Teacher Study Groups Provide Courage to Teach Outside the Textbook

The fear of retribution has created a chilling effect. An astounding two-thirds of U.S. teachers now report self-censoring discussions on race, gender identity, and sexuality in their classrooms.

But buried beneath the headlines of doom and despair, there is another story that must be told — a story about solidarity, community, hope, and resistance. As we fight the attacks on teaching and learning, it is critical that educators overcome isolation and ground ourselves in what we are fighting for.

Teaching for Black Lives study group in San Marcos, Texas.

Our Teaching for Black Lives educator-led communities of study and reflection, launched in the fall of 2020, help provide that grounding.

Teaching for Black Lives study group members have told us that their groups have been a source of strength, support, and guidance. “Having a national network of support and like-minded colleagues is a balm during these challenging times,” said one study group member. Another said: “Being in this group lit a fire of hope to keep me going.”

That is what communities of learning can provide: a fire of hope. Not a saccharine hope that delivers neither substance nor sustenance, but a hope rooted in shared commitments — to learn together, analyze together, organize together, and act together — for more justice in our classrooms and schools.

Help us double the number of teacher study groups in 2025.

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Adapted from Teachers Turn to Study Groups for Anti-Racist Learning as History Is Whitewashed by Jesse Hagopian and Ursula Wolfe-Rocca, Truthout