Promising Pedagogies for Teacher Inquiry and Practice

Book excerpt: Drawing on frameworks of teacher research and critical literacy, this volume documents the experiences of educators in New Mexico who participate in Teaching Out Loud--an intergenerational, professional development program that focuses on the creation and implementation of imaginative, critical curriculum with historically marginalized students. This text offers a set of conceptual tools and pedagogical practices for teacher educators and researchers seeking to advance teacher learning and leadership through the use of critical study groups, rather than the more scripted professional development approaches that dominate mainstream educational settings. Specifically, this book uses the voices of a diverse set of teachers to demonstrate the role of teacher inquiry in shifting curriculum and advancing equity, even when faced with formidable circumstances like a global pandemic. The authors examine how participation in Teaching Out Loud helped teachers foster social-emotional learning, foreground issues of race and identity, build and sustain community, promote self-care, and center play within and against challenging local and global contexts. Book Features: Highlights the voices of teachers representing a range of diverse perspectives and experience levels. Explains classroom practices and approaches in detail. Examines the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Explicitly addresses critical issues like race and social justice. Focuses on the American Southwest.