I had the pleasure of sitting down with linguistic anthropologist, Mike Mena to discuss issues mentioned in the title of this podcast, and how this all connects to teachers language practices. We also discussed ways in which we can begin to deconstruct some of the Eurocentric, white dominant narratives that are all to pervasive in our pedagogy and content.  Enjoy

Links:

Mike Mena on Twitter 

Mike Mena YouTube Channel

Also mentioned, the book by Jonathan Rosa, Looking Like a Language, Sounding Like a Race. 

Jonathan Rosa on Twitter

When thinking about equity and best practices for our students do you ever think about how your lessons are structured? Are your students present in your planning? Are your lessons and your LMS system clear and easy to navigate? Do you even think about how equitable your organizational practices are? 

In this podcast, I sit down with Meredith White and discuss organizational equity, and how we can begin to reduce the "noise" in our lessons. Meredith discusses how teachers can organize their lesson plans and unit outlines that move us toward thoughtful planning with the goal of reducing anxiety and adding to, student trauma. Join us for a thoughtful, and engaging conversation.

Links:

Find Meredith White on Twitter @PRHSspanish

Website: Link

Resource Article on Trauma. Leveraging the Neuroscience of Now.

Quick sharing of my thoughts on the 2020 school year, and what it looked like. I also pondered questions like: where do we go? What have we learned? How can we re-envision our educational spaces? I discuss observations of inequities I have seen from educators on various social media outlets, punitive classroom practices, and other foolishness I have seen over the past six months. Hope you enjoy. 

Recently, I had the honor to sit down with author Naomi Raquel Enright about her book, Strength of Soul. During our conversation, we discuss topics she addresses in her book such as, issues pertaining to racial and social justice, equity work in and out of schools, language, identity, and race. We also discuss how we can go about dismantling racism in our classroom through critical self reflection of both our pedagogy and ourselves. Last but not least, we speak about language identity construction and the use of  Spanglish and code switching. 

I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Link to book publisher 2Leaf Press

YouTube Presentation ("Strength of Soul" reading w/ Q&A)

YouTube Presentation 2 (Excerpt of Book Reading)

Photo credit: Adam Whittaker

In this episode, I sit down with J. Eik Diggs & Dr Jenna Cushing-Leubner to discuss their program(s) on Heritage language education.

They discuss the program(s) in detail and share their personal stories and motivations for creating their "Growing Biliteries series" &  "Certificate in Heritage Language/Late Bilingual Education" program(s). 

 J. and Jenna take us on a journey of how we as educators can examine our teaching practices through a critical lens and move our pedagogy toward creating a more culturally and linguistically sustaining classroom.

They explain how this course can assist you in transforming your teaching and learning space into a community based, self-determining, language arts classroom that centers the multiethnic/multilingual students that fill our learning spaces. 

 If you are a Heritage language educator, or perhaps you will be in the near future, this podcast and this course are for you.

Heritage Language Education

You can contact Dr Cushing-Leubner at [email protected]

and you can connect with J. Eik Diggs on

Twitter @jeikdiggs

Instagram @jeikdiggs 

Hoy nos encontramos en tiempos únicos, donde todo parece estar al revés. La normalidad se ha ido, y nos quedamos con la creación de nuevos normales, como un barco en el mar en tiempo tormentoso. Pero no estamos solos, amigos, sino juntos en estas aguas inexploradas. Les ofrezco un podcast con un mensaje de esperanza y e hermandad. Juntos podemos navegar en estos tiempos difíciles, mientras buscamos aguas más tranquilas..

Gracias a:

(Twitter Linked)

A.C Quintero, LJ Randolph, Alejandro Hortal, Amy Tally, Ana León, Ashly Uyaguary, Gary DiBianca, Dorie Conlon Perugini, Françua (Woke Spanish Teacher,) Jim (Señor Wooly) Woolridge, Justin Slocum Bailey, Annabell (La Maestra Loca) Williams, Meredith White, Mundo de Pepita, Noah Geisal, Sarah Breckely, William Yepes, Kia London

Music from Blue Dot Sessions

I introduce the last episode in this series titled: Beyond Febrero. Black History is more than just a month. 

In this podcast, I had the pleasure to interview Kia London about this topic that white educators often ignore. As Kia states in this episode: "We make time for what we prioritize." It is my hope that, as you listen to this final episode with Kia, you begin to make space in your curriculum for discussing Black and Afro-Latinx History. I leave you with the wise words of Señora London: "Don't make it a side dish." Enjoy! 

I had the opportunity to speak with Jennifer Saldaña Whyte for episode three in this small series titled: Beyond Febrero. Black History is more than just a month.

Jennifer brings her #authenticvoices and perspective to this very important conversation. Both her and her husband are Afro Latines from the Dominican Republic, and Panama. Giving this conversation a critical, and authentic perspective that is lacking today in public conversations, around topics of identity and cultural representation.

In this conversation, Jennifer discusses the importance of sharing her lived experiences as an Afro Latina with her students, from personal anecdotes, to sharing about her daughter's quinceanera, to even inviting students to participate in out of school activities.  Her perspective is inviting and refreshing. Enjoy

Facebook groups:

 Incorporating Afro Latino Culture in Spanish classrooms, 

Spanish con Sazón, 

Bilingual Kids, Inc, Harvest International Ministry, 

African American Linguists