Pushing Praxis

Just a few years ago, Javier Payano was Elaina Huang's music teacher. In this interview, we learn about how Javier invited Elaina and her peers to bring their authentic selves into the music classroom through the lens of human values. Elaina now continues this work in her post-secondary studies so that more young people get an education that acknowledges and celebrates all parts of who they are. They present a welcome departure from educational models based on industrialization and colonization. Javier and Elaina invite us all to experience learning in a fuller, more humanizing way through music, community, and joy. Listen to both the student and teacher perspective in this grounding conversation with Javier and Elaina…

Tiffany Childress-Price and Dr. Mindy Chappell discuss their learning around using Youth Participatory Science in their classrooms for the past five years. What role does history play when students dig into how heavy metals such as lead impacts communities in Chicago? How do we center students' lived experiences while making sure they get access to knowledge and analysis that's withheld from them? Even if you're not a science teacher, this episode is for you if you want to learn about the process of student-driven inquiry and investigation to humanize young people and build their skills and power for the long-haul... Resources that Tiffany and Dr. Chappell discussed in this conversation can be found at pushingpraxis.org.

In this conversation, Jhoanna Maldonado and Anna Acosta orient our work in curricular questions that are deep and community-centered. Where is radical love in our schools? Who's represented in our units? How do we search for answers to critical questions with our students and their families? How do we make change at both systemic and classroom levels so we can support students, families and communities as critical thinkers and actors? If you're interested in learning some of the answers to these questions, take some guidance from Jhoanna and Anna. Take a listen… Resources that Anna and Jhoanna discussed in this conversation can be found at pushingpraxis.org.

A quick check-in from your hosts about the status of season 2. Get excited, y'all!

Nina and Celeste are back for season 2. In this episode, we talk about where we've been, where we're at now, and what we need from this season to sustain ourselves as teachers in unprecedented times. We'll talk about what we've chosen as the theme of this season and why. Take a listen...

Celeste and Nina reconnect to debrief what we've learned, what we've changed, what we've struggled with, and how we want to move forward.

During the pandemic, the United States was dealing with the health crises of Covid-19 and rampant white supremacy. Historic inequalities in this country only came into starker relief during the pandemic, and Andrea Ortiz was right there in the thick of it supporting youth organizers who, even in a pandemic, relentlessly challenged oppressive systems in schools and throughout Chicago. Andrea is a community organizer from the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council here in Chicago. We learned so much from her about building youth power and letting students and their voices guide our classrooms and communities. So take a listen and learn how to love our youth harder with Andrea Ortiz…

Slow down with Corey Winchester, a high school history teacher from Evanston Township High School. Corey helps us pause, reflect, and listen deeply to ancestors, mentors, colleagues and students. He models for us what it means to mindfully build loving and critical spaces for our students while never forgetting where we came from and who continues to influence us as educators. Just as Corey talks about being indebted to his teachers, we are indebted to Corey for taking the time and slowing us down to carefully consider the students we teach and ensuring they're seen and centered in our curricular choices. Slow down, reflect, and take a listen…

We're talking with Jessica Suarez-Nieto, an elementary teacher in Chicago. You'll hear her challenge us to think about our work in a more collective sense, building strong relationships with our students and between our students. Jessica is wise and has sharp ideas of how to pose problems to our students so they address social ills and think about how to build a different world together. Jessica challenges us to think about how to transform schools to be safe places to foster student agency and collectivized learning. Take a listen…

In this conversation, Nina and Celeste talk about this podcast and project in its infancy. You might hear us call the podcast “Transformative Teacher Talk,” a title we were considering, and you'll hear us talk about our hopes and dreams for this shared work.