Today, Faculty Focus published an article I wrote based on a poster I designed last summer. Book clubs, have been one of the most successful faculty professional development activities I’ve been involved in and I highly recommend them.
While only a few months of time have passed, since writing this article, I am seeing new better ways to consider emerging from research and literature. These are ‘changes in language’ that I am seeing, specifically when using the term culturally responsive teaching or pedagogy. There’s a changing over to using the language culturally sustaining pedagogy and I like the reasons why. The latter supports the students’ in their critique of the dominant power structures in societies.
This keeps the focus on the students’ and their languages, literacies, and cultural ways of being so as to stay centered in meaningfully and consistent learning instead of being considered as “add-ons.”
Yes, the concepts are tough and it will be changing, particularly when discussing antiracism. It is a process. My advice, gather your faculty, try a book club and talk about the ideas. We all learn better together and remember to meet our learners where they are.
