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

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

Author: Ethical Schools February 25, 2021 Duration: 43:15

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


Conversations about education often focus on test scores and curriculum, but there’s a deeper layer that truly shapes a student’s experience. Ethical Schools digs into that layer, exploring what it means to build a learning community grounded in integrity and care. Each week, hosts Amy and Jon sit down with educators and innovators who are actively reimagining schools. You’ll hear specific, grounded discussions about the practical work of creating environments where every student feels safe and respected. The dialogue frequently addresses how to support young people dealing with trauma, moving beyond theory to share actionable strategies that teachers are using right now. More than just problem-solving, this podcast highlights how to empower students themselves to become advocates and changemakers in their own communities. It’s a series that connects philosophy with daily practice, looking at the social and cultural structures within schools through a lens of ethics. For anyone invested in the future of education-whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or simply a concerned community member-this podcast offers a thoughtful and necessary perspective on the foundational values that make education meaningful.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 240

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
Translanguaging: Inviting the whole child into the classroom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:50
We speak with Dr. Cecilia Espinosa and Dr. Laura Ascenzi-Moreno, co-authors of “Rooted in Strength: Using Translanguaging to Grow Multilingual Readers and Writers.” Traditionally, teachers have brought language to studen…
Challenging censorship: Student journalists fight back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:55
We speak with Hillary Davis, who runs the New Voices program at the Student Press Law Center, and Sara Fajardo, who experienced censorship firsthand at her high school. School administrators frequently prevent students f…
School behind bars: Meeting the needs of traumatized kids [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:00
We speak with Melissa Svigelj-Smith, graduate fellow at University of California at Santa Cruz, about her experience teaching high school students awaiting case outcomes at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center.…
Students speak up: NYC Youth Agenda [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:30
We speak with students Eugenia Bamfo, Alexandra Rouvinetis, and Mukilan Muthukumar, members of the NYC Youth Agenda. Using citywide student survey data, Youth Agenda teams aggregated young people’s needs to make recommen…
Abolitionist education: Creating liberatory spaces (Encore) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:14
We speak with Swarthmore’s Dr. Edwin Mayorga, who explains how abolitionist classrooms and schools create “freedom as a place” in contrast to racial capitalism. Dr. Mayorga encourages educators to center joy and healing.…
Gender and sexually diverse students: Creating comfortable schools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:00
We speak with Dr. Elizabeth J. Meyer of the University of Colorado about ensuring that K-12 schools are welcoming and safe for students with non-normative gender identities and expressions. Dr. Meyer found that these stu…