Compassionate Pedagogy as Strategic Practice: Advancing Educational Equity Through Historical Memory and Future-Oriented Teaching

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: SIG-Paulo Freire Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

This paper examines how compassionate pedagogy serves as both refuge and resistance for educators seeking to continue diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work amid increasing political restrictions. Drawing on Freire's critical pedagogy and recent scholarship on compassionate teaching, we argue that reframing equity work through compassionate pedagogical frameworks allows educators to maintain their commitment to educational justice while navigating constrained institutional environments. Through analysis of current anti-DEI legislation and exploration of alternative terminology and practices, this conceptual paper offers a strategic approach to "unforgetting histories" of educational marginalization while "imagining futures" of inclusive teaching that transcends political polarization.

Author

• Jaclyn K. Rivard, University of Southern Mississippi