Pedagogies of Quiet: Silence and Social Justice in the Classroom started with one teacher's frustration with a room full of quiet students and shifted into exploring why and how teachers can incorporate a quiet praxis into their classrooms. Mindful of students who have been historically silenced or ignored-LGBTQ students and introverted students-this book dives into the historical and theoretical forces that shape classroom participation. Edwards takes the reader on a journey into an intersectional pedagogical praxis that sees the value of collective classroom silence, providing the reader with student-centered insights and practices. Grounded in empirical data, the book explores students' feelings about verbal classroom participation. The themes that emerge from student surveys are used to ground the suggested practices that shape pedagogies of quiet. Given the complex realities of 21st century history and life, Pedagogies of Quiet comes just in time to help respond to the impact of social media on learning, the youth mental health crisis, and covid era of teaching and learning.
Dr. Monica Edwards has a PhD in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago specializing in the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality. She has been teaching for over 20 years, working at 2-year and 4-year, private and public institutions, spending the bulk of her career teaching at the Community College level.
Edwards argues that we should pay much closer attention to what she calls quiet pedagogy - not jumping to fill moments of silence but rather exploring pedagogies of quiet. She suggests that our differently-identified students (English language learners, international, Indigenous, non-binary, etc.) are held to one standard of what it means to participate in a classroom experience - that is, a dialogue-centered or one where the best students are those who talk. This book is a must-read for any teacher in the classroom who is brave and willing to be vulnerable and examine their own ego for the sake of a safer and more effective classroom experience for all students. --Jennifer Maney, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, Marquette University Pedagogies of Quiet: Silence and Social Justice in the Classroom skillfully disrupts the tendency to celebrate the participation of an extroverted and confident student by providing valuable and empirical insights about the internal process of all students during dialogic moments in the classroom. Monica Edwards centers the student experience as the guide to pedagogical practice, using a critical feedback loop. Her interculturally sensitive approach helps move us away from individualistic and competitive environments and towards a holistic model of community care and well-being. Engaging with this book and the suggested activities will help you to evaluate and re-shape the participation norms in your classroom with an equity-minded lens. --Becca Ciancanelli, PhD., director of Inclusive Teaching Practices, University of Denver
