Of Note: Positionality and Experience

The Identity Conscious Educator: Building Habits & Skills for a More Inclusive School by Liza A. Talusan
Solution Tree Press, February 18, 2022

If you strive to make your classrooms and schools more inclusive, but are not sure where to start, The Identity Conscious Educator: Building Habits and Skills for a More Inclusive School by Liza Talusan is an excellent resource. Talusan argues that teachers can form identity awareness by reflecting on their own identities, being willing to have difficult conversations, and keeping a growth mindset around their understanding of identity. Her book explores the core identities of race, class, sexual orientation, gender, and disability and provides reproducible activity pages that prompt educators to think more about each core identity as well as reflect on their own positionality and experience with regard to each identity. Talusan also includes reflection scenarios meant to help build identity consciousness; these scenarios are not only great for personal reflection but also could be the starting place for faculty professional development workshops. Additionally, Talusan presents a roadmap for moving from allyship to an abolitionist mindset in order to create a truly inclusive community. Schools looking to build a stronger, more inclusive, identity-aware experience for their students should strongly consider this text.

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