Episode 88 · January 24, 2023
Traci Manuel: A Teacher with Heart
with Traci Manuel, Teacher, Booker T. Washington High School; Tulsa Public Schools Teacher of the Year 2022
33 min
Traci Manuel: A Teacher with Heart
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In this episode
In this episode I sit down with Traci Manuel — known to her students as Miss Manuel — a teacher at Booker T. Washington High School and the Tulsa Public Schools Teacher of the Year for 2022, which put her in the running for 2023 Oklahoma State Teacher of the Year. I first got to know Traci when she was my son's teacher at Carver Middle School, and even then I could see she had a heart not just for teaching material, but for helping kids navigate their lives and become the best version of themselves. She's one of the people who reminds me exactly why I started this podcast.
We talk about her unconventional path into education — how her grandmother, a longtime Tulsa educator, shaped her, how an advisor once told her college might not be for her, and how a mentor at the Boys and Girls Club refused to let one person's words define her future. Traci went on to study English literature, do graduate research on closing the achievement gap in Michigan, and eventually find her way back home to the classroom. Her journey through subbing, being a teacher's assistant, parent facilitating, and raising a son with special needs all feed into the deeply inclusive teacher she is today.
I love that Traci keeps one big idea at the center of everything: her job is to unlock the brilliancy in every child. If you're a teacher having a hard day, or someone thinking about stepping into education despite the challenges, this conversation will encourage you to keep going and remember the bigger purpose you're serving.
Key takeaways
- Words carry weight. Traci was once told college wasn't for her, and it nearly crushed her — a reminder that what we say to students (and to each other) can build or break a future.
- Your unconventional path is not a detour. Traci majored in English literature, did graduate research, subbed, was a TA and parent facilitator before teaching — and every step gave her a wider lens in the classroom.
- One person doesn't determine your future. A mentor at the North Mabee Boys and Girls Club helped Traci pick herself back up and take the next step, and that lesson still shapes how she encourages her students.
- Keep the long-term goal in mind: your job is to unlock the brilliancy in every child. Holding that purpose helps you get past the daily hurdles instead of getting stuck in them.
- Real inclusion means asking 'how so?' Raising a son with special needs pushed Traci to actually differentiate her lessons so no child is left out or made to feel like an outsider.
- A simple daily check-in works. Traci's 'five H's' — high five, hug, handshake, hello, or however a student wants to greet her — tells her how each child is arriving so she can meet them where they are.
- If you want to teach, bring desire, discipline, and dedication. It's a calling more than a job, and the reward is helping raise the next generation of leaders.
“Keep the long term goal in mind that your job is to unlock the brilliancy in every child.”
“One person doesn't determine your future.”
“This is not just a job, but this is a calling.”
“If there is no struggle, then how can we have progress?”
About Traci
Teacher, Booker T. Washington High School; Tulsa Public Schools Teacher of the Year 2022
Traci Manuel, known to her students as Miss Manuel, is a Tulsa educator and the Tulsa Public Schools Teacher of the Year for 2022. The granddaughter of a longtime Tulsa educator, she studied English literature and pursued graduate research on closing the achievement gap before returning home to teach. She has taught at Central, Carver, and Booker T. Washington, and is passionate about unlocking the brilliance in every child and encouraging both veteran and novice teachers.
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