Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture

Author: Gaiutra Bahadur

Description: In 1903, a young woman sailed from India to Guiana as a “coolie”— the British name for indentured laborers who replaced the newly emancipated slaves on sugar plantations all around the world. Pregnant and traveling alone, this woman, like so many of the indentured, disappeared into history. Now, in Coolie Woman, her great-granddaughter Gaiutra Bahadur embarks on a journey into the past to find her. Traversing three continents and trawling through countless colonial archives, Bahadur excavates not only her great-grandmother’s story but also the repressed history of some quarter of a million other coolie women, shining a light on their complex lives.

Purchase: Canadian distribution is through Indigo.ca or Amazon.ca.

Meeting on Tuesdays:

• March 26

• April 9

• April 23
• May 7 *Author sends regrets

Time: 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. EDT

Cost: Free

Facilitator: Jasminie Singh, Toronto DSB 

Cultivating Imagination in Leadership: Transforming Schools and Communities

Edited by: Gillian Judson and Meaghan Dougherty

Description: This comprehensive book provides a theoretical understanding of how imagination contributes to effective leadership, as well as practical tools all educational leaders can employ to cultivate their imaginations and the imaginations of others in their communities.

To support these goals, book chapters offer multiple perspectives on what imagination is, why it is essential for educational leaders, and how it can be developed. Contributions by leadership scholars and school-based leaders are organized around three themes: exploring possibilities, poetics of memory, and imagination's role in social justice and equity.

This work can now be used by individuals or within formal or informal learning communities to expand, deepen, and apply concepts. Expanding on Kieran Egan's theory of Imaginative Education, this book will help current and future leaders employ imagination to make sense of and address the day-to-day challenges they encounter.

Purchase: Canadian distributor, UTP Distribution, is offering a 15% discount off list price.

Meeting on Wednesdays:

• April 3

• April 17

• May 1
• May 15 *Meet the authors

Time: 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. EDT

Cost: Free

Facilitator: Lawrence DeMaeyer, Professional Learning Consultant, OPC

Unearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Teaching and Learning

Author: Gholdy Muhammad

Description: In this sequel to Cultivating Genius, Gholdy Muhammad adds a fifth pursuit—joy—to her groundbreaking framework. Dr. Muhammad shows how joy, which is rooted in the cultural and historical realities of Black students, can enhance our efforts to cultivate identity, skills, intellect, and criticality for ALL students, giving them a powerful purpose to learn and contribute to the world. Dr. Muhammad’s wise implementation advice is paired with model lessons that span subjects and grade levels.

Purchase: Canadian distribution is through your Scholastic Consultant (book order form) or Amazon.ca.

Meeting on Thursdays:

• April 11

• April 25

• May 9
• May 23

Time: 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. EDT

Cost: Free

Facilitators: Franca Ostella and Wendy Banhan, Toronto DSB