Part 2: Taking Action in the Classroom

By Adina Sullivan-Marlow

In Part 1, I talked about some basic skills and resources to help you not just learn more, but also begin the baby steps of taking action in your school or classroom regardless of grade level or subject area.

That’s not the end of the action we need to take in our classrooms. 

Teachers/schools also need to look at dress codes, hair policies, how we leverage a student’s home language, homework, which parents/guardians school listens to, how we support learning differences, who gets to do extensions and extra curriculars, loss of recess, how we address challenging behaviors, how AP classes work, how/when students get help, parent communication, room design, room decor...and so much more. We’ll start chipping away at those in future articles. 

For now, let’s build on what you’ve likely already been learning. By now you’ve probably heard of Zaretta Hammond’s book Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. You might have even participated in school book study. That’s a start. Culturally responsive teaching is NOT the same as socio-emotional learning, relationships, and grit. She has some thoughts about “grit” ;-). Hammond does a fabulous job of explaining how we can do better with our instructional practices to build intellectual curiosity and learning stamina. Having a deep caring for students isn’t enough and on its own is a slippery slope toward “pity”. The instructional practices she describes are key.

In addition, I highly recommend her Facebook group Ready4Rigor (free) and a recent 1-hour webinar/interview on the Education Week program A Seat at the Table. Think you’re already doing the pro-equity, anti-racist work? She’s also starting a PLC just for you. Go to CREbyDesign for information on how to join.

EDIT 7/14: Need guidance on including these practices in distance learning? Take a look at How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning on the KQED Mind/Shift Blog.

Stay safe. Keep learning. Part 3 is on the way...

Nevertheless, She Persisted - An Immigration Story

By Lisa DeLapo, Board Member

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Clelia’s dream of being a computer scientist began when she was in elementary school, when her poor, rural school in San Juan, El Salvador received a donation of computers. From that day on, she was curious as to how they worked on the inside and what they had the potential to do. She chose to major in systems engineering in college, but she was constantly discouraged by others who believed women should never enter this career path. She knew she had to continue her pursuit of an education in a democratic, safe country, so she fled the war-torn, violence. 

Alone and barely able to communicate in English, she arrived (legally) in the San Francisco Bay Area in the summer of 2016. Knowing she had overcome the first hurdle in her journey to freedom, she began chasing her dream to help others with innovative and high-tech solutions. With no computer, no internet, and an unactivated cell phone, Clelia found herself in an unknown world. She found places with free wi-fi to try to find work and more information about getting educated for the future.

She had to wait for her residency and a social security number, a wait that took at least 45 days. She researched schools and looked for jobs, and with no money and feeling intimidated by the gap in her English language skills, she persisted. She found part-time work at a pretzel shop near her housing, and she struggled with mental health issues in solitude while trying to learn English every waking moment. She lived in San Mateo, and eventually travelled by train and bus - an hour and forty-five minute one-way trip - to attend a community college near Palo Alto. 

Many of her general education teachers were thoughtful and supportive, but she says as she took some of her core classes in engineering, physics, computer science, and math, the teachers maintained their distance. Whenever she asked for assistance, she was told to go to a tutoring center or office hours. She wished that those teachers would have taken the chance to hear her story, to build a relationship with her, and to be flexible with her since she was still learning the language. 

She shares, now looking back on the overwhelming barriers that she overcame, how her current daily struggles seem to pale in comparison. The side jobs she had to work to pay rent and for food and transportation while being a full-time student, she still has no savings account, no safety-net to pad beyond the minimal necessities. I asked her what she would do differently, if she could go back four years and do it again, and she said, “Honestly, nothing. I am proud of where I am right now, and I wouldn’t be this strong if I didn’t go through it all.”

When I asked Clelia what advice she has for others who are immigrating to the United States, she said, “Don’t freak out. There are multiple opportunities for those who want to be successful. If you want to work, there will be something small that you can do - don’t be embarrassed by it and think of it as a learning experience. If you have immigration issues, be patient. If you are one that gives up easily, it won’t be worth it to come here. You must work hard and know that there’s a lot of waiting. Apply for everything you can once you get to college. There’s help there.” Clelia took a deep breath, and she said, “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

Two weeks ago, Clelia accepted a job at a high-tech company doing data analysis.

Equitable Educator Free Course from MIT

I received this email from MIT Teaching Systems Lab, and immediately signed up… Anyone want to join us?

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Becoming a More Equitable Educator: Mindsets and Practices: a free, online course taught by professor Justin Reich of MIT and professor Rich Milner of Vanderbilt University. As a former enrollee of one of our online courses, we thought you might be particularly interested in this opportunity. 

In this course, you will explore mindsets and practices that help all students, especially underserved students, to thrive and feel valued. By the end, you will gain a better understanding of yourself and your students, new resources and exercises to draw on in your local context, and a plan to work in your school community to advance the lifelong work of more equitable teaching.

If you’re interested in this free learning opportunity, enroll (click here) today! The course will begin on March 24, 2020.