ____________________________________________________________________________________ Timestamps: 0:00-1:01 - Welcome to IDTALK4ED LIVE 1:02-3:44 - Podcast Subscription Reminders & Learning to Relearn Promo 3:45-5:09 - Introducing Osa Oyegun 5:10-13:09 - Osa's Early Childhood & K-12 Journey in Education 13:10-14:56 - Finding a Sense of Home 14:57-19:29 - Insights from Early Years of Teaching 19:30-22:47 - Transitioning to Librarianship 22:48-29:21 - Transferable Skills Acquired from Librarianship 29:22-37:55 - What Safeguarding Looks Like in Librarianship 37:56-43:09 - Identity-Based Harm, Misinformation 43:10-52:11 - Taurus Education Consulting 52:12-54:48 - How do you stay true to the teacher in you? 54:49-55:47 - How to connect with Osa 55:48-56:31 - Thank Yous & Goodbyes BIO: Osa Oyegun is an experienced international educator, librarian, and founder of Taurus Education Consulting, a company that provides schools with guidance on culturally responsive curricula, curating user-friendly school libraries, and joyful, learner-centered spaces. Osa has worked as an international educator for over 17 years, and brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experiences as a Third Culture Kid (Nigeria, the Philippines, Germany, Turkiye, N. Cyprus, U.S.), an EAL teacher, classroom teacher, and classical singer. Osa earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland (‘02), a Master’s in Curriculum & Instruction from George Mason University (‘09), and a Master’s in Library & Information Sciences from San Jose State University (‘24). Osa is passionate about sharing her love of learning and curiosity about the world with children.

In this week's episode, I chat with international educator and equity-driven leader Tiwana Merritt to explore how her journey from the track to the classroom has shaped her vision for transformative education. From her record-breaking days as a collegiate athlete to nearly two decades working in schools across Australia, China, and South Africa, Tiwana shares how the lessons of discipline, resilience, and teamwork continue to guide her approach to teaching, learning, and leading. She discusses her groundbreaking work in service-learning and community engagement, her reflections on racial identity and representation abroad, and what it means to be seen as a “cultural ambassador” while living and working globally. To learn more about Tiwana's work, you can follow her on LinkedIn. To learn more about Identity Talk Consulting and the professional development services that we offer, visit our website at https://identitytalk4educators.com. STAY CONNECTED WITH KWAME: 👉🏾 Instagram: / https://instagram.com/kwamtheidentityshaper 👉🏾 YouTube: / @kwamesarfo-mensah5785 👉🏾 LinkedIn: / https://linkedin.com/in/kwamesarfomensah LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: 👉🏾 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/identity-talk-4-educators-live/id1509599570 👉🏾 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/23k0HRkXxi1OJSahtqS7xO SIGN UP FOR A E-COURSE WITH KWAME! 👉🏾 https://eduspark.world/profile/9312b128-7573-440d-8d78-fb24cc4fa066/creator SUBSCRIBE TO THE IDENTITY TALK NEWSLETTER! 👉🏾 https://identitytalk.kit.com/9e744003e9 READ MY BOOKS! 👉🏾 “Learning to Relearn” - https://www.routledge.com/Learning-to-Relearn-Supporting-Identity-in-a-Culturally-Affirming-Classroom/Sarfo-Mensah/p/book/9781625316226 👉🏾 “Shaping the Teacher Identity” - https://www.amazon.com/Shaping-Teacher-Identity-Lessons-Define/dp/1723480835 VISIT THE IDENTITY TALK APPAREL SHOP! 👉🏾 https://the-identity-talk-apparel-shop.creator-spring.com/ TO SEND A DONATION: 👉🏾 CashApp - https://cash.app/$idtalk4ed 👉🏾 Venmo - https://venmo.com/u/kwamesm 👉🏾 PayPal - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kwamesm ____________________________________________________________________________________ Timestamps: 0:00-1:02 - Welcome to IDTALK4ED LIVE 1:03-3:32 - Podcast Subscription Reminders & Learning to Relearn Promo 3:33-5:50 - Introducing Tiwana Merritt 5:51-14:14 - Tiwana's Early Childhood & K-12 Journey in Education 14:15-16:57 - The Role of Sports in Tiwana's Life 16:58-21:14 - Living in Australia 21:15-22:14 - The Forum Promo 22:15-25:58 - Living in China 25:59-30:24 - Living in South Africa 30:25-38:27 - Service Learning in South Africa 38:28-39:26 - Identity Talk Consulting Promo 39:27-46:18 - Transitioning from South Africa; Inspiration for Sabbatical Journey 46:19-49:45 - Lessons Learned from International Teaching Career 49:45-52:21 - How do you stay true to the teacher in you? 52:22-53:24 - How to connect with Tiwana 53:25-53:58 - Thank Yous & Goodbyes BIO: Tiwana Merritt is a globally experienced educator, instructional coach, and equity advocate with nearly two decades of leadership in international schools across Australia, China, and South Africa. She most recently served as a Teaching and Learning Coach and PreK–12 Service Learning and Community Engagement Coordinator at the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ), where she helps educators design identity-affirming, culturally responsive, and community-centered learning experiences. A proud Southern Oregon University Hall of Fame inductee and former All-American track and field athlete, Tiwana draws on her athletic background to inspire resilience, reflection, and teamwork in the classroom. Her professional work centers on reimagining service-learning through a justice-oriented lens—helping schools move beyond charity-based models to ones rooted in reciprocity, local empowerment, and equity. As a writer, speaker, and curriculum designer, Tiwana has co-authored frameworks that promote harm reduction and anti-bias practices in international school service-learning. Her voice has been featured on the Leading Equity Podcast and in publications highlighting global education, identity, and civic engagement. Passionate about developing globally conscious and socially responsible learners, Tiwana sees education as a lifelong journey of “crossing borders and finish lines”, a continuous pursuit of growth, purpose, and equity in every learning space she enters.

In this special return episode of Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE, I welcome back acclaimed educator, researcher, and author Zaretta Hammond for a powerful conversation about her writing journey and the ideas behind her latest best-selling book, "Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power: Teaching for Instructional Equity and Cognitive Justice". Building on the legacy of her groundbreaking work, "Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain", Zaretta shares the inspiration, challenges, and reflections that shaped her newest release. Together, we explore what it truly means to help students reclaim their sovereignty as learners, the evolving role of educators in nurturing learning partnerships, and how schools can create environments that foster cognitive growth and independence. To learn more about Zaretta's work, you can visit her website at crtandthebrain.com or follow her on LinkedIn. To learn more about Identity Talk Consulting and the professional development services that we offer, visit our website at https://identitytalk4educators.com. STAY CONNECTED WITH KWAME: 👉🏾 Instagram: / https://instagram.com/kwamtheidentityshaper 👉🏾 YouTube: / @kwamesarfo-mensah5785 👉🏾 LinkedIn: / https://linkedin.com/in/kwamesarfomensah LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: 👉🏾 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/identity-talk-4-educators-live/id1509599570 👉🏾 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/23k0HRkXxi1OJSahtqS7xO SIGN UP FOR A E-COURSE WITH KWAME! 👉🏾 https://eduspark.world/profile/9312b128-7573-440d-8d78-fb24cc4fa066/creator SUBSCRIBE TO THE IDENTITY TALK NEWSLETTER! 👉🏾 https://identitytalk.kit.com/9e744003e9 READ MY BOOKS! 👉🏾 “Learning to Relearn” - https://www.routledge.com/Learning-to-Relearn-Supporting-Identity-in-a-Culturally-Affirming-Classroom/Sarfo-Mensah/p/book/9781625316226 👉🏾 “Shaping the Teacher Identity” - https://www.amazon.com/Shaping-Teacher-Identity-Lessons-Define/dp/1723480835 VISIT THE IDENTITY TALK APPAREL SHOP! 👉🏾 https://the-identity-talk-apparel-shop.creator-spring.com/ TO SEND A DONATION: 👉🏾 CashApp - https://cash.app/$idtalk4ed 👉🏾 Venmo - https://venmo.com/u/kwamesm 👉🏾 PayPal - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kwamesm ____________________________________________________________________________________ Timestamps: 0:00-1:03 - Welcome to IDTALK4ED LIVE 1:04-3:26 - Podcast Subscription Reminders & Learning to Relearn Promo 3:27-4:29 - Introducing Zaretta Hammond 4:30-10:49 - Why "Rebuilding Students' Learning Power" Was Written 10:50-15:04 - Navigating Pressures of Learning Goals & Pacing Guides 15:04-20:26 - The Impact of Assessments in the Pursuit of Cognitive Justice 20:27-21:25 - The Forum Promo 21:26-30:28 - The Role of Information Processing in Building Students' Learning Power 30:29-41:00 - Understanding Cognitive Apprenticeship 41:01-43:33 - What's the Goal of Education? 43:34-44:33 - Identity Talk Consulting Promo 44:34-59:39 - Combating the Anti-Intellectualism Trend in Our Schools 59:40-1:01:12 - Zaretta's Final Words 1:01:13-1:02:05 - How to connect with Zaretta 1:02:06-1:04:09 - Thank Yous & Goodbyes BIO: Zaretta Hammond is a national education consultant and the author of the best-selling book ⁠Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students⁠. She holds a Master’s in Education in English Education, with a concentration in Writing from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Zaretta is a former high school and community college expository writing instructor. She has also served as adjunct instructor at St. Mary’s College School of Education in Moraga, California, where she taught The Foundations of Adolescent Literacy. As a consultant, she has advised and provided professional development to school districts and non-profit organizations across the country around issues of equity, literacy, and culturally responsive teaching for the past 25 years. Zaretta brings a unique focus on neuroscience to the conversation about equity, literacy and culturally responsive pedagogy to make it understandable and practical for educators.