Each week Christine and Salt interview the Badass Woman of the Week, a feature that aims to reward women who have overcome a challenge and emerged stronger as a result. Each Badass Woman wins an empowering B Badass bracelet from The Power to B and is featured on-air Fridays at 7:15 A.M. with Christine and Salt in the morning.
This week's Badass Woman of the Week is Shannon Gavey of Enfield, nominated by her friend Lisa who writes, "Shannon works as a dually certified special education and English teacher for the Department of Corrections and Unified School District #1. She teaches some of the most difficult and challenging students in our state. Shannon brings energy and positivity into these incarcerated students' lives with her passion for teaching and inspiring. As difficult as it could be to work in an environment where her students did not always have the best experience in school, she works tirelessly to develop lessons that will motivate the unmotivated and she crafts her lessons to reach all ability levels. Recently, she taught a public speaking class for English credit to her CDP students. At the beginning of the semester, her entire class was resistant to standing up in front of their peers to talk about anything. Over the course of her lessons, Shannon modeled failure and success and fostered an environment where it was natural to feel vulnerable and nervous. By the end of the semester, 90% of her students volunteered to give their speeches in the gymnasium in front of their peers, other teachers and staff, principals, correction officers, and correctional leadership, including the deputy warden of the facility. As someone who was there to witness this event, it was moving for so many reasons. These students who were terrified and so used to experiencing failure in school, were empowered by Ms. Gavey to find the courage to step out of their comfort zones to grow academically and emotionally. She is a badass teacher to say the least!"