GROUNDING IN

Pedagogy is more than mere accumulation or transaction of knowledge to and with others. Pedagogy involves reflecting on our actions: from who and what we embody as individuals who bring personal experiences and ways of knowing and being to our approaches when serving others, to building relationships and navigating multiple—and at times competing—perspectives.

In this first Institute, we invite you to reflect on the following essential questions and issues relevant to the communities you serve and that will lay the foundation for our working sessions:

• Why have we chosen this profession? What values are at the heart of our work?

• What does it look like to center multiple, intersecting identities of students (and ourselves) in our personal curricular and pedagogical approaches?

• How do we build upon these dynamic identities so that they are the foundation for healthy and thriving classrooms, counseling spaces, and schools?

• How do community-based identities, experiences, and knowledges of historically-minoritized communities impact my personal pedagogical approaches as a future and current educator, counseling specialist, or emerging leader?

• What does my short- and long-term journey for bringing culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies into my classroom/unit and community context look like?

After a morning of introspective dialogues and activities and lunch keynote, our group of facilitators will guide you through a series of applied, group exercises that unpack the layers of community-based identities, histories, and assets, drawing explicit connections to you, relative to the communities you serve. The afternoon will explore:

Contextual factors (national, state, local) that mediate students’ opportunity to learn, teacher-student relations, as well as classroom and campus climates for student-centered success;

Pedagogical approaches, modalities/accommodations, and tools for serving diverse student learners and families;

Reflection and Analyses of how our personal and professional backgrounds, identities, and experiences impact our day-to-day pedagogical approaches and relational choices and the impacts of these factors on ethnoracial communities across the San Joaquín Valley.

Through this journey we will begin to reimagine stronger and newer pathways for sustaining diverse learners along the K-16 continuum that nurture future community-responsive educators whose classrooms contribute to equitable and just educational systems.