Working Philosophy
I want to be a thought-partner with your team and support you in making the work environment a place where everyone wants to be without question; where Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusivity and Belonging+ (DEIAB+) are the anchors for the working community. This is not easy work and it takes diligence, mindfulness and a collective willingness to embrace the desire to change. But change is not enough. We must look deeply into the root causes of systemic and structural issues, unpack and challenge them, and then envision the direction you want your organization to go. It is not enough to make change, we must work to sustain changes that can and will lead to broad-scale transformation. This process of transformation is centered in the Social Justice Framework of Miller & Kirkland (2012), which situates work as Reflective, Change-Oriented and Solutions-based. Together, our work leverages, strengthens, and builds capacities for individuals and groups from any context to frame understanding, relational-development, and support about gender identity through anti-bias, prejudice reduction, and equity-centered practices within curriculum, pedagogy, and in local, state, and national policies. Together, we can decide what is the best path forward for your organization's needs and goals. |
examples of professional development
these can be adapted for all work contexts
- SEPT, 2018: THE LAST MAN, BY DAVID LEE CARLSON
- NOV, 2018: NOT THE GIRL EVERYONE SEES: A TRANSGENDER TEEN’S EXPERIENCES IN A FAITH- BASED SCHOOL BY JUDITH DUNKERLY- BEAN AND CAMDEN ROSS
- JAN, 2019: YOUTH RESEARCHERS WRESTLING WITH GENDER AND SEXUALITY BY TIFFANY DEJAYNES
- MAR, 2019: WELCOMING DISCUSSIONS OF GENDER IDENTITY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY AILA ALVINA BOYD
types of support (see specific content below) Small, whole group, and one-to-one Training trainers Research-based solutions grounded in social justice and equity Short or long-term Presentations and keynotes Dissertation coaching: preparation, writing, editing, rehearsing, submission, and publishing Conference proposal writing, preparation, submission, and rehearsing Writing coaching for all ages Institutional audits Short and long-term strategic planning |
constituents served Administrators (e.g., superintendents, principals, department chairs, Deans) Staff, support staff, school personnel, learning specialists, instructional coaches Teachers and/or faculty Students at all academic levels Parents and/or guardians Community Organizations Advisory and Governing Boards Grant funders Behavioral health Social workers and counselors Doctors, lawyers, dental health and other professionals (just ask) Policy makers Human resources Police, Firefighters and EMTs |
possible outcomes
Advancing knowledge, dispositions, and pedagogical capacities about supporting the well-being of students' personal and social-emotional legitimacies Experiencing the increased confidence to engage with and motivate both personal and student learning Expanding personal, social and institutional awareness Strengthening pedagogical and practical daily and long-term tools for application Developing concrete understanding and awareness about how to create external and internal safety for individuals Having more equitable contexts |
some topics covered
TRANS*+ AND GENDER CREATIVE/EXPANSIVE HUMANS
Unpacking Germane Language and Terms Gender and Sex Trans*+ 101 (names, pronouns, etiquette) Trans*+ Microaggressions Reflecting on and Understanding Cisgender privilege Developing (a) Gender Self-determination Teaching, Affirming and Recognizing Trans*+ and Gender Creative/Expansive Youth Trans*+ing Literacy Practices (crossing disciplinary lines) Auditing and Shifting School Curriculum and Workplace Practices to be Inclusive of Gender Identity Shifting Policies and Practices in Schools and Workplace Contexts Bathrooms, Locker Rooms, and Playgrounds Creating School and Workplace Environments to achieve External and Internal Safety Working with Parents (administrators, staff) around Trans*+ Issues Community Engagement with and for Trans*+ Students Understanding Intersectional Trans*+ Identities Transgender History and implications in Schools and Society Disrupting Trans*+-focused Bullying Expanding Language Practices to be Inclusive of and for Trans*+ Youth We Just Need to Talk About… TEACHING, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND EQUITY PEDAGOGY
Unpacking Discourse in Syllabi: Teaching, Affirming and Recognizing All Students in Courses Creating Internal and External Safety: Motivating Student Learning and Increasing Engagement A Pedagogy of Love: Calling in our Classes Spatializing Social Justice Research Across Curriculum Moving Social Justice Research from Theory to Policy Social Justice Policymaking in Teacher Education from Conception to Application Standard VI: Realizing Social Justice Dispositions in Teaching and Teacher Education Conceptualizing, Integrating, and Assessing Artifacts for Social Justice Perspectives on Educational Accountability to Children and Communities Teaching Social Justice Using the Queer Literacy Framework Critically Assessing Social Justice in Assessments Writing the Story of Teaching for Social Justice in English Education Achieving Social Justice for LGBT*+ GC/EIAQ People in Schools: Learning from the Stories of Students, Families, Teachers, Administrators and Other School Personnel and Community Members The Politics of Policy and Practice. The Possibilities of Social Justice Interrogating Patterns in Teaching for Social Justice |
LGBT*+IAGCQ
TOPICS Reflecting on and Understanding Cisgender, Heteronormative, and Gender-based Privilege Trans*+ing Classrooms: The Pedagogy of Refusal as Mediator for Learning Trans*+ing Different Work and Organizational Contexts Auditing Organizations for Gender Identity Inclusivity How To Effectively Support Trans*+ and Gender and Creative Clients Unpacking Trans*+ Microaggressions: Creating Safe, Inclusive, and Affirming Spaces Action Plans for Advocacy: LGBT*+ GC/EIAQ Voices of Empowerment Achieving Social Justice for LGBT*+ GC/EIAQ People in Schools: Learning from the Stories of Students, Families, Teachers, Administrators and Other School Personnel and Community Members ANTI-
BULLYING Moving an Anti-bullying Stance into Schools Heteronormative Harassment: Queer Bullying and Gender Non-conforming Students Unpacking The Mind of a Bully: The Neuroscience of Bullying Connecting the “Anti” to “Bullying”: Addressing LGBT*+ GC/EIAQ Issues in Classrooms Addressing and disrupting work place violence and bullying; Interrupting workplace microaggressions Recognizing and Interrupting Microaggressions Against Trans*+ and Gender Creative/Expansive Students LGBT*+ GC/EIAQ Issues in Education: Coaching Teachers and Students to Combat Bullying |
communities served |
National Alabama
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Illinois
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnessota
Missouri
Nevada
New Mexico
New Hampshire
New York
Oklahoma
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington DC Wisconsin
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INTERNATIONAL Australia
Canada
Chile
India
New Zealand
Phillipines
South Africa
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communities served |
featured videos
(professional development and activist works)
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featured keynote
Queering Literacy Instruction: Moving Trans*+ness into the Classroom Western
New York Network of English Teachers Speakers Series | Buffalo State University | November, 2016
New York Network of English Teachers Speakers Series | Buffalo State University | November, 2016