Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelly Cagle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kelly, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a story that illustrates an important or relevant lesson you learned in school
During my PhD, one of my professors asked the question, “how do you define academic success?” Since then, that question constantly rings in my head. Truth is, individuals have their unique definitions of success. When it comes to academic success, parents (many times, unintentionally) place unrealistic expectations on their kids of what that can look like. And when kids can’t live up to that expectation, they feel inadequate– only increasing their anxiety.
This is a conversation I often have with my clients at Dr. Kelly Cagle. I help parents think about priorities they desire out of their child’s education, consider their child’s strengths and weaknesses, and create an environment where their child becomes confident in their own ways of learning!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Mother + Researcher… in that order! The role I play within my home is the most important one in life. I’ve been married to Josh for 17 adventurous years, and our greatest accomplishment is being entrusted by God with our three amazing boys that keep our house full, loud, and stinky– Levi (12), Titus (7), and Micah (5). They argue with and aggravate each other, but at the end of the night, they still want to sleep in the same room. Josh and I take that as a parenting win every single day!
Aside from being a wife and mom, I have a PhD from The University of Texas at Arlington in K-16 Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. My research areas include alternative instructional methods, school choice, and parent engagement. I’ve spent nearly two decades researching parenting, relationships, and self-development, in addition to being an educator. I believe home is the safest place to reinforce learned academic content. On the flip side, I believe home is where social and emotional education needs to being begin, with the school setting being an extension of the philosophical, ethical, and moral beliefs of the parents.
In our home, Josh and I decided a long time ago that no system would dictate what academic standards our sons are held to, topics they are exposed to, or content they learn about. Because we’ve learned we have a right. And in America, we’re blessed with many school types and methodologies to choose from!
Ultimately, my sons’ education can be dictated by my choice. And my goal is to empower and challenge parents in the pursuit of the best academic experiences that targets their each child’s unique needs.
When not feeding my children or in front of my computer researching and writing, you can catch me with a cup of coffee, doing something outdoors, in a yoga studio, or cheering for my #29!
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Anything by Donald Miller! He provides practical advice to strategize a small business. All his books are extremely beneficial, and I highly recommend them!
Also Joshua Becker– not necessarily business related; however, his latest book, “Things that Matter” shifted my philosophy in so many areas in my life, including choosing to homeschool my kids.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The day I received my acceptance letter from my doctorate program, I was 39 weeks pregnant. My first day of classes, I had a 7 year old, 2 year old, and 5 month old nursing baby.
In a room full of determined educators, I was asked “why I was pursuing my PhD,” and I made up some BS story because I had no idea why I was there as a stay at home mom, other than God told me to.
As an English learner (I’m also from Brazil!), I struggled comprehending so much of the content. As a mom juggling motherhood and school, I felt like I was drowning 99.l98% 99.98% of the time. Josh would get home from work, we would high-five one another, I would hand over a baby and a warm bottle of milk I just pumped, and walk out the door to head to school.
Nothing about that journey was easy. But… now I get to help parents raise lifelong learners, and I can’t believe all of that was for this. For my clients!
Contact Info:
- Website: drkellycagle.com
- Instagram: drkellycagle
- Facebook: Dr. Kelly Cagle
- Linkedin: Dr. Kelly Cagle
- Twitter: drkellycagle
- Youtube: Dr. Kelly Cagle
- Other: Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Google podcast: Parenting IQ
Image Credits
Meshali; Danielle Konobeevsky; Amy Ivey