How do we move education beyond a seemingly "neutral" framework that often centers only one demographic? We are joined by Amin and Sagda, dedicated educators and consultants whose personal journeys as third culture kids, refugees, and immigrants instilled in them an instinctive understanding of cultural diversity. This vital conversation covers their L2A session on Identity-Conscious Pedagogy, which is designed to affirm every student. They challenge the notion of "neutral curriculum" as inherently political and discuss how school leaders can transform school culture to foster deep pride, agency, and intellectual curiosity by viewing the student as curriculum. Ultimately, this is about promoting education as a vehicle for justice and liberation.
💬 Quotes from the Episode:

• "The idea of neutrality in education is something we really try to interrupt a lot... It's actually very political." 🚫

• "We would want the teacher to see you as the center of their program." 🎯

• "The educator themselves have to have gone through that process of self-validation... to be able to make way." 💡

• "It has to be a holistic and community affair... we're all learning together to ensure that we thrive collectively." 🤝

📌 Key Insights:

• Interrupt Neutrality: Challenge the accepted curriculum as the "norm." The first step in identity-centered pedagogy is interrogating the language used to frame education, as language shapes our reality.

• Teacher Self-Validation: To effectively affirm students, the teacher must first build their own critical consciousness and unpack their personal biases, ensuring they don't replicate traumatic forms of education.

• The Student is the Curriculum: Shift the mindset to see every child who walks into the room as the center of the program. Their history, family, and stories are the knowledge to be studied.

• Build Community Capacity: Identity-conscious work cannot be done alone. School leaders must empower teachers with the permission to disrupt narratives. This holistic approach prevents burnout and allows the community to thrive collectively.

🛑 Conclusion:

Amin and Sagda deliver a powerful framework for making learning deeply relevant and affirming. Ready to move to Identity-Centered Learning and Pedagogy in your classroom, as an instructional coach, or as a curriculum leader? Learn more about their L2A four-part session on the ISS EDU website. Go lead with profound compassion! 🌍📚

This episode is a critical look at embedding Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Learning (CRSL) into school systems as a core equity strategy. We welcome Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, a leading voice in equity and education, who discusses how to align pedagogy, professional learning, and school systems with students' cultural schemas and cognitive development. Dr. Sealey-Ruiz challenges leaders to move beyond theoretical understanding to practical implementation—a process that requires unhinging from biases and replacing them with love and authentic community to ensure deep, equitable learning for every student.

💬 Quotes from the Episode:

• "It's about having the courage to look in the mirror and ask ourselves: 'Am I doing right by the children I serve?'" 🔍

• "Unconditional love is something that we need to be offering to our students, to our colleagues, and to ourselves." ❤️

• "The job of a teacher is to be a cultural detective; to find out who the students are culturally." 🕵️‍♀️

• "It's about unhinging from their biases, and replacing those biases with love." 🔄

📌 Key Insights:

• CRSL as Core Strategy: CRSL is not an add-on; it must be embedded into school systems to align professional learning and pedagogy with student cultural schema for equity.

• The Courage to Reflect: Effective CRSL implementation requires leaders and teachers to have the courage to engage in deep self-reflection regarding their own implicit biases and practices.

• Be a Cultural Detective: Teachers must take on the role of "cultural detective" to proactively and authentically learn about their students' backgrounds and cultural frameworks.

• Practice Unconditional Love: Moving equity forward demands that educators prioritize unconditional love and care—not just for students, but for colleagues and themselves—to create sustainable, supportive learning communities.

🛑 Conclusion:

Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz delivers a powerful call to action, reminding us that equity work starts with deep reflection and a commitment to love. Ready to embed Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Learning into the very core of your school? Be sure to seek out Dr. Sealey-Ruiz’s full L2A four-part session! Check the ISS EDUlearn platform for upcoming sessions and resources. Keep building community and unhinging those biases! 🌟📚

Tired of the one-size-fits-all lesson plan? This episode of ISS EDUlearn, Ask Me Anything, explores the powerful shift from teacher-led to truly student-driven learning with educator and AI learning expert, Dr. Joey Pearson 🧑‍💻. Dr. Pearson defines what it means to create an "agentic" classroom where students have power for self-determination and co-create their learning journey. He shares practical strategies for introducing voice, choice, and ownership through methods like individualized workstations and standards-based grading. Discover how AI can actually lead to less screen time by becoming a teacher's powerful planning partner, freeing you up to focus on what matters most: authentic student relationships 🤝.

💬 Quotes from the Episode:

• "We are talking about human agency, agentic learning... where students have true power for self-determination." 🚀

• "The idea here is that you're coaching your students to be their own teachers." 🧠

• "Everything that we know about good classroom management stays the same. What changes is what's happening during learning." 🍎

• "I think we're going to see in the coming years that AI will enable us to have fewer hours in front of screens, and more hours in front of one another." ❤️

📌 Key Insights:

• Differentiate Your Practice: A student-driven environment is defined by students having true power and ownership over what and how they learn, not just choosing a color for a project. 🎯

• Structure for Freedom: Begin by establishing clear norms and routines (e.g., how to enter, how to get resources). This foundational structure is what prevents "chaos" and allows students the freedom to choose their learning pathway. 🪜

• AI as a Planning Partner: Use large language models (like ChatGPT) in your instructional planning phase to generate personalized, non-screen-based lessons, rather than relying on them for student activity. 💻🚫

• Assess for Ownership: Implement Standards-Based Grading where the standard is written as student-friendly success criteria. This empowers students to perform self-evaluation and own their growth. ✅

🛑 Conclusion:

This conversation with Dr. Joey Pearson offers a visionary yet practical roadmap for transforming your teaching and empowering every student voice. If you're ready to embrace the future of education and transition from content delivery to relationship building, then you can't miss his course, "Empowering Every Student Voice."

Find all the details and explore a library of resources for international educators, including virtual events and job fairs, at isss.edu/events. Until next time, keep exploring, keep learning, and go make a positive impact! 🌍✨