Women on the Rise: Lessons in Leadership, Learning, and Love with Barbara Mojica

In this empowering conversation, your host Blaque Diamond sits down with author, historian, and lifelong educator Barbara Mojica—the mind behind the Little Miss History series, to explore why knowing our history fuels critical thinking, confident leadership, and a better future. Barbara shares her journey from general education teacher to special education director and district administrator, and how collaborating with speech, OT, and PT teams shaped her student-centered approach. Together, Blaque Diamond and Barbara dive into advocating for children with ADHD, ODD, and autism; building strong IEPs and behavior intervention plans; navigating general ed vs. integrated settings; and why smaller, hands-on learning environments like Montessori, charter, and micro schools can help kids thrive. They also talk STEM-sparked curiosity, teaching kids how to think (not just what to think), and practical ways parents—blind, sighted, and everything in between—can mentor, model compassion, and champion their child’s strengths. You’ll learn:- How history instruction grows real-world critical thinking- What to ask for in IEPs and collaboration with school teams- Strategies for social-skills coaching and speech-related frustration- Options beyond traditional public school (charter, Montessori, micro schools)- Parent power: advocating with clarity, specificity, and optimism Guest resources: Explore books, blog posts, classroom tips, and videos via Barbara’s hub at littlemisshistory.com(plus her YouTube and Pinterest linked there). If this episode inspired you, leave a rating/review and share it with another parent or educator who needs a boost! Want to be spotlighted on the “Women on the Rise” segment of the BFF Empowerment Podcast? Send an interest email to: [email protected] Visit bffempowermentpodcast.com to stay up-to-date with the latest episodes.