what happens when teachers feel truly recognized and valued for the work they do? And how does learning change when students can see themselves and their own experiences in what they are studying? And what becomes possible when learning moves beyond the classroom and connects students with the history of their local community?

In this episode, Cindy and I sit down with award-winning history teacher Valencia Abbott to explore the impact of teacher recognition, the importance of making learning relevant and meaningful to students, and discuss a powerful history project that connected Valencia and her students with their local community to uncover and preserve stories from the past.

And this conversation connects nicely with build relationships, one of the 10 actions from our new book, The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education. You can learn more about build relationships and our other nine actions by picking up a copy of The Future Creative, now available on Amazon and other book-selling retailers

 Today we welcome to the show Valencia Abbott. Now, before we introduce her any further, I wanna offer a little background to this episode. Across more than two hundred interviews, Cindy and I have covered many different topics around creativity and education. But when it comes to the humanities, we haven’t offered as many episodes as this important subject deserves. That’s why we spent some time over the summer looking for a humanities teacher who could talk about the different ways they nurture creativity  in the classroom within this subject. And who better than Valencia? is the twenty twenty-five National History Teacher of the Year and the twenty twenty-five North Carolina History Teacher of the Year, recognized by the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History.

And Valencia not only teaches social studies, but also serves as department chair at Rockingham Early College  High School in Wentworth, North Carolina.  work focuses on helping students connect local history to larger conversations around democracy, civil engagement, and historical memory. 📍  

Valencia is also a public historian and independent researcher whose work has brought renewed attention to the local people and communities behind the landmark Supreme Court case Griggs v. Duke Power Company. her place-based  inquiry, community partnerships, and authentic  research, Valencia encourages her students to see themselves not simply as learners of history, but as scholars capable of uncovering and preserving stories that might otherwise be overlooked.  At the heart of her teaching is a simple but powerful belief: History is not just what we study. It is who we are and who we choose to become. Valencia, welcome to the  show.

Thank you very much, Cindy and Matthew. I am just really, really great to be here 

Well, we’re thrilled to have you.

And listen, before we go any further, what a statement that you’ve made there in your bio. At the heart of your teaching is the belief that history is not just what we study, it is who we are and who we choose to become. You know, Cindy and I would love to start there.

Where did this statement come from? And explain it to our listeners, what’s at the heart of this statement?

 The heart of that statement is, I think, the basics of who I am. did not start teaching until I was 40 years old. So come into this space as a Black female   Southern woman. I come into   this space as the mother of three daughters. I come into this space with parents and grandparents and great-grandparents that, lived through slavery and civil rights movement and segregation and all of that. I come into this space knowing that  all of the people that came before me got me to   I am now, and so when I came into the classroom, that was part of it. It wasn’t just, “I’m coming in to teach.” It was truly as a 40-year-old bringing your whole self the classroom and making that fit who  I am, and for me,  it’s that history of storytelling, that history of knowing who you are and who you can be. I think that’s a really important part of not only understanding Black history, but the love of Black history,  

Valencia, it’s so beautiful what you just described. When you talk about , who we choose to become, how has that shaped how you view your students? When you talk about your history and going into the classroom, how does that shape who you want your students to become? 

One of the factors that I credit for the way that I teach is actually me being a mom. never in my wildest dream thought that I would be a school teacher. There was nothing on my bingo card that says this was gonna be my life, and  this was gonna be my purpose,  to  that. being a mom coming into, to the classroom, one of the things that I want for my own daughters is for them to have the life that they want. I know, again, that’s passed down from my parents and my grandparents,  especially in the Black community,  where you know that what you produce or what you create is gonna help that next generation. That is so embedded, in my belief in what I do, when I came into the classroom, how could I want  less for my students in the classroom than I did  for my own daughters?

I don’t. I want them to have the best life, best existence, so that means that I have to bring the best teaching into that classroom every day It don’t always look like the best every day, but I try 

And listen, we, I think everyone listening, to this episode can certainly relate to that. And I think that’s a key point, is that every day we try and bring our best selves to the classroom, and we hope that our students are doing the same. And that’s what makes a very special place.

So to that end, some of the things that you had mentioned before you came on the podcast is that , you were somewhat new to this idea  of creativity in education.  you said you had listened to a couple of our episodes and started to immediately see some of the connections as to why we reached out to you. I used that word engagement. I think you used that word engagement before we hit record. But I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about some of the connections that you saw around this idea of creativity in education within your own practice.  

And you’re right. Before the invitation, I didn’t connect creativity with what I was doing. Most students that come into, history class, social studies class, they come in not all… liking my subject matter, okay? And it’s because of the way that they’ve been introduced before or they’ve been taught. A lot of them have been taught memorization, read a chapter, answer the question in the back of the book. just not connected to that.  One of my goals as a teacher is, do I want every student that leaves my classroom to love the subject? Yes, I do. But we know reality, that’s not gonna happen. But I do want every student that walks through my classroom to at least connect at least once with something that I have taught, during that course. So that means that I have to connect with something they’re engaged with, that they find relevant  to their existence, and to take my  standards, my content, and to create something that’s gonna be a lesson. And, I will give you, two examples. One is, when I was a middle school teacher, because I was a middle school teacher for seven years, I had a classroom of eighth grade boys, mostly eighth grade boys. I was doing the 1920s, and, I needed to teach the lesson about the and, how was I going to create this lesson  about this time period that obviously the majority of my eighth grade students, particularly the boys, were not interested in? And being in North Carolina, doing the research and coming up, was that out about NASCAR and bootlegging and all of that happened during that time period. I was like, “Yes, I can get some country boys interested in a story about NASCAR.” All right.  So then tying that to the  history of the 1920s and then those other standards and, objectives I want to cover. But that was the creative part, the one that I didn’t see as creative. I’m just trying to get to the end of this lesson and get my standards taught.   It was creative to think about that and just not read a chapter in a book and answer the question . And then the  other example I want to give,  two years ago, I got into K-dramas. Just start learning about this history and this culture to think how is this gonna manifest into a lesson,   and thinking of the ways that  I can take this information and make it relevant to my students.

I’m still in the process of figuring that out and what this is gonna look like. But this has, at this point, taken me, to a project where now I am, working on a presentation about the Korean War and what that is gonna look like. At this point, I  don’t know. I’m still figuring out.  those are the parts that when I went to actually look up the definition of creativity, because I did, because I’m a historian and a researcher, and it’s saying it’s taking, something that wasn’t there before, something new, and making different connections, and I was like, “Okay.” For me, that’s how it shows up in the lessons 

Mm. And I love those connections that you just made. I think it is a beautiful example of, you know, we had Jonathan Plucker on the show, a creativity researcher, who said, “You take old stuff and, and other old stuff, and you create new stuff.” And,  and I really think what you just described is  such a great example of that.

And Matt and I, we have this thing where we talk about what we geek out over, so Matt geeks out over volcanoes. But it sounds like you’re really geeking out over these, Korean is it documentaries or dramas?

  we would call them soap operas, telenovelas, I would put it in those categories. so  again, just over the top, but the history and the culture that was tied to it, and then thinking of how that is gonna be a lesson. Still formulating, but I’m interested. I am real excited to see where that’s gonna end.

 And I think that’s, again, another part of creativity is, one, tolerating that ambiguity and of not knowing, but having the curiosity, that deep curiosity to explore what might come about and what you could imagine, and building those connections in unique ways.  I think there are so many examples of what you’re sharing that really exhibits a highly creative educator.

And as, as I mentioned before, , we started recording , it’s when we look at teachers who say, “Well, I don’t, I don’t really see myself as creative,” what you’re talking about in that ambiguity and cognitive flexibility, we were having some  issues with the tech as before we started, and,

I love what you said. You had a plan A, a plan B, a plan C, sometimes more plans than that. And that is not only great and  effective teaching, but it’s also creative teaching  because it is about the cognitive flexibility and the openness and willingness to deeply explore things that not only you’re curious about, but helping make that bridge with students on what they’re curious about.

So I love those examples, and I appreciate you sharing them 

Thank you. And the other aspect of that is not having solid foundation of what it’s gonna look like and being open to whatever you receive, that everything doesn’t  have to be picture perfect, to work. That can look like something that you never even imagined 

Hmm

it was  going to be 

Hmm.

 or you thought it was going to be, and being happy and satisfied in that moment because it takes you in a direction that you didn’t think about. And that’s one of the things that try to get through with my students when they’re always looking for the right answer is sometimes it’s not a right answer with this

 Valencia, you know, it’s you’re hitting so many points that we talk about in the book, and I think a big part of this is the importance of us as educators, to Cindy’s point, being creative, making those  getting to know our students.

But of  another big one that we talk about in our book and, and we’ve spoken about on the show is the importance of bringing our own natural curiosity, which is another thing Cindy was alluding to. And it, it seems to me that you’ve done a really good job of your passion for your subject, your interest in history, and, and more importantly,  the value that you see  within this subject of bridging the divide around, what our historical narratives say about where we are today and how that can inform who we become tomorrow.

And, and I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about your project  around the Supreme Court case Griggs versus  Duke Power Company, because I– another thing that we’ve spoken about on the show is, is things around connections to the community, and it just really fascinates me that within the history class, you are teaching them to be historians, but you’re making connections to history relevant to them and their community 

So proud of that project. It came about in 2018. actually, my high school history teacher reached out to me. We had a local museum that had recently opened,   she reached out to me and asked me to  be on the program committee for this museum, and she’s my high school history teacher, and my first response was, “Yes, ma’am. I will.” So working on the program committee, I think I started in  2012, so definitely had devoted a couple  of years doing what planning committee do, and we were making, working up programs, and Griggs versus Duke Power was mentioned, and I knew very little about the case. The case is a  United States Supreme Court case that was  decided in March of 1971, it around, 14 men originally, 14 African American men who were, looking to  receive justice in their place of unemployment, which  was with Duke Power. They wanted to be able to apply for jobs outside of the labor department or the janitorial department, and that’s what they wanted. They just wanted to be able to, to move and to get the pay that everybody else had  the ability to get, and it took them five years to do  that. So I knew very little about the case before then. and my objective going in was to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the decision, which was in, 2021. And from there,  other objective was to hopefully  get this put into the curriculum, especially in North Carolina, then I wanted a state historical marker because that state historical marker make it a permanent part of our  history of, of the county. I’ve  been working on that since 2018. I’ve had the honor of getting a couple of grants. The most significant was with the National Council of History Education, which turned into a three-year grant. so I got to bring my students into the project.

 

  every year we had a different theme, a different cohort of students. they actually got to put this on their college application, and I had a student of, forever student to tell me,   she has her master’s degree,  and she’s out looking for a job, and she still tells me that internship that she did with me that summer, that she was still in high school, is on her job application today.

I mean, to know that that lasting impact,  is important, but more so that we’re telling this undertold story. Probably 90% of the people in our county didn’t even know about this case, and I mean people that were even related to these men, in this case. So telling that story, making sure  that,  the community, that the state honor what they did is really important. But to get my students involved and to provide ways for them to learn beyond the classroom, that has also been a really, really fascinating part of the story as well.

  And Valencia, I do wanna make a point here, is that before we came on the show, you know, you spoke about being a recipient of these Teacher of the Year awards, and you just, you just listen to the, the heart and soul and in essence, the and  beyond expectations that we see from a  regular educator. What does it mean when that’s recognized both at the regional or the district level, the state level, and then even at the national level? I mean, it must be an incredible honor, and I’m just curious to know how an educator feels when that type of work is recognized in the way that it is. 

I told my kids, and when I’m talking to my kids, I’m talking about my students. I told my kids that I got award for being a history nerd, and I truly mean it, They give this award for being history nerd. But it wasn’t to  downplay, the  award. It is when you call someone a nerd, that means that they are really passionate about what they’re doing. I mean, sometimes to, to the point of being tunnel vision. I hope I’m not that bad, but I am passionate about the study of history. I think the  stories that we keep,  that we know, that we remember, and that we pass on is important to not only ourselves to understand who we are, but it’s also important to the next generation. believe in the power of storytelling what that means to people as a person and as a community. What the awards,  for me, what they acknowledge is all of the work that seemingly goes unnoticed. And as I told my principal, ’cause she went with me to the awards ceremony, I said, “You know, I would’ve done all of this work even if this award wasn’t at  the end of it.”

And she was like, “Yeah, I know. That’s why you got the award.” So the award is an acknowledgement the value of the work that you’re doing because as a social studies teacher, as a history teacher, content is seen as the stepchild of the curriculum.  You know, if you’re going to interrupt anybody’s class, you can do the history class.

You can do the social studies class, with that. So to get that acknowledgement that what we do in the humanities is so important, it’s so valuable, that,  essential. And for me personally,   just validated the work I try to do every day, and it also widened my platform so that not only can I keep doing the work, but I can do more the work, and hopefully I can inspire others to also do the work,  with that. just to be involved with Gilda Lemmer, this is before the awards. Their materials, their resources have a organization of That level, to recognize you, just truly just makes me proud

 Well, we are proud, and I am inspired just even hearing about your whole journey and how passionate and dedicated you are to education. And I have to ask this question. You mentioned that teaching wasn’t on your bingo card, and you didn’t start till you were 40. So what led you in this direction?

Because what I find so amazing is, you know, most people hit 40, and they think, “Okay, I’m on my final, I’m in this sort of last stretch of the career.”  But you started a whole new career, and not only that, but then you became, like, a national award winner. So I can see absolutely why that is because of your passion and dedication to not only the field, but to your students , and all the great things that you just shared with us.

But I have to know what led you into becoming a teacher at 40.

  first I will let you know that my closest friends thought I was crazy and told me so. But what led… I lost my job. I was also at that time, not only did I lose my job, I was going through a separation that would lead toward divorce during this period. So,   During this time, I was like, “Well, let me sub until I can find

what’s gonna be my next.” And I got a long-term sub. It was in a middle school, and it was for a teacher that was teaching English and social studies. And at the end I came in September, and I stayed the whole school year. near the  end of the school year, I knew that this was my purpose.

It wasn’t that this is gonna be my job. knew this was where I’m supposed to be. I know that if I was in another content area, it would not have been the same results. If I was in a math class, definitely not. A science, it  just wouldn’t have done it, and even a English  class by itself, I don’t think would’ve done it. It was that combination of teaching English and, history, and when I got to the high school, to become a high school teacher a couple of years ago, I had a student to tell me that my class was a undercover English class, and I was so proud of that. I was like, “Thank you.” But I think it was being in that space and seeing that this is  truly who I am, and then just taking the steps to do that.

It was difficult, especially with everything else that was going on in my personal life. The mother of three daughters, all of this commotion that was around. But what steadied me, was that I had this job, I enjoyed going into most days, and that,   I could study and be a part of the humanities. So not just history, but the books and the language and the telling of the stories, that I was in this space, and that I could pass this on, to my kids. That was it. That’s what got me to stay, and to have employment the other reason, because , I needed to work. So to work in a  place that actually made me happy is the reason that I’m still here 21 years later, because it is still a place that makes me happy, even when it’s a subject that is not my favorite, to teach. I said, with the NASCAR, I’m not into NASCAR, wasn’t my thing, but did I spend a lot  of hours researching to, to do that, to  make the best lesson to connect with my kids? Yes. I’m gonna do that. So it isn’t always, oh, these are the things that I gravitate towards naturally. Not always. It’s may not always be the subjects that my interest, but what is it gonna get the job done and how am I gonna present this that’s engaging not only for me, but for the students as well?

  Valencia, that was such a great story, and I’m so glad I asked, because I’m sure there’s a lot of people out there in similar situations that don’t have the courage. And that really  was a big risk to take at, at  that stage of your life, and to have that courage to, to take a leap and do something that, you hadn’t planned for and, and fall in love with it is just so heartwarming and beautiful.

So thank you for sharing that great story

  thank you for that, and I, really mean it, with that because that was a really difficult part of my life. It was. It was hard, to do that. So not only to be a beginner teacher, but  also,  to get my teaching certificate, I needed to take courses. So I had the bright idea that if I was gonna take courses, I might as well get a degree.

So why not? Why not go to school full time, become a beginner teacher, go through a separation and a divorce, and a mother of three daughters. not?

Yeah.

 ​So Valencia,

 Tell us about where creativity enters the process of storytelling. How do students creatively interpret and communicate historical stories while still remaining accountable to evidence and historical accuracy? 

 I think the answer to that question depends on the students that I’m teaching. And like I said, I started off as a middle school teacher for seven years, and  now I’ve been at the early college  for 14, and the majority of the students that I teach are, sophomores, and over the years that I’ve been teaching,  has changed and a lot of it  has changed due to technology. you would think that technology actually widens their creativity. I don’t think so.   The earlier, part of  my career when students actually had more access to books and they were reading and other things opened them up to a wider view of the world. Technology,  as much as it offers, seems to have  made their world smaller, because all they’re doing is just usually the same path. So for me now, at the stage where I’m teaching students with creativity,  I think it  begins when I start opening the world for them and to them. my book list for my classes are diverse. wanna tell as many  stories as possible, but I give them  the option to choose. A couple of years ago, I had a student who made the remark… And she wasn’t talking to me. We were just having a conversation in history club, and she had already had  my class, and I think she was graduating that  year that she made the remark. And She said she hadn’t seen Asian culture represented at school for her in her courses or anything.

And it made me think, and I was like Maybe, not maybe, that’s true. It wasn’t something that I emphasized or even really thought about, until she brought that up. So then it sent me down that summer research rabbit hole to make sure that, when I came back that following, school year, that I include more of those voices in my classroom. And I  think when students are introduced  to a wider version of the world, that helps with creativity, that they start to see other things in other light. And Then they start to produce things is not like what they’ve done before. 

And I think those stories, when you read about those stories, it really expands your mind as well, just, just as you’re talking about 

Yeah. That’s a very interesting question. And since the first invitation, from you and Matthew about creativity, y’all have actually made me start to look my practice so differently, So I don’t know if it was y’all’s intent to give me homework, but     but you know, you did. So I assume that y’all, you will be sending me the book, so I can continue my homework.

 But, to think of how that looks in my classroom, I’m thinking that I need to connect to the students, so I need to, create this lesson. but the ability to be creative, to make it engaging for me and the student is important, and that was a element that I just never considered before now.

 And, you know, through your stories, you know, we know it’s hard work, but you can see your willingness and commitment to engage in that hard work to make those connections happen. And again, I think that’s probably another  reason why you were  recognized for that award, if I had to guess. Because a lot of this stuff is really, really hard work,

and I do think this is an inspiring interview, not just for the humanities teachers, but also for anyone, in  the

Valencia, unfortunately we are getting a little bit tight for time, but we do have to ask our final question, which we ask all of our guests. you think of an educator who unlocked your creative potential? were they and why did they unlock it, and what was the outcome? 

Okay. First of all, when you start naming names, you never wanna leave anyone  out,

Mm.

 and I definitely don’t wanna leave anyone out, because I can’t narrow it down to one specific teacher. I think every teacher that has come into my life, whether it was someone that  taught me, whether it was someone that I  worked with has taught me a lesson.

Whether that lesson was very impactful or whether that lesson was negative or not, that’s, who’s to say?  But I will say, as far  as creativity, one of the things I would definitely credit me having Black teachers early in my education. as my first Black teacher was in fourth grade,  I had… was Ms.

Jones.  My fifth grade tea- Black teacher was in fifth grade, with Ms. Towns. And then I would go to, eighth grade and have Ms. Jeffries and Ms. Blackwell. having teacher that was a reflection of me

Mm. 

Inspired me to be a different version of what other views that were around me. So I give credit again to every teacher that has ever crossed my path, whether I have sat with them in PD, whether, are  still working together or had worked together,  they all contribute to parts of the story of where I’m at. but I think especially for, Black students and for, students of color, to have someone is a reflection of you is an important part of helping make you you are. 

Oh, Valencia, thank you so much for your insights, your stories, and your inspiration today. I feel like I wanna just go back and listen to it right away. So thank you  again for joining us today on the Feeling Creativity in Education  podcast. Now, before we wrap up, we wanna remind you that our new book, The Future Creative: 10 Actions for Fueling Creativity in Education, is officially out and available now.

And this book brings together so many of the ideas, conversations, and insights that have shaped this podcast over the years and offers 10  📍 practical actions for bringing more creativity into your classrooms and school. And finally, Matt and I are excited to share that we’ll once again be attending the NAGC conference this year in Wisconsin.

One of the things we love most about attending conferences like NAGC is getting the opportunity to meet listeners of the show.  So if you’re going to be at NAGC, we’d genuinely love to hear from you. Reach out to us at questions@feelingcreativitypodcast.com. We’d love to connect, buy you a coffee, and say hello in person.

My name is Dr. Cindy Burnett 

And my name is Dr. Matthew Worwood