Pedagogies of Quiet: Silence and Social Justice in the Classroom

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.