STRAIGHT UP WITH MRS. PARKS

In this episode, Nicole Parks shares her journey through personal challenges, including her experiences with trauma, the weight of current events, and the importance of using privilege for advocacy. She reflects on her childhood, the impact of abuse, and the role of educators in protecting children. Nicole emphasizes the need for awareness and action in addressing social injustices, particularly r...

Welcome back to Straight Up with Mrs. Parks ! We’re kicking things off with an incredible guest: Mrs. Jenna Evarts , the powerhouse educator and classroom management expert behind @thatstrongteacher . In this episode, Nicole Parks and Jenna Evarts dive deep into the real challenges teachers are facing with classroom management—especially in elementary settings—and the mindset shifts required to mo...

In this deeply personal episode of "Straight Up with Mrs. Parks," I open up about navigating a season of profound loss, grief, and transformation. I share candid reflections on losing loved ones, the impact on my creativity and career, and the challenges of setting boundaries while supporting family. Also, I discuss my journey through spiritual growth, anxiety, and self-doubt, and how I am learnin...

This is a super short episode to just share about something that has been GRINDING MY GEARS! Someone in a higher leadership position shut down a training opportunity and support program for our school that couldve helped our students A YEAR AGO!!! Now listen, I understand that the way we did it this last school year was slower and intentional. But I already had decent buy-in, training set for teac...

🎙️ Straight Up With Mrs. Parks In this raw and reflective episode, Mrs. Parks returns to the mic after a brief hiatus—sharing what’s been going on behind the scenes as she juggles her educational leadership program, career, and calling to serve students at the highest level. She gets straight up about the realities plaguing today’s education system—from unchecked burnout to the emotional toll of w...

Are you heading into the new year already feeling exhausted from managing constant disruptions in your classroom? You’re not alone, and the good news is—you don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode. In today’s episode, I’m helping you reflect, reset, and take the first steps toward transforming your classroom and rediscovering your joy in teaching. We’ll dive into why exhaustion doesn’t mean you’...

The holiday season is a mixed bag, isn’t it? 🎄 While it’s filled with joy for many, as educators, we often juggle personal grief, student trauma, and the usual chaos of the classroom. In this episode, I’m sharing: ✨ Practical self-care tips (yes, decorating early and extra-long baths are on the list 🛁) ✨ How to approach struggling students with empathy and curiosity instead of judgment ✨ The...

🎙️ Teachers Who Don’t Like Kids & Why I’m Over It I’m spilling the tea today on a topic that’s been weighing heavy: educators who straight-up don’t like kids, refuse to motivate students, and bring nothing but toxicity to our profession. I also get real about the nasty TikTok comments, the shade from colleagues hating my vibe, and how it’s making me question if I even want to stay at my curren...

In this raw, uncut and heartfelt episode, Mrs. Parks dives deep into the reality that not everyone had the perfect summer. Some of us, including students and educators, experienced a summer full of grief, loss, and emotional challenges. As the new school year begins, there's a pressure to put on a brave face and embrace the back-to-school excitement, but what if you're still carrying the weight of...

Welcome to another episode of the Teach with Mrs. Parks podcast. I'm Nicole Parks, the content creator behind Teach with Mrs. Parks. Today, I'm sharing a deeply personal story in an episode titled "How My Trauma Prepared Me...". Let me start by introducing myself and my journey. Teaching was not my first career choice. In this episode, I explain how I found myself in the world of education. My pat...

Second episode and I felt inspired to share some of my unhinged experiences as a behavior teacher working in a self-contained behavior program. This episode does take a turn and I share some of the most beautiful moments I experienced there, as well. Special shout out for a certain follower at the end.

Welcome to my first ever podcast!! This episode is just me getting comfortable with sound equipment and learning how to master this new platform. I dig into some new teacher fails that I am guilty of and I suggest some topics we can discuss in the future. Let me know what you think!! Give me a follow and rate my podcast so we can get this baby out into the universe!!! Love ya LOTSS!!!!