From Classroom to Camera: Teaching, Representation, and Filmmaking | Feat. Laurie Townshend
In this episode, Natalie Nadeen interviews her former teacher, Laurie Townshend, who has been a middle school teacher for 22 years. They discuss the challenges and obstacles Laurie faced as a Black female educator, the importance of representation for students, and the lack of diversity in the teaching profession. Laurie also shares her motivations for considering a career change into filmmaking. Additionally, she talks about her passion for documentary films and the inspiration behind her projects.
Follow @amotherapart on Instagram to learn more about her documentary.
Follow My Guest:
IG: @laurie.townshend
https://linktr.ee/LaurieTownshend
Connect with Natalie Nadeen:
https://linktr.ee/natalienadeen
Affiliation Link:
Join Riverside TODAY: https://www.riverside.fm/?via=natalie-nadeen
Takeaways
-
Representation of diverse teachers is important for students to feel welcomed and valued in the classroom.
-
Teachers should be aware of their power and privilege and the impact they have on students.
-
The teaching profession faces challenges in terms of low pay, long hours, and limited job opportunities.
-
A career change can be motivated by a desire to pursue a passion or explore new opportunities. Creating media can be a powerful teaching tool to reflect and engage students.
-
Finding a mentor often involves building genuine relationships and being open to new connections.
-
Documentary filmmaking allows for storytelling and exploration of important topics.
-
Being unapologetically oneself means defying negative voices and treating oneself with love and grace.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
07:08 Challenges and Obstacles as a Black Woman Teacher
16:28 Impact of Representation on Students
27:14 Motivation for Career Change
32:23 Creating Media as a Teaching Tool
36:09 Finding a Mentor
38:03 Pursuing a Career in Documentary Filmmaking
54:47 Being Unapologetically Laurie
Laurie Townshend
Writer-Director
(she/her)
Laurie Townshend is a Toronto-based filmmaker, writer and educator. Raised by a Jamaican mother—the family’s eloquent griot—Laurie learned early on that before we shape stories, stories shape us. Her films centre on the human capacity to transform small acts of courage into quiet revolutions, as seen in the dramatic short “The Railpath Hero” (2013, TIFF Black Star Festival, starring Stephan James), the unscripted series “Human Frequency Streetdocs” (2014) and the award-winning short doc “Charley” (2016). Laurie’s upcoming feature documentary, “A Mother Apart,” explores identity, motherhood, and forgiveness through the journey of Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin.
