Black Joy Through Intertwined Lenses of Black Parenthood and Student Relationships

• In Event: The Unapologetic Love of Nuanced Black Joy: Our Relationships Sustain Us

Abstract

This comrade and co-presenter is coming off a transition out of the classroom and into a fulltime position as an educational justice researcher. Her tenure in the K-5 classroom was 10-years of teaching and learning for justice. As a Black educator who taught in a state that sought to criminalize her types of pedagogy, the environmental insecurities became exhausting. Her story connects to millions of Black, Brown, Indigenous, queer, or feminist teachers who choose instructional practices that illuminate societal oppression and teach students to see their role in transformation. She will offer commentary on joy through her intertwined social locations of being a Black parent and educator. First, she will discuss joy as a parent of two Black boys, specifically the intentional ways that she focused on centering joy for her sons throughout the last two years of the pandemic. From spending more time discussing their hopes and dreams for the future to playing games during our out of school time, she will discuss how these moments grounded us during an uncertain time. During the initial phase of returning to school, her family struggled to adjust to a new routine. Over time, however, the were able to find common spaces that honored each of their personalities. From discussing new movies and television shows to spending more time creating meals together, our joy was rooted in a desire to interact with each other more authentically. Secondly, she will discuss joy as it relates to building intentional relationships with the young children she taught. She will share her reflections on projects that she completed with her 4th grade students during the 2021-2022 school year and the impact these projects had on her development as an educator. One of their biggest projects was a six-week series of lessons on photojournalism and youth activism.

Author

• Meghan L. Green, Erikson Institute
  Presenting Author