14. Burning Barbies and other lessons on happiness, writing, and critical literacy with Dr. Karleen Pendleton Jiménez

How can creative writing be used to humanize both teachers and students in our too-often rigid educational systems?

Our guest in this episode, Dr. Karleen Pendleton Jiménez, engages in a deeply human conversation about happiness, writing, and the messiness of being a teacher and academic. We talk about what it means to centre joy in schools, how creative writing can be a tool for wellness and resistance, and why personal experience still matters in the age of AI. From burning Barbie dolls to zine-making and protest playlists, this episode is a celebration of teaching that dares to be honest, playful, and real.

Karleen Pendleton Jiménez is a writer, filmmaker, scholar, and educator. She is cross appointed between the school of education and school of gender and social justice at Trent University in Peterborough Ontario. Her research investigates sociocultural influences on learning, and works with creative writing research methodologies.

Mentioned in this episode:

-Nel Noddings Happiness in Education

-Teaching to Transgress bell hooks

-Teacher Man, Frank McCourt

-Jeanette Winterson, 12 Bytes book on AI

-Karleen’s film on CBC Gem

Teaching Writers Speak is a podcast developed by members of the Toronto Writing Project. The Toronto Writing Project—or TWP for short—is made up of teachers and researchers who view writing as a vehicle for change, both in our institutions and in the world at large.

This episode was produced by Celeste Kirsh and Melissa Arasin. Celeste is our editor and Rob Simon, TWP’s director, is our executive producer. Our theme music is by Doug Freisen.

You can learn more about the Toronto Writing Project, and sign up for our upcoming writing workshops and speakers series, by visiting www.torontowritingproject.com.