EQ: How can social justice education help students and teachers be better global citizens?
Today our guest is Christina Torres also known as @biblio_phile.
From Teach For America to leading her own classroom at the Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, Torres opens up about her journey as a social justice educator. Throughout the episode we circle back to three major questions:
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What is my work in justice now, given my position of privilege?
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How can I make my kids feel safe/heard/comforted at this moment in time?
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How can I continuously reflect and grow in my own awareness about matters of justice in the world?
We know that our students will face a variety of challenges, injustices and problems in the world. It’s not about what they will experience but a matter of how they might experience it. Social justice oriented educators strive to equip students with the tools to navigate the challenges (not necessarily solve them). We help students understand the “danger of a single story.”
Finally, we explore the tension between staying aware and protecting our mental health/managing tumultuous times through self-care. We share our own strategies for helping students discuss these important issues while managing the array of emotion present in any given classroom.
References & Resources:
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Read Christina’s work at any of the following: ChristinaTorres.Org, Teaching Tolerance, Honolulu Civil Beat, TeacherPop, PRX’s OnBeing, and EdWeek Teacher.
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Hope especially likes these two pieces: Assessment as an Act of Love; Mindfulness Won’t Save Us. Fixing the System Will.
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According to Oxfam global citizenship is a framework where students:
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Build their own understanding of world events.
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Think about their values and what’s important to them.
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Take learning into the real world.
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Challenge ignorance and intolerance.
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Get involved in their local, national and global communities.
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Develop an argument and voice their opinions.
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See that they have power to act and influence the world around them.
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Unesco defines global citizenship in this way, “While the world may be increasingly interconnected, human rights violations, inequality and poverty still threaten peace and sustainability.”
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NPR Podcast “Codeswitch”
Do You Fudging Homework:
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Hope: read up on global citizenship and why, even if you’ve never left Tacoma or whatever city you’re listening from, you should adopt that framework for your life.
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Christina: NPR Throughline podcast
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Contact Christina ChristinaTorres.Org or on Twitter @bilbio_phile
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