How I Got Here

Throughout my experience as a Black Deaf student and as a Black Deaf K-12 teacher of the Deaf, I noticed that Deaf/Hard of Hearing students, especially D/HH students of color, were enduring unnecessary hardships and circumstances, including systemic oppressions such as racism, ableism, audism, and more in life and schools.

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The problem is that even with passion and good intentions as a teacher, I was neither aware of nor understood how my daily actions in the classroom did or did not promote further suffering for my students.

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Although I desired to truly understand the choices I made, the reason behind those choices, and the changes I needed to make to promote students’ freedom from harm in my classroom, I couldn't find the specific resources that would help deepen my understanding and commitment to transformative action. I needed something that was:

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• accessible

• informative

• inspirational

• community-based

• compassionate

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So, I decided to join a Deaf Ed PhD program and address my concerns through research. In the past several years, I've discovered that there are a variety of ways to promote students’ freedom and minimize harm. One of them I will focus on in my service with teachers, coaches, and leaders is a mental habit known as "critical consciousness" practiced through the lens of self-compassion.

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In 2014, I conducted my first pilot study on critical consciousness with a fellow Black Deaf educator and it was one of the most enlightening experiences I've ever had. Learning what that practice looks like for me made me a better person, teacher, and researcher.

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As teachers, we want to do what we can to help eradicate the unnecessary suffering that so many of our students are experiencing these days. So, I created CC School to help all of us do the inner work it takes for us to be most effective in our outer work - in classrooms, schools, and communities no matter where, when, or how.