In summer 2022, as part of the Voices of Change project, EdSurge Research convened 80 Asian American K-12 educators in a series of virtual learning circles to hear their stories. Our conversation spanned the topics that are top of mind for educators across the country these days, including the aftermath of COVID-19 and the ongoing racial injustice in America. Teacher burnout, low pay, and systemic teacher shortages. and how best to leverage new technologies and curricula as demand increases and specialized resources shrink. But overwhelmingly, these gatherings are for Asian American educators to communicate with each other about the many instances of subtle and sometimes overt racial oppression they have experienced while working in schools. It served as a safe place.
For many participants, small group conversations like this meant coming together with other educators like them to reflect on the painful and isolating racism they had endured, and the racial discrimination they had endured. It was my first opportunity to testify and embrace the joy and success I had. They themselves are committed and committed to modeling powerful change for their students and other teachers. We are grateful that they trusted us and each other’s stories.
Here, we share two key findings that emerged from these conversations about how K-12 schools can support the well-being and professional development of Asian American educators. 1) provide ongoing opportunities to participate in identity-affirming professional learning communities; and 2) systematically incorporate diverse Asian American perspectives into curriculum, professional development, and school policies.
Professional learning network that affirms identity
The 80 Asian American K-12 educators we spoke to overwhelmingly believed that an identity-affirming and supportive professional community played an important role in their lives. He said there was. In many cases, they themselves have valuable and ongoing connections with colleagues and mentors who understand the delicate intersections of both their daily racialized experiences and the realities of the teaching profession. We sought and nurtured professional relationships.
These positive, supportive relationships can range from ad hoc check-ins with two or three trusted colleagues throughout the school year to a number of opportunities at annual educator conferences and regional or national affinity networks. It took many forms, ranging from large organized gatherings of hundreds to thousands of people. Asian/Asian American Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English, Massachusetts Association of Asian American Educators, and the University of California, Irvine’s Teaching for Justice Conference).
Many people also found online communities by following Asian American educators who publicly shared their learnings and resources, e.g. Karalee Wong Nakatsuka; Noreen Naseem Rodriguez; Bettina Shay; @ericaintheclass; whitney aragaki; Virginia Nguyen, Michael Ida); talk to each other through listservers and social media; or participate in digital conversations and programming (e.g. #miseducasian Twitter/X Chat, an ongoing digital conversation with a network of justice-minded Asian Pacific Islander Indian Americans [APIDA] Educators who encourage free educational change by countering miseducation that silences and obfuscates Asian American history and stories.
Asian American educators describe how these protective spaces allow them to safely explore and unpack their own ongoing racial identity developments, while also encouraging students and school communities to do the same. We also discussed ways to support them in their development. They may feel playful and joyful. Embodied; vulnerable; free to celebrate successes, big and small, together. Overcoming tensions within and between groups. When we face racism, gun violence, mental health crises, and other difficult events in our schools and communities, we immediately turn to each other for support and guidance.
They also talked about the difference supportive leadership made. How investing time and resources to engage with these communities has helped you prioritize your own continued growth as an educator of color and helped you become more entrenched in the profession. Taka. This kind of tangible support from school leaders is important to address the turbulent social climate, the devaluation of their skills and work, and the impending burnout and stress that so many educators in this country face. , directly strengthened their well-being and resilience in the face of declining morale.
Diverse Asian American Perspectives in Curriculum, Professional Development, and School Decisions
The Asian American educators we spoke to are fully aware that their very presence in the school community is already making a huge difference in the lives of their students, and all of them He took the weight of that responsibility seriously. However, many are overwhelmed by how unprepared they are to protect their students from racist ridicule, microaggressions, and trauma, and find themselves and their students on a regular basis even before it reaches a crisis. reported that they had experienced it. heatstroke The move follows a wave of anti-Asian hate speech and targeted violence across the United States since the coronavirus outbreak. They were forced to fight back when the federal government sent Japanese Americans to internment camps during World War II, and when Islamophobia after 9/11 forced Muslims, including Arab Americans and South Asian Americans, into I recognized that vicious and racist scapegoating is a common pattern in this country, as when targeted people are targeted. This is a template that is likely to reemerge for themselves and other marginalized groups in the future, whenever the country experiences the next major stressor.
They develop specific curricula to help educators of all backgrounds understand how historical metaphors and the racial positioning of Asian Americans in the United States impact the daily lives of students and educators. He said creating resources, reflexive school policies and ongoing opportunities for professional learning would help.
Asian American educators need to be able to rely on school systems that actively create structures to integrate diverse Asian American perspectives into curriculum, professional development, and school policies; In doing so, we need to avoid feeling like we are doing it little by little on our own. In our survey, countless respondents said they felt like they were the only “parrot” in their school, the only voice representing Asian American students who are consistently forgotten. Stated. Spend hours on your own time scouring the web for scarce curriculum resources. Or being the only person to recognize and call out blatantly harmful stereotypes in curriculum and school policies toward diverse students.
Also, many people invisible And the marginalization of Asian Americans occurs during professional meetings with colleagues, especially in conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). They expect to be more conscious and inclusive, but in reality, by excluding, they instead end up causing more erasure and harm. To ignore, ignore, or further marginalize their voices and experiences. This is why all educators, not just Asian Americans, need access to ongoing professional learning and quality resources that humanize and bring into perspective the diverse experiences and stories of Asian Americans. It is important.
If an educator’s responsibility is to help students understand the world and their place in it, then they need to be systematically and consistently supported to do the same. They can only do this if they also have room to do it themselves, at every stage of their journey as educators. This begins before they step into a classroom or school building as an educator, and extends to the support they receive once they arrive in the classroom or school building.
At a time when there is a shortage of teachers, principals, and school counselors, and the recruitment and retention of these professionals is declining at an alarming rate, intentionally create a work environment that views and respects educators as whole individuals. is essential.
