Pedagogies of Voice

Shane Safir has worked at every level of the education system, from the classroom to the boardroom, for over 25 years. In 2003, after teaching in San Francisco and Oakland and organizing in the community to launch a new school, Shane became the founding co-principal of June Jordan School for Equity (JJSE), an innovative national model identified by leading scholar Linda Darling-Hammond as "supporting the success of low-income students of color." Since 2008, Safir has provided equity-centered leadership coaching, strategic planning, and professional development for schools, districts, and organizations across the United States, Canada, and beyond. She facilitates learning on listening leadership, becoming a warm demander for equity, centering student voice, and the Street Data model for school transformation. She is the author of The Listening Leader: Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation (Jossey-Bass, 2017) and the bestselling Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation (Corwin, 2021), coauthored with Dr. Jamila Dugan.

Foreword Preface Part I: Foundations of a Pedagogy of Voice Chapter 1: The Case for a Pedagogy of Voice Chapter 2: Choosing the Margins of Our Classrooms Chapter 3: 10 Toxins That Undermine a Pedagogy of Voice Chapter 4: 10 Ways of Being That Awaken a Pedagogy of Voice Part II: The 8 Pedagogies Chapter 5: Pedagogies that Awaken Identity Chapter 6: Pedagogies that Awaken Belonging Chapter 7: Pedagogies that Awaken Inquiry Chapter 8: Pedagogies that Awaken Efficacy Part III: Awakening Teacher Voice and Agency Chapter 9: Reimagining Pedagogy Through the Equity Transformation Cycle Chapter 10: Awakening Teacher Voice and Agency Integrative Case Study: Kwuyx-t tu Snuhwulh Hwulmuhk "Steering the Canoe": Indigenous Land-based Education and Pedagogy Epilogue Glossary References

"Pedagogies of Voice is a timely call, a vision grounded in justice and hope. It invites educators to imagine their classrooms as liberatory spaces—genius gardens where student agency, belonging, joy, and love take root and flourish. Through its actionable framework, the authors weave historical, cultural, and pedagogical insights into a powerful guide, inspiring meaningful learning that extends beyond the walls of the classroom."

Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Professor

Teachers College, Columbia University, Author, "Love from the Vortex & Other Poems" and "The Peace Chronicles"

"Right now, more than ever, both in education and in the world around us, there is an urgent and profound need for possibilities, truth-telling, justice, hope, and ultimately, love. The authors of Pedagogies of Voice have given us just that. By listening to educators from across North America, they have developed pedagogies that awaken both student and teacher agency. The language throughout the book is tender, loving, and challenging—a balance that is no small feat. I am in awe of how these writers and educators work together in unison to collectively dismantle what we have long believed to be fixed and unchangeable.

"Pedagogies of Voice is a book that every teacher needs because it has the potential to transform classrooms and help create the world that those of us on the side of justice and love know is possible. This book is an invitation you must accept."

Bettina Love, Professor

Teachers College, Columbia University

"In Pedagogies of Voice, Shane Safir, Crystal Watson, Marlo Bagsik, and Sawsan Jaber showcase what it looks like to both reimagine and reconstruct the educational landscape. Drawing on the transformative power of Street Data, they challenge traditional paradigms and illuminate a path toward authentic student agency. The authors weave a tapestry of radical listening, equity-driven practices, and practical strategies that empower educators to amplify every students voice. Four pedagogy chapters are chock full of beautiful ways to awaken learner identity, belonging, inquiry, and efficacy. I celebrated Street Data as a guide for educators to transcend surface-level metrics and build systems rooted in humanity and justice. This book, a necessary extension of that work,  is a must-read for anyone devoted to being better equipped to continue the work of reshaping education into a liberatory practice."

Christopher Emdin, Maxine Greene Chair for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Professor of Science Education

Teachers College, Columbia University

"In Pedagogies of Voice the authors share a transformative vision for what education can be when we prioritize youth engagement and learning over adult and institutional control. Most essentially, the authors do what so much “student voice” literature doesn’t quite manage to do: they provide us with the understandings and tools to be more than student voice tinkerers. As I read, I found myself fundamentally reimagining my role as an educator."

Paul Gorski, Founder

Equity Literacy Institute

"Oh, this book! There could not be a better time to be holding it in our hands (and hearts). When the world feels heavy, this book is a beacon—for teachers and students, but not just any teachers and students. It speaks to those on the margins, navigating the barriers and hurdles of a world not built for them, and whose voices are often overlooked.

"Intentionally centering marginalized voices is a hallmark of Safir’s work and this book illustrates practical ways to help all of us respond to voices, not only empowering students and teachers, but also transforming systems at large. It advocates for a long-overdue educational revolution that positions teaching and learning as an inquiry into community and growth through engagement and belonging.

"At a time when oppressive compliance indicators and standardization processes seem to stifle teaching and learning, Pedagogies of Voice offers a call to action that will cultivate inclusive and equitable opportunities for all students. This book will bring life back to our everyday teaching practices, and potential back to student learning experiences."

Dr. Shelley Moore, Ph.D., Teacher, Researcher, Advocate, Storyteller

Five Moore Minutes

"In a time when hope is at an all-time low in our schools and students are actively disengaged, this book challenges us to question the foundations, history, and purpose of education, and to break free from the limitations of a discriminatory, standardized education system. Paramount throughout these pages is the credo that student voice changes everything. By recognizing that meaning and learning in our classrooms is co-created between students and teachers, Pedagogies of Voice guides educators to prioritize belonging toward self-efficacy, agency, and empowerment, through transformation of our pedagogy and practice. It provides a blueprint for educators to make meaningful connections between where we are now and where we aspire to be by honoring our students’ identities, voices, and experiences, and responding to re-imagine schools as spaces of “radical love.” As educators we must wake up and challenge ourselves, and our education system, to move away from education for compliance toward education for liberation. This book is our alarm and our guide. Above all Pedagogies of Voice is grounded in hope. The hope that our schools can be fully inclusive homeplaces for students, facilitated by educators who see and honor the value, promise, and humanity of every student who passes through their classrooms."

Mandy Manning, 2018 National Teacher of the Year

National Teacher of the Year

"An amazing resource! Many diverse voices, practical examples and guides suitable for a classroom teacher wishing to grow their practice, suitable for a school administrator wanting to better support and serve the teachers and students in their school and for a teachers working together to create learning spaces that nurture each and every child. A resource I know that I will return to over and over."

Swee’alt Denise Augustine, former BC Superintendent

BC Indigenous Education

"As a Black educator who was once a Black student in America’s public schools, Pedagogies of Voice: Street Data and the Path to Student Agency is a must-read for any educator working toward the creation of loving and rigorous educational spaces. The beauty of the work that Safir, Bagsik, Jaber, and Watson have done here is that the books (including Safir and Dugan’s Street Data) provide brilliant theoretical support for educational pedagogy and praxis that center the lived experiences of marginalized folks across the globe while also, and most importantly, giving actionable steps teachers and school leaders can take today to create schools spaces where abolition is possible. Each chapter provides opportunity for tangible action and reflection, tools practicing educators need now more than ever. I felt myself grow as a teacher and as an eternal student as the books offers the reader opportunities to explore our own pedagogies and voices to create more equitable, affirming, and truly safe schools."

Chanea Bond, Secondary and Postsecondary Literature and Literacy Educator

Fort Worth ISD, Tarrant County College