Centering Teacher Sensemaking: An Approach to Designing Social Justice Curricular Adaptations

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Of Care and Resistance: Teachers' Voices in Complex Times (Table 6)

Abstract

Retention and recruitment in social justice teaching are critical, as many educators question the sustainability of their engagement amid the sociopolitical climate. This paper, grounded in sensemaking as the theoretical framework, draws on a year-long case study of a kindergarten teacher working with a curriculum coach to adapt their literacy curriculum to align with social justice standards. The findings illustrate how a teacher's evolving sensemaking within an iterative design cycle allowed them to see curricular opportunities for social justice teaching. Implications highlight the need for professional development that moves beyond procedural skills and encourages teachers to engage with deeper epistemic and ontological inquiries, thereby expanding their sense of what is possible in pursuing social justice in literacy curricula.

Authors

• Kierstin M. Giunco, University of Cincinnati

• Michelle Nguyen Kwok, Texas A&M University