Chapter 21: Reflection: Sisyphus With a Smile: On Finding Momentum Through Political Trauma in Education

My many identities have placed me in perpetual otherness throughout my educational experiences as a K–12 student and beyond into college. Even before I had the words to describe it, I always felt just on the outskirts of my school communities. It was this perpetual othering (in addition to a lifelong ambition formed in my bossy-big-sisterhood) that inspired me to become a New York City public school teacher and a founding teacher of a 6-12 school in Brooklyn. Steeped in the revolutionary critical pedagogy of Paulo Freire, I helped build, and continue to support and shape, a school that is dedicated to uplifting the voices and experiences of all members of its community. Lately though I have been restless, noticing and ruminating over things that in years past didn’t feel so burdensome.