Summer 2024      Volume 52, Number 3

Climate Justice Now: Lessons from an Elementary/Middle School Educator Who Is Cultivating Sustainable Futures
By Rebecca Woodard and Kristine M. Schutz with Ashley Stanley

Document: Column  

Introductory Paragraph:  This column is the last in a three-part series designed to introduce readers to some remarkable PK-8 educators who have demonstrated a commitment to developing their climate knowledge and pedagogy. In this last installment, you meet Ashley Stanley, a 5th-grade teacher at the Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Illinois. In the past few years, Ashley has also taught English/language arts to 7th and 8th graders. Her inspiring literacy-rich climate pedagogy is featured in our recently released book, Teaching Climate Change to Children: Literacy Pedagogy that Cultivates Sustainable Futures (Woodard & Schutz, 2024).  In her work as a classroom educator, Ashley frequently seeks opportunities to incorporate current events, community issues, and student-generated inquiry into her planning. She believes that high levels of rigor are best achieved within relevant learning opportunities for her students. She has also observed that teaching climate literacy in the classroom has led to higher levels of student academic engagement and ethical discussions about advocacy and compassionate global citizenship.  We had a chance to sit down and talk with Ashley to surface her thinking and experiences about how she supports young people to learn about climate change and environmental sustainability. Below, we share four important lessons that emerged in our conversation with Ashley to support teachers in exploring this important topic in their own work with young people.

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.33600/IRCJ.52.3.2024.56

Page Numbers:   56-59