Freedom Teaching

Introduction: The Journey xi Chapter 1: Setting Intention 1 Intention Matters 3 Agreement #1: Engage with Uncomfortable Truths 4 Agreement #2: Replace a Scarcity Mindset with a Possibility Mindset 6 Agreement #3: Embrace Your Radical Imagination 8 Agreement #4: Center Students 9 Notes 10 Chapter 2: Freedom Teaching's Foundation 11 What Is Freedom Teaching? 13 Theory of Change 16 Change the Environment, Change the Outcomes 16 Adjust the Camera Angle 19 Use the Right Tools 21 Freedom Teaching's Five Tenets and How to Use Them 24 Notes 25 Chapter 3: Hope That Is Radical 27 Rosa Parks and Radical Hope 28 Reclaiming Radical 31 Using Our Tools 34 Notes 37 Chapter 4: From Radical Hope to Practice 39 Sharing Power with Students 43 Strategies That Cede Power to Students 50 Notes 54 Chapter 5: Free Minds, Free Kids 55 The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste 56 Limiting Beliefs and the Cycle of Socialization 58 Aligning Our Attitudes and Our Behaviors 64 Note 65 Chapter 6: It Isn't Rigorous, If It Isn't Relevant 67 Embracing Our Power 67 The Freedom Teaching Model 73 Cognitive Empowerment 77 Academic Achievement 82 Academic Identity 83 Academic Proficiency 84 Critical Rigor 85 Social and Emotional Well-Being 89 Cultural Competence 90 Critical Consciousness 93 Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Environment 99 Notes 102 Chapter 7: Trouble Doesn't Teach 103 Reinforcing the Behaviors We Want 106 Anecdote #1 111 Anecdote #2 113 Misbehaviors Are an Opportunity to Teach 115 Identify Traits and Skills of Empowered Students 118 Consider the Effect of Consequences 119 Align Consequences to Student Goals and Values 120 Aim for Consequences That Are Restorative, Student-Driven, and Community-Focused 121 Aim for Consequences That Are Consistent, Predictable, and Compassionate 123 Notes 125 Chapter 8: Cultivating a Classroom That Values Cultural Wealth 127 Culturally Affirming Education 129 What Is Cultural Wealth? 130 Aspirational Capital 131 Linguistic Capital 132 Familial Capital 134 Social Capital

MATTHEW KINCAID is the Founder and CEO of Overcoming Racism, LLC, an organization that trains educators and businesses on race and equity. He has been leading anti-racism workshops for over 15 years and has been recognized as a Top 100 visionary leader by Real Leaders magazine.

Praise for Freedom Teaching
 

"Matthew Kincaid has been a leader in freedom teaching for many years, exemplifying the principles on which he writes and refining the principles he shares. He has set a powerful blueprint, and this book serves as a reminder that freedom- and hate- begin in the classroom. Freedom Teaching helps us make the right choices with intention and love."
 
--Brittany Packnett Cunningham, activist and host of UNDISTRACTED
 
"Matthew Kincaid has been leading anti-racism initiatives since he was 14 years old. His passion, commitment and dedication to this cause is illustrated in the attention to detail in this book. Freedom Teaching strikes at the core of the injustice in our education system while offering vision for a more hopeful, just and equitable future."
 
--Constance Jones, Noble Schools, CEO
 
"As a lifelong advocate for change, Matthew Kincaid has written an indispensable guide for educators and activists alike. This book brilliantly unpacks the complexities of anti-racism in education."
 
--Salvatore Larocca, President, Global Partnerships, National Basketball Association and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, La Salle Academy
 
"Freedom Teaching is a powerful tool to advance social justice education with K-12 schools! For educators who are committed to leveraging education as a mechanism to promote justice, liberation, and empowerment, this text richly equips you with the strategies or how. I have always been a fan of Matthew Kincaid's work, and this text is yet another manifestation of his genius! I highly recommend it, and cannot wait to leverage it as a tool to support both new and seasoned educators looking for resources to expand their ability to help craft youth who are agents of change within our world!"
 
--Krystal H. Allen, author of What Goes Unspoken, CEO, K Allen Consulting
 
"When it comes to the critical truth telling needed to shake up age-old systems and