During this self study, I noted that I wanted to think about the following questions: Continue reading Journaling Towards Pleasant Surprises
Category Archives: Lower School
Creating the Space for Reflection: Teacher as Learner
Learning brings me joy. For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed learning new things. It didn’t matter when, where, or how. I can remember being in elementary school and waiting anxiously to find out what the class would be studying next. Continue reading Creating the Space for Reflection: Teacher as Learner
Creative Writing As a Lens for Exploring My Creative Practice
For my tenure self-study, I will focus on my own creative writing practice. This year, I am specializing in the teaching of English/Language Arts rather than Humanities as a whole. This means I am designing new curriculum and a major focus of the year for me is the teaching of writing, both expository and creative writing. Continue reading Creative Writing As a Lens for Exploring My Creative Practice
A Kindergarten Classroom in a Global Pandemic?
Community is at the heart of early childhood education. We rely on our classroom community to connect with one other, to create positive learning environments, to enrich programming, to build and foster strong relationships, and to deepen our understanding of identity and cultural knowledge. By building community in our Kindergarten, students take risks and persevere when faced with a challenge.
Continue reading A Kindergarten Classroom in a Global Pandemic?
The Problems of Unexamined Normative Assumptions
Essential Questions:
- How do we teach students to see historical events through multiple perspectives?
- How does changing the “voice” of the class materials challenge stereotypes about non-Western civilizations and cultures?
- How do we teach students to value the achievements of civilizations that are not their (or our) own or that have traditionally been seen through a deficit lens?
- How can highlighting examples of interactions between oppressed and dominant groups throughout history reveal injustices that affect our students’ lives?
Continue reading The Problems of Unexamined Normative Assumptions
Modeling the Work
In September, I decided that I was fully going to commit to having my students keep a year long portfolio. Continue reading Modeling the Work
Play as a Point of Entry for Learning
As I continue to work on my tenure self-study project, I reflect on my journey so far and think about where I’m headed. Continue reading Play as a Point of Entry for Learning
From Me to We: Exploring Self and Community in the Fours
Essential Question:
- Who am I and who are the people in my life?
- How does learning about the world around me help me learn more about myself and others?
- For example, how does learning about diversity in nature lend itself to conversations about human diversity?
Continue reading From Me to We: Exploring Self and Community in the Fours
From Me to We: Exploring Self and Community in the Fours
Essential Questions:
- Who am I and who are the people in my life?
- How does learning about the world around me help me learn more about myself and others?
- For example, how does learning about diversity in nature lend itself to conversations about human diversity?
Continue reading From Me to We: Exploring Self and Community in the Fours
What part of our teaching should be through an anti-bias lens? All of it!
Essential Questions
- How can new teachers use the Teaching Tolerance Anti-Bias Social Justice Framework to inform their teaching across disciplines?
- How can I support them in this process?
Continue reading What part of our teaching should be through an anti-bias lens? All of it!
Many Scales make a Rainbow Fish: Exploring Self and Community in the Fours
Essential Questions:
- How do we grow our understanding of ourselves within a community?
- How do we develop our own identities while also learning about others’ identities?
- How do we use the concept of community to notice and celebrate both similarities and differences?
- How do we use the concept of community to foster a culture of social justice in terms of vision and action?
Continue reading Many Scales make a Rainbow Fish: Exploring Self and Community in the Fours
What’s in a name? Looking Deeper into Morning Meeting in the Lower School.
Essential questions:
- How does morning meeting develop identity on a daily basis? How can this practice be deepened?
- How can morning meeting develop capacity for anti-bias work?
Guiding Questions:
- Where do our names come from?
- Why are they so important?
Continue reading What’s in a name? Looking Deeper into Morning Meeting in the Lower School.
Is my first grade curriculum anti-bias – Not Yet!
Essential Questions:
- How do people help in a community?
- Who do we think needs help in a community?
- Who are the helpers we do not see?
- How can I use my voice to raise awareness of issues that matter to me?
Continue reading Is my first grade curriculum anti-bias – Not Yet!
We Are the Same, We Are Different: Racial Literacy in Early Childhood Classroom
Essential Questions:
- How do discussions about sameness build a sense of shared community?
- How do we explore the ways we are different from people around us?
- What are ways that people are treated unfairly?
- What can I do to make things more fair for myself and others?
Continue reading We Are the Same, We Are Different: Racial Literacy in Early Childhood Classroom
A Seven Year Old Can Be a Social Justice Leader!
Essential Questions:
- Who are social justice leaders and how am I similar?
- How can people create change in American society when injustice is present?
Continue reading A Seven Year Old Can Be a Social Justice Leader!