May 25

Chapter 3: Believing in Students' and Teachers' Capacity for Excellence (pp. 40-53)
Chapter 4: Leveraging Power Strategically (pp. 54-65)

"Leaders who practice radical care must have explicit conversations around how racism can unconsciously impact how we think about what students are or are not capable of achieving, particularly those who have been marginalized" (p. 45).

(Re)introductions:

What is your name?
Where, what, and whom do you teach?

Overview:

Components of radical care:

Engaging in antiracism (chapter 1)
Forming authentic relationships (chapter 2)
Believing in learner/teacher excellence (chapter 3)
Leveraging power (chapter 4)

Guiding questions:

River-McCutchen begins to write a bit more to administrators in these two chapters. How you might transfer this learning into your respective classrooms?
Review the characteristics for student excellence outlined on pp. 42-43. Which ones are easier for you to believe and/or demonstrate? Harder? Why do you say so?
How might you move away from limiting care ("bootstraps" frameworks) toward advancing student excellence? (pp. 46-47)
How might "failing to pass" (p. 49) student work be in service of their excellence? When do we do this in K-12+ art (education) classrooms? And how do we do it with love and care?
Review the strategies for leveraging power on pp. 56-57. Which ones are easier for you to enact? Harder? Why do you say so?
What are possible implications of your "challenging harmful policies" in your school? (pp. 61-62)
In what ways have you noticed your administrators: believe in learner/teacher excellence (chapter 3) and/or leverage power (chapter 4)?
What more?

Looking ahead:

June 1:
- Chapter 5: Embracing a Spirit of Radical Hope (pp. 66-73)
- Conclusion (pp. 74-79)