EXPANSIVE EDUCATION

“The class remains the most radical space of possibility in the academy...Urging all of us to open our minds and hearts so that we can know beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable, so that we can think and rethink, so that we can create new visions.” -Bell Hooks

Reflecting upon some of the conceptions and criticisms of Hooks and the sustaining relevancy and timelessness of her work and ideas regarding education and the classroom, it is clear that beyond enacting and fighting for change within the educational system, educators must abandon more “traditional” ways of instruction that are rooted in white colonial constructs and lean more into an open format where possibility can flow freely and culture can shift. When contributing to the cultivation of young minds, curricula and teaching can become a vast and abundant garden for expansion and growth instead of a rigid fortress of imprisonment. An error can transform from something that students experience shame for, both within their educational environments and subsequently within their home, into something that’s celebrated for its opportunity to rethink, reexamine and relearn within our errors. There’s a fearlessness and freedom in being wrong, in unlearning, in failing, and in giving ourselves the time and space to change. The old ways of teaching are both harmful and fargone in several aspects. What does it look like to create new visions? Can educators move past fear and honor young voices that are speaking out against present injustices within the education sector? Several of the best educators in my experience created safe spaces for possibility and open forums to share ideas, concepts, and visions. What does education look like that encourages and enables open minds and hearts?