In Episode 48, we explore teaching in a western suburbs’ school where students face bigotry and negative stereotyping based on their race, religious beliefs, and the suburbs they live in.
Episode 48
CLICK PLAY to listen to Amra Pajalic
Episode Guest
- Amra Pajalic is a secondary school teacher and young adult novelist who teaches in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.
- Amra went to the same school she now teaches in.
Quick Guide
- Amra introduces herself
- The stereotypes associated with the western suburbs in Melbourne, Australia
- Amra’s connection with her students
- The need to escape and reinvent oneself
- Challenging the stereotypes, supporting student agency
- Memoir writing with students
- Building trust with students – so they feel comfortable revealing themselves in their writing
- Writing about being Muslim & challenging the stereotypes
- What’s crucial for teachers to know and do
- Student responses to the complexities of being a Muslim
- Supporting sexual diversity through IDAHOBIT day
- Race driven politics: the impact on students
- Supporting students to work through issues
- Spotlight Segment: Randa Abdel Fattah (young adult novelist)
- The impact of reading a book where you see yourself
- The writing of Amra’s first young adult novel and her current novel
- Living with someone with a mental illness
- Twists & Turns Segment: Changing ideas about what a ‘good teacher’ is
- Plugs for Amra’s books
- Closing Remarks
- The Right Track Segment
Expanding Students’ Ideas About Race, Religion and the Western Suburbs – Links
- Amra Pajalic’s website
- Amra’s novels:
- Coming of Age: Growing Up Muslim in Australia – Amra Pajalic and Demet Divaroren
- The Good Daughter – Amra Pajalic
- Things No-one Knows About Me – Amra’s forthcoming memoir
- Additional publications by Amra – What a Muslim Woman Looks Like
- IDAHOBIT – International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia
- Randa Abdel Fattah (Lawyer, human rights advocate, community volunteer and young adult novelist)
- Does My Head Look Big in This? By Randa Abdel Fattah
- Maria Vamvakinou (First Greek born woman to be elected to Federal Parliament in Australia)
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