Arlington, VA, Feb. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ASCD, the nation's leading association for K–12 educator professional development, announced the publication of Understanding Your Instructional Power: Curriculum and Language Decisions to Support Each Student. Beliefs are the foundation of power, and without the tools to evaluate and reflect on those beliefs, teachers can’t fully address the biases and behaviors that stand in the way of an inclusive classroom environment. This timely exploration of instructional power in the classroom includes real-world insights, exercises, and strategies to help educators support and empower students.
Author Tanji Reed Marshall, PhD, is a former elementary and middle school teacher and Title I literacy coach with more than two decades of experience in the field of education to advance the work of practice on behalf of students of color, those experiencing economic uncertainty, and those perpetually left on the margins of our education system.
Based on her experiences within and outside of the classroom, this book unpacks how teachers can understand and use the instructional power associated with their authority to foster student agency and empowerment. Using her own original Power Principle matrix, she identifies four levels of curricular autonomy that teachers have (Unfettered, Calibrated, Restricted, and Minimal) and four dimensions of instructional power that characterize their classroom environment (Empowering, Agentive, Protective, and Disenfranchising) to help educators structure classroom cultures of empowerment and inclusivity.
Strategies for Uncovering and Leveraging Instructional Power
K–12 educators, including teacher leaders, instructional leaders, Title I directors, and coaches, will return to the insights, research, and exercises in this book again and again to:
- Apply the Power Principle matrix to the four levels of curricular autonomy and four dimensions of instructional power that characterize the classroom environment
- Understand how language can help remove cultural bias in the classroom
- Analyze how each teacher’s personal and professional histories and ideologies influence students’ learning experiences
- Cultivate a culture of agency and empowerment for students and teachers
Praise for Understanding Your Instructional Power
“Dr. Tanji Reed Marshall lands a seminal read that is not to be missed! Understanding Your Instructional Power is a unique teacher-oriented book that addresses instruction within the context of power and the impact of teachers’ power on students’ learning and perceptions of self. The Power Principle matrix should be taught in every teacher training program because it masterfully depicts the power teachers have in instructional decision making—from empowering to disenfranchising. As a former teacher, I appreciate how Dr. Reed Marshall empowers teachers to unleash their skills and knowledge to make a lasting difference in the education of students. This is an important book!”
— Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, PhD, Dean and Distinguished Professor, School of Education, American University
“In order to get to true equity, we must shift from a narrow focus on best practices to thinking about instructional power. More than just covering content, instructional power, as Reed Marshall outlines in her book, gives teachers a way to think differently about their impact on students in service of developing their agency to become powerful independent learners.”
— Zaretta Hammond, teacher educator and author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain
“Understanding Your Instructional Power is a brilliant, thoughtful, and practical book designed to guide teachers in believing in and modeling the power of powerful and empowering thinking for themselves and their students. Vignettes, activities, and concrete examples guide teachers in fostering empowered/empowering environments where students’ learning is authentic, culturally responsive, and rigorous. I am excited about the promise of this masterful work at helping teachers to be more effective professionals overall, and especially with minoritized students.”
— Donna Y Ford, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University
For more information on ASCD's professional development books and resources, visit www.ascd.org/books.
About the Author
Dr. Tanji Reed Marshall is a former elementary and middle school teacher and Title I literacy coach. She has consulted with school districts nationwide to improve literacy instruction for traditionally underserved students. She also worked in the Office of Academic Programs at Virginia Tech on accreditation for their education program. Reed Marshall has published articles with NCTE and BET, and she has been featured in the 74, the NY Times, NPR, and EdWeek. She is currently the director of P–12 practice at The Education Trust, where she works with states, school districts, and partner organizations to advance equity in schools.
Follow Dr. Reed Marshall on Twitter.
About ASCD
ASCD is a passionate community of life-changing educators. Our community is empowered to be equity and instructional warriors who transform vision into practice. For 75 years, we have worked side by side with educators from every level in all 50 states and more than 200 countries to help them find their people and amplify their voices to reach many. Our professional learning services let educators chart their own learning journey, as educators, and as leaders, so they and their students can flourish. Learn more at www.ascd.org and visit ASCD's virtual learning community to view a full slate of educator professional learning opportunities and conferences.
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