Creates opportunities that allow students to “see” their lived experiences and social realities reflected in the curricula in positive and substantial ways

----Please note, we will be adding to this page in coming weeks----

Readings and Resources

Chapter 1: Camaraderie from For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood by Christopher Emdin.

This chapter introduces the common misconceptions educators often bring into urban classrooms filled with neoindigenous students. It also introduce the concept of Reality pedagogy, an approach to teaching and learning that has the primary goal of meeting each student on his or her own cultural and emotional turf.

"Liberating the Curriculum", Chapter 5 from To Teach: the journey, in comics by William Ayers and Ryan Alexander-Tanner

This comic strip essay introduces many of the ideas behind creating a culturally relevant, liberating, critical curriculum from the perspective of a teacher. He wrestles with the tensions between standards and responsive curriculum and gives examples of how other teachers navigate these waters.

Activities

Choose one of the above readings for staff to read. Ask them to read and respond to text using the Save the Last Word protocol. Staff will read and identify a sentence that was meaningful for them from the text. They write their chosen quote on one side of an index card and their reason for choosing it on the other. Have staff stand up and find a partner with whom to share their card. Ask staff to switch cards with their partner and go on to another person and share their new cards. At the end of this sequence, ask staff to journal for a few minutes about what came up for them in this activity and how it might impact their teaching practice.

Introduce the concept of Windows and Mirrors as articulated by Emily Style's in this essay Curriculum as Window and Mirror. Curriculum that mirrors students own experience back to them, can validate their experience, help build self-knowledge and clarification of the "known". Curricular windows give students insight into other peoples' lived experience increases knowledge of others and illuminates the unknown. Have staff experience this through the Windows and Mirrors Activity.

Reflection and Application

Reading Diversity Lite: A Tool for Selecting Diverse Texts (Teacher’s Edition) is a one-page questionnaire that helps users include diverse voices in their day-to-day planning by answering 14 simple “yes or no” questions. This model promotes a multi-dimensional approach to text selection that prioritizes critical literacy, cultural responsiveness and complexity. One of our early users praised Reading Diversity Lite for its “convenient, quick, matter-of-fact structure.” This tool is ideal for busy teachers and anyone looking to assess a text’s diversity.

Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ section III: Instruction identifies ways to incorporate LGBTQ stories, history and lived experiences into the curriculum. This resource includes a LGBTQ Library resource list and LGBTQ Historical Figures. from Teaching Tolerance

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