As I was sitting in the audience during Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s keynote at an antiracist conference a few years ago, I felt something shift. Her words about literacy, identity, and power resonated deeply and I devoured her first book, Cultivating Genius. It was the first time I encountered the Historically Responsive Literacy (HRL) Framework, and its four pursuits—Identity, Skills, Intellect, and Criticality—felt galvanizing.

These pursuits pushed me to think about my classroom not only as a place for language acquisition and intercultural competence, but as a space for liberation and affirmation.

Then came Unearthing Joy. With this book, Dr. Muhammad added a fifth pursuit, one that feels both ancient and urgently needed: Joy. Joy as practice, as pedagogy, and as a necessity for all our students.

I have just launched a Slow Book Club to explore this text with like-minded educators. II am eager to share what I am learning about the HRL Framework, about joy, and about the kind of classrooms we can build together. The goal of the book club are:

• Engage with powerful antiracist ideas: Read an outstanding educational book outside of the World Language realm: Unearthing Joy by Gholdy Muhammad.
  
• Reflect and grow in community: Work collaboratively to discuss and reflect on the text, connecting its ideas to our teaching and seeking meaningful ways to transform our classroom practices.

• Honor depth over speed: Move intentionally through the book, reading one chapter per month to allow time for thoughtful reflection and sustained application of ideas.

At our first meeting, my co-moderator, Elodie Channa, and I shared a quote from Dr. Muhammad about Joy and invited participants to reflect on two questions (provided by the book): What nourishes and sustains you personally and professionally? Where do you find joy in your work as an educator?

The responses were thoughtful and vulnerable and I found myself writing them down in my journal. They reminded me that joy is a practice that roots us and connects us. I want to share some of these reflections with all of you:

“Joy is feeling I can and have an impact. Feeling like I matter.”

“There isn’t scarcity of joy.”

“Joy is experienced on the inside.”

“Joy is a deeper sense of fulfillment.”

“Joy is creation, whether creating a relationship or a lesson plan.”

“Joy is purpose.”

“Joy is making connections and wondering.”

“Happiness is a feeling, fun is an action, joy is a state of being.”

“Joy is appreciating that I have a home.”

“Joy is learning.”

“Joy is serving others and being in community.”

These early conversations have affirmed how much we all need spaces that center joy, reflection, and collective growth. I hope these insights encourage you to think about where joy already lives in your practice and where it might be nurtured further. I would love to hear your reflections as well. What sustains you, and how do you cultivate joy in your classroom or community? Please feel free to share your answers in the comments and see you next month for our next chapter!

Post edited with the help of OpenAI. Prompt: “edit this post so the tone feels even more inviting and reflective”. 11.24.2025.