EduDesign: Supporting Early Career P-12 Educators' Agency for Justice & Wellbeing

Overview

Teachers have a unique perspective about what they need to improve their practice. EduDesign is a learning community that supports teachers to engage in a collective process of inquiry and productive struggle. The fellowship is an extended experience that includes multiple convenings throughout the year. Each cohort provides space for fellows to build community, make sense of big ideas together, grow their justice work, and support one another as professionals. EduDesign is not your typical professional development. Instead, it is a collective approach to learning.

In this cohort specifically designed to support all teachers who understand teaching as justice work we will build community to stay in the struggle. Together we will support one another to note how and when we have agency in our classrooms and schools so we can make crucial decisions based on our contexts and positionality. By looking to scholarship around culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies as well as social and emotional wellbeing, we will deepen our understanding and practice of pedagogies that draw upon the strengths, experiences and wisdoms of our students, their families, and their communities. 

Course Objectives

Our time together will be responsive to the interests and needs of the cohort and will include opportunities for community building and collective mentorship. Some of the questions we plan to explore together include: 

• How can we move our justice goals forward  in meaningful ways while learning to navigate the challenges of the profession?

• How do we collectively sustain ourselves and maintain our wellbeing as we meet the needs of our students in educationally just ways? 

• How do we continue to reflect on our own identities, privilege, and power, to mindfully leverage agency in our classroom communities?

• What are manageable ways to bring students and others (e.g. their families, colleagues, administration) into justice work in our classrooms? 

• How can we collectively share challenges along with celebrations while making progress toward our teaching goals? 

Responsibilities

Early Career EduDesign Learning Communities are extended experiences that will kick off with a 3-hour Saturday session in November. In addition, we will gather again in the school year for four 1.5-hour Tuesday workshops and close with a final Saturday hybrid session (with an option for an in-person additional celebration). Participants will be asked to attend all or nearly all of the sessions. The November session is an especially important session as it will lay the foundation for our community and our work together.

Fellows are committed to the following efforts:

• Come prepared and focused to engage in community and conversations for all sessions. (There will not be any pre-work required to attend.)

• Share what you know, what you’re learning, what you’re wondering, and what you are challenged by.

• Try out ideas with your students and colleagues.

Course Details

Fall Kick-Off: Saturday, Nov 4 (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM) ONLINE

Tuesday Sessions: Dec 12 | Jan 9 | Feb 13 | March 12 (4:30 - 6:00 PM) ONLINE

Final Saturday Session: May 4 (9:00 AM - 10:30 AM) HYBRID (+ OPTIONAL 10:30 - 12:00 IN-PERSON Celebration)

Clock Hours for full participation: 10.5