of children’ s identities( Ladson-Billings 2009; Gay 2010). Importantly, integrating culturally relevant content should align with state academic standards. Such alignment strengthens teachers’ rationale for instructional choices and can help protect them from administrative pushback against equity-oriented practices( NAEYC 2020).
Other experiences spark transformative learning, which depends on critical self-reflection as educators— and, in developmentally appropriate ways, children— reconsider assumptions about identity, belonging, and cultural traditions within their learning communities( Freire 1993; Mezirow 2000). This occurred when Mr. Omar reflected on what children were sharing about themselves and how that did and did not connect with the set curriculum. With a critical lens and agency, he helped children learn from discussion, drawings, and storytelling, and his adaptations supported their literacy and language growth and transformed their understandings of others’ interests and cultures in their classroom community.
Exercising Proxy Agency
Through proxy agency, teachers strategically leverage the influence, knowledge, and resources of others— such as administrators, families, or community organizations— to promote teacher agency and equitable outcomes for children( Bandura 2001; Hewson 2010). In Mr. Omar’ s case, he exercised proxy agency by inviting Ms. Spade to observe the revised lesson. As she watched children share drawings and discuss the cultural identities and traditions represented in their families, she recognized how the inquiry supported meaningful learning across content areas. By making children’ s engagement visible, Mr. Omar demonstrated that culturally responsive instruction could support authentic learning even within a prescribed curriculum.
Exercising Collective Agency
Building on Ms. Kimmie’ s experience, collective agency emerges when educators unite around shared values, pooling their knowledge, skills, and resources to sustain authentic learning( Wenger 1998; Bandura 2001). As the bread and breakfast inquiry expanded, colleagues and families became increasingly involved in the learning process. Children collaborated with family members to share recipes, stories, and cultural traditions connected to different types of bread. Teachers and families worked together to extend the inquiry through classroom activities and community participation. Ms. Kimmie observed that, unlike during periods dominated by test preparation, behavioral issues were minimal and motivation soared— children eagerly requested additional time to refine their work.
These experiences illustrate how collective agency can cultivate intrinsic engagement and community-centered learning that extend beyond the narrow measures of standardized testing and one-size-fits-all curriculum and instruction. Together, these examples show how collective agency expands the possibilities for equitable teaching and learning when educators work in partnership with colleagues, families, and communities.
Responding to Sociopolitical Restrictions
In increasingly restrictive policy climates, educators may rely on proxy and collective forms of agency to preserve equity-oriented practice. Partnering with administrators, professional associations( e. g., NAEYC, National Black Child Development Institute), and families enables educators to sustain multicultural and anti-bias teaching even when explicit discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion are discouraged. By embedding inclusive examples, promoting inquiry, and building professional solidarity, educators continue advancing justice-oriented teaching within and beyond policy constraints.
14 Young Children
Summer 2026