The words we use in our everyday interactions with children, families, teachers, and each other, hold a tremendous amount of power. Some of the messages we convey with words are obvious, but many can be so subtle we don't even recognize that what we said had an affect on the listener. Intentional or unintentional, how we craft and carry out our conversations influence our relationships with our peers, our children and their families, and our communities, in very real ways. 

To think of the enormity of work that needs to be done in order to move towards a more equitable system of teaching and learning is enough to make you want to throw your hands up. But what if we just started by raising our awareness? Asking ourselves the hard questions and reflecting on our thinking and practices? Building our knowledge? We can't finish the race until we take the first step, right?  

The resources included for this month are meant to help you start building your own awareness of the role your words play in your everyday interactions.