Create a classroom with a culture of true belonging, liberation, and justice for all
Teaching for Justice and Belonging: A Journey for Educators & Parents provides a practical and powerful blueprint to unrooting racism in the educational setting. The book is an easy-to-understand guide designed to cultivate an educational experience that inspires a culture of true belonging, liberation, and justice for all.
Relying on case studies, thorough research, and deeply personal and enlightening experiences drawn from the lives of the authors themselves, Teaching for Justice and Belonging also offers:
- Demonstrations of how to explore personal and collective racial identity to learn more about oneself and others
- Support for making systemic change within the spheres of influence of educators and parents
- Real testimonials and stories to guide readers on their own healthy anti-racism journeys
A central piece of any anti-racism roadmap, this book is perfect for K-12 educators, administrators, and teacher leaders. It will also earn a place in the bookshelves of pre-service teachers and parents interested in unlearning racism and encouraging diverse voices in the education system.
Table of Contents
About the Authors ix
Acknowledgments xi
Chapter 1 Welcome to Our Garden 1
Dear Parents and Educators 2
Before We Begin 3
The Seed Growth Metaphor 10
Tehia 12
Lucretia 14
Reflection and Practice 17
Chapter 2 SOIL: The Groundwork 19
Race 22
Racism 23
White Space 24
Whiteness 25
Racial Ignorance 25
Microaggression 25
Justice 26
Belonging 27
Antiracism 28
Reflection and Practice 31
Chapter 3 SEED: Self-Assessment 33
How We Learn 34
How We Grow 40
How We Begin 45
Reflection and Practice 46
Chapter 4 ROOT: Build Racial Competency and Understanding 47
Amy, White Mom of Five 47
How to Become Rooted 58
Becoming Rooted Together 61
For Parents and Educators of Color to Consider 62
For White Parents and Teachers to Consider 65
Reflection and Practice 67
Chapter 5 SPROUT: Early Growth and Signs of Hope 69
How to Sprout 78
Reflection and Practice 80
Chapter 6 BUD: See and Celebrate Growth 83
How We Started with the Staff 88
How We Started with the Students 90
Seeing and Celebrating Growth 95
How to Bud 100
Reflection and Practice 101
Chapter 7 WEED: Uproot Growth Inhibitors 103
Susan, Latinx High School Teacher 103
Extraction 105
Perfection 107
Isolation 107
Denying the Dignity of Others 109
Fear of Discomfort 110
Lack of Fortitude 111
Lack of Self-Care 112
Punishing Ideological Differences 113
Imbalanced Teaching 113
Valuing Ideology over Empathy 115
Ignoring How Children Experience Race/ism 115
Bystander 116
Not Noticing and Confronting White Supremacy Norms 117
White Tears 118
Thinking We’re Done 119
Reflection and Practice 120
Chapter 8 BLOOM: Mature into a New Normal 121
Tiffany, White Mom of Four 122
As Teachers Bloom 125
As Teacher Leaders Bloom 133
As Parents Bloom 135
The New Normal 138
Reflection and Practice 140
Conclusion 143
Appendix A: KWLH Chart to Explore Your Knowledge Base 147
Appendix B: Self-Care Plan 149
Appendix C: Not Judging a Book by Its Cover: Social Justice Book Rubric 151
Appendix D: Tatum Book Small Group Study Guide 155
Appendix E: Content Analysis Chart 161
References 163
Resources 169
Index 175
