Teaching the “isms”: Students’ lived experiences in context

February 25, 2021 00:43:15
Teaching the “isms”: Students’ lived experiences in context
Ethical Schools
Teaching the “isms”: Students’ lived experiences in context

Feb 25 2021 | 00:43:15

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Show Notes

We speak with Jillian McRae and Sam North, English and history teachers at Ossining (NY) High School, and their student, Alaysha. For 15 years, Sam and Jillian have co-taught a college-level course called “racism, sexism, and classism: a popular approach.” They focus on pervasive systems of power, and encourage students to discuss their own experiences of privilege, disadvantage, and intersectionality.  

Overview

00:00-00:46 Intros

00:46-01:54 Ossining’s demographics

01:54-03:35 Latiné as an alternative to Latinx or Latino/a

03:35-06:27 Origin of SUNY Racism, Classism, & Sexism course

06:27-09:16 Why students take the course

09:16-10:37 “Popular approach” in the course title

10:37-14:26 Curriculum

14:26-17:02 Avoiding “losing” students during controversial topics

17:02- 18:47 Student conversations outside of class

18:47-21:15 Impact on other classes

21:15-23:47 Impact on ethical thinking

23:47-25:52 Religion

25:52-28:15 Materials

28:15-28:25 Alaysha: what she values in the course

28:25-31:59 Conversations in class; for example, relationships between Black boys and Black girls

31:59-35:23 Teachers modeling relationships for students 

35:23-40:23 Ossining: Increasing equity and implementing culturally responsive education

40:23-43:15 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

References

  • SUNY Racism, Classism, Sexism – Book List
  • Racism, Classism, Sexism: A Popular Approach – University at Albany Fall 2020 – Spring 2021 – Syllabus
  • White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh

Credits

Images taken from “Jillian McRae and Sam North: Race conversations in the classroom”, a video directed by Manauvaskar Kublall (Future for Learning Vimeo) 

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

 

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