“This might have been better than anything we could have taught or planned”: disrupt/ion leading the way towards culturally sustaining pedagogies

Abstract

In this paper, I describe moments from a first-grade classroom whereas co-researchers, the classroom teacher and I found ourselves challenged by ways we experienced disruption in the classroom. Upon further analysis we saw these moments as opportunities to embrace culturally sustaining pedagogies, recognizing students’ enactment of their culturally situated ways of knowing and being as important, disrupting traditional approaches to schooling. Insights described provide recommendations for practice as well as questions to consider regarding how educators can engage in this approach, as well as how administrators and higher education faculty can support and mentor educators in developing their pedagogical practice to value and sustain students culturally diverse ways of knowing and being in early education classrooms.