Michelle Pledger confronted the internalized oppression from her experiences as a Black girl in a predominately white school; then she converted her newfound wisdom into a commitment to promote culturally relevant teaching practices that honor and support the lived experiences of all students. Her story is essential listening for anyone committed to true equity in schools. We cover a lot territory, including:4:00 Black in a White school7:42 Michelle’s awakening10:58 The personal cost of assimilation15:05 Michelle’s challenge to you18:08 Personal filters and blind spots19:50 Decolonizing our schools21:43 Liberating the curriculum24:16 The startling impact of non-representation26:44 Individualistic vs. collectivist cultures29:48 Liberating classroom communication35:20 Deficit thinking: our subconscious biases about intelligence39:31 Ability grouping’s harmful effects43:11 What’s stopping us from being culturally responsive?48:35 Michelle’s call to action Michelle Pledger’s personal websiteMichelle’s about page at the High Tech High Graduate School of EducationPurchase Liberate! Pocket-Sized Paradigms for Liberatory Learning About Experience MattersExperience Matters with Steve Shapiro invites guests to reflect on the most profound learning experiences of their youth and to consider how we can reform American schools. Each episode provides clues about how parents and educators alike can engage young people in powerful, sometimes transformational experiential learning. Education can take many forms, but whatever form it takes- experience matters. 

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