Decentering Whiteness For True Inclusion Ft. Lex Rodriguez w/Anita Nowak - Purposeful Empathy

In a special series devoted to empathy in education, watch this episode to learn why SEL (social emotional learning) starts with the 10% minority; not the 90% majority. Lex Rodriguez, an educator and PhD candidate at the University of Colorado, reflects on how culturally sustaining (not culturally sensitive) practices better support BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth. She also shares insights from her teaching and research on identity, access needs, and the power of empathy to create classrooms in which every student feels seen and safe.00:00 Preview01:00 Introduction 01:34 About Lex Rodriguez03:36 Lex’s backstory04:47 Why is Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) so Important?09:31 How does SEL create a safe space for students and teachers?14:22 Empathy starts by asking questions; not making assumptions16:16 Why empathy and curiosity are essential for systemic change19:51 What happens to education when we erase empathy from community?23:35 Culturally sustaining vs. culturally sensitive: what’s the difference?28:27 What SEL educators need beyond curriculum?32:58 How expanding the frame of SEL creates true inclusion35:11 Why does inclusive SEL start with the 10% minority; not the 90% majority?37:45 Discussing the resistance to inclusive education39:50 Decentering whiteness in education43:20 The role of empathy in education50:24 Lex Rodriguez’s Purposeful Empathy storyCONNECT WITH ANITA✩ Email [email protected] ✩ Website https://www.anitanowak.com✩ Buy a copy of Purposeful Empathy http://tiny.cc/PurposefulEmpathyCA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitanowak/✩ Instagram https://tinyurl.com/anitanowakinstagram✩ Podcast Audio https://tinyurl.com/PurposefulEmpathyPodcast✩ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/anitanowak.bsky.socialCONNECT WITH LEX✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-rodriguez-b7799046/✩ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lunar.visual.design/SHOW NOTES✩ Transformative Educational Leadership https://www.teleadership.org/Substack https://lunarvisualdesign.substack.com/Video edited by Green Horizon Studio