Freedom Teaching (eBook)

MATTHEW KINCAID is the Founder and CEO of Overcoming Racism, LLC, an organization that trains educators and businesses on race and equity. He has been leading anti-racism workshops for over 15 years and has been recognized as a Top 100 visionary leader by Real Leaders magazine.

Introduction: The Journey xi

Chapter 1: Setting Intention 1

Intention Matters 3

Agreement #1: Engage with Uncomfortable Truths 4

Agreement #2: Replace a Scarcity Mindset with a Possibility Mindset 6

Agreement #3: Embrace Your Radical Imagination 8

Agreement #4: Center Students 9

Notes 10

Chapter 2: Freedom Teaching's Foundation 11

What Is Freedom Teaching? 13

Theory of Change 16

Change the Environment, Change the Outcomes 16

Adjust the Camera Angle 19

Use the Right Tools 21

Freedom Teaching's Five Tenets and How to Use Them 24

Notes 25

Chapter 3: Hope That Is Radical 27

Rosa Parks and Radical Hope 28

Reclaiming Radical 31

Using Our Tools 34

Notes 37

Chapter 4: From Radical Hope to Practice 39

Sharing Power with Students 43

Strategies That Cede Power to Students 50

Notes 54

Chapter 5: Free Minds, Free Kids 55

The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste 56

Limiting Beliefs and the Cycle of Socialization 58

Aligning Our Attitudes and Our Behaviors 64

Note 65

Chapter 6: It Isn't Rigorous, If It Isn't Relevant 67

Embracing Our Power 67

The Freedom Teaching Model 73

Cognitive Empowerment 77

Academic Achievement 82

Academic Identity 83

Academic Proficiency 84

Critical Rigor 85

Social and Emotional Well-Being 89

Cultural Competence 90

Critical Consciousness 93

Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Environment 99

Notes 102

Chapter 7: Trouble Doesn't Teach 103

Reinforcing the Behaviors We Want 106

Anecdote #1 111

Anecdote #2 113

Misbehaviors Are an Opportunity to Teach 115

Identify Traits and Skills of Empowered Students 118

Consider the Effect of Consequences 119

Align Consequences to Student Goals and Values 120

Aim for Consequences That Are Restorative, Student-Driven, and Community-Focused 121

Aim for Consequences That Are Consistent, Predictable, and Compassionate 123

Notes 125

Chapter 8: Cultivating a Classroom That Values Cultural Wealth 127

Culturally Affirming Education 129

What Is Cultural Wealth? 130

Aspirational Capital 131

Linguistic Capital 132

Familial Capital 134

Social Capital and Navigational Capital 136

Resistant Capital 139

Standpoint Theory and Cultural Wealth 141

Envisioning Equity 147

Notes 148

Chapter 9: Oh Freedom: Staying on the Battlefield 151

Freedom Song 154

On Hope 159

Notes 160

About the Author 161

Acknowledgments 163

Index 167

Praise for Freedom Teaching



"Matthew Kincaid has been a leader in freedom teaching for many years, exemplifying the principles on which he writes and refining the principles he shares. He has set a powerful blueprint, and this book serves as a reminder that freedom- and hate- begin in the classroom. Freedom Teaching helps us make the right choices with intention and love."

--Brittany Packnett Cunningham, activist and host of UNDISTRACTED

"Matthew Kincaid has been leading anti-racism initiatives since he was 14 years old. His passion, commitment and dedication to this cause is illustrated in the attention to detail in this book. Freedom Teaching strikes at the core of the injustice in our education system while offering vision for a more hopeful, just and equitable future."

--Constance Jones, Noble Schools, CEO

"As a lifelong advocate for change, Matthew Kincaid has written an indispensable guide for educators and activists alike. This book brilliantly unpacks the complexities of anti-racism in education."

--Salvatore Larocca, President, Global Partnerships, National Basketball Association and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, La Salle Academy

"Freedom Teaching is a powerful tool to advance social justice education with K-12 schools! For educators who are committed to leveraging education as a mechanism to promote justice, liberation, and empowerment, this text richly equips you with the strategies or how. I have always been a fan of Matthew Kincaid's work, and this text is yet another manifestation of his genius! I highly recommend it, and cannot wait to leverage it as a tool to support both new and seasoned educators looking for resources to expand their ability to help craft youth who are agents of change within our world!"

--Krystal H. Allen, author of What Goes Unspoken, CEO, K Allen Consulting

"When it comes to the critical truth telling needed to shake up age-old systems and structures so they can't operate as they have in the past, Matthew Kincaid is without equal. I have been an advocate of Matthew's scholarship for many years and Freedom Teaching gives me hope that it is possible for ALL children to learn in an environment justly designed for them to flourish."

--Liliahn Majeed, DE&I Executive and Disruptor of Deficit Narratives