Decolonizing Our Minds, Bodies, and Lives

As educators, we are well aware of the intentional learning that happens (or doesn’t happen!) in our classrooms and education practices. But what about the unintentional lessons our students receive on a daily basis?

The concept of the Hidden Curriculum has long fascinated me. How often do we stop to consider the messaging embedded in our textbooks, campus layouts, classroom norms, and teaching techniques? What habits, expectations, and ways of being are quietly reinforced—and how do those messages shape students’ understanding of themselves and the world around them?

In the video above, I’m joined by Kelsey Blackwell, a Cultural Somatics Practitioner, for a conversation about how this hidden curriculum shows up not just in students’ minds, but in their bodies. Together, we explore how systems of colonization and dominance can live somatically—impacting long-term mental, physical, and emotional health—and what it can look like to begin loosening their grip.

We talk about what it means for our minds and bodies to be colonized, and how all of us—but especially women of color—can begin the work of reclaiming agency, presence, and choice.

This conversation runs just over an hour, which is a bigger investment than my usual short-form videos. That said, I believe it’s worth the time—particularly as educators reflect on the kinds of learning environments we’re creating and the messages students are absorbing, often without anyone naming them explicitly.

If you’d like to learn more about Kelsey’s work around decolonizing the body, you can explore her offerings here:
https://www.kelseyblackwell.com/decolonize-the-body-open

And if this conversation sparked reflection or curiosity for you—especially around embodiment, nervous system awareness, and the unspoken curriculum students carry with them—you may find additional, related resources in the Visitor’s Center of the Anti-Boring Learning Lab:
https://antiboringlearninglab.com/resources

A version of the following article was originally published here on August 29th, 2022.