Zach Diamond  0:03  
welcome to the modern classrooms project podcast. Each week, we bring you discussions with educators on how they use blended, self paced and mastery based learning to better serve their students. We believe teachers learn best from each other, so this is our way of lifting up the voices of leaders and innovators in our community. This is the modern classrooms project podcast.

Toni Rose Deanon  0:28  
Hello and welcome to episode 214, of the modern classrooms project podcast. My name is Toni Rose Deanon, they them pronouns, a designated hype person here at MCP, and I am joined today by an ethnic studies teacher, Mark Aquino, welcome, Mark, hello. Great to be here. Yeah, it's so exciting to be in this space with you. And thank you so much for saying yes to the podcast. I know that I was connected to you through Avery so another fellow Filipino teacher, which is always, always so exciting. So before we get started, what is bringing you joy? Currently?

Mark Aquino  1:05  
You actually caught me on a really crazy week. This weekend, I'm going to marry the love of my life. So my wedding is this weekend, so it's whole lot of stuff going on, lot of prep work, but it's definitely a beautiful thing, and that's something that's definitely bringing me joy. 

Toni Rose Deanon  1:22  
OMG, congratulations, Mark. I mean, even more so thank you for taking a moment to record with us and share your stories through all of this, you know, wild schedules and stuff I can only imagine. Congratulations again. That's so so so so dope. Yeah. All right. Well, tell us more about who you are and how you started your education journey.

Mark Aquino  1:46  
Yeah. So my name is Mark Aquino. I'm a 12 year veteran to the profession of teaching. Kind of, my journey doesn't really start with me. Kind of starts with my parents. They're from Santa, Barbara fungus, and then Philippines. Both sides of my family come from humble, hard working farmers back in the Philippines, though my dad was a high school science and English teacher and my mom was a third grade elementary school teacher. So I'm a second generation teacher, and when they chose to immigrate to the United States. They immigrated to the San Francisco Bay area. It was born in Oakland, California. And kind of upbringing, being a child of two different worlds, like come home to a very rich Filipino culture, food, the language, parents always talking about how life was like in the homeland. And then, you know, growing up, growing up in Oakland's not exactly the most hospitable place at times. And growing up, an American child had its own sort of, I'd say, like the Kendrick Lamar good kid bad city sort of experience, or a good kid Mad City, sorry. And so yeah, nav really navigating that and going to school. And I really valued school. My parents instilled in me, like, the idea that, if you want to, you know, kind of transcend your circumstances. Education is the way. And kind of took that too literally and became an educator myself. And just like, Oh, why didn't you become a nurse or a doctor or an engineer? And it's like my parents said that, yeah, like, teaching is a very noble profession, but it is a pretty difficult one. And you know, they were very encouraging of it. I think when it comes to, like, my credentials, I graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Asian American Studies, and then I got my master's at University of San Francisco, Master of Arts in Teaching urban education so and social justice I got. How many, how many credentials I got, social science, English and computer science, so, collecting my Infinity Gauntlet, and yeah, and so my first experiences in teaching were at a middle school, James Denmon Middle School in San Francisco, where I taught English, Social Science, video journalism and stem and then high school experiences. I taught at Abraham Lincoln High School, teaching avid ethnic studies. And then brings me to where I'm at now. I'm currently teaching modern world history and Ethnic Studies at mental school in Atherton, California.

Toni Rose Deanon  4:20  
Mark, impressive. First of all, I didn't know that you had such a wide range of skills and just content that you've covered. So I have to ask, do you have, like, a particular favorite grade or content that you've covered?

Mark Aquino  4:39  
Yeah. I mean, I love, I love ethnic studies. I've taught it in different capacities all through my career, whether it's infusing ethnic studies concepts into English or social science or just teaching an outright ethnic studies class and in different levels too, where it's like the ninth grade ethnic studies class or an honors version of the class that's taught to 11th and 12th graders, and those students get college. Credit for actually taking the class. So I've you know, it's been great. Having ethnic studies is part of like my my focal point, especially since my BA and then being able to continue it on and being part of pilot programs and developing the curriculum. One class that really holds a special place in my heart is I actually taught a technology leadership class in middle school, and basically me and a group of 16 students were in charge of a one to one iPad program. And we were kind of bleeding edge. We were, we were supporting these devices, but also kind of modeling Well, what does learning look like with iPads and all these different platforms? And it was, it was kind of like the Wild West. And me with this, these, this group of students kind of had a model. A lot of like, well, what does this workflow look like in Google Classroom? How do we use Google Docs? And it was just like, well, these kids are receiving it as as we're learning it. And in their downtime, they were taking on a lot of their own tech projects. They were like, building their own Amazon Alexis from scratch, or they were building their own drones. And so it was a really innovative class, and I was given the freedom to kind of just run it how I wanted to, and a lot of really great things came out of it. So I've been always, I've been always in this, like, what is innovative learning? What does innovative teaching look like? And being able to, like, figure out, like, well, what, what are the needs of the community? Or, like, what are, what are, what are these kids really passionate about, and really getting myself to that place, but also given the opportunity to just kind of really run wild with their imaginations, and school was the place where they could actually do those projects.

Toni Rose Deanon  6:32  
Yeah, I really love that, right? I mean, I feel like as human beings, we just crave autonomy. We crave the option to to kind of explore our curiosities, I think, and so being able to provide the space where students can go after what their passions are is really, really important. I do want to go back to what you were saying about your parents, who are from the Philippines and immigrated here to the US. They were both teachers, and I just chuckle at, you know, at their statement of, oh, you should have been a nurse or doctor an engineer, because it's such a typical Filipino response. And, you know, and your parents basically saying, like, yeah, being a teacher is definitely a noble job. I know with my mom, she was very distraught that I chose education as my pathway, and very similar, like my grandmother was an English teacher, so I felt like education just kind of ran in in our family, and then my grandfather, on my dad's side, was a professor at uplb, so it was just kind of, I feel like it shouldn't have been a surprise for them, but they were definitely not happy with my choice. And so, yeah, it's just really interesting to just kind of be in a space where our parents, my parents, anyway, just questioned it. And also, I guess I have another question too, just kind of a follow up. Have you had the opportunity being in California, of course, to work with a lot of Filipino teachers.

Mark Aquino  8:03  
Oh, yeah. Shortly after I got my BA, I was able to work for an org as a volunteer teacher for penai Pinoy educational partnerships, and that's what kind of got my start in like. Well, what does an ethnic studies classroom look like? What does that look like, teaching content at all levels, because PEP is this pipeline where they take a lot of undergrad graduate students, put them into teams, and have them teach Asian, American or Filipino content, and from kindergarten all the way up to grad school. And so it's almost like you're in a Graduate Teaching Program long before you get to you know your credential program. So thankfully, through those experiences, I had a lot of time in the classroom before I actually got to student teaching, and I think that really helped me in a lot of ways. And also thinking past just like regular teaching methods, direct instruction, like really thinking about, well, you know, if students really learn from having multiple touch points, like making sure that the curriculum that they're studying is relevant to their lives or responsive to needs in their communities. I think pep had a huge part in kind of instilling that sort of mindset and thinking about like curriculum design and also making things Interactive for the students. So so yeah, I think that that's a huge part of how I became the educator that I am, is a lot of time that I spent volunteering as a as a teacher in Pep.

Toni Rose Deanon  9:24  
I really love this. I've just heard such great things about Pep. And just like the the Filipino history curriculum, and just the intentionality behind the curriculum that we expose our students, which is very, very cool to me and so and I, and I'm also thinking too, that being in community with others who look like you, who are doing things that align with your values, is also something pretty magical, right? So that's that's really dope, because I know, like, this is something that Avery and I talk about too, that in California, there's so many Filipinos there, and there's so many like, access to Filipino history, to Filipino texts, who just i. Um representation. But then outside of California, where I, like, grew up, in South Georgia, of all places, like there weren't a lot of Filipinos around. There weren't a lot of, like, Filipino history, definitely not being, you know, definitely not being talked about. So I'm just really, again, excited to be in this space with you, to continue connecting and relating and having conversations like this, and so, I guess, like, for the listeners and and really for me, what is ethnic studies? Can we define it? And then also, like, why is there so much heat around it? Meaning, like, I don't want to say pushback, but there's just a lot of emotions that come with, with classes that are that are titled ethnic studies. 

Mark Aquino  10:40  
Yeah, I think it's really important to kind of define it, and we'll really talk a little bit about the history behind it. Or should I start? Well, ethnic studies emerged in like the late 1960s as a direct response to student activism. I was led by the Black Student Union and the Third World Liberation Front students at San Francisco State University they staged a historic strike in 1968 to 1969 and among their demands, they demanded increased access to higher education, more faculty of color, and the creation of black and ethnic studies programs. And from there, the movement kind of spread nationwide, and it resulted in the establishment of numerous ethnic studies departments, educational opportunity programs, and then, most notably, SF State's home to the world's only College of Ethnic Studies, of which I'm a graduate of and ethnic studies is a academic field that kind of examines the experiences of African American, Native American, Latinx and Asian American communities. And so the students who were represented in that coalition were kind of the first scholars of the discipline. And so their research and and pulling from other disciplines kind of created this, this discipline, and it incorporates knowledge from like history, sociology, anthropology, and it really focuses on how race, ethnicity and culture shape individuals and and society. And it takes off in a broader approach. It's never just strictly about race or ethnicity or nationality. They also have, like an inter an intersectional lens, also finding ways about how are commonly discussing ways in which gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, intersect with race, and by kind of exploring the historical and contemporary challenges faced by those marginalized groups, we kind of, you know, use critical thinking, taking a look at public health policy, law, policy, and kind of look at the ways in which, you know, if we are really engaged citizens, you know, what should we really be advocating for? What is social justice and practice look like, and how do we change a lot of these inequitable outcomes. And so it's really, really about, like, well, if we have all these like ideas, we talk about the greatest hits of like America, and all these ideas that should produce, you know, a very equitable society. You know, where along the way in history has the theory and practice of these, of these ideas and application of these laws have not necessarily been, you know, have not been honoring civil and human and rights. And why is it that certain communities have had to assert their their human and civil rights in ways that you know, kind of have to work towards shaping policy and things like that? So as tough as that was kind of freestyle that off the dome. Like, I think that's, that's kind of the gist of what ethnic studies is, and kind of the purpose of the discipline, Oh, yeah. And then, and to also address the challenges about it too. Like, I think, you know, the discipline has been around for over 50 years, and I think fairly recently, I think, can, we can all say that, you know, American society is pretty polarized in terms of in terms of politics, and I think along the way, there's been some misconceptions or kind of distortions of what ethnic studies is. And I think a lot of times, opponents of ethnic studies often misrepresent the curriculum as kind of dwelling on the negative aspects of history or as a way to kind of so political division, but I think in reality, the discipline really aims to provide a more nuanced and kind of comprehensive understanding of the experience, the experiences of marginalized communities. And I think critics kind of mistake critical examination of historical injustices and ongoing systemic inequities as kind of an assault on the status quo or a contemporary society. And I think we shouldn't be dismissing critical inquiry like accusations of like an indoctrination. I think that's the thing that's commonly leveled against ethnic studies. And I think it's just kind of serves to discredit its value as a scholarly discipline. I think it kind of disregards the importance of critical thinking analysis and really taking a look at diverse perspectives within the field. And so, like, I think also it's this idea of, like, kind of subscribing to, like, a colorblind ideology. Where, like, it's that philosophical question, if, if a tree falls in the forest and there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? It's like, Sure, there's like, there's like, really safe philosophical questions where, like, we can, we can intellectualize about things like that, ad nauseam, but if we have a very focused question, it's like, why is there a disproportion of trees being chopped down in this forest? And then I think that sort of question kind of points to like, well, who's accountable for this? Or, like, what systems, what policies? I think to a certain degree, that's not like, necessarily a safe intellectual question anymore, because it it kind of points to, like, you know, there's culpability involved there. And so I think a lot of times when we talk about ethnic studies or dei initiatives and stuff, it's, it's this attempt to prioritize like individual responsibility over like, historical and ongoing structural barriers. And I think a lot of times ethnic studies unearths these questions that, really, you know, kind of point to, like the cause and effect of, why is there inequality in the world? And so I think a lot of times, people misunderstand the core purpose of Ethnic Studies, and to me, I think it is to critically examine how race and ethnicity intersect with other social factors to kind of shape opportunities and outcomes. So I think that's kind of, that's my understanding of why there's a lot of pushback, or, you know, maybe parents have some reservations around it, and I think it's also important that parents have a say in what their students are learning. But I think it's kind of ignores a lot of the scholarship and a lot of the battles to legitimize ethnic studies as a discipline. And I think we kind of fall back into this whole like, you know, being dismissive of something because we heard something on an echo chamber or on social media, and suddenly that becomes a talking point, instead of actually looking at the scholarship and and taking a look at, you know, what does ethnic studies actually produce? So I think that kind of encompasses the current battle with ethnic studies right now,

Toni Rose Deanon  17:24  
Mark, you're giving me so much to think about. One of the things that I'm sitting with, too is that history is actually so fascinating. It's just that when I was taught in school, it was really harmful, because we didn't cover all of the things that actually happened. But it was so you know, the whole toxic positivity, and especially growing up in South Georgia too, we just, like, did not cover all of history. We just covered whatever it is that South Georgia wanted to prioritize. At the moment, and I'm just now as an adult understanding that, like, I actually really like history. It was just the way that it was taught to me, you know. And when you were talking about how folks who misrepresent or, like, there's misconceptions about dwelling on the negative parts of history, right? I'm just thinking too of like, well, I could even say, in like, my AP US History, where we're talking about calling indigenous people all kinds of names because of whatever happened in history. And it was just a very white America lesson, and just seeing, like, white Americans as heroes, as like the good people. And it wasn't said, it wasn't said that, you know, it wasn't said Blake, like, blatantly, but it was definitely implied. And so I just remember just being like, why? I don't want to learn about this. Actually, hate history. History is the worst. And so this is, you know, this is just really interesting, too. Of there's a lot of critical thinking and critical inquiry when it comes to ethnic studies, and because it does allow for our students to be aware of all of these things that are happening and then ask the questions, answer the questions based on what they're learning about. So I guess I have my follow up question for that Mark is that, have you always worked at a school because you're 12 years now? Have you always worked at a school where they offered ethnic studies, and if they and if there is a school that did not offer it, did you kind of ask like, hey, is this an option? Or have that conversation about why ethnic studies is missing? 

Mark Aquino  19:35  
Yeah, I think fortunate for me. I started in SF, USD around 2009 2010 and there had been actual moves from community members, higher ups in the district and individual teachers to actually start an ethnic studies pilot program, of which Dr Allison tintiancolos, kind of, you know, big organizer of it, and got a coalition of teachers together to start piloting and developing the curriculum. Them. And so I was brought in as the sort of graduate student advisor, and that kind of led to my first experiences in in teaching ethnic studies. Shortly after that, once I got my credential, I moved down to the middle school level, and at that point, there was no ethnic studies, explicit ethnic studies classes other than the pep classes that were that were taught in specific schools. And so I found that, you know, I could find ways to to teach ethnic studies within my English class. And I think a lot of I've had colleagues come up to me, and, you know, after hearing about the types of things that my students were learning, or maybe even reading, seeing some of the projects, they had questions for me, you know, after hours, and they were like, well, if you do all this social justice teaching, does that come at the cost of you teaching, you know, the standards? And it's like, Well, I do double the work to align it. And so for me, like, I think a lot of times the question is that, like, well, you know, you making these things culturally relevant has to come at the cost of something else, right? And it's like, no, I actually do. I have more sleepless nights. Or, like, I, you know, I spend more time reading and, like, reading theory and like, really trying to make it work. Because I think for me, teaching at James Emma Middle School. I think a lot of those students are very much aware of their their social circumstances, and they had a lot of questions about, well, why are things are the way they are? And so I think my charge as an English teacher was like, Well, how do I make my students make sense of these things? Or maybe even these students haven't really had a moment where they were the subjects of their inquiry. And so I remember a specific year where gentrification and police brutality was very much a topic that that that these students were aware of in the news. It wasn't this, it wasn't an it's a huge part of their reality. And so like, well, how to about I bring this, these issues that are that that are very much in the local Zeitgeist. How do I bring it into the classroom? And I had some other colleagues like, Well, what do you what are you covering for your expository writing or argumentative writing? And I said explicitly, like we're talking about how gentrification changes the community and culture of a given area. And they're like, Well, why do you have to, why do you have to go into topics that are so deep they're not capable of doing that or like that requires a lot of extra work. Why don't you just do like, comparative essay between mustard and ketchup? And it's like, that's extremely that was like, Wait, so you're being completely dismissive of how academically rigorous I'm designing these, these units and and like, you don't think that I can teach that level at the same time, you don't think these kids are intelligent enough to write at that level. And then so kind of had a moment where, like, Alright, next department meeting, we're going to have student work protocol, we're going to show off what these students can do. And here I am with like these, you know, five page essays, gentification, full MLA citations and and, like, pulling local articles and and whatnot. And they were just kind of dumbfounded. And it's like, no, you had to have done something different or questionable to get this end result. And it's like, you want to see all the graphic organizers, the portfolios, the feedback, they're all there. And so you kind of just kind of had to do mic drop on them that like this should be seen as as academically rigorous work, and that, you know, teaching ethnic studies or having a social justice perspective doesn't necessarily have to come at the cost of something else. I also had another issue with a colleague where, you know, good old Christopher Columbus Day comes around every year, and I was in the elevator and I had a colleague ask, like, well, what are you going to teach about Christopher Columbus? And I just looked at him like, blankly, and like, well, the anti colonial perspective. And then as I stepped out of the elevator, I was chased by that, by that colleague, is people like you that make my job difficult. You know, leave Christopher Columbus alone. Leave the poor man alone. And then I turned around and said, Well, I'm not going to, I'm not going to valorize the person who committed genocide against the ancestors of my students, and that my the demographics of my class were largely Latino at that time. And so it's like, all right. Well, they think I can't do this either. So let me teach the dominant narrative around Christopher Columbus, which is, you know, 1492 Columbus, sealed the ocean blue, blah, blah, blah, founded America and so at the same time, it was like, Hey, this is how Christopher Columbus traditionally taught. Let's do a comparative analysis of Bartolome de las casas diaries, of what it was like being in a. Like those islands with Christopher Columbus, and that that Spanish Friar documented all the atrocities that Christopher Columbus did. And so it completely shatters this idea that, you know Christopher Columbus is benevolent Conquistador. You know that's that's a contradiction in of itself. And so student, we put Christopher Columbus on trial, like, is he a hero or a villain? Should we continue teaching him? And if we are to continue teaching about him, how should we teach about him? And the students were the ones to articulate that. And so, aside from just teaching the general historical content as it's been traditionally taught, students kind of bring into question. We're like, well, let's, let's pull in other perspectives. And does this corroborate what what the discipline has historically said about him, and students are like, No. And then, if we were to continue teaching about him, what should we teach about him? And they say, Let's teach both. And I think that's the critical perspective that should be pushed. And so I find these moments where there's pushback, and rather than get emotional, I just get creative. So Oh, I love that. And really show them like, hey, this, this can be done. And I can push students in ways that maybe you can't, but just because you can't do it doesn't necessarily mean that I shouldn't do it. So I think that kind of like, you know, those moments where I get goosebumps, those moments where, like, I just, you know, beat my chest, and those, are, like the victories and challenges that I learn along the way as an educator. And it's tough. It's tough. I always feel like teaching this discipline is contested ground, and I always have to defend it,

Toni Rose Deanon  26:31  
dang mark. I feel like you should have either been my teacher or like a colleague that I work with. I think you know, as you were talking about this, I think a lot of the times, people are so afraid to admit that they were wrong, or that at least, like, oh, I actually changed my mind about this thing, right? Like, oh, I'm learning more. My brain is expanding. So it's okay that this is what I thought or believed before, but now I can shift it. And I think there's just like, such a hesitancy about that kind of shift, which I think is just so fascinating. And I also love this whole concept, too. Of you just saying, I don't really get emotional, I get creative, and i Oh, my God, I want to do that, because I get emotional. I get so emotional. 

Mark Aquino  27:20  
I mean, don't get me wrong, I have my moments where, like, it is frustrating to know that my colleagues want to undermine me, like, at least in terms of, like, my authority on, on how I teach, or just like my ideas. And it's just like, well, I just need to go to my classroom and and the proof is in the pudding. And if I can get my students to do this work, then at the end of the day, if they see what my students accomplish. Like, they can't really question me. And if I'm doing it such a high level, then it's like, Fine, you can, you can follow me now.  

Toni Rose Deanon  27:48  
So, yes, yes, yes. And I think I mean, this also brings up just such a beautiful thing too. Of like, having a deficit mindset, right? And then, like, an asset based mindset as well. Of like, our students are really capable of learning all the things no matter how young they are. I mean, oh my gosh. Mark, the amount of times I've heard over and over again just being back in the south of like, oh, kids are too young to learn about that. Like, well, how do I explain that to my 10 year old? And I'm like, brother 10, like, they will, actually, yeah, if they don't understand, they will ask you that, you know, questions, clarifying questions to be like, I don't get it, or, you know, whatever, they'll make some, some comments about it. But, but for us to just, I don't know, assume that our kids won't get it. That, to me, is just like, super harmful, and I know that definitely our students also know when you believe in them and when you don't believe in them. So that's another thing that I always tell educators, that I get to be a thought partner for is like, Hey, we're shifting a lot of the ways that our students know what teaching and learning looks like. You are also, as an educator, shifting how you've always thought about teaching and learning. And so there's going to be resistance, there's going to be lots of questions, there's going to be a lot of doubt, and at the same time, we all can shift like we can do it. We can do it really well actually, but not creating this space where we make that decision for others just because we assume that this is way too complex, this is way too difficult, my students cannot do this without ever giving them a chance. And so I applaud you for getting creative. I applaud you for saying, bet, let me show you. And I love that just like just thank you. Thank you for that.

Zach Diamond  29:44  
Hey there listeners. This is Zach. Got some announcements and reminders for you for the week of November 10, 2024 Have you always wanted a community to read books with? We're hosting a book club with screen PAL and Tammy in the community is reading UDL and blended learning by Katie. Catlin Tucker and we are on our fourth session together. Dr Catlin Tucker will be answering questions and you can get your must do, reading pages for our fourth session, which is on Thursday, November 14 at 7pm Eastern, looking for virtual connection. Join our implementer. Meet up on Wednesday, November 13 at 7pm eastern to connect with other modern classrooms educators and you can join Rob's book series. Meet every learner's needs on Wednesday, November 13, at 8pm right after the implementer meet up. This session is called redesigning instruction, and you'll learn to share modern classrooms with your school community by explaining the benefits for students, families and administrators, empower your colleagues by sharing your approach and inviting feedback and support and to shape the larger conversation by advocating for policies you know are best for your students. You can check out this week's show notes for registration, links and more details, and now let's get back into it with Toni Rose and Mark.

Toni Rose Deanon  31:06  
And so I guess I'm just curious now, and I'm sure our listeners are curious too. Walk us through, like, some of the things that you teach in your classroom, and then how you teach that as well. Because I know that you and I have talked about the model before. You've gone through our virtual mentorship program as well. You're aware of what blended self paced and master based look like. And I know that you and I have had conversations of like, how can we, like, put this together, right? So, yeah, tell us what you like, what exactly are you teaching, and then how do you do that?

Mark Aquino  31:35  
Yeah, I think when I think of Fall Semester ethnic studies, we do a lot of work around identity. I tell my students a lot of times, the most relevant book to ourselves that we're never that we're never taught to access, is our is our own biography. And so like I think it's a good exercise in students, one being able to tell their own story and also identify all the different things that make them who they are, whether that's their family values, their their family's immigration experience, all these tidbits, all these cultural tidbits that they've had within them but have never had a chance to actually share out. And so in the beginning of the year, we do a project called the road map of life, and I think a lot of it has to do with critical writing, or creative writing about themselves, all the different things that make them who they are, and all the different things that they value. And, you know, they spend a lot of independent time interviewing their families. Also take spending some time to think about, you know, what are some important life experiences, you know? And these students are, can be from 14 years old, 17 years old, 18 years old, and they, they, they go about telling their story in different ways. A lot of times they, I tell them that they could share as much as they want to, as much as they're willing to share with certain students. But, you know, a lot of them do choose to share some of the difficulties they've had in school, or maybe difficulties with their families, and I think it becomes this place where it's like, yeah, this is who I am, and this is how I assert myself, and I'm willing to share this with everybody. And I think if you know, a big part of our community building at the beginning of the year is, you know, having the ability to tell our own stories, how we see fit and how we show up to a space, then it kind of sets the tone for how much collaboration we're going to do, and what we're going to do in the learning community for the rest of the year. So they're, they're creating these presentations, and they're doing a lot of writing, and then put them into small groups, and they share these stories out, and then kind of do this crossroads of life thing where they kind of see like, well, there are some parallels between there are some parallels between me and some other students. Or like, they even talk about, like, I'm willing to work with this person, because there are certain things that they talked about that I relate to as well. And so there's a lot of relational work in the beginning of the year, and then we start talking about the heavier stuff. Now, the heavier stuff could be some content around sociological concepts where, like, I think they're able to access those things online and read it, read at their own pace, and also do a bit of meta cognitive like annotations and things like that, and then come back prepared the next day to have a discussion or Socratic seminar. And then we get into deeper and more heavier conversations like, well, what is the social construction of race? And what is it? What does that actually mean? And why is this definition of race changed so much over time? And so we do comparative analysis of like, when race gets brought up in the 1700s you know, how is that different from today? And I think we even take a look at like, well, even our understanding of race right now, as much as people want to say that there's biological differences, it doesn't stand any it doesn't stand on any scientific ground. So we actually show how it doesn't work when we look at the US Census Bureau. So like, how do you how do you neatly fit yourself? And we. We'll look at this, the census sheet throughout different time periods in United States. And even for me, I couldn't define myself as a Filipino. I just be Chinese if we go away way back in time. And so I think students are like, wait a second, like, even the very terms that we used to describe me wouldn't necessarily fit my identity. And so these were, this is where, this is where students are. Like, I spent all this time crafting this sort of narrative and the sort of representation of myself that I want to share with everybody, and I feel proud about this. But then you also have to deal with, you know, a total stranger on the street could mislabel me, or, like, even the US government in, in, in all these laws and policies or how they collect data, doesn't even if there's, there's this cognitive dissonance between what I think about myself and what society says I should be. And then from there, we bridge into like, well, let's talk about stereotypes. Where are the prevailing stereotypes about your ethnicity or your race? And then we're constantly in this process of deconstructing, well, like, I know this horrible story about Filipinos doesn't sit well with me. What does that serve? And it serves like, well, this idea that this, this other group, is probably better than me, or, like, intellectually, you know, stronger than me, and so on and so on. And so a lot of what we do is this. We take a look at different texts, whether it's official US documents over time, or, like, you know, sociological research papers, and we're really breaking down well, what's the meaning of this, but always kind of navigating Well, what is this? How does this matter to me on a personal level, what does this play how does this play out at a local level? And then what? How does this work on a national or global level? It's constantly going back and forth between those sort of lenses.

Toni Rose Deanon  36:40  
I mean, with all of, like, the current event news and everything that's just happening in the world, right? Like, how do you even, how do you plan for that, like, curriculum wise, right? Like, yes, you start off with with relational work, right? Like, this identity work, which I think is so important because, like you said, students have never really had the chance to tell their story, to be who they are, authentically and unapologetically, right? And so being able to create this space so that collaboration can happen the rest of the school year, so that there's trust among peers in that community, right? Of like, oh, you know, you and I may look different, but here all the ways that we're similar, or here ways that we are in a similar group, but then the different ways that we show up as well. And I mean, you just literally, again, just blew my mind with the census, right? Like, you're absolutely right. Like, back in the day, Filipino definitely was not an option. And I think that's why a lot of the times when, when back in the day, anyway, in the 19, like, I moved here in the in 96 I think. And so there's still a lot of people who are like, Oh, no, Filipinos don't exist. It's just you're either Chinese or Mexican, right? So it's like, oh, there's like, government papers, like history of that. And so that makes a lot of sense, why people just automatically just assume that I'm one or the other and not anything else. So yeah, like, how do you? And again, this is a lot of like, being intentional, right with your time, and also getting to know who your students are, and then giving them the voice and at like, an opportunity, or opportunities to advocate for themselves and what they want to learn. So do you typically deviate from your curriculum when students are like, actually, I want to talk about this thing, or I want to add on to this thing. Can we do an analysis on what is happening right now in our local neighborhood, or whatever? Like, how does that work for you?

Mark Aquino  38:39  
Yeah, I think like, when it comes to, like, projects like that, I think like when we talk about, when we get to the, like, the end of the semester, and we spend a lot of time taking a look at, well, how does race intersect with education policy? How does race intersect with public health? And so they've, they've had some experiences and having some specific lenses into the experiences of different demographics. And so maybe for them, they want to focus more on, well, like, what does this look like for my community? And a lot of times they'll they get to choose their own research topics. And so I think there was one, there was one specific topic that I remember. It completely blew my mind. I have a Tongan student, and they are definitely in the minority in the demographics of the school, and what they wanted to do was do a comparative analysis between her experience going to school in an American private school, and taking a look at what it's like for a person who had their entire schooling experience in Tonga entirely, and also a person who was able to have maybe half their life schooling in Tonga, but then also have their experience in the American educational system. And so she wrote this 10 page paper that's a comparative analysis between the experiences of different family members. And then when she was doing her research, she she was like, wait, I found a dissertation. Written by a family member and like, I'm going to see them in a wedding in a few weeks. And just like, I didn't know that this is what he was studying in. I didn't know this is, this is what he was studying in in grad school. And so she was able to take research that a family member had done on schooling experiences of Tongan students in Oakland, and be able to build out this sort of build out this sort of piece. And so these students, having been exposed to all these different sociological lenses and all these social issues, once they start taking on the researcher part of it, they they kind of have free reign to kind of choose their their own specific topic. There's, like, a wide range of things. And it some, some students decided to take a look comparative analysis of genocide and like, what does that look like for, what did it look like in Sudan, or, or coverage of genocide in the media, in American mainstream media? And so, you know, they talked about Sudan, the Rohingya, sorry if I'm mispronouncing the community wrong. And then also taking a look at, well, what is the coverage of that look like in Israel and Palestine. And so like doing a comparative analysis of the media and how it's being presented is definitely interesting. And I think, like these research topics are able to be these research topics are coming about because these students have, like, a really good analysis of power. And so making sure that conceptually, these things are rooted in things that can be identified, that that can be tested with theory. So like these, students need to have a really strong theoretical background in order to be able to construct these really complicated research topics. But I think because we had done the work for them to be hyper aware of their their own selves, and be able to, you know, definitely, like, lower a lot of barriers to openly talking about these things. Because students, I think the students, a lot of times, are like, well, people don't want to talk about race, people don't want to talk about these things, or, like, there's no, there's no spaces in other classrooms where it's okay to talk about these things. And so so much of their academic day is rote memorization or just strictly performing to the expectations of a teacher, as opposed to asking a lot of questions that they actually care about or are passionate about, or, or, or, you know, seeing themselves or their communities reflected in the work that they're doing. So I feel like I'm teaching in seasons where it's like, short, let's do like this, like, cool community builders. Then let's talk about some, you know, some really difficult issues. Or, like, let's clarify some, some things. But then my hope is that, you know, as I go through these different seasons, this final season is like, boom, it's go time. This is, like, academic rigor. I'm gonna make it rain academic rigor right now. But this is going to be very thoughtful. It's gonna be very structured. A lot of our work is gonna be, you know, check it one on one, check ins, making sure your research question is right, making sure that you've got your sources and so, like, it's very intense. One on One on one, work with students, but eventually that's what it all builds up to. So each semester has a culminating research project. Sometimes I might it might be within the realm just focusing on education policy in the United States, or like, might be in the realm of taking a look at, well, what is, why are there class differences? Or, like, what, what is red lighting? And how does that show up locally, and things like that. So a lot of it is very interest based, and so I make, I try to find ways to make sure it's integrated conceptually with a lot of things that we're talking about,

Toni Rose Deanon  43:35  
I mean, and that's exactly what you're saying before, right? Like when you were teaching English, you just it wasn't more work for you. It was just that was what you used, or that's what you did with your time. You made sure that it was culturally relevant. You made sure that it aligned with what was happening in the world and what was happening in the community, so that your students can have a better like desire and passion for learning, right? Because this is something that ultimately matters to them, something that they can see is happening outside of the classroom, and now they can have all of the conversations and a brave space for them to say and ask and think, right, and then have those like peers who can challenge their thinking or even push their Thinking, or even expand their thinking, right? So I really love that this is the space that you've created for students, and ultimately also just respecting their time and respecting their passions and their strengths and their interest and and all of the above, right? It's like, hey, we have these skills that we need to learn together as a class, and then you have this like, based on the skills that you've learned now, have this opportunity to create and do the research that you want to that you know will make a difference, that you know will will give you a better understanding of who you are and how you show up in society. So I think again, like these are, these are just really powerful stuff. And. And I'm all about like, because I mark, I grew up with parents who didn't talk about anything, so we just like swept everything under the rug, and just like, continue to avoid all of the hot, the needed topics that we needed to talk about. And I think that it would have I think that causes more harm than not, than like than talking about it, right? And so again, thank you for providing this space. And so I guess one thing that I one thing that I'm thinking about is you're you're giving a lot of anecdotes and stories about students who are interested in and passionate and have the desire to do research, right? Have you had you know, caregivers or students who are resistant, or at least like, oh, you know, kind of have that, that reaction to what you're teaching,

Mark Aquino  45:49  
not necessarily, at least in the past few years that I've taught it, where there's also an ethnic studies honors option, I think a lot of students choose to opt into it, from what they've heard from other students, or maybe them hearing about topics that we're discussing, or that maybe I'm the teacher who can actually explain, explain what, what they're kind of like, you know, really struggling to understand about what's going on America at the time. And I think they also hear that like, you know, I kind of take you as who you are like, doesn't matter if you're left, right, liberal, conservative, it's just that, I think there's just, there's just been this cooling effect where I think a lot of folks just kind of tend to avoid conversation because we're worried about how the other person will react. And I think students tell other students that, in my class, a lot of times it's not debate, it's just open discussion where we really trying to understand, well, how did you arrive at that conclusion? You know, what? What about your experience makes you feel like that's, that's a okay opinion? And I think we've, we've gotten to a point where we could respectfully challenge, you know, what if we if another person has a contrasting opinion. And there have been times where students probably did not have a popular opinion, but I was willing to have a conversation with them and let that play out. And I think that's, that's kind of, it's my class is kind of seen as the one where a lot of it's very discussion driven, that we're very open to it. Now, I think it's important that I also say that, you know, I'm not my my classroom is not the place where I give equal footing to, like, oppressive ideas. Like, I understand the value of discussion, but like, you know, I think if fascist ideas get brought up, then you're gonna have a stern talking to it's like, it's one of those things where it's like, Sure, let's have a discussion and make sure that's, it's a humanizing discussion, and that like we're respectful, but if it is problematic, then, yeah, we're going to have a conversation about it. And just because you you want to say something inflammatory, or you believe that, you know, you believe hardcore in some sort of ideology, well, let's, let's get to, you know, what? What perspective does that benefit? Or like, you know, in terms of power and privilege, you know, don't you see the the flip side of it, in terms of, you know, who might be negatively affected by it? And I think we, we all walk away with this understanding like, yeah, sure, there are. There are certain views that are harmful. There are certain views where it's like, short, that's just a difference of opinion, and we can respect that. But, you know, we definitely want to make sure that we toe the line in terms of, like, making sure that our conversations are humanizing. So I haven't really had anybody kind of just been like, oh, that's the critical race studies class, you know, whatever that means. Or like, Oh, you, this is the liberal there's a liberal kumbaya class or whatever. I'm aware that locally there are, there are parents who probably have heard of mischaracterizations of like, ethnic studies. But I think from even back to school night, when parents come in and learn about what we discuss in class, they're actually very bought into it. And I've heard of, you know, parents later on the year who've somehow come to campus during certain events. They find out I'm, I'm the ethnic studies teacher, and they actually are like, hey, like, my student comes home and, like, carries a lot of conversations that you're having at home. And, you know, I've heard of conservative parents like, oh, wow, you're talking about that in ethnic studies class. You know, I have a different differing opinion, but at least how it's being talked about, or how we how, how, like, you're taught to kind of process that doesn't necessarily set up, like family tensions or things like that, that it's actually productive academic conversation. So like, yeah, sure, there are, there are definitely people with differing political opinions in the communities that I teach at, in no way has that been an obstacle to letting their student be a part of my class, or it hasn't been an obstacle learning. But yeah, I'm sure that there are people who probably very dismissive of what I do. 

Toni Rose Deanon  49:56  
I mean, Mark is that always a skill set that you've always had? Of just being able to have conversations that don't bring a lot of tension. And I'm also thinking about you as an educator, you have to be emotionally intelligent to be able to you got to have like equanimity, is a word that I've always come back to, being able to be grounded through interesting or could, you know, activating conversations? How do you, how do you, yeah, how did you build that skill? 

Mark Aquino  50:30  
Yeah, I think people get weirded out by how Zen I am sometimes, or just that, like, I I have, I don't have an affect, but, like, there's clearly a lot going on in my head in these conversations. But I think, you know, to be brutally honest, I think me, being a man of color, in education, I have, I've definitely had to face a lot of adversity, and I think in moments where I found myself kind of emotional or not being able to process certain things, I get seen in a certain I get painted in a certain light. He's like, Oh, just an angry brown man. And like, you know, it's never mind my credentials never amount, never mind how I arrived at this job. You know, my credentials go out the window. And in a way that I don't want people to lose respect for me, and in a way that if I'm a representative of my discipline, I need to be able to process these things, and it's taken a really long time for me to be able to just slow my thinking down and be able to defend my practice, you know, even in observations, to be able to defend my practice and to be able to logically piece together these, like my statements, to make sure that they don't get ripped apart, or just, you know, to be, to be kind of knocked off my train of thought just because someone has, you know, an emotional gut reaction. And so, like, it's taken a lot of mindfulness on my part. It's taken a lot of, like, a lot of work. Like, I've read the you have, you read the book, The Four Agreements. Yes,

Toni Rose Deanon  51:54  
I have, actually, and I think it's time to reread it for me.

Mark Aquino  51:59  
Yeah. So, like, I've kind of had to understand like, you know, people arrive at their conclusions, or, you know, their viewpoint in the world through their own experiences. And everybody holds their own truth. How they might react to me might be a projection of their own experiences or their own opinions, and they've arrived at that conclusion through something and I and so for me, it's always like, Well, how do I ask the right question to unearth that? As opposed to me kind of flying off the handle and like, you know, the Oakland me comes out, but it's like, I've kind of had to, had to develop that capacity where it's like, all right, if I'm truly trying to model what humanization looks like. How do I do that in the moment? And a lot of times, maybe I don't have the right I don't have the right answer, but it's taken a lot of practice and a lot of work. So and I'm always constantly reminded that, you know, I walk around in public wearing a hoodie, I have a beard, I have a bald head, people are always going to have their stereotypes, or, you know, their own assumptions about me. And it's like, if I'm secure on who I am, and like, I know what I do and why I do it, then they can't really poison the well, I mean, people try, people try. And it's just like, I need to come back to, you know, when I'm secure what, what what exactly am I secure about, and that i There's no room for imposter syndrome. I've made it this far, and I've been on so many platforms, and to be in a space where I'm actually, you know, seen as an ethnic studies expert, then there's really no room for me to second guess myself. And even coming into this podcast, I was super nervous, like, and, and I think after a while, just kind of catch my rhythm. It's like, okay, I am ethnic studies. This isn't like something that, like, mentally prepare myself, like I've been doing this practice, like, so I just need to speak my truth.

Toni Rose Deanon  53:52  
And I love all of that. Mark, yeah, y'all I met Mark in person, and when I tell you, this man is so zen, and I have all the energy that like being around him. I'm like, okay, I can be at peace now. I don't have to be at 150 so thank you for that, that energy, honestly, Mark, like, you really just quieted down my like, neuro divergence brain when I was when I was in the same physical space as you so. So I really love this, this, this, this reminder of you know when you know who you are and when you know how you move in this, this, this world and why you move the way you do. It's really, really difficult for others to poison that well, because people will, people will so. 

Mark Aquino  54:44  
And I think it comes back to, like, you know, I tell the students that everything we do in ethnic studies goes back to like, the three tenets, and it's like, knowledge and love of self solidarity and self determination. And so, like, I think I have to model that for my students too. And like, you know. No matter how difficult like a teaching day gets, like I do need to remind myself, like, if I grab myself in those ideas, then you know, I could do, I could do anything for myself and also for the community. And so, like, I think that's how i i make sure that I do right by myself and also right by others. And like, students get that too, because, like, I show up in the curriculum myself too. So everything that I ask them to do, to be vulnerable, openly discuss things like, I think when I'm standing for in the class, I do those things first. And so students do know a lot about my life, my upbringing, like my values and things like that. Don't necessarily share my political views. I like make sure I center the discipline as opposed to like, I don't treat my I don't treat my class like my soapbox. But I think students get that I'm willing, I'm open, to discuss anything. 

Toni Rose Deanon  55:49  
So yeah, and you saying that just made me realize I have so much more work to do, because I'm like, Oh, definitely, my classroom would definitely be my soapbox. So it's a good thing that I'm not I'm not in the classroom right now, because I think I'm still kind of toying with this, being able to teach students without my own biases and my own like views coming in. And so I really, yeah, just thank you for that. Thank you for modeling it to your students, and thank you for knowing that, like, I have to take care of me before I can, ultimately take care of my community the best way that I can, right and so, and this is something I always tell educators too, is like, if you're asking a student to do something, please make sure that you do that work as well, so that you know exactly what it is that you're asking, you know exactly what points or what things that students can might grapple with. And so whatever it is that you are asking your students to do, make sure that you participate in that as well. And so Mark, as we wrap up this episode, I mean, I feel like I'm learning so much from you, I'm actually sitting in a lot of discomfort because I know that there's so much more improvement in how I navigate this world and how I have to kind of do a better job of equanimity, right, of just being grounded through interesting and jarring or activating conversations. And so thank you for this reminder. Thank you for just sharing your story as well. And so what do you hope to see in the future? What goals do you have? And this can be education or even just like personal, whatever you'd like to share with the with the listeners.

Mark Aquino  57:36  
Yeah, I just like to see more wider acceptance of Ethnic Studies. And I don't think necessarily the ethnic studies mandate. Or I think in Calif, in California, it's going to be a graduation requirement, I think to a certain degree, that kind of opened up the standardization of it. Or, I think my personal opinion is that, like, you know, get a, get a caring educator, or caring group of educators, to develop ethnic studies for your local context. And I think, I think that's where that's that's where these points of contention are. It's like, where, where. Like, you know, not everybody agrees on how ethnic studies is taught. And I think at the same time, like, ethnic studies, teacher are not ethnic studies teachers are not a monolith either. Like, across the discipline, people have varying approaches to teaching ethnic studies like myself, like I've had to develop a lot of these things in a vacuum, and so my ethnic studies curriculum and how I teach is completely different than someone else who who says they're an ethnic studies teacher. And so I think, like, I just want to see that all these negative connotations get kind of stripped away from ethnic studies, and that, like, this actually is American history. This actually is, you know, a very humanistic away approach to teaching ethnic studies. It's not, and it's not, it shouldn't be just reduced to like, you know, political talking points, or it shouldn't be reduced to just like, you know, some part of a political agenda and like this. This discipline isn't in its infancy. It's existed in a long time. And I think if we just looked at the outcomes of it, are like, there's been, there's been research from Stanford on, you know, the effects of ethnic studies on students, and it shows that people become more engaged in their learning if they are truant or, you know, very prone to dropping out ethnic studies is a class that that grounds them back in GPAs, go up and everything. And so there's, there's all these, there's all these positives to having ethnic studies classes. But I think the implementation, and I think how people kind of navigate implementation and making sure that people's voices are heard is is definitely delaying its progress and and, you know, kind of universal acceptance. And so I definitely want to see more progress on that front. Because I think if people actually see the practice of Ethnic Studies and take a look at the content in individual classrooms, then I think. Think we can definitely see the benefits of continuing to implement it. So my hope is that in the future we see expansion of ethnic studies, but I think that we need to temper our expectations and conversations around it, because there's a lot of there's a lot of good that can be done through these classes.

Toni Rose Deanon  1:00:16  
And I feel like you should definitely, like, I don't know, lead the way, because you have so much to share with us and teach us, as well, as far as emotional intelligence and skill sets and stuff that we may need to work on continuously, even as educators who don't teach ethnic studies, right? Just because, you know, we often hear a lot of times we don't have time, and then I used to always say, Well, we have to make time, when, in actuality, like we have time, we just have to be intentional with how we plan things, with how we have conversations, with how we put things in front of students. Because ultimately, like, we want our students to be critical thinkers. We want our students to actually go out in the world and be able to ask questions, be able to answer questions, be able to like, really support their communities in the best way possible, while also showing up as themselves authentically and unapologetically. So. Mark, thank you so much for your time. How can our listeners connect with you?

Mark Aquino  1:01:18  
You can reach me at my school. Email. It's m Aquino. That's M, a Q, U, I N, O, at Menlo school.org, I'm not really on social media. If you try to Google me, you'll probably find like my my YouTube channel, which is about fishing. So if you want to get in contact with me, you can email me through

Toni Rose Deanon  1:01:40  
beautiful That is incredible. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Maraming, Salamat, that's thank you in Tagalog, and so we just really appreciate your experience and expertise that you've shared with us. Mark, so thank you again. Listeners, remember, you can always email us at podcast at modern classrooms.org and you can find the show notes for this episode at podcast at modern classrooms.org/ 214 we'll have this episodes video uploaded on modern classrooms, YouTube channel and transcript uploaded by Friday. So be sure to check back to access those. Also, we are asking your listeners to leave a review of this podcast has been helpful in supporting you to create a human centered learning environment through a blended, self paced, mastery based model. It does help other folks find it. Thank you all for listening. Have a great week, and we'll be back next Sunday. Thank you Mark,

Mark Aquino  1:02:26  
thanks for having me.

Zach Diamond  1:02:32  
Thank you so much for listening. You can find links to topics and tools we discussed in our show notes for this episode, and remember you can learn more about our work at www.modernclassrooms.org and you can learn the essentials of our model through our free course learn.modernclassrooms.org you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at modern classproj, that's P, R, O, J, we are so appreciative of all you do for students in schools. Have a great week, and we'll be back next Sunday with another episode of the modern classrooms project podcast.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai