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
Category Archives: Learners
Finding Balance
In our last retreat session on 2/10/20, I worked with the help of my colleagues to identify an emerging guiding question or focus of inquiry to continue with my self-study. I reflected on what has been most successful and most challenging so far, what has been helpful in overcoming challenges, and the obstacles with which I’ve been confronted. Continue reading Finding Balance
Literature as Catalyst: Discussing racism and whiteness in middle school
Essential Questions:
How do I get better at using literature to center conversations around racism and whiteness in middle school humanities?
Continue reading Literature as Catalyst: Discussing racism and whiteness in middle school
A Crucible: Identity Discourse in Drama
Essential Questions:
- How do I (we) reconcile a piece of art that has been created by and for a dominant culture?
- How do I (we) help students frame their experience so that they might empathize with someone who does not share their identity?
- How do students’ identities shape their understanding of playing a role?
Affirming Perspective /Challenging Stereotypes: Decentering whiteness in 9th grade history
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?
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
Affirming Perspective /Challenging Stereotypes: Decentering whiteness in 9th grade history
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?
Values and Beliefs about Doing Science and Science Class
Essential Questions:
- If we want students to learn to do the work of scientists, not just learn about science, how can that be done without recreating within our classrooms the culture that currently exists in science outside of our school?
- If the past 500 years of science had been created by everyone, what values and beliefs would we hold about science? And if we want to do something about that now, what values and beliefs should we aspire to hold in our classroom?
- What routines, activities, and systems of feedback are necessary to create a culture of science that is built by and for everyone and that can be carried beyond a single classroom?
- How do we help students align their actions with their values in science class?
Continue reading Values and Beliefs about Doing Science and Science Class
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!