sj Miller

  • home
  • about
    • teaching philosophy
    • Theoretical Frames
    • Research Interests
    • Background
    • Awards >
      • Find Me
  • gender identity consulting
  • social justice consulting
  • publications and media
    • books >
      • about gender identity justice in schools and communities
      • Navigating Trans *+ and Complex Gender Identities
      • Teaching, Affirming, and Recognizing Trans and Gender Creative Youth
      • Enseñando, a rmando, + y reconociendo a jóvenes trans* y de género creativo
      • Educators Queering Academia
      • Generation BULLIED 2.0
      • Change Matters
      • Unpacking the Loaded Teacher Matrix
      • Narratives of Social Justice Teaching
    • book series
    • peer-reviewed articles
    • book chapters
    • media work
    • guest blogger
  • critical resources for educators
    • critical curriculum for educators
    • anti-bullying
    • young adult literature
    • hip hop literacy
  • blog
  • news
  • contact
  • home
  • about
    • teaching philosophy
    • Theoretical Frames
    • Research Interests
    • Background
    • Awards >
      • Find Me
  • gender identity consulting
  • social justice consulting
  • publications and media
    • books >
      • about gender identity justice in schools and communities
      • Navigating Trans *+ and Complex Gender Identities
      • Teaching, Affirming, and Recognizing Trans and Gender Creative Youth
      • Enseñando, a rmando, + y reconociendo a jóvenes trans* y de género creativo
      • Educators Queering Academia
      • Generation BULLIED 2.0
      • Change Matters
      • Unpacking the Loaded Teacher Matrix
      • Narratives of Social Justice Teaching
    • book series
    • peer-reviewed articles
    • book chapters
    • media work
    • guest blogger
  • critical resources for educators
    • critical curriculum for educators
    • anti-bullying
    • young adult literature
    • hip hop literacy
  • blog
  • news
  • contact

About sj Miller

Picture
WHO I AM:        sj MILLER, PhD, (no pronoun usage)
PRESS INFO:     
Experts Database, University of Wisconsin-Madison
JOB TITLE:          Faculty Associate, University of Madison-Wiscosin
  • Coordinator of Master in Science, Dual Teacher Certification Program in Secondary English Education and English as a Second Language  
  • Our Secondary MS Dual Teacher Certification Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, UW TEACH in the #1 Ranked School of Education, Curriculum & Instruction Program  in the United States
  • Column Editor, English Journal, Beyond Binary Gender Identities​
OFFICE:  
225 N. Mills St., Room 256

School of Education | Curriculum & Instruction | University of Wisconsin-Madison | UW Teach

Madison, WI 53706-1707

EMAIL:  sj.miller@wisc.edu
OFFICE PHONE:   TBA
About Me
sj Miller, a trans+*disciplinary award winning teacher/writer/activist/scholar, is Coordinator of the Master of Science, Dual Teacher Certification Program in Secondary English Education and English as a Second Language in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's, School of Education  Curriculum & Instruction, UWTeach Program,
 
sj has a combined 23 years of teaching secondary English Language Arts, and undergraduate and graduate courses in Literacy, Curriculum and Instruction, and secondary preservice Urban and English Teacher Education. sj has published widely in journals and presented widely in state and national conferences on a variety of topics related to teaching young adult literature, anti-bullying pedagogy, challenging the gender and gender identity binary (i.e.,  trans*+, (a)gender, gender expansive/dynamic/fluid/creative youth), lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexaul, intesex, queer and questioning topics, multimodal applications of popular culture in secondary classrooms, and cultivating socio-spatial justice dispositions with secondary preservice English teachers.

Currently, sj is Academic Studies Member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Advisory Board for the National Council Teachers of English (NCTE); Advisor for GLSEN'S Educator Advisory Committee; Consultant for the College Board and AP Literature and Composition Table Leader; Senior Advisor for PBS Learning Media about Teaching Transgender Youth; Advisory Board member for Routledge’s Critical Studies in Gender and Sexuality in Education, Journal of LGBT Youth, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, The New Educator, and Journal of Literacy Research; and, ​UNESCO representative for the United States to develop Education for Peace and Sustainable Development in India with the Mohathma Gandhi Institute. sj helped draft the Beliefs Statement about Social Justice in English Education and pass the NCTE Resolution on Social Justice in Literacy Education, which informed the newly-vetted CAEP Social Justice Standard 6-the first ever standard in the United States that advances social justice work in teacher preparation. sj helped co-establish the newly vetted NCTE Resolution and CEE Commission for Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline and is Peter Lang series co-editor of Social Justice Across Contexts in Education, and the new series Queering Teacher Education Across Contexts. Recently, sj is the recent inaugural Column Editor of "Beyond Binary Gender Identities" in the English Journal. 

Notably, sj won the 2005 Article of the Year Award from the English Journal for “Shattering Images of Violence in Young Adult Literature: Strategies for the Classroom,” and co-authored Unpacking the Loaded Teacher Matrix: Negotiating Space and Time Between University and Secondary English Classrooms which received the Richard A. Meade award from NCTE. sj co-authored Narratives of Social Justice Teaching: How English Teachers Negotiate Theory and Practice Between Preservice and Inservice Spaces, and Change Matters: Critical Essays on Moving Social Justice Research from Theory to Policy. Recently, sj was selected as 2015 recipient of the Joanne Arnold Courage and Commitment Award for contributions to advocacy and education in the lives of LGBTQ people and beyond, and was recently awarded the 2017 AERA Exemplary Research Award, and the 2018 Michigan Council Teachers of English Outstanding Book. for Teaching, Affirming, and Recognizing Trans and Gender Creative Youth: A Queer Literacy Framework. 

sj’s works have appeared in a number of journals including English Education, English Journal, The Harvard Review, The International Journal of Transgenderism, Alan Review, Teacher Education and Practice, Scholar-Practitioner Quarterly, Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, Sex Education, Multicultural Perspectives, International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, the Educational Leadership Quarterly, Social Sciences and, Teachers College Record.  Four additional books include: Generation Bullied 2.0: Prevention and Intervention Strategies for our most Vulnerable Students; Educators Queering Academia: Critical Memoirs; Teaching, Affirming, and Recognizing Trans and Gender Creative Youth: A Queer Literacy Framework, and (the trans.lation) Enseñando, afirmando, y reconociendo a jóvenes trans* y de género creativo:: Un marco de enseñanza queer .

sj recently appeared in a feature documentary, Gender: The Space Between on CBS, and is a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post, BBC Radio, CBS News, and PBS.

Theoretical Frames
Social justice, equity-driven, trans and trans*+, trans*+culturally sustaining, culturally responsive and relevant, critical race, queer, feminist, social positioning, geospatial, socio-spatial, spatiality and temporality, critical discourse, anti-bullying theory/pedagogy, and critical literacy. At the center of my research are transdisciplinary perspectives on social justice which cut across theory, epistemology and pedagogy.
Teaching Philosophy
My pedagogy is framed by a deep commitment to social change and social justice through constructivism, social activism, and liberatory teaching practices. These theories lay the foundation for my teaching practices and praxis which are student-centered. I teach to enable preservice student teachers to develop a beginning teaching pedagogy by interrogating how their prior experiences shape their belief systems and how those belief systems shape their teaching practices and goals. I encourage preservice teachers to make meaning of how their belief systems have shaped their eventual teaching identities. Together we interrogate and deconstruct how we have been shaped by hegemony and the institutions in which we are embedded and discuss how we can reconstruct ourselves away from institutionalized thinking and practice. We do so by examining how our own prejudices, and if gone unchecked, can escalate into detrimental teaching patterns and practices. I assist my student teachers in creating socially and culturally relevant lesson plans that will meet the needs of the diverse learners with whom they will engage.​​
RESEarch Interests
  • Socio-spatial justice
  • Preservice and inservice teacher dispositions
  • Urban Education and English Education
  • Gender Identity topics in pre-K-12th and university contexts addressing policy, theory, pedagogy and curriculum
  • Marginalized/undervalued student literacies and identities
  • ​Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline
OTHer ways to find me
  • Experts Database, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Amazon
  • Academia.edu
  • Trans Research Lab 
  • ​Directory of Experts List on Transgender Issues
  • Facebook
  • Google Scholar
  • NCTE Cosponsored Speakers Series
  • Twitter
  • Wikipedia​
  • Youtube
Background and personal Interests
Though born in New Orleans, Louisiana, I spent my formative years in Santa Fe, NM. I was a stand-out soccer player and swimmer and was awarded a full ride to play soccer at U.C., Berkeley. Graduating with a B.A. in Social Sciences and a Minor in Psychology, I then went on to receive my Masters at the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, California. In 1994, I moved back to Santa Fe and started my career teaching Hebrew School while working on my elementary and secondary teaching licensures in Language Arts, Social Studies and Coaching, at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque. I then went on to teach middle school history, and eventually, found my passion teaching high school Advanced Placement (AP) Literature and Composition, Humanities and a variety of different 9-12th grade classes. During my time as a high school teacher and to support myself, I coached men's and women's varsity soccer at Santa Fe High School, continued to teach many different grades of Hebrew school, and tutored youth to become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

In 1998, I began doing professional development workshops for the College Board in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming. I then became a table leader for the AP Lit and Comp reading (and have now read for 16 years). After many years of consulting, I decided it was time for me to pursue my Ph.D., at UNM in secondary English Education. While working on my doctorate and teaching at the University, I kept my high school classroom and completed my degree in 2005. 

I then moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to teach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in the English Education program.. I taught undergraduate and graduate courses in young adult literature, reading and writing methods, critical pedagogy, and popular culture for educators, and directed the Masters in English Education program. As I was moving in rank from Assistant to a tenured Associate Professor, I medically transitioned from female toward male, and as a result, incurred countless microaggressions from within the institution. Needing a fresh start, I decided to move toward a different position at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), where I worked in Secondary Urban and English Education teaching
undergraduate and graduate courses in urban teacher education, secondary methods, the teaching of reading, and the teacher of writing. During my time there, the University of Colorado, Boulder invited me for a position, which is where I then went to teach as secondary Urban and English Education Literary specialist in the Curriculum and Instruction Program. I taught undergraduate and graduate courses in methods, linguistics for educators, and doctoral seminars with a focus on Urban teacher education. From Boulder, I left on a grant-funded  research and teaching contracted position at New York University (NYU) where I served as Deputy Director of the Center for Research on Equity in Teacher Education for the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools, and as a Research Professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. I was fortunate to work with individuals from across the campus who served students in myriad capacities while I was building a teacher education equity study to assess perspectives of equity in their teacher education and education leadership programs. Upon completion of the grant, I accepted the position as Faculty Associate, Associate Professor and  Coordinator of the Master of Science, Dual Teacher Certification Program in Secondary English Education and English as a Second Language at The University of Wisconsin-Madison in the School of Education's Curriculum & Instruction, UWTeach program. I am thrilled and honored to be part of such a forward thinking and innovative cohort of faculty, staff, and students. Go BADGERS! Go MADISON!

I have continued to consult for the College Board all over the United States and conduct workshops for pre-and-experienced AP Literature and Composition teachers. I also present on my own research, provide tailored professional development and give keynotes on topics related to (1). Gender identity complexity across theory, pedagogy, curriculum and policy in pre-K- 12th and university contexts (2). Trans*+ and gender creative/expansive pre K-12th grade and university students, (3). LGBT*+IAGCQ topics (4). Teaching social justice and equity pedagogy in teacher education, (5). Anti-bullying and (6). Disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline.

I have a deep love for my cats, Sweet Pea and Whiz and often learn about life from watching them be well, them.  They have taught me about stillness and peace, and how important play is for the spirit. I love staying fit and enjoy biking, running, swimming, lifting and hiking in the mountains. I appreciate most podcasts by NPR (especially, Code Switch, Freakonomics, Pop Culture Happy Hour, Hidden Brain, Radiolab, Embedded, and Fresh Air​), and love listening to Ted Radio Hour, Ted Talks Education, The Rachel Maddow Show, Throwing Shade, Still Processing, 2 Dope Queens, and Culture Gabfest. In my "other" dream career, I am a film critic and love going to see art-house and independent cinema. I enjoy watching TV Sitcoms, Hulu (Handmaid's Tale!), BBC (Killing Eve!) and Netflix (Black Mirror, Bates Motel, Stranger Things, Glow), reading, and taking super long walks. 

Of great importance to me through it all, is the building of intentional communities guided by intention, social justice, and love....
Picture
Sweet Pea
Picture
Whiz
Awards
  • 2017  Exemplary Research Award, American Educational Research Association, Division K, Teaching and Teacher Education 
    • ​​Teaching, Affirming and Recognizing Trans and Gender Creative Youth: A Queer Literacy Framework 
  • 2015  Joanne Arnold Courage and Commitment Award
    • For contributions to advocacy and education in the lives of LGBTQ people at the University of Colorado Boulder and beyond
  • 2012  Essential Book for Professionals Who Serve Teens," by Voices of Youth Advocate Magazine Awarded
    • Generation Bullied 2..0 Generation BULLIED 2.0: Prevention and Intervention Strategies for Our Most Vulnerable Students
  • 2008  Richard A. Meade Award from NCTE
    • ​​​​Unpacking the Loaded Teacher Matrix: Negotiating Space and Time Between University and Secondary English Classrooms
  • ​2008  Best Book from International Writing Centers Association Scholarship Award 
    • ​Creative Approaches to Writing Center Work
  • ​2007  Most Outstanding English Education Advisor
    • Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2007-08
  • 2006  Excellence in Writing (2006 APEX: Awards for Publication Excellence) for issue of English Journal, for my contribution of
    • ​Shattering Images of Violence in Young Adult Literature: Strategies for the Classroom
  • 2005  Kate and Paul Farmer Article of the Year Award from the English Journal 
    • Shattering Images of Violence in Young Adult Literature: Strategies for the Classroom
  • 2004  PFLAG Honoring Diversity Award
    • ​Santa Fe, NM
  • 2001  Mayor’s Award
    • For dedication to community service in Santa Fe, NM
  • 2000 Human Right's Award
    • ​Humanitarian and social justice award advocate for gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender youth, Santa Fe, NM
  • 2000 Most influential teacher
    • Santa Fe High School
Impactful Quotes
Picture
 "Educational practice is never neutral and the university is hardly benign in its various spheres of influence (e.g., the corporate, scientific, and military sectors of society) or its need to perpetuate business, governmental, and social   practices, however corrupt or antidemocratic."

-Howard Zinn 

Picture
"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."

​
-Audre Lorde
         

Picture
"The Arc of the Moral Universe Is Long, but It Bends Toward Justice.."

-MLK 


Picture
"A system cannot fail those it was never designed to protect."


​ -W.E.B. DuBois 
​


                              


Picture
"I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go."

- President Lincoln 


Picture
"The world changes in direct proportion to the number of people willing to be honest about their lives." 

​-Armistead Maupin

Picture
“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
​

                                                   
  -Lilla Watson

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.