College of Education and Human Development

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Keitha-Gail Martin-Kerr

  • Pronouns: she, her, hers

  • Department Associate Chair, Associate Professor - Teaching

  • Office Hours

    For appointments, please contact kmartink@umn.edu

Keitha-Gail Martin-Kerr

Areas of interest

Racial justice, healing justice, anti-oppressive pedagogies, literacy coaching, mentoring for equity, feminist methodology, critical phenomenology, collective leadership

Degrees

PhD, University of Minnesota, MN
MA, Touro College, NY
MS, City University of New York, NY
BA, Northern Caribbean University, Jamaica

Biography

Keitha-Gail received her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota in 2016. Her research interests live at the intersection of collective memory work, elementary education, teacher education, being Black, and living queerly. She is a teacher educator whose pedagogy centers on resistance to normativity and anti-oppressive pedagogy. She has several publications in the areas of teaching queerly and education inclusivity. She enjoys engaging in intellectually stimulating conversations and thinking with theory around issues relating to equity and social justice. Keitha-Gail identifies as a queer, Black immigrant from Jamaica. She currently lives in Minnesota with her partner and her daughter.

What students can expect from me?

I am deeply committed to fostering meaningful, collaborative relationships with my students. Having been fortunate to receive excellent mentorship myself, I understand its transformative power and strive to offer the same level of guidance and support. I take pride in being responsive and approachable, walking alongside students as they navigate their academic journeys.

I genuinely enjoy meeting with students, listening to their ideas, and supporting their projects and research. Whether brainstorming, refining a concept, or celebrating milestones, I am fully invested in their success. Writing and presenting at conferences with students is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my work, as it allows me to amplify their voices and showcase their contributions to the field.

Above all, I value transparent, timely communication and a collaborative approach that empowers students to reach their full potential. My goal is to create a supportive environment where students feel heard, inspired, and equipped to excel.

Courses taught

  • CI 8147: Critical Discourse Analysis 
  • CI 3211: Introduction to Elementary Teaching 
  • CI 1001: Introduction to Elementary Education
  • CI 8165: Queer and Feminist Theories: Collective Memory Work
  • CI 8201: Critical Theories of Growth and Change in Elementary Education
  • CI 4121: Culture, Power, and Education
  • CI 5426:  Language Arts Instruction in Elementary Grades
  • CI 5425: Reading Instruction in the Elementary Grades

Associations

  • American Educational Research Association (AERA)
  • Literacy Research Association (LRA)
  • International Literacy Association (ILA)
  • National Women’s Study Association (NWSA)
  • National Association of Multicultural Education (N.A.M.E)

Sponsored projects

Jamaica Exchange in Teaching Program (JET)

In the News

CEHD News, Martin-Kerr Leads Jamaica Exchange Teaching Program

Leading Equity Podcast, "Episode 159: Critical Colonial Consciousness Through Queer Pedagogy"

Publications

Martin-Kerr, K.-G. (2024). Mentoring: Finding Joy in a Doctoral Program. About Campus. https://doi.org/10.1177/10864822241284631

Martin-Kerr, K.-G., Yoon, S. R., & Miller, J. L. B. (2024). Feminist Perspectives of Time Toward Collective Well-Being in Online Pedagogy. In Distance learning, 21 (3), 53–56. 

Martin-Kerr, K.G. (2023). A Post-intentional Phenomenological Study of a Queer Identified Youth in Jamaica. Global Journal of Human-Social Science, 23(G3), 39–47

Martin-Kerr, K.G. & Pellew, R. (2023). Mentoring Uncertified Teachers in Guyana.Global Journal of Human-Social Science, 24(G4), 19–33

Vagle, M.D., Martin-Kerr, K.G., LoBello Miller, J., Wald, B., & Fairbanks, H. (2023). Critical Post-Intentional Phenomenological Inquiry (crit-PIP): Why it Matters and What it Can Do. In Denzin, N, A., Lincoln, Y., Giardina, M., & Cannella. G (Eds.), The Sixth Edition of the Sage Handbook of

Qualitative Research. pp. 223 - 239.

In Press: Martin-Kerr, K-G, Rombalski, A, Israelson, M. (2022). Examining reflection as a tool to develop equity-mindedness in future educators: One teacher candidate’s reflection with a mentor through three theoretical lenses. Teacher and Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103782

Martin-Kerr, K.G., & Clements, C. H. (2021). Playing games with theory: Collective memory-work and game theory in post qualitative inquiry. In R. Hamm (Ed.). Reader Collective Memory-Work (pp. 507 – 523).  BeltraBooks.(invited).

Martin-Kerr, K-G. (2020). Still Searching: My Present Reality. In R, Endo. (Ed.). (2020). Experiences of Racialization in Predominantly White Institutions: Critical Reflections on Inclusion in US Colleges and Schools of Education (pp.  120 - 130). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429355639 (invited). 

A Phenomenology Collective (Martin-Kerr, K.-G., Zilmer, C., Babulski, T.,  Funfe Tatah Mentan, C., Colum, K.). (2019). Cultivating activism in the academy: A Deluezoguattarian exploration of phenomenological projects in M. Vagle, J. Johnson Thiel, & B. Hofsess (Eds.) Unsettling traditions: Reimagining the craft of phenomenological and hermeneutic inquiry [special issue]. Qualitative Inquiry. 

Martin-Kerr, K-G. (2019). Fostering Critical Colonial Consciousness through  Queer Pedagogy. In S. N.J, Blackman; D. A, Conrad; L. I. Brown. (Eds). Achieving Inclusive Education in the Caribbean and Beyond: From Philosophy to Praxis. (pp. 193 - 205). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. (Refereed). 

Allen, K., Brodeur, K., Israelson, M., Martin-Kerr, K. G., Ortmann, L., Peterson, D. (2018). Developing Reflective Practice in Teacher Candidates through Program Coherence. Teaching & Learning Inquiry. 6(2), 81- 96.