Patrick Harris

Patrick Harris earned his Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education from Michigan State University and his Master’s in Strategic Communication and Digital Strategy from the University of Oklahoma. He is a native of Detroit, Michigan. He began his teaching career in Washington, DC after being a distinguished TFA corp member. He has been a classroom teacher for seven years, including serving with Nylinka CEO, Desmond Williams at the Bishop Walker School for Boys. Patrick is the author of The First Five: A Love Letter to Teachers, a memoir of his first five years of teaching with a call to action. Patrick is a Black, queer writer, storyteller, and middle school humanities teacher and Dean of Students. He has also served as an elementary teacher, and elementary ELA teacher. Patrick has won multiple national teaching awards for his leadership and innovation in the classroom, including recognition from GQ magazine, NCTE, ASCD, and ILA. His areas of expertise include restorative practices, culturally relevant pedagogy and content and instructional coaching.

Passion Statement: Patrick believes that the most impactful changes in education happen from the ground up and from the inside out. I am passionate about helping teachers see themselves as humans doing human work and how they can fuse their passions in the classroom.

Why Nylinka: Patrick is excited about working with Nylinka because they know that we can offer support while also knowing that the answers are in the room. Nylilnka and I both share the values of community-driven, asset based solutions.

Fun Fact: Patrick has been obsessed with horror films and literature since he was a kid. He has even taught the art of the scare to his students.