Review of Social justice literacies in the English classroom: Teaching practice in action

Abstract

"This timely book focuses on different social justice pedagogies and how they can work within standards and district mandates in a variety of English language arts classrooms. With detailed analysis and authentic classroom vignettes, the author explores how teachers cultivate relationships for equity, utilize transformative language practices, demonstrate critical caring, and develop students' critical literacies with traditional and critical content. Boyd offers a comprehensive model for taking social action with youth that also considers the obstacles teachers are likely to encounter. Presenting the case for more equity-oriented teaching, this rich resource examines the benefits of engaging students with critical pedagogies and provides concrete methods for doing so. Written for both pre- and inservice teachers, the text includes adaptable teaching models and tested ideas for preparing to teach for social justice."--Publisher's description. Part I. Social justice and the teacher. Social Justice and English ; Social Justice in English Language Arts ; Social Justice Literacies: A Theoretical Lens ; Social Justice: For Whom and by Whom? ; The Teacher as a Catalyst for Social Justice ; Coming to Know Ourselves ; Three Teachers' Stories ; Individualizing Social Justice -- Part II. Social justice and the classroom. Social Justice and Pedagogy: Teaching with Purpose ; Building Relationships for Equity ; Embodying Transformative Language Practices ; Pedagogic Advice: Translating to Teaching Strategies ; Social Justice and Students: Embodying Critical Caring ; Understanding Students' Backgrounds ; Responding to Student Behavior ; Maintaining High Expectations ; Pedagogic Advice: Translating to Teaching Strategies ; Social Justice and Curriculum: Content with Critique ; Text Selection: Choosing with Intention ; Traditional Content: The Practice of Critique ; Social Justice Content: Using Multimodality to Build Critical Consciousness ; Curriculum and Pedagogy: Inextricable Entities; Pedagogic Advice: Translating to Teaching Strategies -- Part III. Social justice beyond the walls of the English classroom. Cultivating Students as Agents of Change: Social Justice as a Verb ; Moving Beyond Critique and the Potentially Detrimental State of Helplessness ; Implementing Social Action Projects ; Considering the Obstacles to Social Action ; Navigating the Barriers -- Conclusion.