Houston, TX
Email: tamrichlon@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-richter-a8578b30/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/GybIkNCilR0

Tamara Richter, Ph.D. has been involved in the field of education for the last 12 years, either teaching or doing research. Her interest in intercultural learning environments has led her to study in 6 different countries where she got a BA in Educational Sciences, an MA in Lifelong Learning: Policy and Management and a PhD in Education.  She grew up surrounded by Social Constructionist ideas, therefore, questioning the establishment and being curious about who decides how things are done or what becomes the norm in whichever aspect of life. She took these questions to the world of education, first by challenging her own schooling experience and then trying to understand who is responsible for the educational system we have today. She soon realized that there are no simple answers, just a complex reality that is closely connected to politics and economy.

Tamara has worked in non-formal and informal learning environments, including Montessori and Reggio Emilia inspired schools, the Memory and Tolerance Museum in Mexico City and as a Spanish teacher for immigrants in Bilbao. In 2017, Tamara was a founding member of Xavier Academy International in Mexico City, a school based on social constructionist ideas designed for High School students that, for whichever reason, did not make it in the traditional educational system. The development of this school became the basis of her PhD dissertation on relation-based learning, which then focused on relation-based school management. Her experience as a teacher was successful, but she found relational challenges within her business partnership as well as the difficulties that come with organizational management.

She currently works at Xavier Academy in Houston. Her role as a teacher gives her the opportunity to discover different ways of creating a learning environment that can trigger curiosity and a love for learning along with her students, while fostering their sense of community and belonging.  She also has a Spanish-language YouTube channel where she shares her work in an accessible format for those who are not familiar with these ideas.  She understands social construction as a way of living and perceiving the world. Therefore, the best way to learn about it is through relationships and experiences, which is the way she constantly shares her way of being with her students and colleagues. Tamara has participated in several Taos Institute conferences and has experienced the power of international connections. She would like to contribute to the Taos community by bringing an educational agenda and providing a space to reflect on what education should look like in a world built on Social Constructionism.