Donna Johnson, Librarian @coral_ridge. I can seriously do without the cold weather. Highs in 60s/lows in 50s, OK. Nothing below that. I feel like we're skipping Fall right now. :( #jcpschat
Andrew Waterhouse, Ballard High School, and I'm both happy and sad. Happy due to jacket/hot chocolate season, sad due to missing the early part of fall where it's a fresh 70 degrees.
#jcpschat
A1. #Equity means removing barriers. It means looking AT, not PAST, differences and offering what Goldilocks was looking for- something that is just right for the individual.
#JCPSchat@jcpsforward@JCPSDEP1
#equity as it relates to education values the unique realities of students and incorporates their culture into classroom instruction. It also creates opportunities that each individual student needs to be successful. #JCPSChat
A1. #Equity in education is valuing what makes each student unique and providing them with what they need to be successful, in and out of the classroom. #JCPSChat
A1 #equity in the educational setting is seeing, valuing, and responding to the diversity in our classrooms in a positive way and also being inclusive of all students and their varied needs. #JCPSChat
#equity as it relates to education values the unique realities of students and incorporates their culture into classroom instruction. It also creates opportunities that each individual student needs to be successful. #JCPSChat
A1: Ensuring Ss have what THEY need to succeed, which is not always the exact same thing for all, depending on their circumstances. I like this cartoon's explanation. #jcpschat
A2: #Equity is more than being fair. To me, equity is ensuring that every student has a chance to succeed, whatever it takes, no matter the obstacles. #JCPSChat
A1: to me equity is providing all students with equal opportunity and access to learning, and giving students the supports necessary to achieve this. #jcpschat
I think this is also the difference between equity and equality. Equality is fair because everyone gets the same thing. Equity is Ss getting what they need. #JCPSChat
A1: I like to think of equity as giving all students all possible avenues to be successful. Some might require different means to get there, but those means are celebrated and encouraged.
#jcpschat
A1 ensuring all students have equal opportunities as well as the tools they need to demonstrate their knowledge. And respecting the knowledge they demonstrate #JCPSChat
A1: To me, #Equity means that the educator makes every effort to see the brilliance in EVERY student, co-worker, parent and community member. #JCPSChat@E3educate
A1: #equity is the standard but not standardization, it is a recognition that students deserve to be supported and to be advocated for but that is not going to look the same for every child @jcpsforward#jcpschat
A1: Equity is removing barriers, so that all students have access to be successful in school. Doing what needs to be done to provide access for all. #jcpschat
I feel like this takes a conscious effort to get to the place of understanding the difference, bc from the time we're very young, we focus on "fair" = I get the same thing you get. #jcpschat
A1: Equity to me means all students are included and given the same opportunities as their peers and that they have the materials the need to complete the task! #JCPSChat
I would argue it’s a privilege to be told about fair. As a POC with a white parent, more often than not, I was coached on how unfair the odds would be for me. But your point is valid and something we should bare in mind. #JCPSChat
One of my favorite ways to approach this with students is to remind them of the negatives of fair. We always want fair when it benefits us, but never when it hurts us. Equity makes that part irrelevant. #jcpschat
In reply to
@CRCubsLibrary, @AvenCook, @Ms_Clark5th
A1: #equity is the standard but not standardization, it is a recognition that students deserve to be supported and to be advocated for but that is not going to look the same for every child @jcpsforward#jcpschat
A2: As one of the most racially segregated cities, it’s our duty to our communities and our kids to even the playing field. Education can still be the great equalizer. #JCPSChat
A2: it is our obligation to our kids and our community to give each child what they need to succeed. It is difficult, but again, THE work. This includes putting systems in place to ensure adults are checking themselves when needed to ensure ALL kids come first. #JCPSChat
It is a systemic acknowledgement that there are intentional efforts at honoring and nurturing the gifts of ALL students. That's the goal, but we're not there yet. #JCPSchat
A2: Our district and schools are crazy huge and diverse. Some individual schools here are more complex than entire other districts. Unless we have a conscious plan for creating success for all Ss, someone is bound to get lost in the fray. #jcpschat
A2: It makes closing opportunity and teaching gaps a massive priority for @JCPSKY, and provides schools the discretion to devise plans tailored to meet the needs to their unique student bodies, because one size does not fit all. #jcpschat
A2: JCPS is tasked with educating over 100,000 students, each with a different story. As a district, it's our responsibility to meet these students where they are and provide them with the means to be successful. One size doesn't fit all! #JCPSChat
A2: So we can consistently strive for equitable opportunities for all students across the entire district. Our district is so large that policies are not always consistently implemented. #JCPSChat
A2: We are already such a diverse district! Our Ss need us to take the extra step forward! Learn about their backgrounds, interests, struggles, wants, and dreams to create engaging instruction! #JCPSChat
A2: Simply put it's a point of accountability, conversations about #equity waterfall on themselves constantly when there isn't anything in place to hold those actions and words accountable #jcpschat
A2: The JCPS Equity Plan is important as it will help each educator effectively address the diversity found in JCPS and will help us have common goals and expectations for success. #JCPSChat
A2: It is a systemic acknowledgement that there are intentional efforts at honoring and nurturing the gifts of ALL students. That's the goal, but we're not there yet. #JCPSchat
@JCPSKY#Equity Plan so important to our school communities because it forces us as a district to take a hard look at the inequalities that are and have been happening to our students of color. #JCPSChat
A2 @JCPSKY recognizes the untapped brilliance in our students and seeks to provide the education all students deserve by planning intentional steps to improve #JCPSchat
A2: Having a district equity plan puts us all on the same page with the same goal in mind, regardless of the make-up of your school. Has fostered some great convos and address the issues we face #jcpschat
There are many reasons but one reason is to model for the community how to be inclusive Show them how to love everyone and treat them with respect. To see the beauty in our diversity #JCPSChat
A2: I could go on, however it's important to know and understand all our differences. Once we understand the platinum rule then our students can see and believe in themselves. They can see and feel that someone is holding them accountable and not giving up on them. #JCPSChat
Also, achievement gaps within JCPS are real and must be addressed. The equity plan is a start in ensuring that ALL means all and the old business as usual is not acceptable. #jcpschat
A2: To show our communities that we value and care about each and every students' success. And it's a needed wake up call to schools to address the systemic equity issues.
#jcpschat
A2: it provides us all to delve into the meaning and causes reflection in ways we probably we needed to grow. We have to not only be conscious but take action to cause change.
#JCPSChat
Q2: The Equity Plan so important to our school communities because it allows us the time and space to have real conversations and accountability. #JCPSChat
A2: We work hard to meet the academic needs of our students, but it goes beyond finding the correct reading level and small groups. We need to meet the needs of all students in every way possible. #jcpschat
And I think also by having a plan it helps us to see areas for growth as educators. Sometimes we can be stuck and without “forced” reflection we might stay the same #lifelonglearning#JCPSChat
A2 @JCPSKY understands that without these equity plans some students will not get what they need to be successful. These plans act as a guide to help teachers think about those underserved subgroups and what they can do to make sure each student is successful.
A2 @JCPSKY#Equity Plan is so important to our school communities because it forces us as a district to take a hard look at the inequities that are and have been happening to our students of color. #JCPSChat
A3: For me, it’s two fold as an #ELA educator. I contribute a lot of the achievement GAP to literacy. My kids have sometimes gone a decade by freshman year without reading a book cover-to-cover that they are passionate about. #JCPSChat
A2. The Equity plan shows the district is making an attempt but individuals have to buy in if it is effective and successful in changing gaps. It is not a miracle answer without parental involvement. #JCPSChat
Especially when that reflection is not allowed to be 100% self-congratulatory. True reflection will find room for improvements, but when left in unstructured self-direction, we as humans usually tend to focus on our best bits. #jcpschat
A3 We have a digital divide in our district. I'm thrilled that so many programs (ESL!) and schools (Brown!) are helping to erase that divide so that all students have access to tech. #jcpschat
A3 Teacher expectation is THE barrier to overcome for #equity in classrooms to become a reality. We say we have high expectations, but do we really? #JCPSchat
Additionally, in my building tech access is another issue. The have’s and have-not’s can always be spotted. The difference in GPA concerns me. #JCPSChat
A3 One of the many barriers to equity in the classroom is not recognizing the funds of knowledge that students bring. Also, lack of valuing students knowledge and a lack of books, resources and materials that are reflective of our students. #JCPSChat
A3: The understanding and acquisition of the vast amount of tools and resources pertaining to culturally responsive teaching practices that are available to teachers. #JCPSChat
A3 I believe that not high expectations for all students is a barrier to equity in the classroom. I also think our own biases come into play which can affect each student getting equitable treatment in the classroom. #JCPSChat
A3: Access to information is a big one.Many Ss have no access to tech or books outside of school, & lots of schools struggle to keep up w/purchasing for student use at school. #jcpschat
A3: Real Talk, we have some educators that are stuck in the past. Some of us also have a view that is skewed about certain areas in our district. There are amazing kids everywhere in our city just ask them they will tell you. #JCPSChat
A3: Especially this year, the access to tech at home or in school. Also real talk, educating our educators about equity. Admitting a bias can be hard. #jcpschat
A3: Some barriers include socioeconomic status, language acquisition, culture, access to technology, access to real-world experiences, and teacher awareness of how to approach these barriers. #JCPSChat
Q3: Implicit bias is a huge barrier. Plus, it’s difficult to talk about because we know that educators are good people who want to help kids. They are very tender. However we have to have real conversations about implicit bias to eliminate it from our practice. #jcpschat
A3: Personal biases. Snap judgements or unrecognized stereotypical associations can bring a quick death to the best laid equity intentions. And not just T biases, but those btwn Ss. It's hard to make a community when members don't fully trust one another. #jcpschat
A3: For me, there’s never enough time! I want so much more time with my students to continue those meaningful and engaging discussions and activities! I feel like I have to “move on” to cover all of the content! #JCPSChat
A3 I think the lack of available technology is a huge one. If students don't have regular access to the latest technological trends, they'll be behind once they get to the business world. #JCPSChat
This. Right. Here! Thank you, @TeacherLadyKY. This #JCPSChat is amazing, but there are so many little conversations, day-to-day, that must be had. I am no longer here for small talk. I need real talk. #EdEquity
A4: It's the whole conversation about unpacking privilege and bias that becomes really sticky for some teachers bc of feelings of guilt and shame...but those feelings are nothing compared to what is happening when we allow for inequitable practices to happen #jcpschat
A3: Whew, sadly there are so many examples of barriers to equity. The two bigs for me are access to technology, and demonstrating learning.
Often students don't have access to tech, and they are only given one way to demonstrate their learning.
#jcpschat
Q3: Implicit bias is a huge barrier. Plus, it’s difficult to talk about because we know that educators are good people who want to help kids. They are very tender. However we have to have real conversations about implicit bias to eliminate it from our practice. #jcpschat
Q3: Implicit bias is a huge barrier. Plus, it’s difficult to talk about because we know that educators are good people who want to help kids. They are very tender. However we have to have real conversations about implicit bias to eliminate it from our practice. #jcpschat
A3 part 2: We also have to address the institutional biases in our systems and our lack of an inclusive, representative curriculum! #jcpschat There’s so much to do, but we can do it! 💪🏼
Demonstrating learning is huge for me, too. I introduced some very, very simple ideas for weighting Mastery grades towards students’ perceived strengths. Night and day. #JCPSChat
A2: I believe the equity plan forces us to have some sometimes uncomfortable but necessary conversations to ensure ALL students are receiving a quality education & to ensure that we are eliminating barriers for students to reach their highest potential. #jcpschat
A4 Assessing cultural knowledge, valuing diversity, managing the dynamics of differences, adapting to diversity, institutionalizing cultural knowledge. #jcpschat
#jcpsforward#jcpschat A4. Using restorative practices and relationship building skills to get to know students on a deeper level. Making content relevant to all students.
And on the flip side of that, in every school, there are struggling kids who need to receive unique opportunities to be successful everywhere. No school is full of cookie cutter students. #jcpschat
A3: Resources, time, biases, and experiences. We all have different backgrounds, but sometimes we don’t take (or have) the time to really explore and understand our own as well as our students’. #JCPSChat
A4 Making sure that student work is engaging, meaningful, and relevant to them and their interest/culture is one way to remove those barriers. Also, reflecting on our way of thinking and teaching practices to make sure we are not repeating a negative cycle. #JCPSChat
A4: High, HIGH expectations and real talk. My kiddos know I have an open door policy on unpacking bias/prejudice/ racism on a daily basis. We can’t pretend it isn’t real. #JCPSChat
A4: I try to keep learning, participating in book studies, conversations with colleagues/PLN. As a 2nd-year educator, I know I still have a lot to learn in general, and working to ensure #equity is definitely a part of that. #jcpschat
A4: I'm going to borrow from my friend @KadiaTurner and say windows and mirrors are key. Helping US (I'm privileged as well.) see ourselves honestly is a tremendous first step. #JCPSchat
A3: I’ve heard educators talk about how many free/reduced lunch Ss they have & then continue with “it’s going to be a rough year.” I feel like these kids aren’t always given a chance. To some they are expected to fail. Low SES doesnt mean dumb or a “problem” #jcpschat
A4 As far as tech, initiatives such as the Verizon partnership and budgeting for 1-1 devices like we have at Brown are amazing! It shows an actual investment into providing equity. #JCPSChat
A4 learn about my own culture, share with others, and seek to know more. Our kids and families will tell us what they need. We need to be asking, listening and making the changes in the classroom #JCPSchat
First, recognize your biases. Next, build relationship with students and focus on students narratives as the anchor of instruction. Make sure students are reflected in lessons/content. #JCPSChat
A4. Personal reflection as educators, conversations like@these that might be uncomfortable, becoming culturally proficient and let the students use tools in the class! #JCPSChat
A4: Building relationships with students is key. Learning about their culture, family and home life. Creating experiences that all students can access is not easy, but SO worth it. Currently trying to get more tech by DonorsChoose #JCPSChat
Artifact and oral presentation graded independently. Student choice of how they are combined then weighted. Optional 70/30, 60/40, or 50/50 splits. #JCPSChat
A4: Student choice, authentic learning opportunities, and using resources that support differentiation will help break down the equity barriers. #JCPSChat
A4 As far as removing biases, how often do we attempt to truly relate to our kids? That's been the most gratifying part of teaching for me! Understanding where they are truly coming from so we as teachers can genuinely empathize. #JCPSChat
@jcpsforward A1: Equity in the classroom means that all of my students are valued for who they are and will become. Each student is provided with what they need in the way they need it. #JCPSChat
A4: I’ve found that sometimes telling people I was a free lunch kid changes their attitude. They start to backtrack but realize what their comment really sounded like. #jcpschat
A4: Building relationships with Ss from day 1, integration of technology into daily lessons, and setting realistic goals with Ss monthly! Where are we now? Where are we going? How are we going to get there?! #JCPSChat#ActionPlans
A4: Trying to educate myself by whatever means and then sharing that with others. Step out of my comfort zone to try things that might benefit Ss. Learn as much as possible about the kids in my class and their story. #jcpschat
I absolutely agree! Q3: I think that implicit bias needs to be discussed more in education preparation programs, so that teachers develop the skills to pin point and reflect on their own and how it impacts the actions they may take in their classroom. #jcpschat
A4 learn about my own culture, share with others, and seek to know more. Our kids and families will tell us what they need. We need to be asking, listening and making the changes in the classroom #JCPSchat
A4: Well I first get to know my students, what they are interested in and how they learn. Then I give them options for both how they learn and how they want to demonstrate their learning.
I use performance assessments often, along with PBL and choice boards.
#JCPSChat
A4: constant intentional reflection helps me. Thinking about what T actions are leading to student actions/outcomes. What bias/privilege do I have that could be a barrier to student learning/me not giving kids equitable opportunities within the classroom? #JCPSChat
This is HUGE. Huge #SHOUTOUT to my colleagues who are not of color who still choose to expose their marginalized identities to educate our peers and safeguard our kiddos. That’s true discomfort. And that’s where the work lives. #JCPSChat
A4: In World Lang, we're lucky. Identifying cultural differences and similarities and ways to surmount bias in a quest for communication are core parts of our content. Ss see the need on a macro scale, and it only take minor redirection to bring it to the micro/personal #jcpschat
A4: @mybrownschool is conducting a curriculum review using an adaption of the Washington Model. We hope to add materials where we are lacking that authentically represent the experiences of POC and portray them realistically and not stereotypically. #jcpschat
A4. Equitable accommodations for ELs and fair assessment: remember to separate language skills from content skills... also allow students to use various communicative modes #JCPSChat
I let my kiddos come up with Expectations and Rules for me this year. Their voice is key in our classroom culture. We’re holding each other accountable at all times. #BestIdeaEver#JCPSChat
What's interesting with this generation is that kids create all the time via social media, but I'm finding it's teaching them how to turn that creativity into a marketable product/idea that's the challenge. #JCPSChat
A4: Reflection, building relationships, and being intentional with the resources I use. I do my best to utilize as many culturally relevant texts/resources and try to find those that are of interest to my students. We also have many discussions of what equity is. #JCPSChat
And we all know what people mean when we call them FR lunch kids. We sift through categories and labels all the time for these kids, so why is that the only identifier we use when it is just one piece of the complex puzzle that is The Student?
#JCPSchat
A3: I’ve heard educators talk about how many free/reduced lunch Ss they have & then continue with “it’s going to be a rough year.” I feel like these kids aren’t always given a chance. To some they are expected to fail. Low SES doesnt mean dumb or a “problem” #jcpschat
A2: It is so important because we have students from very diverse backgrounds. Every student in my class brings such a unique and interesting culture that need to be appreciated and valued. #JCPSchat
A4: I am also working to diversify my print collection while I'm updating it. I'm actively seeking out books/stories featuring POC/traditional tales (working on 300s now) and promoting the Coretta Scott King & Pura Belpre book awards each yr along w/Newbery & Caldecott. #jcpschat
A3: Honestly, adults are the biggest barrier to equity in the district. We need educators to seek to be self aware and redesign our classrooms to meet the needs of today’s student. #JCPSChat
It was so weird when I became a teacher and starting hearing about gap kids. And I was like so wait my teachers thought I was supposed to fail in school? Like did they sit down and say hopefully Christie scores well, she’s a gap kid. I think about it a lot. #JCPSChat
A5 I have been adding culturally diverse books to my classroom library. It is important for me that my kids can see themselves in the books they are learning to read. #JCPSchat
A5: As a librarian, I try to ensure that my library collection is filled with texts from a wide variety of cultural perspectives and I make sure I promote these texts as well so students are more likely to check them out and read them. #JCPSChat
A5: Using student voice, identifying books and lessons reflective of my Ss interests, using current events as discussion topics, seeking out knowledge from colleagues. #JCPSChat
At a conference I was at recently, I felt like a presenter opened up with something similar to this. I looked at my colleagues at the table and said. “What do they mean by that. I was a free lunch kid.” It makes me try to be more aware of what I say and how I say it. #JCPSChat
A5 A place I always check first is @Newsela for the up-to-date info and text sets they have as well as keeping an eye out for new books that are related to the interests and background of my students. #JCPSChat
A5 I love using group discussions. My favorite part of class is opening the floor for students to discuss ideas from their POV. Oftentimes education is about telling kids what they're supposed to know rather than validating their knowledge from personal experiences. #JCPSChat
A5: The students themselves are one of our greatest resources (they are not to be used as cultural representatives, however) when we give students the place & space to use their voice and share their narratives we can learn more about cultures and perspectives #jcpschat
Q4: Q4: A lot of reflection on my own social identities and areas in which I hold privilege and where I do not and how that impacts mindsets which leads to actions I take in the classroom. It's a constant cycle of reflection & educating myself. #jcpschat
A5 I love fiction, so I tie standards to books that reflect my students. I look for the stories @sandralhogue 😉with the windows AND MIRRORS my students need. #JCPSchat
A5: My classroom library is a flexible and tangible source of varied cultures. My kiddos have access to authors of different races, religions, orientations, and nationalities. #JCPSChat
Q5: High quality literature with characters of different races, religions, etc. Discussions about our students' cultures through social studies activities to start off the year and build classroom community. #JCPSChat
A5: A writing/reading workshop where students voices are valued and celebrated in a safe space. I'm learning to be brave enough to face tough conversation. I can thank current national leadership for the courage to encourage kids to rise up. #JCPSchat
This is huge! Often, even the most privileged Ss (having the most/newest devices) are still on the same page as the least priv about best uses for creation. When Ss must create with tech, I've found the playing field automatically gets a bit more level. #JCPSchat
A4: Class meetings where students discuss problems and design potential solutions are key to building a community that hears the perspectives of others. You can’t get better equity resources for elementary than @facinghistory and @SaraKAhmed’s book Being the Change #JCPSChat
A5: I am an ELA teacher, so it’s all about the books! I conduct class read alouds with my Ss. I select books that represent different cultures and learning differences. I’ve also recently used Google Earth to explore regions and cultures around the world. #JCPSChat
Every. Single. Time. I’ve had people praise me for my classroom management at various points in the year. The respect is real, but so is the road to get to that point. #JCPSChat
A5: being a behavior coach I don’t have a classroom. The hallways are my classroom. Every student who I conference with I ask questions to learn about their life outside of school and really take an interest. Some of the stories are heartbreaking and inspiring. #JCPSChat
A5: Books where Ss can see themselves. Incorporating culture discussion at beginning of year, so we understand and celebrate each other. Something as simple as knowing a Ss holiday and asking what they did to celebrate is huge to them. #jcpschat
A5: I have a growing independent reading library where I am always looking for books about different cultures and ideas so my students can not only read about their own cultures, but learn about other cultures as well. (I also thoroughly enjoy reading them as well!) #JCPSchat
A5: I try to put as many diverse books in my classroom library as possible. Read alouds in class I intentionally pick diverse books.This cycle our PBL is on analyzing different perspectives in historical events. Talking about how history doesn’t always show all sides. #JCPSChat
A5: Asking the students to bring in resources provides opportunities for authentic discussion. Last week at @mybrownschool, a Caucasian 8th grader in @valriejillson brought in an article about white privilege and the conversation among students was amazing. #jcpschat
A6 Getting to know your students and finding commonalities between the two groups has to be the first step! If you don't know them, how will you teach them? #JCPSChat
A5: I feel like I'm cheating on this one. Our whole WL curriculum is this! Our standards include interculturality and intercultural communication at their core. #jcpschat
A6: Lots of norm referencing. I set expectations of them. They set theirs of me. We post them. We refer to them. We say sorry and mean it. We reteach them all the time. (Notice I’m saying lots of we.) #JCPSChat
@jcpsforward A5: My primary resource for removing barriers is @SaraKAhmed’s book Being the Change. It takes very little adaptation to be used in the elementary classroom. It leads to conversations about the cultural groups within our room. We also use Newsela. #JCPSChat
PS - shameless plug to invite other classrooms to connect with ours! Our students are eager to learn about English and prepare to transition to @JCPSKY schools. Let’s
learn together! #jcpschat
A6 I started the year with an About Me project. Many kids shared personal information about themselves or their family that I wasn't expecting. Making it clear from day 1 that kids are allowed and encouraged to be their true selves goes a long way. #JCPSChat
A6: Know your Ss and build relationships! Helping them see through their peers that we are different and that is what is awesome about our class!
#jcpschat
A6: That's harder to dial down to the specific of cultural differences because I only have them 50 mins/week. I try to build relationships and emphasize respect for everyone. Certain lesson plans do focus on other cultures, so I think that may help as well. #jcpschat
A6: Also, great texts are magical. They allow tough conversations in safe ways. Hiwever, teachers must be ready to control the weather if things get too hot. #JCPSchat
A6 #Commitment to avoiding and challenging stereotypes, #Create a sense of openness and cultural humility and #Cultivate a willingness to allow students to define their own identities. #JCPSChat
A6 relationships, student choice personalized learning and allowing students say in the classroom community. Practice what we preach in interactions with our students and each other #JCPSChat
A6: Culture is celebrated in my school, starting with K. We are a cultural magnet school and our students’ cultures are embedded in everything. My favorite are all the flags hanging in our cafe representing all the countries our students are from!! #jcpsChat
A5. I use@Newsela
and @CommonLit
frequently. My Ss are resources too! I establish early on every year that we're an open, safe community that should feel free to share their perspectives on the world.
#JCPSchat@JCPSDEP1@jcpsforward@JCPSKY
Q6: I don't think it's about "managing" the cultural differences of my students, it's about creating a climate in which EVERY student feels comfortable being their full selves unapologetically #jcpschat
A6: I build relationships and students have time to share. I do my best to always listen to students when they tell stories and ask them about their interests. Students know the expectations and everyone is held accountable, including myself. #jcpschat
A6: Emotions are universal. That's how we connect. @szbarber argues that we have no community until we've had tears. When we've cried together, we can do anything! #JCPSchat
PS - shameless plug to invite other classrooms to connect with ours! Our students are eager to learn about English and prepare to transition to @JCPSKY schools. Let’s
learn together! #jcpschat
A6: I try to learn how to say hello and other small phrases in the students language. Just that simple Jambo, Hola, Namaste, Salam can make my students feel welcomed and valued in my classroom. #JCPSchat
A6: We do a lot of classroom community building, learning empathy and compassion, discussing different cultures. With my AP/GT class many of them have told me they felt “different” until my class. So we build on that also. How different doesn’t mean weird or bad. #JCPSChat
A6: A whole lotta love and positivity. When I hear conflict happening, I don't shy away. I try to highlight the best parts of both sides. But mostly just loving each kid. #jcpschat
Q7: TAG users or organizations on Twitter you follow that provide solid equity resources. Remember to add usernames so the links can be clicked! #JCPSChat
Q6: intentionally diversifying student groupings to encourage a rich classroom culture; giving the chance to exchange ideas and to learn from each other. #jcpschat
A6. LOVE THE Ss. Like your own child who sometimes makes you want to tear your hair out. And you tell them over and over again that even when they're really frustrating you, you love them and just want to see them succeed. Then you do it all over again.
#JCPSchat@jcpsforward
"I Am Malala" (young reader), full of so many powerful messages. Read "The Hate U Give" with my middle school daugther, AMAZING!! I'm currently reading "Illegal" to see if I can use in class, graphic novel about refugees. #jcpschat
A6: Teach and model respect. Don’t shy away from recognizing and honoring differences in the classroom. I guide my students to be their true selves through our work on identity. This makes them more self aware and accepting of others who are also beautifully complex. #JCPSChat
Q6 cont: In order for them to feel comfortable doing so, I believe it's my responsibility to build trust through vulnerability with them and allow them to see me celebrating my own culture and background #jcpschat
Sometimes, I feel hesitant to use the word love when referring to Ss. But we've got to be passionate about each of them, and that's what love is. Like is such a passive action; Click a button to like. If we are not constantly elated by their successes, what's the point? #JCPSchat
Shameless plug: National Day of Writing in JCPS this Friday. How will you honor writing and writers? Use #WhyIWriteJCPS. Prizes drawn throughout the day. #JCPSchat
A6: Culture is celebrated in my school, starting with K. We are a cultural magnet school and our students’ cultures are embedded in everything. My favorite are all the flags hanging in our cafe representing all the countries our students are from!! #jcpsChat
A6: It starts with knowing your students and building positive relationships with them.
Build in opportunities for students to show their strengths. Celebrate every single student and their "why."
#JCPSChat
Q7: TAG users or organizations on Twitter you follow that provide solid equity resources. Remember to add usernames so the links can be clicked! #JCPSChat
A6: I feel like differences & conflict is put to the side. But I’ve found bringing the two students together for a small conflict resolution session (once everyone is calm) can solve a lot of issues and helps students find a common ground they didn’t know they had. #JCPSChat
Amina's Voice is a great book that is up for the @KBAAwards grade 3-5 category for 2019. Features a Pakistani-American Muslim girl that many Ss may relate to. #jcpschat
Snaps for all my peeps who pointed out @facinghistory on A7 for tonight’s #JCPSChat. If you don’t want this convo to end, check them out. They have a digital version of “Ethnic Notions”. It’s all about cultural stereotyping. Fascinating stuff.
I'll have the @wakelet transcript up from #JCPSChat as soon as I can! Thanks to all who shared. I hope you can all take the time to go back and read through this amazing conversation! Thanks, @JCPSKY educators! #WeAreJCPS
A7: I regularly use @EpicKidsBooks because they provide a wide variety of resources on topics of interest for students as well as in varying reading levels. The account is free for educators and the kids at my school LOVE it! #jcpschat
