Date of Award
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis - Closed Access
First Advisor
Jerusha Beckerman
Second Advisor
Emily Cullen-Dunn
Abstract
Public schools are supposed to be the great equalizer in American society. However, based on oppressive historical practices such as forced assimilation, linguistic erasure, and the acknowledgment of singular funds of knowledge, the educational system has mainly failed students of color from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This thesis is a testament that public school teachers committed to serving socially diverse communities are critical in changing this oppressive narrative and cultivating innovative thinking that leads towards greater equity. The work begins by rejecting the “banking model of education” and enacting a liberatory pedagogy in the classroom (Freire, 2000). Student-teaching recollections help to demonstrate the critical role of trustworthy and compassionate relationships between teachers and students in fostering a classroom community that works against hate and oppression. These stories show how this revolutionary work can transform the nuanced work of ordinary curricula into powerful and relevant classroom experiences that encourage higher-order thinking through dialogue, reflection, and collaboration — crucial foundations for a just, equitable, and democratic society.
Recommended Citation
Arias, Esmeralda, "Enacting a Liberatory Pedagogy Within Public Urban Classrooms" (2024). Art of Teaching Thesis - Written. 22.
https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/aot_written/22
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons, Elementary Education Commons