#34 Tentacular Pedagogy: navigating Embodied Justice and Neurodiversity in HE with Kai Syng Tan

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Discover your Tentacles of Change as educator

In this episode of The Embodied Educator podcast, host Liz Wientjes engages in a profound dialogue with Dr. Kai Syng Tan, an award-winning artist, academic, and advocate for neurodiversity. They explore Kai's concept of 'Tentacular Pedagogy,' which interweaves embodied practices, neurodiversity, and decolonial leadership to create inclusive and anti-oppressive educational environments. Kai shares insights on integrating mind and body in teaching, inspired by philosophers like Lao Tzu, and discusses her PhD research on running and cognition. The conversation also highlights the importance of allyship, collaborative efforts to address systemic biases, and the necessity of workplace adjustments to support neurodivergent individuals under the UK's Equality Act. Through personal anecdotes and reflections, Kai emphasizes systemic change, collective action, and the value of dynamic, embodied experiences in learning.

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00:00 Introduction to the Embodied Educator Podcast

00:46 Meet Dr. Kai Syng Tan: A Multifaceted Educator

04:47 One of Dr. Kai Syng Tan's inspirational teachers

12:03 Exploring the Connection Between Running and Thinking

23:32 Practical Exercise: Embodied Movement

30:37 Embracing Customization and Choice

31:00 Ableism and Neurodiverse Workplace Adjustments

32:53 Walking Away from Harmful Situations

33:41 Questioning Labels and Understanding Difference

37:02 Navigating Intersectionality and Tokenism

40:02 The Emotional Toll of Activism

45:17 The Role of Allyship and Collaboration

51:53 Reflections on Embodied Education Conference

01:01:29 Mini-introduction of Tentacular Pedagogy

// EMBODY MOMENT 23.00

Tune in 23.00 to move with an explorative break from the screen, during which Kai asks cheeky interesting questions about situations we easily overlook 

// THE EMBODIED EDUCATOR

👀 Watch+subscribe via Youtube @TheEmbodiedEducator

📱LinkeDIn: @Liz Wientjes

📱Instagram: @Bodylizious

💌 [email protected] 

The Embodied Educator Podcast 👩🏻‍🏫 is hosted by Liz Wientjes. I am curious how body wisdom lands with you! Don't be shy, contact me any way you feel comfortable to share anything you like regarding your embodied practice inside or outside your classroom. Hearing your ideas/experiments/questions/doubts/moves rocks my world ❤️‍🔥

// IN CONTACT WITH KAI 

Her website: https://kaisyngtan.com/artful/

Instagram: @kaisyngtan

LinkedIn: @Kai Syng Tan 

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/kaisyngtan 

X (twitter): @kaisyngtan

Contact Dr. Tan through University of Southhampton: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/62mw8m/doctor-kai-syng-tan  

// RESOURCES 
Kai's work

• Kai Syng Tan (2024). Neurofuturism and reimagening leadership. An A-Z towards collective liberation. Order here or a chapter of her book here (after logging in via institution) 

• Kai Syng Tan - Using Tentacular Pedagogy to change the he culture (about the nine tentacles!)  

• Kai Syng Tan - Here’s the link to my keynote in November 2024, which includes details of my talk in a few weeks’ time, at the University of the Arts Helsinki - "artistic processes of university art students self identifying along the neurodiversity spectrum" 

In our conversation

• The Tao of Pooh - written by Benjamin Hoff, and I am linking to his website so you can choose yourself If you like to read this book and order it somewhere. I can really advice it, as my brother advised me these wise lessons and I keep referring to them all the time.