Camino Nuevo: Bridging C.A.R.M.A. & Ethnic Studies by Christina Villarreal

MIRAMAR

jeannemariedequiroz — 2021-03-12 18:37:45 UTC

The story of MIR is Ethnic Studies - from the hard beginning to the hard stop. Serving there - our community's success to becoming a casualty of - well, infrastructure - this is part of the journey in curating the "playlist" of educators who are deeply committed to practices of anti-racism and anti-oppression, but most of all LOVE.

2021-03-12 18:38:11 UTC

Within an agency, i seen staff and students be culturally responsive in respecting each others opinion and choices. Our school leaders are able to identify our community and reflect into the school setting. Being aware on the challenges that students face, being aware of peoples culture and practices. I am thankful to have this conference to reflect my importance in the school setting.

Engaging students with their own family history

2021-03-12 18:38:31 UTC

There is room for multiple grade levels to create family history projects about how their ancestors made their way to America. In 2nd grade, we briefly touch on this and in past years have created entire units in which students interview their family members and then present maps and their interviews to the class. On one year, we had students and parents celebrate with a potluck and recipes that their family had passed down. Some of the students grandparents joined us for the potluck and had chance to see their grandkids read their reports on how/why their family moved to the US.

2021-03-12 18:39:29 UTC

Sharing spoken stories, books, art, and history that highlights the accomplishments, struggles, and the future goals of our cultures and the cultures of the families we serve.

Middle School

2021-03-12 18:39:37 UTC

I constantly remind myself that my classroom is one stop for my students in their beautiful journey in life. I find ways to engage with them around what their futures might hold, and how they can manifest that into reality through our engagement with their education.

Connecting with students and being curious about their experiences and journey

2021-03-12 18:39:40 UTC

As we value personal experiences of our community and families in our Spanish classes. Students have shared

2021-03-12 18:39:42 UTC

oral traditions as a fundamental way of learning about culture, identity; creating empowerment and validation of their existencia!

Our stories are so important.

2021-03-12 18:39:47 UTC

Our family history and story is huge. When you shared your family's history and the photos of your parents it made me tear up. I totally agree that if we don't acknowledge where our parents come from we almost miss a part of our self discovery and understanding of self. I bring up my family all the time in the class and I see my kids' faces light up when they see that I'm just like them. It's a beautiful thing to be able to share and connect through culture and family history and this presentation just made me realize the importance of doing that.

I, too, feel that teaching is my calling and don't care much for job/career mumbo jumbo. So it was nice hearing someone so passionate share the same mentality. Thank you so much for sharing your gift with us today.

2021-03-12 18:39:56 UTC

Being vulnerable with my students. Sharing my challenges, but also how I cope with them. Telling them that I love and care about them. <3

carlostorres23 — 2021-03-12 18:39:57 UTC

Sharing with our students our own story and what connections they might have.

Building relationship by finding things in common

2021-03-12 18:40:03 UTC

Distance learning has allowed us the opportunity to find things in common from our homes. For example, bringing our pets to class, talking about the things that are important to us and being able to share them on the screen, and bringing family members into class.

Empowering Students

karalorenzana — 2021-03-12 18:40:06 UTC

CAS has just started a Grades 3-5 Student Leadership program with our first cohort of student leaders who were elected by their classmates and teachers. Students use the space the learn about themselves and each other, grow and develop their leadership, and bring ideas for school improvement from their peers to the table. They represent student voices. They collaboratively think of ways to turn the ideas into a reality.

Trying to teach them about their history more. Asking them what they know about themselves etc.

2021-03-12 18:40:14 UTC

Relationships

2021-03-12 18:40:20 UTC

Connecting with students and their home lives. Building a virtual community. Asking them about their experiences. Sharing our experiences with students. Giving them a space to get to know you. Allowing spaces to get to know each other that are not academic based. We can also see parts of their lives that we wouldn't normally see in an in-person setting. We can't teach them until we get to know them.

Reflecting students' history in our choice of material

2021-03-12 18:40:33 UTC

2021-03-12 18:40:54 UTC

Representation in our classroom libraries, allowing students to write their own stories and including them in our libraries.

Why its important ?

2021-03-12 18:40:59 UTC

It feels like we are all on autopilot!!!

Family Tree

irmadiaz — 2021-03-12 18:41:12 UTC

A family tree builds knowledge of one's own culture and history...and deepens the relationship with other family memebers!

Empowering Students

estelamagana — 2021-03-12 18:41:21 UTC

Empowering students to dig deep. explore, and learn where they come from, who they are, and who they want to become. Showing them how they can create the healthiest version of themselves as they continue to grow.

Ethnic Studies in Music Curriculum

2021-03-12 18:41:33 UTC

There are so many missed opportunities to engage ethnic studies in the music classroom and all we need is to reframe the music curriculum away from Western Musical Practice and move it to the culture of our community.

Perspective

2021-03-12 18:41:35 UTC

Always strive to find meaning in what we do, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

Imagination

2021-03-12 18:41:38 UTC

Using free write activities for students to imagine an inclusive and sustainable future for themselves and the world

natashanegreira — 2021-03-12 18:41:50 UTC

Share the wealth of the world’s cultures and all the beauty in diversity beginning with myself in order to reflect onto others.

2021-03-12 18:41:53 UTC

Learn student strengths and create roles in the classroom that help students show their strengths.

We can share with our parents and family

2021-03-12 18:41:54 UTC

letting students know that they can change opinions of their family.

2021-03-12 18:41:55 UTC

Not just representing students in the classrooms, but providing students with information and opportunities to ask one another about their own cultures. How they are alike, or how they may differ.

Love and Social Justice

2021-03-12 18:42:04 UTC

In my short time at CNCA, Agency wise and at my site, there is genuine love for our families and have a tremendous passion for Social Justice and exposing our students and families to current and past Social Justice issues in our society.

Foundation

2021-03-12 18:42:33 UTC

Building a relationship with students is a foundation. They will not open up to one if they do not feel safe.

2021-03-12 18:42:55 UTC

Teach students that our school is part of a larger community and asking them to brainstorm ways that we can maintain positive relationships amongst all members of the community.

Popular Education

cristinagonzalez19 — 2021-03-12 18:42:55 UTC

Working in our community to understand the connection to Popular education and how it has been a tool to provide a voice for those who come from Latin America. Often parents might not see a connection to ethnic studies, but Popular education as it's been adopted by working class people throughout history has served that purpose. Sometimes ethnic studies feels disconnected because it is more dominant in academic spaces. In community spaces, we often use pop education and I believe they both feed off of each other. Day laborers, domestic workers, refugees, etc connect to the Institute of Popular Education in Southern California and there's community pop educators throughout the region leading the work in less privileged spaces. Both definitely connect but do serve different demographics. Reminding ourselves of that is also important to continue with solidarity movements across all demographics, regions, etc.

Reading Diverse books to students

2021-03-12 18:42:55 UTC

Even within our own communities, students don't learn a lot about other cultures and there's often a lot of biases. In the last few years, our grade level team has incorporated books about people from different parts of the world. We also look in google maps to see where those countries are and I share slides about the communities that live there. We learned about the Maasai tribe about 2 weeks ago and it was nice to discuss how different cultures around the world live and engage with others.

johnildefonso — 2021-03-12 18:43:03 UTC

Empowering students and the community to live a culturally responsive world.

2021-03-12 18:43:18 UTC

Constantly embedding opportunities for my students to dream and imagine the world they wish to live in. Reminding them that we have the collective power to reach those goals.

Learning the history of your students / community.

2021-03-12 18:43:24 UTC

Middle School

2021-03-12 18:43:26 UTC

So important...we share, participate, and guide our students as they shape the rest of their lives!! Teachers can change the world!!

2021-03-12 18:43:41 UTC

Learning about student's dreams/aspirations. Helping them develop the skills needed to achieve their goals.

Culture

2021-03-12 18:43:42 UTC

Giving students the opportunity to engage and reflect in what matters to them through home pictures to put in the classroom. They can share what celebrations they have at home and what foods they celebrate with so we can learn how each culture is different but equally important.

Dance/Music Breaks

2021-03-12 18:44:09 UTC

Ethnic Studies in Math

nancy_pino — 2021-03-12 18:44:57 UTC

Inspiring students to use math as a tool of empowerment and liberation (instead of it being used against the as a tool of oppression) as we use math concepts to analyze bigger social justice themes!

Connecting

2021-03-12 18:46:05 UTC

Allow yourselves to be vulnerable with our students.

AGENCY

2021-03-12 18:46:52 UTC

The agency can be mindful of what the families celebrate as culture. They can send survey out and ask what are their important celebrations throughout the year so they may be reflected in the school as a community.

Building community

2021-03-12 18:47:18 UTC

Building relationships with not just students, but also their families is huge! That bridge that links the school to families and our community is the foundation to help us reimagine and recreate school to serve our communities of color. Schools weren’t meant for people of color, we need to restructure and lean on those relationships so they can serve us.

Critical Consciousness

cristinagonzalez19 — 2021-03-12 18:47:36 UTC

Critical Consciousness in our communities allows for advocacy, for collective supports, and builds resistance against oppressive systems. This is something that as educators we have to be aware of. Being neutral only serves the oppressor and affects our families. If we become life long learners, we can better support our families. Families have a lot to teach us and ethnic studies can support us in our learning, we have to be willing to speak truth, know when to give the mic to someone else. We must be humble in our agency too. We can't save others, but we can work with others. Being critical of our own actions also gives room for others to exercise their agency.

Club

2021-03-12 18:48:04 UTC

I'd like to start a club...I'll call it the "Culture Club"...has this been done before?

Relationships

2021-03-12 18:49:04 UTC

The parents and leaders of the school can begin to form a better understanding through eventful dates. There can be festivities and gatherings. This celebrates culture and builds a connection with the school community.

Fighting my Bias demons

natashanegreira — 2021-03-12 18:49:29 UTC

The un conditioning of myself and the biases I have been programmed to believe has been a journey to say the least. As as little girl, I needed the adults in my life. The child I was, did not have a revolutionary leader. Now? Perhaps since I hope to be one, I feel as if we are many. Moments like this empower me. Together we are fruitful and strong. We must continue to grow as a collective in order to see true generational change.

2021-03-12 18:51:50 UTC

Building commmunity

Fighting our own institutionalized oppression for students, families, and staff. Questioning our own organization will lead us to better relationships and heal some. Oppressive systems do exist in our work. Recognizing the privilege we've had during the pandemic will also help us better empathize with the communities we serve.

cristinagonzalez19 — 2021-03-12 18:52:23 UTC

If we wait for others to do it. The work that needs to be done will not progress. We have to be willing to envision and set goals to be achieved and positive for others. Not necessarily for ourselves. We must be willing to struggle together and gift progress towards liberation to others.

cristinagonzalez19 — 2021-03-12 18:56:07 UTC

To be a life long learner. To question. To continue to uncover history that has been intentionally buried. To engage with my community. To be honest with our struggles. To always have the well being of the collective in mind and to see the connection between oppression, class, and the role of colonialism, capitalism, neoliberalism in every space. If I can't identify it, fight it, I can reproduce it. To hold myself and my community accountable. Critica and Autocritica.

cristinagonzalez19 — 2021-03-12 18:58:05 UTC

ES and Relationships -Ron Espiritu

2021-03-12 20:17:19 UTC

When I think about developing relationships I too have been inspired by the concept of In Lak Ech. I have tried to practice this with my students, with my community, with my family. Relationships means that you are willing to be vulnerable in order to build authentic relationships based on caring and love with our students and with our colleagues. That means pushing ourselves and each other to grow and evolve. it means being accountable to each other. It means showing up authentically. When we do this we can bridge into transformative possibilities with adults who lead the educational experiences with our students. We can also build those transformative relationships with our students. It isn't easy and there are no shortcuts and there are setbacks but if we try and try again we can make it happen. I am learning more how to embody this. Thank you for Sharing with us V! -Ron Espiritu

CNCA WIDE

2021-03-12 20:17:58 UTC

A fully funded Director of Ethnic Studies with a robust budget. Our students deserve it.

Empathy Interviews

2021-03-12 20:18:17 UTC

Learning about your student's fears, hopes, worries, and what they want grown folx to know and understand about themselves.

Creating the space

2021-03-12 20:18:36 UTC

If I am in the middle of a lesson and a student or students are not feeling themselves. We pause then we do a healing circle. It has been very healing and has created a stronger relationship within our classroom family.

Family Leadership

charles_miller7 — 2021-03-12 20:18:58 UTC

At Burlington, we are forming a Family Leadership group to craft and model a vision for what it means to be a family at Burlington. This is family led and drive. Community is strong already as we have 100-150 families showing up in engaged ways to every Cafecito, but we need to take it to the next level in terms of having our families drive our vision.

Power, Passion & Possibility

robert_spencer2 — 2021-03-12 20:19:08 UTC

this is a ballad to my sister Ellie and my brother Ron, you two joined hands with me, in a circle, on a plane, and listened, laughed, and spurred ourselves to do something never done, we sang songs of spaces, brainstormed engagements, then painted a picture together, and then we performed several hymns that pushed, pulled, and foundationed a leadership learning cycle that is pedaling its way to the hearts and through the minds of those we partner with, in solidarity, as solid we dared to be, sisters and brothers, singing a new song, and I'm so thankful we are a forever band, this ballad to my sister Ellie and my brother Ron, Thank you!

LA Wide

victoriamartinez13 — 2021-03-12 20:19:28 UTC

Community Ethnic Studies workshops - for families, parents, community members

"I love you!"

2021-03-12 20:19:31 UTC

From Day 1, I let students know I love them. Not all believe me. Not all receive it. Many test it. By year end, all testify to it.

Amor a Mi Cultura

2021-03-12 20:19:47 UTC

I envision my classroom to have drawing, poems, and materials that represent who my students are and where they come from, or celebrate their roots.

CIS - Finding our roots <3

2021-03-12 20:19:55 UTC

Project meant to highlight cultural beautiful in every single child.

Fooooood!!!

jenniferyanga — 2021-03-12 20:20:29 UTC

Make a class recipe book. Food is so important to culture and our selves. I remember being embarrassed as a kid bringing certain lunches to school bc they weren't sandwiches or lunchables. But there is power and stories and traditions in food. I'd love to create a class recipe book and tie it to literacy and writing and of course... food and story sharing.

2021-03-12 20:21:00 UTC

This connects to Ki's earlier workshop for me...how are students able to embody their own space and make the best choices for themselves when they are in our classrooms and schools? And how can we shift the practices and cultures of our schools to promote student agency, not just in their choices in an individual teacher's classroom, but throughout the day and their time as students?

Relationship Building with Families via Zoom or GoogleMeet

keniacruz — 2021-03-12 20:21:37 UTC

Our Second Grade Team had a Family event-Literacy event instead of a workshop. We read together and created a Family or Heritage Flag with our Families. Thank you to Ms Flores for the Great IDEA!!!

Let's argue to align

charles_miller7 — 2021-03-12 20:22:05 UTC

Have you witnessed a school where students are engaging in a critical, rigorous, thoughtful, caring, and academically curious environment while AT THE SAME TIME lifting our students' stories, voice, and histories and making Ethnic Studies a driving movement in all we do? I have not. Camino Nuevo can be this, but we have to be willing to engage in difficult and uncomfortable conversations together, with our students, and with our families. These will be complex and messy conversations but it will push us to not sit in a simple world of dichotomy. For example, "data is oppressive" and "ethnic studies is not rigorous" are false narratives. Let's sit in the gray and see where these intersect.

"Why Math?"

2021-03-12 20:22:12 UTC

Students are constantly reminded that they aren't present just to learn Math concepts. They are reminded that the problem-solving skills learned is to ignite, develop, foster, and correct (if needed), who they already are, and who they were created to be. Every new academic year...every new course...a building block to fullness.

Co-teaching Humanities

johngamberthompson — 2021-03-12 20:22:25 UTC

Interweaving language arts and history (Ethnic Studies, in the case of 9th grade) has been a hidden blessing of distance learning--collaborating across the disciplines to further emphasize the social justice messages of literature like Go Tell It on the Mountain and Persepolis

Building Bridges

2021-03-12 20:23:13 UTC

I had a predominantly Guatemalan group one year. Taught them about the Garifuna in Guatemala. Celebrated BlackJoy. Learned about them being the one of the only Black cultures to keep their culture. THE BRIDGE? Well, the Garifuna invented PUNTA DANCING. 100% of my students knew what that was. For many of them it was the first time they felt connected to Afro-Latine people in their own family's home country! "OMG! We dance that! I know that dance!" - <3 #BuildingBridges

Sending Friendly Wishes

2021-03-12 20:25:03 UTC

We end each week by putting each other or someone in our communities in our thoughts and sending them some friendly wishes.
May you be happy.
May you be strong.
May you be safe.
May you live with peace.

Build Relationships Digitally

2021-03-12 20:26:15 UTC

Speak to students as they more then just students. They are pre-adults seeking guidance and a mentor. Be mindful of sharing ourselves to them to lower their wall thus providing a vulnerability for them to develop a connection.

Self Love

2021-03-12 20:26:40 UTC

In music class we have a mantra:
All voices are beautiful
Love your voice
Your voice is your personal instrument
Learn to develop your voice

In order to help spread self love. Most middle schoolers shy away from singing. I hope to develop safe enough spaces for students to express themselves with their voices.