Create culturally responsive and community-immersive learning using the un/HUSH Framework.
PRINCIPLES OF THE un/HUSH FRAMEWORK
*The (UN) should be incorporated with the other principles of the framework*
Origin Story of the un/HUSH framework:
While many frameworks are available to educators, the un/HUSH Framework is distinct in that it draws inspiration from the pedagogy of past educators and the voices of students. It invites us to ask: What can we learn from those who came before us? From the students sitting in our classrooms today? How might we use oral histories, lived experiences, and shared stories to forge relationships, build coalitions, and foster more human-centered learning communities?
What is the un/HUSH framework?
The framework is anchored in five core principles: uniting for collective change and naming our positionality; celebrating and unearthing underrepresented histories; embracing the process of unlearning; leveraging the power of stories; and supporting healing through connection and relationships.
We hope this framework not only guides your practice but also inspires you to adapt it in ways that spark meaningful, lasting change in your classrooms and beyond.
Unlearning the Hush meaning
The acronym for the un/HUSH Framework is drawn from Dr. Bunch’s book Unlearning the Hush, which calls for the removal of silences often surrounding underrepresented histories and stories. Unhushing invites us to raise our voices, share our truths, and take action in ways that create meaningful, lasting change for our students, classrooms, and communities.
Potential benefits of using the framework
- Ushers in stories and lessons of the past.
- Serves as a guide for evaluating and/or building culturally responsive curricula.
- Fosters connections with others through shared stories, perspective-taking, and histories.
Step by Step Using the un/HUSH Framework
“I think all grade levels would benefit from educators using the un/HUSH framework in their planning / lessons / texts / materials because it emphasizes teaching culturally rather than merely teaching culture. Students encounter and experience different cultures but also forms of marginalization from a young age. In this way I believe the framework’s assertion that joy and trauma can coexist and serve as a justice response is universal across grade levels.”
Chrissy K., University of Illinois Pre-service Teacher
“The un/HUSH framework encourages us to interrogate the null curricula – or what is NOT said, studied, or addressed in the classroom – and to challenge those silences and gaps, while also understanding that there is implicit curricula ignited by all that we include and exclude in our own affect, curricula, and engagement in the classroom.”
Brittany R. Collins, educator and author
“As a former student of Dr. Marlee Bunch, I’ve experienced this framework in action. Through the framing of her lessons, Dr. Bunch enlightened and empowered her students. Through her lessons, I’ve been able to explore my own identity, while also being enabled to understand and connect to the unique lived experiences and histories of my classmates. 15 years later, when I re-read the journal entries I wrote in 9th grade, I feel grateful for the intentionality she brought to the classroom.”