Indigenous People’s Day is an important holiday and it also brings up many feelings… like anger, frustration, pain, and exhaustion. There are still so many that argue that Columbus was an “explorer” and that we must focus on “the good” of his “discovery.” I can’t do that. I won’t do that. Folks at The Conscious… Read more
One of the challenges of living in Austin, Texas is navigating the insistent gentrification taking place. It rips communities and takes your friends away. It forces potential friends to leave, too. Roberto and I have worked hard to intentionally find and develop friendships with People of Color to ensure community and culture. We want our… Read more
I recently read Kiese Laymon’s book Heavy. I can’t stop talking about it. It was powerful, raw, beautiful, impactful, and heavy. (Pun intended!) One of the moments he narrates is about an incident that happened to him as a college professor. He was the only Black male professor in a predominantly white institution. He pushed… Read more
Being a teacher who is black, indigenous, or a person of color (BIPoc), can be challenging in and of itself. So many resources that come across don’t always speak to our experiences in the classroom as a teacher. There are commonalities and trends to what we experience as teachers, and it’s even more pronounced when we… Read more
Growing up an immigrant of color in the U.S. can be full of challenges and trauma. My family came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in the late 80s. I was four. While I was born there and have dual citizenship, and can’t deny the island breeze in my veins, I’m also very American. I… Read more
You can’t teach the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and not discuss the n-word. Ignoring it is irresponsible. So, how does a teacher engage her class in a discussion around this very controversial and complicated word? My current teaching context is a small independent school with a predominantly white student body. In this post, I’m thinking… Read more
I’ve had many difficult teaching moments. Some were a result of my own doing, yet many were a result of systemic inequalities that bled into the four walls of my classroom. I once had a student drop out his junior year in order to work full time so he could help his family back home… Read more
I didn’t realize how unprepared I was for Trump’s election. I had simply not thought that result through. Immediately I began receiving text messages. My father’s words to all of his children will stay with me. I was teary eyed as I dropped Analiz off at school. I cried a bit when I arrived at… Read more
Teaching at Headwaters is quite the change of pace & style for me. The main differences are the creative autonomy I have and the student academic freedoms they enjoy. I wrote more about that here. What are the main differences? 1. Debriefing class/lessons. 2. Offering students the opportunity to reassess and try again at demonstrating their… Read more
I’ve taught 9th grade for many years and one thing I’ve learned is that they are young, ready, willing, and needing of a space to be themselves. Since I began working with a predominantly white student body, I have tweaked my approach to teaching from an anti-bias/anti-racist lens to meet the needs of the learners… Read more