Our Classroom

In this episode of Our Classroom, Abby Ramos Stanutz joins to discuss Literary Device Mixtapes.

Classroom Notes

1. Defining literary device mixtapes

2. The things about this lesson that excite students

3. Ways to teach this lesson even amidst censorship in certain states

Welcome to Our Classroom!

Abby Ramos Stanutz is a middle school Language Arts teacher with 16 years of experience in Title 1 schools across Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. She is focused on inspiring students and teachers with engaging and inclusive lessons that bring out the natural gifts of each student in the classroom.

Follow:

TTiktok: @abbyramosstanutz 

Twitter: @iammissramos 

Instagram: @mrsramosstanutz 

Website: abbyramosstanutz.com 

TPT: Reading with Ramos 

Email: [email protected]

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In this episode of Our Classroom, David Low joins to discuss Transgressive Humor in Classrooms.

Classroom Notes

1. Transgressive humor as a critical literacy practice 

2. Examples of how teachers can support students in using humor as ways to address critical topics

3. Comedians that use humor well to address critical topics

Welcome to Our Classroom!

David E. Low (he/him; @DLow_Literacy) is an Associate Professor of Literacy Education at California State University, Fresno. His research examines how children and youth critically theorize race, gender, power, and identity using multimodal literacy practices. In particular, David explores students' use of humor and the comics medium as vehicles to critique dominant discourses and rewrite them. If there is a single through-line to David’s work, it is a deep and abiding interest in liminality and change, and what happens within the in-between spaces of radical possibility.

Follow:

Twitter - @DLow_Literacy

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In this episode of Our Classroom, Sergio C. Muñoz joins me to Latina/o Prosperity. In addition, he shares his educational journey including the challenges he experienced growing up in Southern California in the 80s, particularly as it relates to lack of Mexican representation in literature.

Classroom Notes

1. The changing face of America and Latina/o prosperity

2. To be financially free or not to be?

3. The way capitalism shows up in our communities

Welcome to Our Classroom!

Sergio C. Muñoz is a Mexican banker living in Floral Park, CA. He is the owner of Intelatin, LLC. His work has been published on PBS and in ReVista, the Harvard Review of Latin America, Studio 360 and México ¿Cómo Vamos? He can be reached at smunoz(@)intelatin(dot)com.

Follow:

Twitter - @Intelatin

LinkedIn - Sergio C. Muñoz

In this episode of Our Classroom, Annie Phan joins me to discuss dyslexia and other learning differences.

Classroom Notes

1. Experience serving students w/ dyslexia and other learning differences

2. Strategies & support for students w/ dyslexia

3. Keys factors that can be implemented to better serves students

Welcome to Our Classroom!

Annie Phan (she/they) is a writer, facilitator, and educator. She was raised among the cottonwoods of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and now raises good trouble in the San Francisco Bay Area. She taught health education and humanities classes in San Francisco public schools and now works as the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at a school for students with dyslexia and related learning differences. Annie is also a student in the Doctor of Education program at Santa Clara University in the Social Justice Leadership program.

Follow:

IG/Twitter - @msphanlearns

LinkedIn - Annie Phan

STEM in not my strength. As a result, I periodically reach out to those in my network that know more than me. Liz Kleinrock popped in to discuss ABAR in STEM.

Classroom Notes:

Welcome to Our Classroom!

Liz Kleinrock (she/her) is a Korean-American transracial adoptee, queer, Jewish, antibias and antiracist educator of both children and adults, and creates curriculum for K-12 students, specializing in designing inquiry based units of study. In addition to her work as a classroom teacher, Liz also works with schools and companies to facilitate learning for adults that supports antibias and antiracist practices. In 2018, Liz received the Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2019 delivered her TED Talk, “How to teach kids to talk about taboo topics." In the spring of 2021, Liz released her first book, Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community with Heinemann Publishing, and is excited to announce the publication of four upcoming children's books with HarperCollins. She currently teaches and resides in Washington DC with her partner and two bunnies.

Follow:

IG: @teachandtransform

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In this episode of Our Classroom, Lauren Vargas and Rashaida Melvin, introduce the framework of Liberatory Coaching.

Classroom Notes

1. Definition of Liberatory Coaching

2. 6 Liberatory Practices

3. Coaching for Relationships, Not Compliance

Welcome to Our Classroom!

Lauren Vargas is an educator whose work focuses on coaching, leadership, and systems that promote the liberation and thriving of all students.  She is the Director of Instructional Leadership at a neighborhood high school in the School District of Philadelphia, as well as a consultant, artist and mom. She writes the blog Coaching to Disrupt the Status Quo which provides coaching resources, ideas and stories to equip coaches and leaders in their work of disrupting the status quo of schooling so all students can thrive. Check out her blog, and artwork, at lauren-vargas.com.

Rashaida Melvin is an educational leader and entrepreneur who focuses on creating tools, curriculum, and systems for coaching on the topics of leadership, strategy, and program implementation rooted in equitable practices. She currently serves as the National Program Director at BUILD.org, an education entrepreneurship organization. Rashaida has experience as a school leader, instructional coach, and teacher in both urban and rural communities. 

Together, Rashaida and Lauren have coached hundreds of teachers, coaches and leaders from all across the country, as well as co-lead a team of over fifty virtual instructional coaches through the Covid-19 pandemic.  They have written articles, an instructional framework, and are currently drafting their book Liberatory Coaching: Disrupting the Status Quo of School to Promote Thriving for All and are looking for the best publisher home for their work.  

Follow:

 LinkedIn: @Lauren Vargas / lauren-vargas.com, @Rashaida Melvin

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In this episode of Our Classroom, Cait O’Connor, a middle school language arts teacher and mental/disability health advocate, breaks down body literacy.

Classroom Notes

1. Defining body literacy 

2. Common assumptions that reinforce body shaming 

3. 3 tips for educators to help promote body literacy and positivity

Welcome to Our Classroom!

Cait O’Connor is a middle school language arts, mental health and disability advocate, and fiercely pro-student. Cait is the founder of The #DitchingDietCultureAtSchool digital library, a collection of curated resources for teachers, students and communities looking to learn more about how to dismantle diet culture and thin-centered ideals. 

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In this episode of Our Classroom, Carla España, Ph.D and Luz Yadira Herrera, Ph.D join me in Exploring Language, Identity, and Power with Poetry.

Classroom Notes

1. The poetry in their book cover

2. Poets, poems and text sets they would add to their list in Chp 6

3. Reading & discussion of my poem Café Con Leche

Welcome to Our Classroom!

Carla España, Ph.D. is a middle-grade language arts teacher, literacy consultant, researcher, author, and co-founder of the En Comunidad Collective. Her love of stories and teaching comes from her roots in Chile and has been nurtured by hundreds of teachers and students across schools in New York City and beyond.

She has a BS in communication studies from New York University, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, an MA in childhood education with a bilingual extension from Hunter College (City University of New York), and a Ph.D. in urban education from the Graduate Center (City University of New York). Dr. España’s teaching journey began in Harlem, New York with bilingual sixth graders and continues in her role as a middle grade language arts teacher and dean.

Her teaching, research, coaching, and writing live at the intersection of critical literacies, children’s literature, and bilingual education. Dr. España is co-author of En Comunidad: Lessons for Centering the Voices and Experiences of Bilingual Latinx Students with Dr. Luz Yadira Herrera. Find her on Twitter @ProfesoraEspana.

Luz Yadira Herrera, Ph.D. is a teacher, researcher, author, and co-founder of the En Comunidad Collective. Dr. Herrera has over sixteen years of experience in the education of emergent bilinguals in both mainstream and bilingual settings. She started her teaching career in New York City public schools, teaching emergent bilinguals in K-6 in Harlem. In addition, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses at the City College of New York, Long Island University, and Brooklyn College.  She is currently an Assistant Professor of Bilingual Education in the School of Education at California State University, Channel Islands.

Dr. Herrera's teaching and research are in culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy, translanguaging, critical pedagogies, and bilingual education policy. She is the co-author of En Comunidad: Lessons for Centering the Voices and Experiences of Bilingual Latinx Students with Dr. Carla España. Find her on Twitter @Dra_LuzYadira.

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In this episode of Our Classroom, JD Fuller, a therapist in private practice, adjunct professor & school counselor, as well as a consultant & trainer, joins me to discuss removing the stigma of mental health in the global majority.

Classroom Notes

1. Origins & present barriers related to mental health stigma amongst People of the Global Majority 

2. Disparities in mental health treatment

3. 3 actions steps we can take now to help destigmatize mental health among people of the global majority

Welcome to Our Classroom!

J. Denise Fuller is an African American LCSW who has over 25 years of experience as a mental health clinician, educator, writer, and consultant. JD earned a Master of Social Work from the renowned Smith College School of Social Work. She is an Adjunct Professor, an abolitionist and a “truth teller”. JD is an advocate for equity, inclusion, and speaks out against inequality. She is passionate about changing the narrative. 

JD is sought after to provide training and consultation throughout the country on ways to navigate the difficult conversations related to systemic, internalized racism, White privilege, and the tenets of oppression. She focuses on intersectionality as it relates to the identities we possess through a mental health lens. JD is esteemed for her insight, authenticity, unique perceptive, and ability to empower, while providing education. JD is a firm believer that one’s truth lives in the body and the lived experience guides the process of how we integrate new information. 

The youngest of nine children, JD experienced how myopic teaching distorted her understanding of American history. JD’s curiosity led her to ultimately reject what she learned and to find the truth which culminated in her graduate thesis on The Racial Identity Development of the African American Female. These realizations catalyzed for JD a lifetime of experiential learning and commitment to teaching about and advocating for others. Over the course of her extensive and wide-ranging career, JD's experiences have informed her professional practice. 

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In this episode of Our Classroom, Tina Starks, an educational designer for Student Achievement Partners, joins me to discuss Working Together for Equitable Schools.

Classroom Notes

1. The true problem in our educational system

2. Three action steps we can take to transmute our pain into purpose

3. Powerful Frederick Douglas quotes

Welcome to Our Classroom!

An educational designer for Student Achievement Partners, Tina Starks brings 18 years of experience as an educator to create resources and develop professional learning opportunities centered around liberating and humanizing learning experiences for students. Tina’s work is rooted in the belief that historically and systemically marginalized students deserve to have their intellect nurtured, their layered identities valued, and their learning linked to the ways they navigate the world. Her writing has been featured in various publications including Rethinking Schools, Citizen Ed,  and Ed Post,

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