As a professor of Critical Multicultural Education, I work with teachers who are eager to implement equitable and social justice oriented instruction and practices, but they (rightfully) question what this actually looks like, not in theory, but in real schools and classrooms. In an ethnographic research study, I examined the everyday practices of two teachers who offer a contemporary vision of Social Justice Education practices and school structures grounded in actual teaching and learning (Woodrow, 2018). In this research study in the participating school, I discovered that solidarity and connection were fundamental to implementing the more common features associated with social justice

This is the third and final installment of a series sharing the story of a talented, passionate teacher with a young family who left the classroom to further her schooling only to find that the bureaucracy of education is preventing her from returning to teaching our children. Her story, unfortunately, is not unique. For those of you who have searched to find where you belong, what you are called to, this is a story for you. Why did you leave us? I’m sorry, Areli. My contract with the district fell through. We miss you. Aww. I miss you guys too. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know all of you. The sub is mean. I’m sorry. Try your best. I know you are very capable,

This study examined how the use of audio commentary could foster the tenets of Nel Noddings’ care theory. Audio commentary fits with the tenets of care theory because it allows teachers to use nuance in their feedback practices, commenting in greater depth and detail and use tone of voice, emphasis, and pacing to help have a successful writing conference with the student without being in the same room. Audio commentary meets Noddings’ requirement of “motivational displacement” on the part of the carer as part of a caring relationship because it requires teachers to truly focus on the feedback they are giving when delivered verbally. For Noddings, the cared-for must exhibit qualities of “rece

As a graduate student studying school counseling, concepts such as equity and diversity are often discussed, but in practice what do they look like? How do we provide equity in our classrooms and counseling offices? Vescio (2016) suggests teaching practices that are culturally responsive and focused on three Rs: relationship, relevance, and responsibility. Vescio (2016) defines that the goal of culturally responsive teaching is to provide equity, where each student receives what they need to learn, rather than equality, where each student receives the same thing. In this article, Vescio (2016) suggests that we can provide equity through simple strategies such as getting to know our student’

This is the second installment of a series sharing the story of a talented, passionate teacher with a young family who left the classroom to further her schooling only to find that the bureaucracy of education is preventing her from returning to teaching our children. Her story, unfortunately, is not unique. For those of you who have searched to find where you belong, what you are called to, this is a story for you. One week prior to the start of the school year, one of the largest school districts in the state had close nearly 300 teacher vacancies. Two weeks into the school year, I came across the position opening. I still hadn’t received word back from the New Mexico Public Education Depa