Cohort 6
Stephanie Renee Payne EDUCATION • MFA in Creative Writing Vermont College of Fine Arts • B.A. in Liberal Arts The New School University for Social Research
ENROLLED • Cohort 6
LOCATION • Los Angeles, Calif.
Stephanie Renèe Payne has taught in higher education in writing and rhetoric for nearly 20 years. Her educational philosophy centers on the notion that the vocation of an educator is sacred, and that the learning process is a fully embodied experience. As a Board Certified Coach (BCC) and mindfulness educator, Stephanie recognizes that education in a 21st century context must incorporate all elements of our humanity, including spiritual, intellectual, reciprocal, identity, and equitable learning modalities. Stephanie has presented nationally at conferences and for businesses and organizations offering contemplative practices, and how to erect meaningful and action oriented DEIAB practices. Stephanie’s educational philosophy is most influenced by Paulo Freire, bell hooks, and Audre Lorde’s work in identity as an early pioneer of intersectionality. Stephanie developed three core educational tenets: Community building requires the restructuring of power hierarchies, place- conscious learning, and reciprocity in learning, which includes Freire’s concept of critical consciousness and Lorde’s notion of embracing identities; equitable learning models , which encourages that education move beyond the historically narrow boundaries of learning and access to learning, and the (re)consideration of how coloniality manifests today and historically to facilitate expanded forms of learning, such as Indigenous knowledges and oral traditions, and learning/ educating as a praxis rooted in eradicating historical struggles; and love that is a radical commitment to the wholeness of the planet with an awareness of what each learner requires to feel supported. Bringing love into the classroom requires more than niceties and good feelings, as bell hooks states: “Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust.”
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Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
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