Call for Survey Participants who are K-12 Educators:

My name is Remy Klein. I’m a professor in a college program that helps adult learners who face barriers to education because of challenges with mental health and/or substance use transition to post-secondary with dignity and support. I teach learning strategies to learners who have never really fit the mould of standardized education and who, because of that, often had very difficult experiences in school.

I am currently writing a book called Rebel Education: Remedy and Repair after the Wounds of School, about how educators can create learning spaces that help adults cultivate new relationships to learning when their prior school experiences were difficult or even wounding. Over the last few years, I’ve interviewed 30 adult educators who are committed to ‘teaching otherwise’, striving to make their classrooms spaces of justice, dignity, and liberation. I’m now deep in the writing process, with the hopes of bringing this thing to the world soon.

So what does that have to do with you, as a K-12 teacher?

Well, one of the book chapters I’m writing is about how teachers’ ability to be supportive, respectful, inclusive educators can be so deeply impacted by our labour conditions. In a book about school wounds, I want to make sure that the blame for peoples’ wounding experiences isn’t placed on teachers, but rather on the dreadfully underfunded and under-resourced school system.

My hope is that if I can learn from K-12 teachers about the systemic factors that get in their way despite their best efforts, I can paint a stronger picture of the working conditions all of us need to fight for if we’re invested in learners feeling safe, respected, and celebrated.

Because let’s be honest: as a college educator, I’m up against some of the same problems. And if we can’t fix these problems, then nothing’s ever going to change.

The ask:

  • If you’re open to it, please fill out this survey. — COMING SOON
  • The survey will ask you to reflect on a moment that you can remember as a K-12 educator where you now look back and think: “Wow. That wasn’t my best moment. I think I may have unintentionally been kind of hurtful (or exclusionary, or inaccessible to that kid/those kids.” To be clear: Every single person who works with human beings has for sure had a moment like that. Every single person. Myself included.
  • The survey will ask you some non-shaming questions about what happened in that moment. It will then invite you to zoom out and explore the contextual factors and labour conditions that may have contributed to or exacerbated that moment.
  • I’ll ask you some non-identifying questions about who you are and the context that you teach in, but your survey responses will be totally anonymous.

The benefit:

This project is not a part of my paid work, so I don’t currently have funding to compensate people for participating in this survey. But here’s what I’m hoping you’ll get out of the experience of contributing:

  • I hope you’ll walk away from this experience with a little more self-compassion towards yourself around how you navigate difficult moments.
  • I hope you gain a little more insight into yourself as a teacher, and more language to describe the working conditions that you need to be your best self at work.

I’m very aware that what I’m asking for is very vulnerable, and that I’m likely a stranger to you. If you have questions about who I am, my perspective on education, and the project I’m working on, I’d love to hear from you: info@rebelpedagogy.ca.

Thank you.