Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Cagle.
Hi Kelly, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
There are a few moments in my life that really shaped me into the person I am today. One of them being when my family immigrated to the United States from Brazil in 1998. I spoke no English and experienced tremendous cultural shock from the move; nevertheless, because of the credits on my Brazilian transcript when I first enrolled in the American public school system and then learning of an opportunity to graduate high school early, I completed my high school career 2.5 years earlier than other kids my age. Just 5 and a half years after arriving in the United States not even speaking English.
After high school, I took a semester off and went to a missionary school, Youth with A Mission (YWAM)—which was also where I met my husband (but that’s a whole other story!). It was a wonderful season, where I learned a lot about who God is, His love for me, and His compassion for the lost. It was also a tremendous learning experience for me as a 17-year-old being away from my family for the first time. In retrospect, I realize how much maturity I lacked… Good thing I didn’t go off to college! Once I finished my semester at YWAM, I returned home and joined my local community college to take advantage of the $1,500 scholarship I received for graduating early.
A side note here: I am no genius! I’ve just always searched for the best opportunities, like my parents taught me.
A couple of years later, Josh and I got married and started to pursue our higher education together. We worked full-time jobs during the day and went to school full-time at night. I became a teacher and Josh got a bachelor’s in management. Year 5 of teaching, I began my graduate studies in school counseling because I felt limited in how I served my students in the classroom. I wanted to be a helper, guide, and mentor. During my residency, I learned that school counselors wear MANY hats. As a matter of fact, EVERY educator serving in any area of a school wears MANY hats. Because of the various “limitations” I experienced during my residency, I decided to continue my educational pursuit.
During my Ph.D., I explored the areas of school choice and alternative instructional methods. With the increased number of charter schools, many independent public school districts have transitioned to open enrollment. This change provided parents a choice to send their child to a different school, if they found another campus that was more satisfactory. Public and charter schools have also started specializing in various areas to attract parents and students. For example, STEM academies, career and technology centers, agriculture campuses, fine arts academies, etc. There are also private schools, virtual schools, homeschool with various co-op options, hybrid schools, and University-Model® campuses.
Through all these experiences, a passion and lifelong pursuit was birthed: to explore schooling options and encourage change. To empower parents in how valuable their voices and desires are during their children’s academic years. And to affirm that every child learns differently. No system should set limitations on how children learn, evolve, and shine.
Because of this, I started Dr. Kelly Cagle and the Parenting IQ podcast, where our mission is to equip parents to use every moment as a learning opportunity with their child. Because when learning starts in the home, kids enjoy learning and become well-rounded, lifelong learners ready to face any challenge.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
None of those experiences were smooth sails!
As a young girl, I had no friends and couldn’t make friends because I didn’t speak their language. As a teacher, I had my struggles with different learning styles and personalities in my classroom. As a doctoral student, I had to dig deep into research and write for an insane number of hours (with a 7-year-old, 2-year-old, and a 5-month-old baby always by my side). Now as a business owner at Dr. Kelly Cagle and the Parenting IQ podcast, I have my own challenges of writing and researching, and most importantly, bringing the best support to parents, students, and educators.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The unfortunate reality is that too many kids nowadays are disengaged and lack critical thinking skills. In fact, that’s the driving force behind our work at Dr. Kelly Cagle– to help parents use every moment as a learning opportunity to bridge that gap for their children. Because when learning starts in the home, it’s revolutionary to kids!
When kids lack self-awareness and good study habits, they lose interest more easily, experience negative self-talk, and begin questioning their own abilities. In contrast, when a child knows how to learn, they will look for ways to grow, overcome, and improve every day!
The missing piece in our current education system is parent engagement. Parents strongly influence their children’s outcomes… socially, emotionally, physically, and academically. There’s no telling what our future workforce can be if parents don’t intervene and help their children welcome hard things.
At Dr. Kelly Cagle, we offer various online content, such as courses, workshops, blog posts, easily applicable lessons on social media, and the podcast. In addition to my online presence, I’m also a speaker and author. I speak on many topics related to parenting and education and present academic research in an engaging, entertaining, and educational way.
Separately, when my oldest son, Levi, was just 6 years old, he started showing signs of anxiety. For a month, he had panic attacks in the middle of the night that lasted for 1-2 hours. My husband and I wrecked our brains to find the why behind his anxiety, but most importantly, to help him with strategies to overcome those moments. We both knew that the best tool for Levi was to speak the Word of God over his circumstances, so I asked Josh to write a list of scriptures that he could memorize to go to “battle.”
Five years have passed since our first encounters with anxiety, and the Lord asked me to write a list of scriptures now for every kid so they can also be equipped with the Word of God during those similar moments. I’m excited to announce that I wrote a children’s Bible study as that tool! First, children are led through a process of learning more about themselves. Because self-awareness leads to confidence. Then they will practice that self-awareness and build up their confidence through Scripture.
God’s Promises as Waves was written with my three sons surrounding me, which often had me in tears because I was writing the exact words, I wanted them to read… a personalized journey to strengthen their minds.
And it will do the same to so many children! The word Waves is a visual of what the promises of God can do when we have strong minds– wash away all fears, anxieties, frustrations, doubt, or insecurities. That’s the power children will have when they learn about their beautiful unique design, increase their awareness as a learner to become more confident, and strengthen their minds by journaling Biblical truth so they can be the sons and daughters, kings and queens, and overcomers Christ Jesus calls them to be!
God’s Promises as Waves will be available on April 15, 2023!
What makes you happy?
My family! They teach me every moment of everyday. My husband helps me pursue my dreams, be more intentional, and he always brings the fun wherever he goes. My three sons, Levi (11), Titus (6), and Micah (4) are amazing little teachers.
Aside from my family, I love being outdoors, reading business books, weekends spent at the lake, practicing yoga, eating chips and salsa, playing dominos, and cheering on my favorite soccer player, Levi!
Contact Info:
- Website: drkellycagle.com
- Instagram: @drkellycagle
- Facebook: Dr. Kelly Cagle
- Twitter: @drkellycagle
- Other: Parenting IQ Podcast
Image Credits
Meshali Mitchell
Danielle Konobeevsky
Amy Ivey
