Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices

by Lorena Escoto German

"Be prepared to be embraced with words, images, stories, examples, experiences, and a love for teaching in community with young people toward social and cultural justice." -Django Paris As middle and high school teachers, we know that students begin to develop racial identities and ideologies as early as preschool. By the time they reach us, there is much socializing and learning that needs to be undone. Textured Teaching is a way to seamlessly embed the social justice work that is needed to undo; to begin to make things right. With Culturally Sustaining Practice as its foundation, Textured Teaching helps secondary teachers in any school setting stop wondering and guessing how to implement teaching and learning that leads to social justice. Lorena shares her framework for creating a classroom environment that is highly rigorous and engaging, and that reflects the core traits of Textured student-driven, community centered, interdisciplinary, experiential, and flexible. Throughout the book, Lorena shares lesson design strategies that build traditional literacy skills while supporting students in developing their social justice skills at the same time. The actionable strategies Lorena uses to bring Textured Teaching values to life illuminate what is possible when we welcome all types of texts, all types of voices, and all forms of expression into the classroom.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, Professional Development, School, Audiobook, Anti Racist

168 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2021

Reviews

[Amber Alvarado Canto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I didn't realize I needed. I infuse social justice initiatives and elements in my class (so much so, that I wrote our Malcolm X unit for the district to set the tone for the remaining texts) and it's something that I truly feel passionate about. My goal is always to introduce various perspectives alongside the canonical texts we're required to read.

German does a phenomenal job of breaking down the formula to teaching through the social justice lens. She does a phenomenal job of providing examples and resources for teachers to use. Furthermore, I felt as if this was a conversational professional development opportunity for me. I will definitely tell my coworkers and other teacher friends about this book. It should be required for all teachers.

I've read a lot of "professional development," "culturally responsive teaching," and "social justice" books; however, this book, by far, is one of my absolute favorites. I cannot wait to implement the strategies and suggestions that I've learned in my classroom.

[Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is an excellent contribution to the ongoing dialogue around culturally sustaining practices and social justice in English/Language Arts education. As an experienced high school ELA teacher, I appreciated the specificity of focus, as this text not only speaks to the broader need for (and impact of) intentionally creating affirming, sustaining, and intellectually challenging educational spaces, but also offers a wealth of ideas and strategies for how to make changes to your practice. Although I have been following the #DisruptTexts movement for years and am quite familiar with the work of many of the educators and scholars Germán cites throughout the book, I still left my reading with new information and ideas I can implement in my own classroom. I also found the writing enjoyable to read, and the classroom examples were relevant without overtaking the focus on purpose and strategy. That’s all I want from a professional development text.


I was able to get the gist from the digital ARC I read, but I already preordered my copy of this so that when it is released, I’ll be able to easily refer to the different figures and sample assignments/assessments included throughout the text. I’m going to recommend it as a group read for my department and probably purchase a copy for my new student teacher as well.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent guidebook for incorporating more culturally sustaining pedagogy into the classroom. It has examples and suggestions of things you can incorporate into your classroom tomorrow — very pragmatic!

[Holly Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book is part of this summer's Book Love Foundation Summer Book Club. German defines Textured Teaching as "...a dynamic, culturally sustaining framework with strateies that aim to egage all learners by welcoming all of who they are to work toward social justice". Texturized teaching traits are: Flexible, Student Driven and Centered, Interdisciplinary, and Experiential. German organizes the book by these traits (each section begins with gorgeous, joyful colors), walking us through ways to inspire social transformation in classrooms and schools. I read this in tandem with Zaretta Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagment and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students and both brought to mind the professional text we read 2 years ago for Book Love Foundation Summer Book Club, Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Gholdy Muhammad. The thinking, teaching, planning, and concepts in all three books charge educators to love students enough to bring forth their WHOLE selves in school. If we all shifted our teaching toward these frameworks, schools would be more joyful, authentic, and yes, textured. Loved the practical Unit Plan Template and other resources provided. Now I need to go back and watch her book club conversation! If you have never joined a Book Love Foundation Summer Book Club, be sure to do so in the future!

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource for offering opportunities and incorporation of diverse voices and experiences into the classroom. German offers extended ideas for teachers who already have begun this journey. For a pedagogical book it is visually appealing. Great examples and applications beyond theory, which is always appreciated.

[Baily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really thoroughly enjoyed reading this text. However - I think it's important to be aware of antiracist education/social justice pedagogy before encountering this text. For educators that are social justice oriented, this text fits in really well with others such as Cultivating Genius by Gholdy Muhammed and bell hooks' works. For the educator that is discovering social justice rooted pedagogy, this book will be a really great deep dive, but you will need to explore other texts to support your learning as well. This text felt most appropriate for secondary education ELA . The unit design in chapter 6 and interdisciplinary work in chapter 3 were the most impactful.

5 stars for content and organization - 4ish stars for idealized utopia in some parts :) But it kept things hopeful!!

[Suzanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a five because for the first time in years, a book in the education field has given me hope. I feel rejuvenated, and excited about teaching this upcoming year. Last couple of years have been such a struggle....this book gives me hope (yes, I used that word twice in a short review).

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains important ideas and strategies for “textured” teaching. Although it is applicable for all teachers, note that it is written specifically towards ELA teachers.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

What a fantastic workbook/guide on how to include culturally sustaining practices in your teaching ethics and classroom. The text and information is really engaging and easy to understand and written in a way that explains what the practices mean and really breaks down and gives demonstrations on how to make it applicable to your work. Also, the graphics and questions posed to the reader were not just there to fill up page space they actually added to and brought a richer understanding to the text. I know this is a text that I will constantly reach for when developing any teaching or training materials.

Definitely recommend to those in any leadership or teaching position, this doesn't just apply to teachers but any kind of educators or folks in leadership roles that host events or guide training orientations, etc.

ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Rod Naquin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated this book—partly because I have a thing for the shared etymology of “text” and “texture,” and how evocative that is sorta metaphorically. There’s concrete ideas abt empowerment of learners here and how that affects their relationship w the teacher, the tasks and the materials. Complex intersections of quality materials and teacher autonomy here—curious abt how these practices affect curricular initiatives in practice

[Genevieve Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were many great ideas in this book, and I truly appreciated all the examples that were provided. I don’t recall any suggestions that weren’t paired with a description of how this was put into practice.

It’s evident that Escoto Germán is a skilled teacher, but I felt like so many of the examples would only be applicable to settings with tons of autonomy and/or independent school settings.

[Su · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a youth, I was one of only a handful of racial minority students at my elementary and middle school. The school, as a whole, was incredibly racist on average and somewhat tolerant of “others” on a good day. Now, I am an educator and when I saw this books I was convinced the message was just for me! This book really is an insightful and helpful read.

Escoto Germán is an ELA teacher so all of her examples are geared towards ELA classrooms. I believe that much of this material can also be adapted to fit other subjects - particularly Social Studies - and it would have been lovely to hear her point out ways in which that could be done. I can see, though, how this would have made the book a much larger endeavor.

I was also a little disappointed by where the books ended. Towards the end, I really felt like the book was just getting really started or perhaps had caught its second wind and then it just…stopped. I feel there was much more to explore, to question, and to reimagine. However, I can see the possibility that Escoto Germán intentionally ended there not for a lack of want or resources but, perhaps, to nudge you to start that work yourself. So while I wish there had been more, I can’t say this is a true shortcoming of the book.

I listed to the Audible, I read the Kindle edition, I’ve recommended it to White colleagues as well as colleagues of other communities of color. It’s not the whole conversation, but it is a great starter.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Germán's text includes many of the characteristics that I look for in a teaching-related book: it challenges readers to shift mindsets and rethink or reframe practices; it empowers and encourages, offering specific strategies that will enable hopeful progress toward achievable outcomes; it is reasonable in what it asks of students and teachers while also presenting opportunities to stretch and to grow; and it inspires excitement about the work ahead. I do wish, however, that the book was twice the length, so that it could include more emphasis on practical implementation. Germán does a terrific job of conveying why Textured Teaching matters and what kind of mindset it necessitates, but upon finishing the text, I was still hungry for more specific information about the "how" aspect of Textured Teaching, as I was already familiar with a lot of the ideas offered (like Think-Pair-Share discussions, co-created rubrics, assessment bingo to encourage student choice, etc.). I should probably regard that as validation that I am on the right track, but I'd still love even more specific strategies and am crossing my fingers that Germán will come out with another book soon, perhaps one that also broadens the scope of Textured Teaching as interdisciplinary (since this text mainly focuses on ELA).

4.5

[Risa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

This book is an excellent resource for educators. The author covers some of the basics of Culturally Sustaining Practice and anti-racism but then extends beyond those foundations and includes practical examples of how to incorporate strategies into any classroom, but specifically English/ELA classes at the intermediate and senior levels. Because I read the book as an advanced copy in a digital file, I couldn’t view a lot of the visuals in their intended formats, but I’m looking forward to exploring them in greater depth once I’m able to purchase a physical copy of the text (and the preview of the book on the publisher’s website gave me a good idea of what some of those pieces look like). The content itself is relevant, evidence-based, and necessary for contemporary educators, regardless of the demographics of their student populations. I’m looking forward to having a hard copy of the book and am confident I will reference it regularly in the future.

[Tory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a hard book to read, and it deserves five stars. I had a hard time going through this book and confronting my own system of White Supremacy, and how I benefit from the place of privilege that I am in. Looking at my curriculum, trying to figure out how to make it more culturally sensitive and culturally sustaining to work towards social justice is difficult. Germán writes with a passionate voice, which I felt uncomfortable with, but I know that I have to live in that uncomfortable with to create lasting change in my classroom and in my community. I know that there is work ahead, and some if it may be difficult, and some of it may not work right away, but I will keep trying. I appreciated the connection to curriculum and unit planning and the book recommendations. I am seriously overwhelmed with all of the ideas swimming in my head.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am immensely grateful to Lorena Escoto Germán for writing this book.

These topics are not typically covered in most teaching programs. Like Lorena has said, many of us grew up experiencing education in a way that made us feel even more on the outside, so this type of teaching practice stems from a deep place for a Latina teacher, like myself.

The two parts that ignited a fire within me were:
- Textured Teaching is Student Driven and Community Centered
- Textured Teaching is Experiential

Many of the moments from my own education that have stuck with me where the times I got to use my five senses or connect with my community. In this post(ish)-pandemic world, it's gotten harder to do some of these, but keeping them front of mind helps me think about the small ways I can continue to infuse my teaching with them.

[Lauren Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I read this. I loved everything about it and gained a lot of insight for my own classroom. Here are a few quotes I wrote down:

“To exclude us from curriculum is to murder us - to operate as if we don’t exist, to remove us from existence in people’s minds”

“Unaddressed trauma begets trauma, and often what we experienced as schooling had major flaws, at best. More often than not, we are perpetuating those flaws and simply handing down pain and structural racism to our students. Once we recognize that education has traditionally been a part of a hate-filled system, we can then begin to acknowledge the need to envision our teaching to dismantle said system.”

Much to think about, here.

[Bellatuscana Bellatuscana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Textured Teaching summarizes, references, and reuses many of the social-justice pedagogical resources into a digestible format for understand. Perfect for the teacher who is not ready to go back and get their Master’s, or wants to learn more without having to go a seminar, about making a multicultural and social-justice oriented classroom. For me, it was a reminder of things I learned in school - not to be used as a substitute (for example) of Paulo Freire and Gholdy Muhammad’s multilayered pedagogical resources. In spite of this, it was a good revisit to things I have learned before in my teaching practice and teacher prep program.

[Susana Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Lorena Germán, for this book! As a teacher focused on equity and cultural responsiveness, I’ve read many many books on the matter. This one is the best “now what?” book I’ve read. Personal, powerful, and ultimately incredibly practical, Germán holds the teacher’s hand and breaks down the steps to move the needle forward. I found myself writing in the margins, making lists for future units, and even changing lesson plans on the fly to incorporate these ideas. It feels impossible that a teacher could read this book and remain unchanged in the classroom.

[adeservingporcupine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great resource for teachers who want to find ways to break out of the traditional methods of teaching literacy. I’m hopeful that literature and ELA teachers can also use this book to start conversations among colleagues and administrators about the need for more interdisciplinary and experiential work in schools. The flexibility chapter had a ton of great ideas that I intend to bring into my classroom starting next week.

[Clayton Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an excellent book for what it sets out to do. As a teacher of science there are many elements in here that I can use in my craft around creating an inclusive classroom that uplifts students and reduces harm due to racialized issues. However the examples are very English language arts, and you will need some experience and insight to fully realize these examples and content in a scientific classroom.

[Caylie Ratzlaff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was AMAZING and everything I expected. It's an awesome look at Social Justice Education, and I liked the ELA emphasis since that's my content area. I have SO many things highlighted and tabbed. It's definitely more of an introduction to the practice, so I found a lot of it to be review of things I've previously read about; however, there was still new and applicable information.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of insights, structure, and strategies, this text serves EVERY English teacher motivated to texture their teaching and focus on social justice, whether it is for one unit or an entire curriculum. The text has so much in it that my biggest compliment is that I need to reread it again, particularly as I develop a unit. I highly recommend this work.

[Heather Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice intro to Culturally Relevant Teaching and I appreciate the plain language used, free of educational jargon and buzzwords. It is Real Talk. That said, if you are already familiar with Z. Hammond, S. Alim and/or T. Jewell, you may feel there is a bit of repetition here. Otherwise, this is an appropriate intro for further reflection and development.

[Nawal Qarooni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in a sitting. Truly important read for all educators, as it weaves tenets of flexibility, community, interdisciplinary, responsive and love-filled, asset-based, sensory-style teaching into all our classroom practices.

[Carolyn]

Changing this back to "to read" from currently because let's face it, I'm not actively reading this book right now, heh. I tend not to stay interesting in teaching books while the teaching year is underway. I'll pick this up again this summer.

[Anna Ohmart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book for educators who want to change the education system and help our most often forgotten kids. She does such a great job of making it conversational, authentic, and practical. Highly, highly recommend.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I have learned all of this. I loved the connections the author made. I definitely think this is good for a teacher that has not explored social justice in the classroom or isnt sure how to do so. Solid book.

[Sarah Valingo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only does this book discuss culturally responsive teaching, but it also has some great general pedagogy AND immediately useful ideas. Great combination of all the things today's teacher could want from a professional book!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical, real world application of culturally sustaining practices. Good places to reflect on as a science instructor and when working with preservice teachers. It is written more for ELA teachers, but connections can easily be drawn to other fields.