When we critique the dominant individuals, institutions, and ideologies we:

• Critique in positive/constructive ways that can build a foundation for change, but that is also honest and transparent, recognizes existing power structures and how to work around/change them

• Provide opportunities for students to examine counter-narratives that challenge dominant paradigms

• Encourage students to come up with their own questions, ideas, and critiques

• Provide students with choice 

• Critique power dynamics in the classroom/school 

• Counter the deficit-oriented, low expectation narrative of students of color by being a “warm demander”

When we divert needed resources to the community and ensure needs of the community are being met we:

• Reflect our communities within our curriculum

• Consider, “How can needs be identified and addressed sufficiently to move forward in a proactive manner without being usurped by the demands of outside stakeholders?”

• Create opportunities for students to participate and take ownership in the identification process of needs and solutions within their own communities

• Engage with members of the community to avoid assumptions and a deficit mentality

• Empower students to take action

When we incorporate multi-disciplinary/holistic methods, series, models, perspectives, and approaches we:

• Use a “triangulation” approach - examine a topic through at least 3 disciplinary lenses

• Consider whose perspectives you will present to students, with the understanding that others’ perspectives will be left out

• Encourage students to question whose perspectives are included and whose are missing

• Include inter-generational perspectives

• Include lenses of feminist, queer, and critical race studies

When we foster reflexivity and negotiate outsider/insiderness we:

• Question the value of remaining “objective”

• Provide opportunities for student to practice “switching hats”

• Include reflections from “insider’s” perspective when examining a topic

• Provide opportunities for students to engage in self-reflection and story-telling about their own “insider” identities before they consider others

• Provide frequent opportunities for metacognition and self-reflection should be a regular part of the learning process for students

• Engage teachers in self-reflection alongside students

• Recognize that reflexivity fosters humility

When we celebrate communal and individual assets we:

• Have an asset-based approach to students, students as peer mentors and leaders, celebrating and building students’ resiliency

• Bring joy, celebration, and connection to the classroom

• Bring the assets of the community & students’ families into the classroom to be honored, celebrated, deeply understood

• Honor each student for the unique skills & gifts they bring to the school community (avoid generalizing/blanketing by labels)

• Build student self-determination/leadership/agency to help them develop their academic identity

When we build community and promote healing we:

• Examine the impact of historical, societal, and personal trauma 

• Create a safe/healthy/trusting classroom environment, building relationships, routines & rituals

• Provide opportunities for connections/solidarity across groups

• Build classroom communities that reflect our hopes for the broader community

• Encourage healing through listening, oral tradition, and storytelling

• Engage in contemplative & joyful practices