Literature as identity-affirming, teaching as liberatory

Literature as identity-affirming, teaching as liberatory

Author: Ethical Schools May 19, 2026 Duration: 42:08
Dr. Chantal Francois and Dr. Jen McLaughlin Cahill, co-authors of Identity-Affirming Literacies in Schools, discuss their time at the school they call Pearl Street Collaborative, a progressive secondary school on Manhattan’s Lower East Side that prioritizes teacher inquiry and collaboration. Schedules include time for teachers to meet frequently with grade and content colleagues. Drawing on the work of Freire and Lilia Bartolomé, Drs. Francois and McLaughlin Cahill used literature to support students' identities, including by integrating an LGBTQ+ focus into English classes.   Overview00:00-00:52 Intros 00:52-03:36 Humanizing pedagogy 03:36-04:44 Relationships and humanizing pedagogy 04:44-07:35 Scheduling facilitating creation and maintenance of faculty relationships 07:35-10:04 Collaboration as modeling for students 10:04-10:21 Pearl Street Collaborative 10:21-13:24 Literacy as more than reading 13:24-18:53 Reading and teaching as political 18:53-23:17 Mission statement as a meaningful document 23:17-31:23 Structuring literacy instruction around independent reading and reading whole books 31:23-36:44 LGBTQ+ identify-affirming literacies 36:44-40:34 Impact on students of LGBTQ+ focus 40:34- OutroReferences Book Identity-Affirming Literacies in Schools by Dr. Chantal Francois and Dr. Jen McLaughlin Cahill: buy it on Routledge or find it on Amazon Article by  Dr. Lilia Bartolomé "Beyond the methods fetish: Toward a humanizing pedagogy" TranscriptClick here to see the full transcription of this episode. Soundtrack by Podington Bear

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Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
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