Building Emerging Consciousness Cultures

The Galactic Cow: Conversations about teaching, the Universe, and everything

Welcome to Episode 8, the final epsiode of Season 1! Our hope this season has been to start a different conversation about what learning and teaching might be, and we think that is happening. But as often as we say we don't have any 'final' answers, we also want to know how practitioners apply these ideas to how they already teach, or bring them in as fresh perspectives.

This episode features our interview with Omar Marquez, a sociologist, tenured faculty at Everett Community College, and a good friend. Most of the episode is Omar answering our prompts, so we've included the time codes & questions so you can listen to the bits that you find most intriguing.

We hope you find the interview as compelling as we did, and that you'll join us for Season 2. Until then, joyous learning ♥

Interview questions & time codes

• 10:11 - 20:47 Why do you consider language so critical in building classroom culture? How does language help or obstruct learning?
• 22:18 - 37:06 Why is bringing our own full selves into the classroom so important? How does it impact our relationship with students and their relationships with each other? How does being our full selves help us engage with complexity?
• 38:12 - 48:15 How do you approach teaching meaning making & building connection, for both yourself and your students?

References

Our main influence in this episode is Resmaa Menakem, author of My Grandmother’s Hands (our favorite of his books), and our guide in the work of somatic abolition, embodiment, and anti-racist culture building. We didn't do a full episode on Resmaa's work this season but it is in the plan for Season 2. Resmaa's work on culture building and somatic abolition have influenced us both deeply, and we consider our work an effort to bring these practices into learning and teaching.

We agree with Resmaa that healing our own trauma is necessary not only for our own good, but for the good of the world.

Production

• theme music: composed and performed by Alden Zac (on the interwebs here, here, here) thanks friend!
• writing: ambar & emareena
• editing & production: emareena (who is relieved this is mostly listenable)
• artwork: emareena, who loves Galactica very much, and will be occasionally posting on the blog.