We must demand education that is “in place” rather than just “in case.” The foundation of our public school system is its centric location to the community it serves. Now more than ever, learning “in place” is paramount to the needs of our students, communities, and environment. 

Let's talk about how to learn with place, and how our students' lived experiences contribute into our collective learning.

Teaching is a radical praxis of our place and our cultures. Learning is holistic. Yet, too often students are asked to leave parts of themselves at the door. In Hawaiʻi, we teach (with) aloha. Not just the practice of kindness; the reciprocity of reverence with land and people. 

Allow me to share my doctoral research and how we are developing an ʻĀina Aloha framework of science learning in our clasroom.

Biology, as a subject and field, has been weaponized to justify harm on groups of people. Through socialization of essentialism and learned inequality, groups of humans have exaggerated perceptions of differences between individuals which have amplified discrimination.

In my doctoral research, I work with Queer Theory and other critical theories to create a person-centered approach to science learning. 

Ready to delve into the histories and futures of science learning for all students?

What is your responsibility to facilitate learning that you may not share direct genealogy with you?

This question set me on a journey to revisit my roles and responsibilities as a fifth-generation Japanese settler in Hawai‘i. What will it take to rekindle the relationship humans have had with land while continuing to actively engage in modern society? 

Want to learn more about land acknowledgements or investment in Indigenous practices as a settler? Let's engage in thoughtful dialogue with a commitment to (un)learn.

A sense of belonging is strengthened through relationships with a place and its people. Investment in belonging is imperative for new teacher mentorship that carries over to classroom engagement and student success. Thoughtful and intentional cultivation of stakeholder relationships, both new and veteran, is enhanced through successful colleague mentorships. 

Every new teacher mentoring program has its own successes and challenges. Here is what we learned and how we continue to grow as professionals in our professional learning community.

Putting yourself out there as a writer in the education space is rewarding and can be a tenuous adventure. From managing the privacy of our students' identities in public spheres, balancing how to share collective stories without co-opting others' experiences, to handling the response to the vulnerability it takes to write, there is a lot to think about.

Join me in conversations from the starting points of writing from the classroom experience through managing the public response that comes from conversations that emerge from your delivery.