"So, It Takes Extra Time and Effort, pero, vale la pena": A Bilingual Teacher's Testimonio Revealing Pedagogical Clarity

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Sesion 4
  In Roundtable Session: Preparing and Sustaining Bilingual Teachers in Antiracist, Socially Just, and Culturally Affirming Pedagogies

Abstract

This testimonio examines how a 3rd grade bilingual teacher unpacks the learning process as it relates to her agency in implementing culturally relevant culturally sustaining lessons with her culturally and linguistically diverse students. Data was collected through oral and written testimonios from Ms. Méndez (pseudonym). Findings reveal how implementing culturally sustaining lessons along with teacher self-reflection supported how Ms. Méndez critically examined her teaching approaches. We highlight how through testimonio a bilingual teacher can reflect on her pedagogical practices including how she used students’ funds of knowledge as a steppingstone into learning, how educators use ingeniosidad/ingenuity by taking what students already know and growing new learning possibilities, and ultimately what we stand to learn from the voice of a teacher.

Author

• Katherine Espinoza, Texas A&M University-San Antonio