Embedded Files
Reflect:
Reflect:
- What does an equitable space look like and sound like?
- How are we defining and measuring how equitable our classrooms are?
- How are we intentionally disrupting systems of oppression in schools?
- How might we affirm all identities through resources, curriculum, actions and opportunties?
- How are we actively working to decenter ourselves in the classroom and share power?
- How are we intentionally creating a culture of care and cultivating the conditions for meaningful relationships in the classroom?
- How are we addressing harm when it happens to ensure the environment feels safe, inclusive and unconditional?
- How might we work to understand what justice means for each other?
- How are we communicating high expectations in our learning environments?
- How might we approach community building and relationships with a restorative approach?
Learn:
Learn:
Something to Read:
Something to Read:
Something to Watch:
Something to Watch:
Something to Listen to:
Something to Listen to:
Something to Engage with:
Something to Engage with:
Act:
Act:
Disrupt and Interrupt Hate Language:
Disrupt and Interrupt Hate Language:
What can we do when we hear it?
Call it out:
“What you just said was not ok"
"That word is not acceptable in our schools"
Name it:
“That’s homophobic/racist/Islamophobic etc. It stops now.”
Calm and firm guidance:
“That language is harmful and disrespectful to everyone around you. We will not be using that kind of language in our classroom”.
“We are not tolerating that kind of language in our school”
Supportive inquiry:
"Why would you think that's an appropriate thing to say in front of me and your peers?"
"Before you spoke, did you think about how that comment would reflect on you and how it would make your peers feel?"
"Would you be willing to repeat what you just said to your parents/guardians or younger siblings?"
Student Agency and Empowering the Learner:
Student Agency and Empowering the Learner:
Opportunities for Student Agency:
Opportunities for Student Agency:
- What do you need from this physical space?
- What do you need from yourself?
- What do you need from the people learning around you?
- What do you need from the people teaching you?
Teach Students About their Learning Environment:
Teach Students About their Learning Environment:
Recognize the Power Dynamics:
Recognize the Power Dynamics:
Reflection Questions:
Reflection Questions:
- Where might power structures show up in the classroom (point systems, values, rewards, entry routines, exit routines, rules and norms in the classroom)?
- How might power show up in the language that I use?
- How might classroom set up and design further communicate power structures in the classroom (sitting above, closer to the educator)?
- Who makes the decisions in a space? About the space? About the schedule of the day? About how/when to eat? About how/when to use the washroom?
- How might power be shared in the space? What does that look like? Sound like?
- How might we recognize that ignoring issues or being permissive is also rooted in power?
- What are we doing to share power and ensure that all humans feel seen, heard and valued?
Work to Be a Warm Demander:
Work to Be a Warm Demander:
"Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hamond, Page 99.
What does it mean to be a Warm Demander?
What does it mean to be a Warm Demander?
Understand the Brain Science and Move Towards Safe Places:
Understand the Brain Science and Move Towards Safe Places:
Culturally Responsive Brain Rules:
Culturally Responsive Brain Rules:
Zaretta Hammond, "Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain" pg., 46-50.
- The brain seeks to minimize social threats and maximize opportunties to connect with others in community.
- Positive relationships keep our safety-threat detection system in check.
- Culture guides how we process information.
- Attention drives learning.
- All new information must be cooupled with existing funds of knowledge in order to be learned.
- The brain phyically grows through challenge and stretch, explanding its ability to do more complex thinking and learning.
Be Culturally Responsive and Relevant:
Be Culturally Responsive and Relevant:
Eight Competencies:
Eight Competencies:
- Reflect on your own worldview
- Recognize and address bias
- Embed culture in curriculum
- Bring in real-world issues
- Model high expectations
- Promote and model respect
- Partner with families
- Communicate in many different ways
Use an Asset-Based Approach:
Use an Asset-Based Approach:
Presuming Competence
Presuming Competence
Shelley Moore looks at our education system and points out 'bubbles of privilege and bubbles of deficit.'
Shelley Moore looks at our education system and points out 'bubbles of privilege and bubbles of deficit.'
Think about this:
- Expand our understanding of what it means to 'know'
- Stop designing for deficit
- Do not make students prove they can learn to be able to access learning
- Build on strengths
- Encourage all students to share their thinking in many ways
Understand the Actions that Lead to the School to Prison Pipeline
Understand the Actions that Lead to the School to Prison Pipeline
- Adopt a Social Emotional Lens:
Set an expectation that hurtful words will not be tolerated
Encourage students to access mental-health
Pay attention to whether your students’ basic needs are being met
- Know Your Students and Develop a Cultural Competency
Avoid a cultural-deficit model
Adopt a culturally responsive approach
Carry a sense of respect and humility with you
- Plan and Deliver Effective Student-centered Instruction
A well planned and highly engaging lesson is the best way to manage a classroom.
Plan and deliver meaningful curriculum that connects to students’ lives
Differentiate your instruction so that all students are being challenged
- Move the Paradigm from Punishment to Development:
Adopt the “warm demander” teacher stance.
Praise often and praise publicly.
Try positive intervention strategies that build students’ capacity
- Resist the criminalization of school behaviour:
While extreme situations may warrant it, be extraordinarily thoughtful about when and why you remove a student from class.
Examine the enforcement of discipline policies for patterns, both in your classroom and across your school. Are there gender or racial disparities?
Truancy is the No. 1 predictor of youth delinquency leading to arrest and incarceration. If truancy is a problem in your school community, form a task force of school and community members, including students, to examine the root causes and propose solutions.
Recognize How Teacher Actions Lead to Streaming of Students
Recognize How Teacher Actions Lead to Streaming of Students
Find a variety of resources about destreaming in this choice board!
Find a variety of resources about destreaming in this choice board!
Diminish sense of identity Decrease agency Lower Expectations Limit Opportunities
Diminish sense of identity Decrease agency Lower Expectations Limit Opportunities
- How might this practice contribute to a student feeling shame about a piece of their identity and ability?
Example: Only asking certain students to help with leadership activities or recognizing some students for school awards, assuming ability based on identity
Example: Only asking certain students to help with leadership activities or recognizing some students for school awards, assuming ability based on identity
- How might this practice contribute to a student feeling like they don't have the necessary skills to be successful or that they are not 'good' at certain subjects?
Example: Fixed ability groups or only calling on some students to demonstrate thinking
Example: Fixed ability groups or only calling on some students to demonstrate thinking
- How might this practice contribute to a student feeling like they don't know how to voice a concern or question or a lack of agency?
Example: Announcing that the question period is over or responding with "no more questions" or "I have already answered that"
Example: Announcing that the question period is over or responding with "no more questions" or "I have already answered that"
- How might this practice be contributing to lowered expectations for this student
Example: Fixed ability groups, only asking some students to do part of activities, only providing choice for some students, denying the opportunity to participate in an intervention program based on behaviour, attendance or ability
Example: Fixed ability groups, only asking some students to do part of activities, only providing choice for some students, denying the opportunity to participate in an intervention program based on behaviour, attendance or ability
- How might this practice contribute to limiting opportunities for students?
Example: Picking students to participate in school wide events based on behaviour or excluding students from class or events based on behaviour
Example: Picking students to participate in school wide events based on behaviour or excluding students from class or events based on behaviour
- Create community agreements and guiding beliefs
- Use multiple means of action and expression
- Positive representation of identities in resources
- Provide tools for anonymous feedback
- Be trauma informed
- Model and teach active listening skills
- Centre student voice
Offer Affinity Spaces
Offer Affinity Spaces
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