“I write these words to bear witness to the primacy of resistance struggle in any situation of domination; to the strength and power that emerges from sustained resistance and the profound conviction that these forces can be healing, can protect us from dehumanization and despair.”
— bell hooks
About Teaching Resistance
This curriculum was born of the need for hope and healing to be centered within the classroom. As more educators have begun to embrace social justice pedagogies in their classrooms, and as curriculum materials focused specifically on racism, bias, and injustice have become more widely available, students have the opportunity to learn about the ways that systems of power interlock to create and maintain injustice.
While the ability to name and understand systemic oppression is a prerequisite for being able to address it, we must also consider the emotional and spiritual burden this poses for those students for whom these important discussions extend far beyond just a lesson plan. If we are merely illuminating the myriad of ways that systems and institutions seek to harm, disenfranchise, and silence them without also providing the proper context and tools to combat them, then we are not setting our students up for success. And so it was in service of these students that the Teaching Resistance Curriculum came to fruition.
This curriculum guide was collaboratively developed by over 100 elementary, middle, high school, and post-secondary educators across the nation. Organized and led by Pedagogy of Resistance, this diverse group met virtually over the course of 14 weeks in the Spring of 2020, having had no way of predicting the social uprisings that will forever color our memories of that time period. Even still, the unfolding of events that Spring and their subsequent aftermath continue to illuminate the need for a focus on personal and collective resistance as a tool for dismantling systems of oppression and achieving liberation for all people.
It is our hope that this resource will find its way into your curriculum as you work toward creating a more equitable and just future for our students.
Attend an Introductory Workshop to get your free copy
Teaching Resistance Project Goals
1
Develop a curriculum guide focused on resistance movements that can be easily adaptable across multiple classrooms and contexts
2
Pilot a model for virtual collaboration that is teacher-led and focused on issues of social justice
3
Create meaningful community amongst educators from across the nation as an approach to sustainability and teacher retention
From Teaching Resistance Participants:
“Working with Brieana and all the other educators from across the U.S. has been the best thing I’ve done for my soul. Each week, she hits us with fire and tenacity and love, organizing and leading us all to develop curriculum that questions the mainstream narrative. We dig into the work of POC, LGBTQIA+, and marginalized groups so that our babies can see that their lives are valuable and celebrated. Coming from a diverse suburban Title I school with a white population of teachers and feeling isolated as a passionate POC, I am so grateful to have found a cohort of teachers that are doing this work and having a dialogue about the white supremacy that exists within our school system.” - Destiny Andrews, 4th &5th grade teacher in Fairfield, CA
“This has been a space where I could find like-minded teachers and challenge some of the misconceptions I held. I don’t have many colleagues that share my teaching philosophy. Lit C.I.R.C.L.E. has inspired, motivated, and kept me engaged in what I value in the classroom and community. I’m so grateful to be a part of the Teaching Resistance collective and to amplify the voice of an incredibly strong wombyn who cares about the youth and the importance of resistance!” - Brenda Citlalicue, HS ELA teacher in Lynwood, CA
Interested in joining future collaboration projects?