Humanizing Education: Building a Classroom of Belonging

ABSTRACT
This autoethnography explores how my schooling experiences shaped the person I entered the classroom as, and how the values I brought with me emerged and evolved during the school year. Through the implementation of a project-based learning unit on water quality, I observed that student-led inquiry, scientific disagreement, and autonomy fostered an engaged community of learners with growing science identities. Grounded in Tessman’s theory of belonging and the works of Freire, Gay, and Rogoff, I discuss the unit’s strengths and weaknesses while making suggestions for improvement. Through this, I offer insight into how conscious relationship building influenced our classroom community and continues to shape who I am as a teacher.

What I Became from Where I Have Been

ABSTRACT
Developing an understanding of teaching requires teaching approaches, but just as equally, an emotional paradigm that is evolved from our goals and pasts as educators and human beings. Through reflection on what motivated me to pursue education as a way to help and do good by people, I gained a deeper appreciation of my greatest loss and most proud motivator. The care that has been enriched with every growing connection furthers the creation of what I grew to love as my autoethnography, as it follows my growth as an educator and human during a unit revolving around social justice and science.

Growing Our Learning Roots: Documenting Growth Within a Classroom Community

ABSTRACT
This autoethnography captures my first year of teaching with a focus on the social justice unit titled “The Road to Better Health”, which explores cancer as a phenomenon for students to learn about genetics and draw connections to their local community to highlight the importance of environmental justice and health equity. Themed around my core teaching value of growth, a series of snapshots and reflections showcase growth across many different aspects: student growth as learners and individuals, growing connections, lessons growing from lectures to whole-class activities to beyond the classroom walls, and growing from a class to a vibrant community of learners. Informed by theories like Rogoff’s Community of Learners and Nodding’s Care Theory, I share my intentions and goals while planning, thoughts while experiencing, and reflections after these lessons to celebrate strengths, identify areas of growth, and develop action plans for Year 2.

The Science Behind a Classroom Community: Centering Growth, Belonging, and Care (Poster)

Building Relationships: Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Students Explore Disability Justice and Community Engagement

MILEN CORONADO (TEP Graduate, Multiple Subjects Pathway)

ABSTRACT
This inquiry project focuses on my first year of teaching social justice content in a split class. In my project, I highlight moments, theories, and personal reflections that helped me build my social justice pedagogy. In Segment 1, I reflect on my experiences that shaped the way I want to build a classroom community and how I want my students to see their education as a powerful tool in their lives. With this, students engage with learning about disability justice and develop their understanding of what a disability is. In Segment 2, I utilize an Asset-Based Framework to guide a unit focused on disability justice and community engagement. In this unit, my Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten students create an understanding of community and what a healthy relationship is made up of while learning about different disabilities and community members. The goal of this unit was to help my students build relationships by understanding the crucial aspects of community engagement and disability justice. Segment 3 shares my findings on what my students learned, ways I can develop my unit, and my commitment to being a social justice educator. Finally, I reflect on how capable students are in engaging in social justice content when they are given clear guidance.

A Touch of “Hispanic Pizzaz”: Incorporating Public History and YPAR Practices Within Our Classroom Collective

ISABEL CORTES (TEP Graduate, Secondary Social Studies Pathway)

ABSTRACT
For generations, educators have taught United States History through the Banking System. However, for many students, studying history through the Banking System poses a significant challenge as it often erases the inclusion of community history and archives within our American education system. By employing Public History and Youth Participatory Action Research practices, students can engage in critical praxis by conducting oral interviews with community members and incorporating research skills to uncover cultural landmarks in Los Angeles. I designed “A Student’s Guide to Los Angeles” in partnership with SLAB, a USC Research Lab, for two reasons: students gain real-world research experience while learning about the Westside community. The second reason is to highlight that while studying U.S. History is essential, researching their community’s history and perspectives is vital to being an informed citizen. The Project has three major components: (A) An Identity Map, (B), What Does it Mean to be an Angeleno? Interview, (C) A Cultural Landmark Guidebook Page. These project components seek to support students as they develop the skills to be intellectual scholars and student researchers. Moreover, their guidebooks seek to document everyday community members’ experiences within our classroom collective.

Critically Tracing the Past in the Present: An Ethnic Studies Teacher’s Autoethnography

IRENE MORALES (TEP Graduate, Secondary Social Studies Pathway)

ABSTRACT
Much research in K-12 education has historically neglected the experiences of students and teachers of color. This autoethnography (Ellis et.al, 2011) documents my first year as an Ethnic Studies maestra working with Black and Brown high school students. In my classroom, we prioritize joy and personal connection (Muhammad, 2023), question and challenge oppressive structures through reflection and communal dialogue (Freire, 1970), and critically hope, as we imagine a better future with specific solutions that relieve suffering in our communities (Duncan-Andrade, 2009). In the first segment, I highlight experiences that inspired my drive to help culturally sustain students through an asset-based approach (Yosso, 2006) and uplift the stories of those who have been traditionally left in the margins. I then reflect on my experiences connecting with my community school and my focus class of this inquiry, U.S. History Honors. In the second segment, I explore the reasons for my creation of our Unit on the Black Diaspora and reflect on our learning experiences during the implementation of it, with snapshots of moments in class. The final segment features my personal reflections on the unit and my first teaching year, with hopes for improved teaching and learning in the future.

Cultural Wealth with Emergent Bilinguals – Uplifting their Strengths

NICOLE MARCOS (TEP Graduate, Secondary Social Studies Pathway)

ABSTRACT
This inquiry is an autoethnographic investigation of my first year as an English and English Language Development (ELD) teacher. Using Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth (2000) and Rogoff’s idea of community of learners (1994), the study focuses on the importance of belonging and care within the classroom. This investigation begins with a reflection of myself and my experience with school and how this has influenced my own journey into the classroom, as well as developing my own teaching pedagogy. I want to create a space where students feel a sense of belonging and joy, which is something I lacked in my own education journey. For this analysis, I focused on my 5th-period ELD class, which I had for an entire year. The material is focused on developing their English language. For my particular autoethnographic focus, I created a 6-week united centered on community cultural wealth to uplift my students’ strengths prior to taking state tests. My objective for this unit is to create a space where students’ community knowledge is valued and showcased in the classroom. Using highlighted snapshots of my students’ interactions and conversations of the assignment, as well as my own personal reflections on the interactions. I included my own areas of growth, which included providing more time and more collaboration amongst students. I finished my autoethnography by reflecting on my first year as a teacher as well as my hopes for the future.

The Importance of Imagination in the Eighth Grade Classroom

JULIAN ANGAT (TEP Graduate, Secondary English Pathway)

ABSTRACT
Highlighting the importance of imagination within schooling, this autoethnographic inquiry chronicles my experiences as a first-year teacher in the eighth-grade English classroom. This inquiry begins with a reflection on my philosophy of education, highlighting values that have shaped my teaching: the sociological imagination, student-centered teaching, trauma-informed support, and ethnic studies. After providing background for the neighborhood, school, and focus class of this inquiry, I employ the use of snapshots to illustrate three different contexts of my students’ learning environments. With a specific focus on time spent during our unit titled Essential Research Skills for Teens, I analyze two student samples as points of reflection on my strengths and improvements as an educator. My inquiry concludes with an action plan that highlights the values and maps my growth that will take me into the rest of my teaching career.

Se Necesita un Pueblo: Protegiendo el Nuestro

DIANA ALVARADO (TEP Graduate, Secondary English Pathway)

ABSTRACT
This autoethnographic study explores the value of community teachers and creating connections between students’ lived experiences and community issues in the curriculum. Using Murrells’ Community Teacher Framework (2000) and Freire’s concept of dialogue (2005), the study focuses on the importance of hearing student voices in the classroom and creating an environment of shared knowledge where students are placed in the position of the expert on a topic and engage in dialogue with their community teacher on the issue of gentrification. This inquiry draws its qualitative findings from a 7th-grade English Language Arts class and their reflections on gentrification as it relates to others’ and their own community. Students focused on informational texts to learn more about gentrification, conducted interviews on community members and eventually on small businesses to present their knowledge to the class on a small business in their community. These findings suggest that community teachers can support their students by providing them with the space to engage with informational texts and create their own when they are co-creators of knowledge in their classroom and when they can bring the knowledge of their community to their classroom.

Building Love and Kindness in the Classroom

ELENA ZHANG (TEP Graduate, Secondary English Pathway)

ABSTRACT
This inquiry is an autoethnographic investigation capturing my first-year as a English 9th and 10th grade teacher. It begins with a story about my values as a person and as an educator that shape my pedagogy. The focus of my analysis is my Period 2, English 9 class. For this analysis, I developed a 5-week unit centered on the power of love. The goal of this unit was to teach students how living by a love ethic can create positive change in the world. I include snapshots from the unit to showcase my students’ learning and growth throughout the unit. In addition, I use these snapshots to reflect on my own teaching and identify strengths and areas of growth. Through reflection, I conclude my study with an action plan for future growth in curriculum planning and classroom management.

Trapped Energy, Unleashed Voices: Teaching Science Through Social Justice

ABSTRACT
This autoethnography explores how my personal history as a low-income, first-generation Bengali student shapes my approach to teaching science as a tool for equity and liberation. Drawing on critical pedagogy, critical race theory, and feminist pedagogy, I reflect on the moments, relationships, and classroom dynamics that have informed my practice. Through stories from my all-boys honors science class—ranging from hands-on energy experiments to emotionally charged discussions on immigration and community violence—I examine how students engage with science when it reflects their lived realities. Using the metaphor of potential and kinetic energy, I designed a social justice unit in which students connected physical concepts to systemic oppression and collective action. These lessons became spaces where science was no longer neutral or distant, but deeply personal and political. This work highlights the transformative potential of culturally responsive, justice-driven teaching to affirm students’ voices and position them as agents of change within their communities.

Communities of Belonging: To Be Seen and Heard

ABSTRACT
This autoethnography explores the implementation of a justice-centered science unit in an 11th-grade physics classroom situated within a diverse, low-income urban school. Framed through the lens of culturally responsive teaching (Gay, 2018) and critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970), the study highlights how science instruction can be a tool for student voice, advocacy, and belonging. This paper shares three classroom snapshots that show how students analyzed air quality data, created filtration masks for those most affected, and wrote letters to local representatives during a unit prompted by local wildfires. Reflections on class culture, student relationships, and teacher growth reveal strengths such as authentic engagement and connection to community, alongside areas for growth, including content rigor and student stamina. The paper concludes with an action plan to improve curriculum integration and support student independent learning skills. By weaving together theory, practice, and personal experience, this work offers an example of how social justice and science education can meaningfully intersect.

Learning Through Growing

ABSTRACT
In this autoethnography, I explore a Social Justice Science Unit in which students deepened their understanding of DNA and genetics through lessons on molecular biology and biotechnology, including GMOs. Grounded in culturally responsive pedagogy, the unit connected scientific concepts to real-world issues by examining food deserts and farmworker treatment in Los Angeles. The classroom environment fostered feelings of belonging where students felt safe and comfortable formulating their advocacy voices against systemic challenges. Through data analysis, critical discussions, and advocacy projects, students engaged with the ethics and equity of biotechnological advancements in food systems. This paper highlights how integrating social justice with science promotes student agency and critical thinking, empowering learners to advocate for more equitable and just food access in their communities.

Nurturing Belonging and Advocacy Amidst a Shifting World (Poster)

Teaching for Transformation and Liberation: My Journey to Becoming the Teacher I Needed

ABSTRACT
This paper reflects on my first year of teaching as a proud Latinx educator raised in Boyle Heights, guiding students through a social justice science unit centered on lead contamination in Los Angeles. It shares how my students connected what we learned to their own lives and communities, using real data and hands-on soil testing to uncover the impact of environmental injustice. By sharing snapshots from my classroom, I explore how science became a tool for students to question, reflect, and explore how their identities and experiences sparked meaningful conversations and reflections. Rooted in culturally responsive teaching and student-centered learning, this paper highlights how creating space for personal connection can transform education and empower students to see themselves as agents of change.

Teaching with Humility: Lessons from Both Sides of the Desk

ABSTRACT
This paper explores the transformative power of humility in education, drawing from personal experiences as both a student and a teacher within a traditional Mexican-American household. It examines how early familial expectations shaped a persona of perfection and pride, which later hindered empathetic teaching practices. A pivotal classroom encounter with a struggling student revealed that behaviors often perceived as defiance stemmed from deeper emotional burdens. This realization led to a shift towards a more compassionate, culturally responsive pedagogy that values students’ diverse backgrounds and struggles. By embracing humility, educators can foster an inclusive environment where students feel seen, heard, and supported, ultimately enhancing their academic and personal growth.

Connecting Cultures in the Science Classroom

ABSTRACT
This autoethnography examines my first year as a teacher through a social justice unit on human impact in a 7th-grade science class. Students developed critical thinking skills and leadership by examining human impact in their local community. From food webs to earthquakes, students grew connections to the environment and their role as urban youth. Guided by educational theories like community cultural wealth and belonging, this paper demonstrates students’ ability to learn science when exposed to hands-on projects.

We Are the Curriculum: Centering Culture, Voice, and Community in Science (Poster)

Building a Community of Learners: Belonging, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking

ABSTRACT
This autoethnography explores how fostering a sense of belonging within a community of learners enhances student engagement and critical thinking through peer collaboration. Grounded in the theories of Vygotsky, Rogoff, Tessman, and Larmer, I reflected on vignettes from a high school Chemistry class during a social justice unit, in which students explored the periodic table through real-world contexts and investigated the broader social and environmental issues stemming from the life cycle of elements. Through this unit, I witnessed how classroom environments that challenge while supporting students can foster deeper engagement and growth. As I continue to grow as an educator and lifelong learner, I am committed to developing scaffolding strategies and formative assessments that encourage deeper thinking and help all students succeed.

Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn: A First-Year Story

ABSTRACT
This autoethnography centers around my observations as my students explore the relationship between the housing and income situation in their community. These students apply prior and new knowledge towards analyzing the content under a social justice lens while engaging in critical discussions around their findings. Through these observations, I examined the different ways students related to math and, upon reflection, began to think forward about how I can improve upon this unit to further their critical thinking while applying the teachings of those before us, such as Vygotsky, Ladson-Billings, and Gutstein.

STEM Beyond the Books: Fostering Collaboration and Real-World Connections (Poster)

Pedagogy of Empathy: Honoring the Cultural Background of Every Student

ABSTRACT
This critical teacher autoethnography explores the role of empathy in shaping my teaching practice during my first year as an educator. I examine the challenges of instructing a sheltered ELD biology class without sharing a common language with my students, while striving to uphold empathy as a central pedagogical value. Through an inquiry-based project, I created opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of scientific concepts and to use their voices to advocate for social change. The intersection of science and social justice is emphasized through students’ final project-based learning (PBL) product: a letter to local government officials addressing community issues.

Fostering a Resilient Community of Learners

ABSTRACT
This qualitative teacher action research project examined a 10-week social justice unit in a secondary Health class, where nine students explored food deserts through a community-based inquiry. The project led to a deeper understanding of systemic inequities, increased engagement, and stronger student ownership. Centering student voice, choice, and agency through critical pedagogy fostered a sense of belonging and strengthened relationships.

Tides of Teaching

Each morning I stand at the shore,
The tide pulls in a sea of faces,
Each wave, a story to explore,
A new journey with unknown spaces.

I built a harbor with patience and grace,
Casting lines of trust through the tide,
I learned their fears, their dreams, their space,
Saw them rise, no longer hide.

Yet some days, the winds would rage and roar,
Currents unraveling plans once sure,
What seemed anchored slipped through like sand,
And I realized, I must understand.

I dreamed of sails that caught the breeze,
Projects alive with heart and hands,
But the maps I drew lacked guiding keys,
The course too vague, unclear strands.

In the deep waters of rigor and rules,
I floated, then anchored, finding my way,
To teach the journey, not just the tools,
To lift them up every day.

Some storms I could not quell
Winds of defiance, tides of resistance,
I learned some shores take time to swell,
Carved by seasons, not persistence.

Yet still, the ocean speaks to me,
There’s beauty in the endless view,
Strength in tides that rise and flee,
Grace is starting fresh, anew.

I am not the teacher I once was,
And I won’t be the same tomorrow,
Like the sea, I shift and change,
But always return, where I can grow.

To listen, to learn, and build once more,
With every wave, a chance to soar.

Ani Zohrabyan

Elements of Health: How Chemistry, Nutrition, and Genetics Shape Our Communities (Poster)

Designing for Justice: A First-Year Teacher’s Journey Through Math, Identity, and Student Agency

ABSTRACT
This paper looks back on my first year teaching through a social justice math unit where students used geometry to design community gardens. It shares how students connected math to their own lives and took ownership of their learning. Through snapshots of classroom moments, I explore how students moved from uncertainty to ownership—using area, perimeter, and scaling to create garden designs that reflected both mathematical understanding and personal identity. Drawing on student reflections, critical math theory, and culturally responsive practices, this paper highlights the importance of student agency, relevance, and intentional planning in building a classroom where all students feel seen, capable, and empowered.

Rooted in Real Life: Cultivating Agency, Trust, and Community Through Math Education (Poster)

Growing and Reflecting: Building A Community of Learners With My Students

ABSTRACT
This autoethnographic paper centers on my journey as a math educator committed to using culturally responsive teaching to empower Black and Brown students. Through reflection, I share how my early struggles with classroom management and feelings of failure led me to redefine what it means to be a teacher, not just someone who delivers content, but someone who creates spaces of compassion, healing, and belonging. The heart of this paper is a three-week social justice geometry unit where my students designed community wellness spaces while exploring systemic inequities in access to health resources. By incorporating student voice, I saw my students begin to use math as a tool for critical thinking and social change. Throughout the unit, I took on different roles: facilitator, co-learner, and celebrator, as I witnessed my students grow in confidence and community. This experience pushed me to reflect on my own growth in confidence, collaboration, and pedagogy, and reaffirmed my belief that math classrooms can be spaces of empowerment, joy, and transformation.

Centering Students: Inquiry, Collaboration, and Culture Shift (Poster)

Maintaining High Expectations in an Engaging Culturally Relevant Classroom

ABSTRACT
This autoethnography covers the first-year teaching experience from an educator who was once a student who faced “expectation discrimination” due to her test scores and behavior in math classrooms. With the goal of ensuring her students do not face a lack of opportunities to produce quality content, this social justice educator uses the local environment of the school and the students’ funds of knowledge of the surrounding community to engage their learning and critical thinking. By incorporating a hobby that many students partake in at the school (going to the nearby parks), she was able to engage students of various math levels in a unit educating them on the inequitable access to green spaces in urban environments compared to suburban areas, while also practicing their skills using the Pythagorean Theorem in a real-world context.

Trauma in the Classroom: Support, Safety, and Empowerment Through Mathematics

ARZOAN ESPARZA (TEP Graduate, Secondary Math Pathway)

ABSTRACT
This autoethnography explores trauma in the classroom. Having faced significant challenges, including 70% of my body being burned, living in a low-income, first-generation, working-class environment at a young age, my goal is to support students who confront unique challenges both in and outside the classroom. I will always strive to create a safe and supportive classroom environment. Many of my students have experienced homelessness in various unique ways. These lessons are designed to promote understanding of the differences among others, while emphasizing that change is possible, with education serving as a catalyst.

Centering Students With High Expectations, Healing and Belonging (Poster)