Education 188F: Language, Race, and Power in Education
Language, Race, and Power in Education is a course grounded in a commitment to centering Black feminist theoretical frameworks and a settler-colonial critique of US-American schooling. In this course, we examine the complex relationships between language, race, and power as related to education. In our theorizing of education, we begin by distinguishing the differences between schooling, education, and knowledge production—processes that are often mistaken as interchangeable. This distinction between schooling and education is critical because it guides us in our quest to conceptualize and reimagine education beyond schooling. We then move to articulating an understanding of power. We will apply our understanding of power to examine how the mechanisms of race and language shape schooling processes and how schooling is shaped by race and language. To thoroughly explore the relationships between language, race, and power we will engage with a variety of texts, ranging from conventional academic works to non-academic works, including but not limited to visual works, performance art, poetry, and dance. Our purpose in engaging this range of works is to examine the intersections of language, race, and power from multiple angles as well as to enhance our learning as we experience various forms of language and sound. In addition, our syllabus will decenter canonical texts to center voices that are often marginalized. We do this to intentionally move away from centering academic intellectualism as the most legitimate way knowledge is produced. Most of all in this course we will think together, we will challenge our ideas together, and we will do the work of imagining “education as the practice of freedom” (Freire, 1972).
The Teaching Conference for First Time Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs)
The Teaching Conference is held at the beginning of each semester to orient graduate students to their GSI role and equip them to begin teaching. Discipline-Cluster (D-C) workshops led by experienced GSIs address pressing questions such as how to get started as a GSI, what to do on your first day of teaching and beyond, practical strategies to enhance learning, and more. I led the Teaching Conference for Social Science (non-quantitative) for new GSIs multiple semesters through the Teaching and Resource Center.
A grassroots, unofficial Mam Language and Culture Class was co-created and co-taught by Henry Sales, Silvia Lucrecia Carrillo Godinez, and Tessa Scott. I joined the teaching team in Fall 2021 and co-taught the class until December 2022. We taught aspects of the Mam language from San Juan Atitán to community members such as educators, K-12 administrators, legal and healthcare professionals through in-person, online, and hybrid formats.
3rd Grade Teacher
John C. Fremont Elementary School, Stockton Unified School District
Teacher of English Language Development classes, Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies; 3rd grade Arts Team Lead
Jumpstart—Corps Member, Preschool Aide (2016-2017)
Americorps- King Child Development Center, Berkeley
Literacy Mentor– Elementary School (2016)
Berkeley United for Literacy Development (BUILD)
Preparing Future Faculty Universal Design for Learning Working Group Grant, 2024
Teaching and Learning Center, University of California, Berkeley