Writing From the Borderlands: A Community Testimonio Workshop for Teachers

This qualitative study explores the impact of a week-long, community-based writing workshop for English Language Arts and History teachers working along the US–Mexico border. Centered on testimonio—a narrative genre rooted in cultural identity and community solidarity and characterized by a call for political action and transformation—the workshop invited educators to write from lived experience while considering how to implement similar writing opportunities for students. Grounded in borderlands rhetorics, the study examined how personal writing shaped teachers’ perspectives on identity, trauma-informed instruction, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. Data sources included participant writing, interviews, reflections, and recordings. Using testimonio methodology and collaborative coding, the study identified three themes: (1) writing as a connection to community, (2) identity exploration through conocimiento, and (3) intentional approaches to personal writing in the classroom. Findings suggest that equity-centered professional development grounded in relational literacies can support transformative teaching rooted in community, voice, and critical reflection.