Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices

by Lorena Escoto German

Overview

“Be prepared to be embraced with words, images, stories, examples, experiences, and a love for teaching in community with young people toward social and cultural justice.”—Django Paris

As middle and high school teachers, we know that students begin to develop racial identities and ideologies as early as preschool.  By the time they reach us, there is much socializing and learning that needs to be undone.  Textured Teaching is a way to seamlessly embed the social justice work that is needed to undo; to begin to make things right.

With Culturally Sustaining Practice as its foundation, Textured Teaching helps secondary teachers in any school setting stop wondering and guessing how to implement teaching and learning that leads to social justice.  Lorena shares her framework for creating a classroom environment that is highly rigorous and engaging, and that reflects the core traits of Textured Teaching: student-driven, community centered, interdisciplinary, experiential, and flexible.  Throughout the book, Lorena shares lesson design strategies that build traditional literacy skills while supporting students in developing their social justice skills at the same time. The actionable strategies Lorena uses to bring Textured Teaching values to life illuminate what is possible when we welcome all types of texts, all types of voices, and all forms of expression into the classroom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780325120416
Publisher:	Heinemann
Publication date:	09/10/2021
Pages:	168
Sales rank:	201,165
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	11 - 17 Years

About the Author

Lorena Escoto Germán is a Dominican American educator focused on anti-racist and antibias work in education. She earned her master's degree at Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English.

Lorena is a two-time nationally awarded educator whose work has been featured in newspapers and journals including The New York Times, NCTE journals, EdWeek, National Writing Project, and Embracing Equity. She is author of The Anti Racist Teacher: Reading Instruction Workbook.

A cofounder of the groups #DisruptTexts and Multicultural Classroom, Lorena is the director of pedagogy at EduColor and Chair of NCTE's Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English. Of all her work, Lorena is most dedicated to her roles as wife and mami.

Lorena is the author of Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices.

Table of Contents

Foreword x

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction xv

Textured xv

My Own Schooling xvi

The Shoulders I Stand On xviii

This Book xix

My Hopes for Us xxi

Chapter 1 Naming It All 1

Why Do We Need to Take This Approach in the Classroom? 2

Values of Social Justice Teaching 5

Love and Community 6

Justice 6

Truth and Knowledge 6

Traits of Textured Teaching 7

Bias in Teaching 9

Racialized Imaginations 11

A Radical Teaching Stance 13

Context Is Important 15

Chapter 2 Textured Teaching Is Student Driven and Community Centered 21

The Identity Work 22

The Land Work 22

Community Centered 24

Classroom Community 27

Classroom Texts and Libraries 29

Accessibility and Walt Use 29

Student Needs and Physical Comfort 30

Cocreatinq Classroom Culture 31

Whole-Class, Small-Group, and Independent Reading 33

Text Selection 34

Culture and Behavior Work 36

White Supremacy Culture 37

Perfectionism 38

Worship of the Written Word 38

Either/Or Thinking 39

Fear of Open Conflict 39

De-Centering Ourselves 40

Cautions and Challenges 41

Adding a Layer of Texture 42

Chapter 3 Textured Teaching Is Interdisciplinary 45

Demystify and Destigmatize 46

Discussions and Conversations 51

Background Building and Research 52

Teacher as Guide 53

Forming Small Research Groups 53

Research 54

Present 55

Supplement and Think Critically 56

An Expansive View of Literacy 62

Collaborating with Colleagues 63

Synthesizing and Debriefing with Students 65

Cautions and Challenges 67

Adding a Layer of Texture 68

Chapter 4 Textured Teaching Is Experiential 71

The Community as a Resource 72

Creating Learning Experiences for Students 73

A Sensorial Approach 75

Sight 75

Sound 78

Smell Taste, and Feel 83

Bringing the Text to Life 83

Identifying Moments in the Text 85

Sensitivity and Intentionality 86

An Example from My Class 89

Experiencing Truth 93

Cautions and Challenges 94

Adding a Layer of Texture 95

Chapter 5 Textured Teaching Is Flexible 97

Strategizing for Flexibility 99

Strategy #1: Being Flexible with Discussions 99

Strategy #2: Being Flexible with Processing Sheets 102

Strategy #3: Being Flexible with Out-of-School Literacies 107

Strategy #4: Being Flexible with Assessments 109

Tip: Try Creative Analysis Projects 110

Tip: Try Extended Responses 113

Tip: Try Assessments in Which Students Choose the Skill and/or Product 113

Strategy #5: Being Flexible with Grading 114

Tip: Try Cocreating Rubrics 116

Tip: Grading Discussions in Various Ways 117

Cautions and Challenges 123

Adding a Layer of Texture 124

Chapter 6 Texture 127

A Tool for You: Unit Plan Template 130

The Texture We Already Have 132

It's Time 135

References 136