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A growing community of educators, mentors, and lifelong learners who believe in the power of connection, shared stories, and showing up for one another - again and again
Cate Tolnai (she/her): oh, hi Jess.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Hello.
Hi.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): It is
so nice to see you this day,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): too.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): And
welcome you to The Bridge.
Jess Boyce, you have a rich, wonderful,
fabulous story that that I think has
layers that we're gonna discover today.
And so we're just gonna, we're just
gonna start peeling back that onion.
But let's start with
just letting people know.
Like what, what you're
doing now, who you are.
Your bio will be in the show notes, so you
don't have to like go through the whole
spiel, but like, you know, as it relates
to like, education and, and educators, so.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Awesome.
Yeah.
Hi everybody.
I'm Jess Boyce.
I am a programs and operations manager
at an organization called Endless.
This was not planned.
I happened to wear this shirt today.
So we are a nonprofit that teaches
video game design specifically
to underrepresented communities.
So big focus in Latin America and
the Middle East in underserved
communities in the us.
So
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh my God.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): really cool.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Can we just
talk about that for 30 minutes please?
Like what?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Right.
Yeah.
It's, it's a really cool place to be.
We kind of look at like, you
know, how students learn, how
they engage and obviously.
Who doesn't love video games?
So we kind of take that
approach to it, but it's not
specifically like just coding.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): we look at
all of the other things, storytelling
and art and collaboration and
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): And
really the, the premise there
is to close the digital divide.
So super, super excited
to be on this team.
I am a former educator, which sounds
weird to say because once an educator,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Right,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
So I guess I can't really
Cate Tolnai (she/her): right.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): But
yeah, we'll, we'll get to all that.
But my journey has led me here and
it's been such an awesome thing.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): So when you
were in the classroom, what did you
teach and how long were you there?
You were in middle school.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): middle school.
So I know usually when I say
middle school people are like, Ooh.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I'm
a middle school teacher.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): and then
when I say math, they're also like, Ooh.
So I had a, a double whammy.
But I was in the classroom
for about 10 years and it was
the absolute joy of my life.
Middle schoolers are so weird in the
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
Oh, in the best way.
Like, that's what I say too.
So I, I taught 10 years too in
middle school, one year high school,
and then nine years middle school.
And then but yeah, I used to
say like seventh graders were
my favorite because like,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Yes,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): sweet little,
they're, they're mean and awkward and
like still little and like, so don't
wanna be little that I'm just like,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Yeah,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I got you.
I got you.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): right.
Seventh grade was absolutely my favorite
thing to teach too, because I feel,
to your point, like they're so sweet,
especially when they walk in on the
first day, like they are clearly still
elementary schoolers, even though
they've been in middle school for a year.
And then just the, the growth that you see
take place over a year is like, never seen
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Right.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): it.
And so it just always made me like.
Oh my gosh.
I know people cringe at that
age level, but I'm like, I
can't believe I get to be a part
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
while they're figuring it out.
And they're lanky and weird and
Cate Tolnai (she/her): totally.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I am, the cooler I
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yep.
Yep.
Which is actually a really great sub segue
to what's your weird, what's, like what,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Oh
Cate Tolnai (she/her): what's your weird,
that's a, that's a weird question, but
what's your, what's your education?
Weird, Jess.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I mean,
I guess probably my life weird too is
that I am one of those people that has
a song for every single sentence that
Exists.
So my students were to me singing at them.
I was just talking the other day.
I had a student named Jagger the same
year that moves like Jagger came out and
I was so obnoxious and I couldn't stop,
and I had to sing to him every every day.
And I had a student named Fancy when.
I'm so
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hi.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): you know, and
I'm like, I'm so sorry that I can't stop.
But I mean,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): good.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): me happy.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): That's so good.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): probably my
weird, and it has carried over into into
Cate Tolnai (she/her): So you must have
some pretty pretty amazing playlists.
Maybe may, maybe
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Oh my gosh.
Yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): we'll have
to throw some in the show notes.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
Yeah, for sure.
It's a little all over
the place, but yeah, we
Can attach the link below.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): for sure, for sure.
Okay, so, so you taught 10 years in
the classroom which was, how long
ago, when were you in the classroom?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): so I
was in the classroom until 2018.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Okay, and so
then in 2018, well pick us up there.
Classroom happened and
then where'd you go?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Yes.
So well pre before that even.
So as the classroom was happening, I
had the absolute privilege to start a
tech magnet within the school that I was
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh wow.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): so
that kind of like really plays
a factor into my shift in life.
But so.
am very much a person that tries
things that scare me and things
that I don't think I'll be good at
because I just wanna see what happens.
And so I always, like, I never, ever
would've considered myself a tech person.
It was, you know, I a long time
to get an iPhone and all of
these things, and I, I remember.
I was, they were starting this
magnet and I was like, ah, no, no.
Like I'm used to sharing an
iPad cart with three other
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): and
every once in a while we'll do
a Kahoot or something like that.
Right.
And then they were like, no, like,
we think you'd be good for this.
And I just, I was like,
okay, it sounds terrifying.
Let's do it.
And it like.
Unlocked this whole thing in me, right?
And I was like, wait a
second, this is where I fit.
This is like something
that I'm thriving in.
And so one of those things was I ended
up using Flipgrid in the classroom.
I was a huge Microsoft person anyway you
know, just started doing trainings on
it and like fell in love with all this
stuff because it was a one-to-one magnet.
And then I started going to conferences
and I started just getting like, oh
my gosh, this world, what is this?
And I fell in love with teaching teachers.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): And
so I started using Flipgrid a
lot and I felt like it changed
everything in my classroom.
Having, seeing the ways that students
could talk to one another and like
exp express their mathematical
thinking in different ways was like.
So unbelievable.
And I'm a yapper and so that I'm
excited about, I'm gonna tell
to everyone that walks past me.
And so that kind of led to like
me being an ambassador and all of
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): And then I
was fortunate enough to get hired by them.
And I worked with them for like
five and a half, almost six years.
Just running community and professional
development and just on teachers.
We
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I know
you've had Ann and on, we always say
we were teachers, helping teachers,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): my gosh.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
which is like the joy of my life,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Totally.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): So we're
kindred spirits in that, like
that, that definitely like, like
makes me tick, like my, my, my
heartbeats for educators for sure.
Especially like, especially like
the ones that are just coming out
of credentialing programs or ones
that are just in the classroom.
And, and that's part of where
the bridge came from is just like
me noticing that there's so many
educators that have been in it for
2, 3, 4 years that are like, not.
Full, like their hearts are empty and
they're not getting refilled and like
there's confusion and kinda some chaos.
And so it's like, well, what
can we do to like breathe a
little bit more life into them?
And maybe a few stories could help.
And so.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): that.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
So, okay.
You are, you are ambassador,
you are doing all these things.
You work at, you work at Flip,
and now you're doing video game
design for underserved youth.
So how, let's, let's turn that page.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): So you
know, working in tech is volatile and,
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I got laid off,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
as the entire Flipgrid team
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): and,
know, and it was devastating
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): course,
because that was my, my dream job.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): it's
really funny because I always,
the teaching was also my dream
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Exactly.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
turns out is also my dream job.
So basically I'm just happy with whatever,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): there's
a thread of education throughout it.
So I got laid off and it was like
really sad, but I was actually
at FETC when it happened.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): so that was.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Really weird,
but also really good because I like took
my time, I had my little like me moment
and then I was like, hold on a second.
My entire network, it's, it always
Cate Tolnai (she/her): it's right.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): right?
I'm
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
is in this building.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): are the
people that are going to catch me.
And so.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I
like, took my hour or whatever,
and then I just went into the expo
hall and just started talking to
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): and
like, know, I, talking actually just
a couple days ago with Za and I was
talking about that moment and how
like when something happens like a
layoff, you feel so, even though I
knew it wasn't personal, there was
2000 people that got laid off that day.
It still felt like.
Oh, I'm not good enough.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): But then to
have immediately one hour later have all
of these people who were like, oh my gosh,
we would love to have you on our team.
It was like instant validation,
like just brought right back to me.
Yeah.
And so it was like, okay, can do this.
Like, it was just, the timing
was so good because it made me
realize that I was gonna be okay.
So this job opened up and, in the same way
of when I went to the technology magnet,
I was like, I don't know if I can do that.
That sounds hard.
That sounds a little outside of my
comfort zone because mainly it was so
my role's a little bit different now
than it was then, but it was operations,
but it was on the learning team.
So the, the team that builds
all of the curriculum.
But it was like making sure all of the
little things are, are in place and.
Organization is not my specialty.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Interesting.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): right?
Yeah.
If you could see the amount of post-it
notes on my desk right now or tabs I
have open and other on my other screen.
You would, you would get it.
But I was like, you know
what a, a challenge, right?
And as I was interviewing and I'm like
through things and I was like, wait,
turns out I have done operations before.
It turns out I've been
doing that for a long time.
And I think that, so not only with
Flip, but I think that that's a
really thing about educators is like.
do so many things under the guise
of like just education, right?
So we have this like really, really
robust skillset that we don't
necessarily hone in on all the time.
And so as I was talking about it and I
was like, oh, hold on, I can do this.
This will be great.
And don't get me wrong, there
was a huge learning curve, but.
It's amazing and you know, I
think is like, do I want to be an
operations manager at any old company?
No, absolutely not.
Because this is still,
this is still my heart.
This is still education.
I still get to go to classrooms and,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yes.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): kids
and, and work with teachers.
But it was a really unique challenge
for me and so constantly looking to
grow and get better at different things.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Well,
and now I understand why you've
been traveling so much, right?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Yes, yes.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Because 'cause I,
I do I do pay attention on the socials
and I get to see all the places you go
and I'm like, that girl is bouncing, so,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
Yeah, I've been home almost
for like two months now, and
Cate Tolnai (she/her): wow.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
oh my gosh, I don't
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): with myself.
This
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): So,
operations is a part of it, but then the
other part of my role is partnerships.
And anyone that has ever met
me knows that I've never met a
stranger, and that relationships
are the most important thing to me.
Across the board anywhere.
And so when they were like, Hey, we're
thinking that you would be a good
fit for making these relationships,
I was like, ah, yeah, I think so.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): great.
I love, I love that.
You know, and so I do, I, I travel a lot.
And that is meeting with different
organizations at all different levels and
just having conversations about what our
curriculum is, which is completely free.
It is, you know, we're a
nonprofit and, and helping them.
So it's like.
have the initial conversation in
order to talk about the curriculum,
and then I do the operations part.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): we're gonna do
it, then I make sure it actually happens.
But so it's like, it's just really
great because this is something
that I think is really unique, but
I'm also pretty passionate about,
and I love getting to go, go places
and, and talk to people about how
maybe we can bring something that'll
make a difference to their schools.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I mean, you
just, you're so authentically, you,
you authentically connect with people
and like, that's one of the things
that I've always admired about you,
like, like this is, so, I feel really
lucky to just even have a concentrated
amount of time to just chat with you
because kind of like with Jne, like,
like when when I talked with her I.
I was like, I've known you, but
I've never gotten to like, know you.
And so That's right.
And that's so, it's
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): one drive,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yes,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): El Centro
Cate Tolnai (she/her): exactly.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
that one time, and that's it.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): That was it.
And,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
it's just in passing.
Uhhuh.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): right.
But, but I have always admired that about
you and, and the relationships you build.
And I think like, like, and I wanna, I
wanna take us back to that moment when you
said yes to opening up the tech magnet.
And like, that seems to me like,
like that would be a huge leap.
Did that be, was that an administrative
position or were you still in the
classroom when you were doing that?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I was still in the classroom.
I
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Okay.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): And I was,
so I had been seventh grade strictly,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yep.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): it dropped
down to sixth because they wanted to
do the first year, sixth, and then
sixth, seventh, sixth, seventh, eight.
As it grew.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Got it.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
And I kept holding off.
I was like, no, I'll do it
when it comes to seventh.
And they were
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): no, we
think that you should do it now.
And I was like, but I, but I don't
wanna teach sixth grade, you know?
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
And then I did it.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I mean, and
that theme, that seems to be a theme
with you, like, like, I'm gonna
just say yes and see what happens.
And I think that, that,
that could actually be.
Like, like if you think back to like
when you were in year three or four
in the classroom, like would you,
were, were you always this person
that said yes or did that have to,
did you have to arrive at that place?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I've
always been somewhat of a risk
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): but I
don't know that I always would say
yes, but that has definitely been
like a theme of my life for the
last, I don't know, at least decade.
Because like, I don't know, I'm kind of
like, well, what's the worst that could
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): some
people use that as a reason to say
Cate Tolnai (she/her): right.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I've
been using it as a reason to say
yes, and it's just opened me up
to so many incredible experiences.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): And it's
just like, oh my God, like that.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): tombstone.
Just
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Just say yes.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): yeah,
because it really has been yeah,
I've always taken risks when it,
especially professionally, but when, I
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): back to the
classroom, I was still very like worksheet
and, you know, all of those kinds of
things and it just took some time to,
to realize that different isn't bad.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): and I think
that, I don't know if, if, if it's.
Because there's so many competing
priorities for educators.
But I, I do.
And now with ai, which we haven't even
talked about, but like the whole, the
whole influx of AI in the classroom,
like, it makes me think, like you
saying, oh, I mean, I still used, I,
I still used worksheets, like yeah,
we still have to use our curriculum.
And you didn't wake up on day one
being like, I'm gonna rip this
apart and like do my own thing.
You know?
And I think that.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): eventually,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): did.
You did As did I.
But but it took a beat.
It took a beat.
And, and I don't, I just wanna make
sure, like educators also understand
that too, that like, you just don't
have to do it all at the very beginning.
Like you, especially
like it's about survival.
Like you're dealing
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Yep.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): so many
different competing factors and you're
taking care of these kids, you're
taking care of yourself, hopefully.
And so how ho well.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
really needs to be
Cate Tolnai (she/her): There we go.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Right.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Don't get me
started on the importance of self-care
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
going to get you started.
I'm doing that right now because
I also heard you say, yeah, we
don't, and yet like a lifeline
for you are these relationships.
I mean, it was literally, could
not have been more clear to you
that like your really, like your
relationships are going to like
emotionally save you when you need them.
So like.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Yep.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Back up a little
bit and like talk about how when you
were in the classroom, how did you
take, did you take care of yourself?
Like how did you take care of yourself?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): No, I did not.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
At the beginning, I did not.
Right.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): few
years you're treading water,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
trying to like.
If you can get a breath, great.
If not, you know, and then I think
back even to when I first moved to
Florida, I had moved like six months
before my husband because I had
taken a job at a school here and he
didn't move down until he had a job.
Right?
It just made sense.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): But
because I was here then completely
by myself, I didn't know anyone.
I would stay at work so late.
I was always the last
person to leave night.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): And I hit
this point of like, what am I doing?
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah, yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
but I kept doing it like that,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I?
I realized that it was weird,
but like I still did it.
And, you know, and as time
went on, I realized that like
I needed to prioritize myself.
And I think that I 100% became
a better teacher when I stopped
taking work home with me.
So there was a couple, I don't even
remember what year it was to be honest
with you, but at some point I was like,
oh, I'm not gonna grade papers at home.
At all.
I'm gonna leave school at a reasonable
time, and then it's gonna be there.
If it gets done, it gets done.
If it doesn't, that's also okay.
And when I realized that, like, that
actually is okay, it kind of took,
it took that power away from it.
And I promise you a thousand percent,
I became a better teacher for it
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
because I was rested.
I wasn't, you know, like.
Josh used to have to
like, take my laptop off
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yes.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): lap
at 10:00 PM because I'm falling
asleep while I'm doing whatever.
That's really bad.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
really bad, you know?
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): so I
think like having those moments
of, of genuinely knowing that
like world's not gonna end if you
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): grade a paper.
But your students do need you to show
up for them every day, and if you're too
That's not going to be beneficial
for them in the long run, you know?
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I love that so
much, and that's such a nice reframing
of like the taking care of yourself
because I do think that so many of us
are in this because we give, right?
Like it makes us happy to give,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Mm-hmm.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): when you say the
way you said it, like you give better, you
give more authentically, you give more of
yourself when you take care of yourself.
Like that is such a.
That's a really beautiful sentiment that
I'm going to, that's my nugget I'm gonna
take with me into my own life here.
'cause it's hard, it's hard to,
to pause and make, take the time.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Absolutely.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Okay, so
you're pausing, you're taking the
time, eventually you're getting
to this, getting to this place.
I know, so, so I'm kind of intrigued
too, the way you said that.
Like you are a math middle school teacher
and then you started a tech magnet.
So, so talk about your ed tech, like what
did that ed tech transition look like?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Oh,
it was so fun and so overwhelming.
So, you know, as I mentioned, I had like
sprinkled little tiny pieces of tech.
I would like, oh, let's all share
an iPad and do this one thing.
And I was like, okay,
this is kind of cool.
Like I can, you know, the students are
more excited on Kahoot days or whatever.
Then I said yes to this magnet,
so that was like the spring and we
were going to start it in the fall.
And so that first, that summer.
My principal was like, okay, we're gonna
go to this tech conference called Isti.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I was like, okay.
That was 2015, I think.
2015.
And I remember going there and
I walked in and I was like.
What is this?
Oh my gosh, I'm so overwhelmed.
There's robots, there's, you know, like
all this stuff happening and like, I had
never even been to a conference before,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): my gosh.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): one.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
just like so overwhelmed.
But I remember my biggest takeaway was, oh
my gosh, my school district is so behind.
Like, I just
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): being
like, we need to get it together.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): huh.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): behind.
We're behind.
And so then, not only am I a say yes
person, I'm a, if I'm gonna do something,
I am going to do it all the way.
And so I was like, I'm gonna be the best.
I'm gonna know so much
about Dick, whatever.
And like, not even in
like a, like a competitive
Cate Tolnai (she/her): All right.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
that's who I am as a person.
Like I'm just like, oh, I
wanna become the best for me.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): And so,
you know, I started going to all these.
Random trainings and I would
just be like looking for stuff.
And I found an ed camp.
I didn't know what it was.
I don't remember how I found it.
I think I was just like
looking on Eventbrite, like
what's happening in my area?
And I was like, oh, what's this?
It says education and
something about technology.
And so I just went, like,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): That's about right.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
when I look back I'm like, what?
Like I just showed up by myself and was
like, Hey, I have this thing I found.
And that's where I met.
Who became like such a
great group of friends.
We called it our PLF,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): PLC.
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
professional learning family?
Mm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Yeah, so it
was like Jen Williams and Michelle Moore.
Yeah.
Like, I met like best of the best people.
Amber McCormick, Dean Gainey,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh my God.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Sean Farham,
like all these incredible people that
lived all over the state of Florida.
And they would go to like every ed
tech that, or ed camp that existed.
And so it became this group.
We literally would travel all over the
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh my gosh.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): at Ed camps.
Yeah.
And like.
I walked in by myself and
they were like, who are you?
And I was like, Hey.
And then we just like instantly
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Wow.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I
mean, I still, 10 years later,
Jen and Michelle and I like go
to breakfast as often as we can
Cate Tolnai (she/her): sure.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): you know,
talk about where our lives have changed.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Gosh.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): yeah.
And I just remember being like,
who are these people that are so.
Incredible.
So well connected, but just
like so loving and, and care
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
right by students.
Like I felt so they like so much
aligned with who I am as an educator.
And I remember meeting
this woman named Sylvia.
And for years we called each other our
island buddy because we talked about how
when you're at a school and you're like
doing something innovative, you feel
like you're on an island by yourself.
And then we met all of these people
from all these different islands, right?
And then
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
like this core group.
And it was amazing.
And it just like, I don't know, it just.
The importance of community
in every sense of the word,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): if,
and we had like a Voxer group and
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): group
and like anything that it would be
like, Hey, I'm struggling with this
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
and here's what's happening.
Can you help me?
I'm not going to people
in my school, I'm going
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): that all,
it was like principals and non-profits
and like all these different.
Bringing all these different
knowledges, but like
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): together
like almost like a mastermind group,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): their
experience and able to speak to it.
we would like talk about the importance
of failure and like reflect on that.
And just like all these things that
made me such a better educator.
It made me so in love
with ed tech as a whole.
Yeah, so that was like from
the beginning it was like, oh
yeah, this is where I belong.
These are my people.
And now like, you can't get
me away from a conference.
Look, I'll show you right here.
If I can move my, like, these are
all my conference badges, right?
Like I am, you can't get me away anytime
that it's offered, that I'm gonna go
to a conference, I'm gonna go if for
nothing else than to hug my people.
Like, you know, ed tech
is like where I felt,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Wow.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): you know.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): And that, and
that sentiment is, I can absolutely
connect to what you just said, like, and
I, and I feel like there's these group
of, there's these group of Ed Techers
that have transitioned out of ed tech
because positions have been eliminated and
some of them are back in the classroom.
And feeling like, where are,
where, where did my people go?
You know what I mean?
And I, I mean, not to put you on the
spot, but like I'm, I have to imagine
you've had conversations with people
that have been in that position.
So like what advice do you give them?
I know
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
That's a good one.
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
I give them a hug first.
I give them a hug first.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Of
course that's always no matter
what, that's the first thing.
I think it comes down to
connection more than ever.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I like almost
circle back to those things of like.
Yeah, finding your people again,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): bit
different than what it did, but
also like, we're all still here,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
it's reaching out to
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): and, and
even if it's, oh, you know, I, I have
a friend who I left, left and went
to a company and then within a year
was like, no, I need to be in the
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
That wasn't for me.
And, and we still just connect all the
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): You
know, like, just, even if it's
just like a, Hey, here's a video
I saw that made me think of you.
I think those, those connections
are of what, like holds us up
even in moments of, wait a second,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): a second.
Where am I?
You
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
My gosh, I, I, I'm like still processing
all the people you just named that
you got to like, just run into
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): like,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): it was crazy.
Are you kidding
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
It's, that is wild and, and
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): every little
trajectory of my life because like, I,
I don't believe that anything is random.
Right?
Cate Tolnai (she/her): right.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I met all of those people.
got put into a Twitter group,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
that was all Florida people.
All Florida people, and
John Bierley from Texas.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Okay.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Awesome.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Sounds good.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
Changed everything right then.
I'm like at ISTE in San Antonio in
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I
happened to sit next to John
Bimmerle at a thing we had never
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh my gosh.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
he's like, I think you're in
that Twitter group that I'm in.
We're chitchatting.
We start talking.
He's like, Hey, I'm
going to an MIEE dinner.
Do you want to come with me?
And I was like, yeah, sure.
Okay, So I go, then as we're leaving
dinner, we pass by the entire Flipgrid
team and he's like, Hey, there's Flipgrid.
Have you met them before?
And I said, no.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): my God.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): you.
And so we sat there and like sat
on the Riverwalk in San Antonio
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): hours.
And it's just like,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Right.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): what?
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): You know,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I'm like, if I hadn't seen that
event bright for an ED camp,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Right.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
this would've happened.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): And
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): that
Cate Tolnai (she/her): it is wild.
It is wild.
And I, and it makes me wonder, like
if you and I could future, like
could see into the future, right?
What do we see as the, what
do we see as the ideal?
Platform to connect people because here's,
here's my, here's my challenge, right?
Like I, my whole, I'm
here because of Twitter.
I'm here because of q for me,
I am here because of Voxer.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Mm-hmm.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): and I don't, those
don't, those aren't happening in the
same, I mean, Q is still around, but like.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): right.
Of
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I'm
not volunteering, I'm not
as in involved with it.
And I, I'm, I'm okay with that.
Like, it's kind of like I'm, I'm okay
stepping aside and letting the next
generation of the leaders kind of do
their thing and help in a different way.
But I, I mean, what does it look like?
We tried Blue Sky.
I tried Blue Sky for a b
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): tried.
And like for a couple minutes it felt like
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yes.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
like, oh my gosh.
We found it.
We
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): and then
Cate Tolnai (she/her): And not.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
haven't logged on in a year.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I know.
So like, what is it?
What do you think we're looking for?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I genuinely don't know.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I don't know.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
genuinely don't know.
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
I mean, I'm on LinkedIn.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): yeah,
and I mean, LinkedIn is, is hopping
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
It's busy.
It's like, it's like a
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
would've, who would've thought?
Cate Tolnai (she/her): what a thought.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Yeah.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): close as I found.
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I mean, I use Instagram.
But not in a professional
Cate Tolnai (she/her): too.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): it
in a personal sense, but what's
interesting is there's been like
a really big transition for me
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Hmm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): my
professional people are my personal
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Oh, interesting.
Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): and maybe I'm
bad at setting boundaries, I don't know,
but, but it's just been this thing of
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
oh, I actually like that.
I can share my life with you
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Well, it, yeah.
Mm.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I don't know, I don't know.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): I don't know.
I think, I mean, I was, there was another
episode I was recording with Heidi baes
at a Riverside, and she and I were started
laughing because it's like sometimes
on LinkedIn it just, it just can feel
like you say something like, well.
I am, I'm so humbled
to be on this project.
You know, like imagine doing
this in real life, right?
Like you're walking down a hallway
and you're like, I'm so humbled to be
on a project, and like, people don't
open their doors, nobody's looking
at you, and you just walk through the
hallway by yourself, and you're like,
okay, I'm just, I'm like, I don't know.
Whereas before, yes.
Whereas before it was just like,
oh my God, what's the project
and can I, can I do it with you?
Or whatever.
So, yes.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I don't know what
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): is.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Well,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): I
Cate Tolnai (she/her): then
that makes, then, then we keep,
maybe we need to start it.
I don't know.
I'm gonna keep asking the question
because I, I feel so passionate
about Connected, connected, leading.
And
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
like 2018, Twitter is
Cate Tolnai (she/her): oh,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): gold.
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
mine was 20 14, 20 15.
Yeah.
All of that whole,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): sure.
But there was
Cate Tolnai (she/her): oh,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Mm-hmm.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): oh, that felt good.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Mm-hmm.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): That felt good.
Well I can't thank you enough for
taking the time to just to share
and just chat and honestly just
getting time with your cute face.
And I wanna end with just one last
question, which is if you could
go back in time and, and sit with.
Jess teacher version year two,
year three, like what would
you, what would you tell Jess?
Teacher?
What would you tell her?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
I would tell her to buckle up
because it's gonna get crazy, but
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): possible way.
I think I would encourage her to, to
take care of herself more from the
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): and not like,
Cate Tolnai (she/her): yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
get so burnt out.
But also just to take those risks because
they're always good.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): right?
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
And even if you fail, you learn
and it's still good, right?
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Exactly.
When I look back at all the
failures, I'm like, yeah, great.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yeah.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): me.
That's amazing.
You know, let's talk about
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Well, thank you my friend.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Thank you.
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Appreciate you and.
We'll put your contact info in the show
notes so people know where to find you,
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
that'd be great.
Cate Tolnai (she/her):
and you're wonderful.
Thank you my friend.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Come be my
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Yay.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella):
Please come find me.
Thank you
Cate Tolnai (she/her): Okay.
Jess Boyce (she/hers/ella): Cate.