Essential Questions: 

• How can we use vetted curricula to inform and inspire our choices rather than dictate our plans? 
• How can we design–or thoughtfully choose–DEI lessons that are embedded in curriculum and grounded in student experience? 
• How does teacher documentation support teacher development and student learning? 

Reflective Blog Post:

Nowadays, there is a plethora of resources available to teachers engaging in diversity, equity, and inclusion work with students. With discernment, teachers can find quality frameworks and lessons that offer learning opportunities for students. Teaching Tolerance–more specifically, “20 Face to Face Advisories”–and Facing History and Ourselves have been touchstone resources for my own learning and lesson planning. 

That said, we also know that timing is key for maximizing the depth and meaning of these learning opportunities. It is my experience that being strategic about “the what” and “the when” is essential when planning impactful lessons that are developmentally appropriate and grounded in student experience, rather than feeling forced or “tacked-on.” Unsurprisingly, I have found that following a program’s exact scope and sequence is not an exact “fit” for the learning trajectory in my classroom. 

While at times I closely follow lesson plans from outside resources and experts, I cannot outsource the work of thoughtful decision-making when it comes to integration, timing, and listening to the pulse of my classroom. As progressive educators, the importance of “taking the cue” from the students is not a new idea. However, never has that been more true then when engaging in this work.

With the wisdom of respected experts–and Teaching Tolerance’s anchor standards pinned to the bulletin board above my desk–my work these past six months has been that of listening for seeds of discussions, deciphering the potential understanding that lives inside, making thoughtful planning decisions, and facilitating learning opportunities for students while practicing compassion for myself as I stumble and continue to learn. I am no expert on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and, as a white female educator, the work I must do when it comes to understanding my whiteness and my privilege is extensive and ongoing–and more and more frequently, this unpacking is happening publicly, in front of and alongside my students. But, if I have any expertise at all, it is in noticing seeds of discussions and seeking to know the ever-changing identities of my students (although I don’t pretend to be an “expert” on any student’s experience). 

Since September, I have found lesson plan seeds inside classroom social dynamics, identities of individual students, current events and holiday celebrations, and my humanities curriculum. Other times, lesson plans have stemmed from the need to extend a lesson that felt unfinished, clarify a lesson that felt “messy,” or address a Teaching Tolerance standard that extends a current understanding and has yet to be explored. As my ability to identify sources of lesson inspiration grows more refined, so too does my ability to adapt, rather than implement, a lesson plan from a respected outside source. And, unsurprisingly, lessons have grown more impactful, even if no less challenging. 

I should also say that consistency and documentation have been key. While I understand that this work, when done skillfully, is infused in student experience throughout the day, I have found that carving-out a designated time for digging into this work more deeply has been important for student understanding and my own professional growth. Naturally, discussions around issues of identity, equity, and diversity emerge throughout the week, but more targeted lessons (underpinned by teaching tolerance standards) live in homeroom on Monday mornings. Planning for the following Monday begins as soon as the lesson ends, when I open-up my DEI lesson log to document what occurred, my reflections and questions, and any ideas for follow-up lessons. This routine holds me accountable for deepening my own engagement with these issues and supports my growing understanding of how these issues surface in the experience of a fifth-grader.