Providing information and strategies and examples of how to create a learning space that centers equity, celebrates diversity, and affirms culture is the central focus of this piece of the internet.  Helping you develop the type of learning space that you desire and your students deserve is a privilege and an honor. It matters because this is a learning space that will allow you AND your students to show up authentically and thrive and experience joy. 

The other day however, I was challenged with the question, “How are you helping to build educator capacity for the journey?”

This is a great question, because the reality is I cannot be in every classroom, staff meeting, IEP meeting, board room, etc with you. So, am I just feeding you tips and strategies for the moment or pointing you in the right direction and helping you build capacity for learning on your own. 

Well, I like to believe I am doing both. The podcast, my school workshops and coaching program, supplemental resources – these are all designed to be tools for partnership and guidance. I believe that to become a culturally competent educator who centers equity, celebrates diversity, and affirms culture there are three essential practices, reflection, learning, and implementation. I stand firm on that and I lean into it as I craft podcast episodes, design professional learning experiences, and facilitate coaching sessions. 

In today’s episode I want to highlight five incredible female educators and scholars who have inspired and encouraged me on this journey. The research has aligned to the experiences I have had in education. It has also given me a name for this pedagogy and a road map to follow as I guide other educators on this journey. At the time of this recording I have met two of these women in person, but I hope to meet all of these incredible women one day.

Dr. Gloria Ladson Billings – She is considered the mother of culturally relevant pedagogy. Although her work started from a desire to understand the ways in which the educational system was failing Black and Brown children, boys in particular, her framework for teaching and learning is now understood as “just good teaching”. Dr. Ladson Billings is a change maker in education. She has held several roles, from professor at University of Wisconsin – Madison to consultant for publishing companies seeking to design culturally conscious curriculum to president of the National Academy of Education. 

She has written several books and journal articles. Some of her more well known texts include “The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children”, “Crossing over Canaan: The Journey of new Teachers in Diverse Classrooms”, and “Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Asking a Different Question”

Geneva Gay – The former professor of education at the University of Washington College dedicated the majority of her career to develop the idea and frameworks for multicultural education. She also coined the term “culturally responsive teaching”. Dr. Gay was never afraid to ask the tough questions of herself or the system in which she was teaching. During her time as a professor at Purdue she continued her research around the idea of multicultural and culturally responsive education. She has edited several book and contributed to publications including, “Culturally Responsive Teaching:Theory, Research, and Practice”

Zaretta Hammond – She is passionate about creating equitable learning spaces by equipping teachers with the brain science behind how children learn. She considers herself and “equity freedom fighter”. In her book “Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain” she breaks down how the neural pathways respond to different types of instruction. Hammond has been a classroom teacher, an adjunct professor at Saint Mary’s College in Northern California, and now focuses on supporting school districts to shift their education practices to be equity focused and culturally responsive.

Rudine Sims Bishop – Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop is Professor Emerita of Education at The Ohio State University. She taught courses on children’s literature while teaching in the College of Education and Human Ecology from 1986 to 2022.

Dr. Bishop has written several books including Shadow & Substance and Free within Ourselves: The Development of African American Children’s Literature. During her career, Dr. Bishop has focused on Multicultural and African American literature. She has been called the Mother of Multicultural literature and is most well known for introducing the concept of “Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors“.

She has received awards from many organizations including the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the Arbuthnot Award, and the Coretta Scott King. 

Shadow and Substance: Afro-American Experience in Contemporary Children’s Fiction (1982), Presenting Walter Dean Myers (1990), Kaleidoscope: A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8 (1994), and Wonders: The Best Children’s Poems of Effie Lee Newsome (1999)

Gholdy Muhammad – She is a seeker of joy and liberation in education. Dr. Muhammad has taken the work of scholars of yesteryear like W.E.B. Dubois and Mary McCloud Bethune and coupled it with current research from scholars like Dr. Ladson Billings and Dr. Geneva Gay to create a framework that succinctly outlines how to truly engage students in a learning experience for gaining knowledge through liberatory practices. In her books “Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy” and “Unearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Teaching and Learning” you can find the complete framework along with examples of lesson plans for subjects ranging from Writing to Art and STEM to music. Dr. Muhammad is currently an assistant professor at the University of Illinois – Chicago. 

Dr, Taryn Fletcher – She is all about helping school leaders rethink how school is done so that all students can “feel empowered, valued, and courageous in their own skin”. As a former New Jersey school Superintendent and founding charter school principal, she knows what it takes to not only dream about the change you want to see in education, but to create that change. In her book, “https://customteachingsolutions.com/learning-to-write-an-essay/”, Dr. Fletcher strategically connects the how to the what. She shares success AND failures along her journey for change in New Jersey alongside each of the strategies. She has a heart for supporting school leaders on this journey toward change though her educational consulting firm, Truly POC – Power, Opulence, Consciousness.

Each of these women have inspired the work I do in education, partnering with schools and districts to create equity focused, diversity affirming, culturally aware learning environments.

Each of these scholars adds to the beautiful tapestry of instructional practices and possibilities to support all of our students, but in particular our Black and Brown students.

Each of these women is asking the tough questions, but providing practical and sustainable methods for achieving ongoing goals.

Tap into the knowledge Tap into the genius. Tap into the joy of education.

Remember to center equity, celebrate diversity and value culture every day.

Are these scholars describing the type of classroom you always dreamed of having? If so, you’re in good company. Let’s create this reality together.  Check out the many https://customteachingsolutions.com/how-many-paragraphs-is-an-essay/, teaching resources, and coaching options available:

Although women’s history month is in March, their contributions should be shared all year long, weaved into the foundational fabric of our curriculum. Here are six suggestions for doing just that:

• Stories across the school – Have students interview different women at the school and share their stories and a picture.
• Podcasts – Podcasts are great way to listen and learn new information. Podcasts are also great for sharing information. Students in your class can listen to podcasts like “Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls” Podcast to learn about some amazing females from past and present. I created a one page podcast response sheet that you can download HERE for free. ____

After listening to a few podcasts, you can have your students create a podcast of their own to share with the school. Using a FREE platform like Anchor.fm is a great way to get started. Students can create a podcast that includes information about important and influential people to align with different heritage and highlight months.  Teachers can use the student created podcasts in their classroom

• Book clubs with female authors – Students of all ages can engage in book clubs. During book club time students learn to view a text with a critical lens. They also learn to discuss a variety of topics with peers who likely hold different perspectives on the book because they are reading it through a different cultural lens. During Women’s History Month, choose books and short stories written by female authors. As a bonus you may be able to get a virtual or in-person author visit. For some book recommendations, check out my Bookshop.org site and the National Education Association website
• Guest speakers – Bring in female guest speakers that represent different industries. Put particular emphasis on underrepresented industries and local voices. Start by reaching out to the caregiver community, then approach local businesses and outreach organizations, finally consider places of worship and the alumnae chapters of sororities. Remember that every learning opportunity can provide a window, mirror, or sliding glass door experience for your students.

• Interactive bulletin boards – Creating interactive bulletin boards in your classroom or the hallways is a great way to fully utilize the learning real estate and maximize the learning experience. Early finishers can engage with the board, but also students who need a focus break can wander over to the board. There are so many great Women’s History month bulletin board ideas in the minds of your students waiting to be discovered. Start by asking them to come up with ideas. Have them visit Pinterest for inspiration. Encourage them to ask their caregiver for some cool ideas to add to a classroom bulletin board.
• Interview a woman in your community – Have students complete an unsung heroes project. They would begin by interviewing a woman in their community. This woman could be a relative or family friend, church/synagogue/mosque member, bus driver, etc. Remind the students everyone’s story matters. You should never assume someone doesn’t have anything to say when you have never asked them. Allow the students to record and present the interviews in a variety of ways. Let their creativity shine. The students might even host an unsung heroes luncheon and invite the community to hear the stories.

My goal is to always inspire you to center joy as you engage your students in meaning learning. I hope that these six ideas will reinvigorate your women’s history month celebration this year.

Is this the type of classroom you always dreamed of having? If so, you’re in good company. Let’s create this reality together.  Check out the many https://customteachingsolutions.com/how-many-paragraphs-is-an-essay/, teaching resources, and coaching options available:

Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Week have been synonymous for a very long time, but they are not one and the same. Read Across American Week is a celebration started and created by the National Education Association in 1997.  The first Read Across America Day actually took place on March 2nd, 1998.  This day, March 2nd, coincides with the birthday of Dr. Seuss.  For this reason, the Read Across America celebration often became tied to Dr. Seuss Day and Dr. Seuss week, but that is no longer the case, and the celebration of reading that is organized and promoted by the National Education Association has definitely evolved.

This year, their theme is create and celebrate a nation of diverse readers, and it’s no longer just one day.  It went from one day to one week to now, the NEA is encouraging teachers to celebrate diverse reading all year long.  Click HERE to access the page on their website where you can see 12 months of recommended books, authors, and teaching resources.  NEA is fully equipping you so that you can promote diverse and inclusive practices when you are reading these books.

Why no more, Dr. Seuss?

Going from a full week of Dr. Seuss to none at all is a pretty drastic change.  This shift happened for several good reasons. First, change is good. There are thousands of amazing authors having an impact on the minds and lives of people. Secondly and MOST important, there has been some information that, although it’s not new, has really come to the forefront about Dr. Seuss and the way that he conducted himself in the days and the years before he became this cultural icon.

I’m not going to tell you what to think because that’s not my job, but what I would like to do is encourage you to become aware, to equip yourself with knowledge and understanding. At the bottom of this blog post I will link to a couple of different articles that I have read and that I’ve found to be very, very helpful over the years as I have been doing my own research on Dr. Seuss and what it is that he said and did. I would love to hear your thoughts on these.

One of the articles talks about how six of the Dr. Seuss books that had been in publication up until 2021 were no longer going to be published because there were racist images and racist phrases that were being used.  Another article talks about some of the cartoon and caricatures that Dr. Seuss drew in the years again before he became this cultural icon.  The article talks about how many of the cartoons are racist and they are just not okay.  At the bottom of the blog I will list more articles because I want to encourage you to arm yourself and to equip yourself with information.

We always want to know who the people are that we are championing. I always encourage my students to understand that there is no perfect person in this world. We all make mistakes. We all trip up, and that’s okay.  Honestly, there is no way around it. There’s not a way for us to not make mistakes in this life, but there are some mistakes that you make that you will struggle to come back from. There are certain things that you say and that you do, ways that you treat people that make it very challenging for you to gain the respect and the trust of other people that you would want to be in your circle.

Dr. Seuss is back in the literacy conversation

So, Dr. Seuss, although he is long since passed away, has been brought back into this conversation because every single year we see that schools are celebrating Dr. Seuss and they are using books and texts written by a man who had very strong beliefs, very strong opinions about race and about people and about skin tone.  He expressed those beliefs through the words he wrote and the cartoons he drew to accompany those words.  Dr. Seuss is reentering these conversations because educators and parents and advocates are reflecting and saying, wait a minute, “How is it that we are spending whole weeks celebrating a man and author who intentionally wrote words and drew pictures that were hurtful, harmful, disrespectful, and racist?”  Caregivers, advocates, and educators are wondering why that same energy is not used to bring in and celebrate authors of a variety of backgrounds, people that are inclusive in their messaging and promoting love and acceptance.

People who say, “Dr. Seuss is dead and gone. You cannot hold a deceased person accountable for their actions.” That is correct. Dr. Seuss is deceased, but his work is not dead and gone. His work is very much alive. The inappropriate, insensitive, and racist words and images are still alive. Over the course of his life, from everything that I’ve read, he did begin to understand that what he was doing was incorrect and wrong.  His viewpoints and the way that he was articulating himself started to shift.  Through the friendships that he developed with people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds he began to see that his words and depictions of people from various racial and ethnic groups different from his own was hurtful and harmful.  Let me clarify, we can never say that all Black people are just like my one Black friend. All Chinese people are like my one Chinese friend. That’s ridiculous because nobody is just the same no matter your race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, etfc.  However, when you have an authentic experience, when you actually have a true, deep, real relationship with people of different races and ethnicities and religious backgrounds and gender identifications, then these words, these phrases, these issues, these concerns, become more than just “things”, than “words” than a “political stance.” They become human. They become a person. They become your friend.

From everything that I’ve read, Dr. Seuss became aware of the fact that what he was doing and saying, the cartoons and the pictures that he was drawing were not okay. Sometime in the 1940s we start to see several other books coming out.  Instead of books like “If I ran the Zoo” and “To think I saw it on Mulberry Street“, we start to see books that much more clearly highlight the fact that Dr. Seuss has a different stance and perspective on many books that we have grown to truly love and enjoy and appreciate in our culture.  Books like, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go“.  This is a book that teachers read all the time to their students. It is a book that people gift to children, and to graduating young adults.  It is almost like he wrote these books to showcase and apologize for the other work that he did. The reality is however, that his previous work has not and likely will not go away.

So, how do we reconcile Dr. Seuss?

So, how do we reconcile this?

He did and said things that were, unjust, they were unforgivable. Unforgiveable, and yet. I personally believe in the power of forgiveness for my own mental health and well-being and peace. I believe that I have to release people for ME.   I’m not going to be angry with Dr. Seuss, right? I’m not going to be angry with a man who is literally dead and gone although his work is alive today. What I can be, is upset when these texts that are clearly and obviously and blatantly racist are being used in the school. I don’t care if you want to provide an example of racism in literature, you can do it in other ways. We can talk about racism and inappropriate caricatures and representation in other ways. We don’t need to use these texts that Dr. Seuss has written. Because these works however, are never going away, we as educators, have to decide how to govern ourselves.

Arm yourself with knowledge to reflect on why it is that you feel it is necessary to use Dr. Seuss texts in your classroom. What is the benefit here? What are students gaining by using his text in the classroom?

Reflection is a powerful tool that helps to bring about awareness, and then you can make a decision as to whether you want to accept what you have become aware of or reject it, and then take some action.

So, take a moment and reflect on the Dr. Seuss books that you typically  and traditionally use in your classroom. Then, think about if there are any other books that you can use to relay the same message or one the uses some of the very same rhythms and patterns and funny names and language. Finally, I encourage you to equip yourself with knowledge, to arm yourself with knowledge, to empower yourself with knowledge. We should be lifelong learners. Do your own research. Find out who Dr. Seuss was behind just “One fish, Two fish, Redfish, Bluefish“. Find out who he was beyond “The Lorax“. Find out who he was beyond “The Cat and The Hat“. Who is this man that we are elevating to such a status that we get completely crushed and upset when someone says that you shouldn’t use his work in your classroom. That’s something else to reflect on. When we’re holding on to something so tightly, this action begs asking the question, “Why am I holding on so tightly?”

In summary, before you pick up a Dr. Seuss book, or send home a flyer letting caregivers know about a week long “SEUSSebration”, 1) reflect on your why, 2) learn about who Dr. Seuss was and what it is that he did and believed, and 3) take some definitive action by deciding whether there some texts that you need to remove, replace.

Now that we know better, let’s do better

Dr. Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Now that we know better, let’s do better. Read Across America Week, Read Across America Month, read Across America Year is one of the best opportunities to expose our learners to a variety of different texts. If we’re talking about reading across America, first of all, that means a variety of different authors. Dr. Seuss is not the only author in America. There are so many authors who have written some phenomenal texts. These authors should be featured in a classroom of young learners so they can see how wordplay can grow and evolve and shift and change based on an author’s experiences, based on an author’s humor, based on all the things that authors take in and then put out into this world as their written work.

If we’re talking about reading across America, then we need to acknowledge the variety of authors from coast to coast, from north and south and east and west, and then also acknowledge all of the students across America, whether they identify in the same way, racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, or religiously. I guarantee your students would love to see themselves and others represented in texts. Sometimes it’s cool to see the animals and the bears and the made up little characters, but it’s also really cool to see somebody that looks like you, somebody that talks like you, somebody that eats the same food that you eat and enjoys the same music that you do. It’s cool to explore the way that other people live AND it’s cool to see the way that you live being celebrated and represented on the page. Read Across America has taken a new direction over the last couple of years to really celebrate all of the children and young adults that are readers.

Why not take advantage of the opportunity to celebrate all the different ways that people live and celebrate and enjoy and worship in America and across the globe.  Why pigeonhole ourselves to just talking about one author and one experience?  Let’s celebrate the beauty of the students that are sitting in our classroom.

As teachers, especially as language arts teachers, but all teachers, we have made it our business, and we are passionate about helping our students to realize their potential and understand that their dreams can become reality. We spend time empowering our students to define success for themselves and then go after it.  So how then, as a teacher, do you then tell those same students that you empowered to define success and write down their ideas – all the silly thoughts and all the sad thoughts and all the angry thoughts and all the celebratory thoughts onto a page, and the students who you taught how to develop a character…. Now some of those students become published authors. Shouldn’t we read and celebrate their words and their journey?   In the Read Across America celebration, if we stay stuck in only celebrating one author and one set of books, we are literally telling our students that what they’ve done doesn’t matter.

I don’t know about you, but I want my students to see that all of the things that I encouraged them to do in my classroom, all the ways that I encouraged them to grow and to develop into who they are today, that it mattered. Their work was not in vain. I would rather pull a couple of Dr. Seuss books off of my shelf and replace them with the work of my students and your students and his, her, they, all of the students that we have developed and helped to grow.  I want to show them, not just tell them that they can believe in themselves and their work and their artistry. Yeah, I would without questions swap out some of those books, and I would encourage you to do the same thing.

If you really want to read across America this year, check out the National Education Association website for books, activities, virtual author visits, and teaching resources.

Remember to center equity, celebrate diversity, and value culture!

Jocelynn

Here are the articles I mentioned in the blog post:

During a recent coaching session an educator asked me, “Jocelynn, how do we create a happy and equitable Valentine’s Day experience for all students?”

This is a complex and nuanced question to answer because there are several things to keep in mind. Firstly, all of your students do not celebrate this holiday. Whether for religious reasons or personal convictions, a student may not celebrate Valentine’s Day. Secondly, there are some students that may not be able to participate in a card, gift, or candy exchange because of financial limitations. Thirdly, holidays can be a trigger for trauma for some students. A family member or friend might have passed away during this time, or some other major life shift may have taken place. This may put the student into an emotionally vulnerable space.

There are definitely additional points to consider, but these are three heavy hitters.

Even with these points, the educator and I talked about some of the really amazing projects and experiences created during this time. One in particular is the ability to intentionally express love and appreciation for people in your life in a variety of ways; poems, flowers, candy, cards. In many elementary schools and a few middle and high schools, students are encouraged to create a Valentines Day box or bag to collect the tokens of love and appreciation from classmates and teachers. Some students truly shine during this time because they are artistic and creative.

So here are three considerations/suggestions I shared during my coaching session:

Expanding the Focus toward Equity

#1 – Regarding the Valentines Day boxes or bags – Creating these boxes and bags is clearly an experience that is enjoyed by many students and allows for a bonding experience for caregivers and students. I don’t think it should be eliminated, but I do think it could be revamped. Because this is a holiday that can be centered around love and appreciation for the people we care about and self-love, let’s connect it to that larger theme and create a culture building opportunity for the school. Let’s make this an interdisciplinary learning experience.

Equitable Valentine’s Day – ELA Lesson Idea

In reading/ELA students can focus on reading books and poetry, etc that talk about what love is and how it shows up in different ways. There can be discussions of healthy and toxic love. Students can also talk about self-love and why it is important to prioritize self-care and mental health. Finally, there can be an exploration of how we show love and appreciation at the school – for our classmates, teachers, and staff.

Equitable Valentine’s Day – Social Studies Lesson Idea

In social studies students can learn about the history of the Valentine’s Day holiday, but also learn about where and how it is celebrated across the world. Students can discover other holidays or times of the year that people set aside specifically to celebrate love and show appreciation. Depending on your specific content area under the umbrella of social studies, you can focus on how appreciation or the lack of appreciation has led to x,y, or z event or outcome. For example, after wars soldiers have been appreciated and honored with parades and ceremonies. To show appreciation for teachers and health care workers, many stores offer discounts. Finally, have students reflect on their learning and think about how regardless of age, gender, race, religion, geographic location, people enjoy showing and receiving appreciation and love.

Equitable Valentine’s Day – Math Lesson Idea

In math students can learn about the economic impact of holiday spending and budgeting. How does spending on the Valentines Day holiday compare to that of other holidays? Students can think critically and collaboratively about how they can show appreciation and love without spending a dime, but also how they can appropriately budget for spending money if they choose. Students might also consider the statement, “It’s the thought that counts.” Finally, have students work collaboratively to create a product, service, or package to show appreciation and love. How much will the endeavor cost to produce? How much will it cost the consumer? Have them outline why their creation will allow people to show genuine appreciation and love for another person or themselves?

Equitable Valentine’s Day – Science Lesson Idea

In science students can learn about the anatomy of the heart and the hormones that impact our feelings of love and appreciation. Or maybe you share information about sweets and candy or flowers, objects typically used to show love or appreciation. This is a great lesson to connect to the plant life cycle. Students can learn about some of the most popular flowers, the climates in which they grow and thrive, what they mean, how long they live when placed in a vase, and some ways to preserve them. Students can also learn about chocolates and candy. What are the ingredients? How does sugar impact the body? Finally, have students reflect on their own love language. Do they enjoy receiving flowers or candy? Why or why not? What would they appreciate more? 

Equitable Valentine’s Day – Art Lesson Idea

In art, students can create boxes or bags to collect love and appreciation tokens from classmates and teachers. Make it clear to students, however, that they are still encouraged to create a box/bag with caregivers. This provides an opportunity for every student to create a box/bag, but allows them to still create one with their caregiver or on their own.

Appreciation & Love Day

#2 – Focusing on an appreciation/love day might be something that more students can get on board with vs. Valentine’s Day specifically. I have not talked with anyone from different faith backgrounds so I cannot confirm this for you, but asking the question or presenting the idea is a great way to get stakeholder feedback and involvement. 

Focusing on an appreciation/love day is a great way to broaden the scope and maximize the potential for lasting impact on your classroom and school culture. Part of creating a welcoming and inclusive learning environment is about appreciating and respecting different people and perspectives even if you do not subscribe to them yourself. Help students to understand that concept more deeply and fully by expanding the conversation into different subject areas.

Informing Caregivers of Celebration Intentions

#3 – Alerting caregivers as early as possible. Yes, it is on every person’s calendar, but with all the other things on an adults calendar, Valentine’s Day in likely lost in the chaos. In addition to that, letting the caregivers know sooner rather than later can allow for them to plan ahead in a couple of ways. First, they can set aside money from a paycheck or make other arrangements to get the supplies their student needs. Second, they can let the teacher know about any religious or cultural objections they might have to their student participating in a classroom party or activities. Then, the two of you can brainstorm ways to ensure the not only their student, but all students feel welcome and included not unwelcome and excluded.

These are not perfect solutions by any means, but they are a place to start the conversation. They are points to consider when planning your students’ “Valentine’s Day” celebration. 

I would love to know if you already do any of these things or have other suggestions. Send me a DM on Instagram or a message on LinkedIN.

Remember to center equity, celebrate diversity, and value culture!

Jocelynn

Is this the type of classroom you always dreamed of having? If so, you’re in good company. Let’s create this reality together.  Check out the many https://customteachingsolutions.com/how-many-paragraphs-is-an-essay/, teaching resources, and coaching options available:

Creating a culture-centered classroom is built on the foundation of culturally responsive pedagogy and culturally relevant teaching practices. These may seem like big, fancy phrases, but they are also super powerful and effective phrases that represent strategies that work for ALL students.

Pedagogy & Practice

Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) encourages teachers to observe the cultural and ethnic make up of the students in their classroom for the purposes of incorporating practices, language, and texts from those cultures and ethnicities to both affirm these students and positively educate other students.  

Culturally relevant practices are an extension of culturally responsive pedagogy. In this, teachers are encouraged to be culturally competent, meaning they have the ability to understand and effectively communicate and educate students of multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds. Check out “Why Create a culturally Responsive Classroom” for more information about both the pedagogy and the practice.

Teachers who use culturally responsive pedagogy to design culturally relevant lessons create culture-centered classrooms where students thrive for three reasons. Students are affirmed, welcomed, and celebrated in the classroom environment and through instruction. This leads to increased confidence in their academic identity and a natural desire toward increased engagement and information retention.

Three Benefits of a Culture-Centered Classroom

1. Students are affirmed in their personal and academic identity because they see others represented and feel seen themselves. Students are encouraged to be their authentic selves. Through instruction and growth experiences in the classroom, students understand that their “authentic self will change and evolve and grow. In order to discover their every changing authentic self they will make mistakes and fail at times. They are never made to feel however, like they are a mistake or the way they talk is a mistake or the way they dress is a mistake or the food they enjoy is a mistake. Differences are appreciated and preferences may change with increased knowledge and exposure, but a change is not forced.
2. Every student feels welcome in the classroom as an individual and as a scholar. Their thinking is honored and their voice is respected. Students feel welcome because they see representations of their cultural values and traditions being discussed in normal classroom discussion, being used as examples to develop further understanding, and are included in the books read.
3. Celebrating a student doesn’t mean throwing a party. Well… maybe sometimes, but not everyday. Instead, a student being celebrated looks like creating student centered rules, expectations, and norms in the classroom. It looks like decentering Christian or mainstream holidays if you are not teaching in a Christian or Catholic school. It looks like students seeing the history of their ancestors being taught IN school – the good, the bad, the ugly. There is no one group of people that is ALL good or ALL bad. We all have our missteps and shortcomings. It is how we learn from and shift away from negative, hurtful choices that makes the difference.

Creating a Culture-Centered Classroom

A culture-centered classroom is a space where personalized learning happens naturally. It is a classroom where differentiated instruction is the norm. It is a place where students are challenged to think critically about their world and the world around them. Students are encouraged to be thought leaders. 

Is this the type of classroom you always dreamed of having? If so, you’re in good company. Let’s create this reality together.  Check out the many https://customteachingsolutions.com/how-many-paragraphs-is-an-essay/, teaching resources, and coaching options available:

Three fun, unique, and joyful Black History month bulletin boards that you can create or co-create are centered around these themes:

1. Black Greek Letter Organizations and Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs)
2. Content specific Black Influencers and Innovations
3. Countries Around the World

Black Greek Letter Organizations & HBCUs Bulletin Board

Black Greek Letter organizations and HBCUs are two things that students typically know little about. Both were founded for the express purpose of creating a nurturing environment for elevating intellectual minds, uplifting the Black community, and sharing about the rich history of Black people. Sharing this information with your students is an opportunity to highlight joy and innovation and creativity and intelligence.

There are 9 Black Greek letter organizations with men, women, and non-binary members across the world making an impact. You can learn more about each organization in a blog post titled, “9 Powerful People – What are Black Greek Organizations? Why are they important?”. 

According to the 2022 US Census there are 101 Historically Black Colleges and Universities across 19 states. There is so much interesting information for students to learn about the people that have attended HBCUs and the endless opportunities available to students who pursue higher education degrees in this culturally affirming environment. Did you know that Vice President Kamala Harris attended Howard University, an HBCU, and joined the Black Greek letter organization, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority while an undergraduate student?

Trust me, this is one Black History Month bulletin board idea that has endless possibilities!

Content Area Specific Black History Bulletin Board

Another great way to share and celebrate Black culture and Black people on a bulletin board is with content area specific information. Think Black mathematicians, scientists, artists, authors, historians, etc. Although notable Black contributors in every discipline should be shared throughout the school year, a Black History Month bulletin board is a great way to feature several at once. It is an opportunity for students to see just how many BIPOC contributors there are in that field. It is an opportunity to provide a mirror for some students and a window for others. The pictures and biographies can open the door to amazing conversations about the joy and yes, the challenges of achieving in that field. You can easily make this board interactive by including QR codes to picture books about the person read aloud on platforms like YouTube. For younger children, display something like the ABCs of Black History. There are several picture books that could accompany this bulletin board.  Here are a few resources to help you get started:

Black History in Countries Around the World

There are Black people all around the world who have historically and are currently making significant contributions to the world in which we live. Although Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Negro History Week (1926) that later expanded into Black History Month, had a focus on Black Americans and Black American history, the African diaspora is far reaching. Incorporating interesting information about Black people, perspectives, and culture around the world is a perfect way to continue creating a culturally aware and diversity affirming classroom.

Two cool ideas for display this information on a Black History Month bulletin board are:

1. Place a graphic of the world on the bulletin board space. Place push pins in different countries with yarn attached and connecting to a biography, photograph, or artifact representing Black heritage in that country.
2. Display a large calendar with flaps or pockets for each day of the week. Under each flap or in each pocket place information about different aspects of Black heritage all around the world. Image an advent style calendar with a big reveal each day.

Here are a couple of resources to get you started:

Well, there you have it! Three fun and unique Black History Month bulletin board ideas and a BONUS because I included some resources to get you started with all three ideas.

As always, I recommend incorporating the contributions and stories of Black people, perspectives, culture all school year.

If you use one of these ideas, send me a picture on Instagram @iTeachCustom so I can feature the incredible display!

If you want additional 1:1 guidance click the image below and schedule a 30 minute coaching call with me. This will be a time for us to talk about your joys, challenges, and concerns around facilitating Black heritage lessons.

One of my favorite ways to celebrate Black History, Black present, and Black Excellence is by sharing information about Historically Black Sororities and Fraternities – The Divine Nine. 

I want to share this information with you because it is likely different from all the other narratives you’ve heard when studying Black history and Black present. I want to share this with you because the torch that was lit by founders of Black Greek organizations over 100 years ago, still shines bright today. I want you to see the light so you can show it to, and celebrate it with your students.

Let’s jump right in with an overview of Black Greek Life and then I will share some information about each of the individual organizations and one well known person from each organization.  

An Overview of Historically Black Fraternities & Sororities

There are nine Black Greek Sororities & fraternities, respectively that make up the (NPHC) National Panhellenic Council. In order of their founding, they are Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Iota Phi Theta. They are often collectively called the Divine Nine.

These historically Black fraternities and sororities are deeply rooted in service, academic achievement and scholarship, social uplifting, and preserving traditions of the past while embarking on a journey toward innovation for the future. During the pledge process you learn about the richness of the legacy of Black Americans, honor the culture of intelligence, excellence, social and political change, hone the principles of sisterhood and brotherhood, and explore opportunities to serve. Once you are in the chapter, there is a focus on uplifting and supporting the collegiate community and serving the surrounding community. After graduation, collegiate members are encouraged to join the alumnae chapters to continue building, developing, and growing in the organization for a lifetime.

These organizations have literally changed the lives of thousands of men, women, and non binary persons across the nation and across the world for over a hundred years. I am one of those people. I am a devastating diva of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. I crossed at Miami University – OH in Spring 2003 with 7 other dynamic women. 

It is my honor and distinct pleasure to share this information about organizations filled with people who have become some of the greatest change makers our world has seen. So many people that are leaders in today’s world and in day’s past are members of these orgs. You may not have even been aware. Pledging one of these organizations, becoming a part of a unique brotherhood or sisterhood, designing community service and public service events gave these leaders a start and a safe place to hone their leadership and communication skills. It surrounded them with a very special group of men, women, and non binary persons who will support them for a lifetime. It gave them a space to learn how to effectively amplify and lift up the needs and voices of the BIPOC community.

The Divine Nine

So let’s begin the story.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Founded 1906, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York by seven men known as “the jewels” of the fraternity.  Alpha Phi Alpha was founded during a time when there was racial prejudice and unrest in academia and in society. The college educated men that gathered originally met to study and support each other. That study group developed into a brotherhood that has uplifted, supported, and championed the Black community for 116 years and inspired many others to come. Alpha has several community outreach programs. Two of them include “A Voteless People is a Hopeless People” and “Go to high school – go to college”. Because MLK Day has recently passed, I will note that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. However, I want to recognize another notable member. I’m talking about a change maker, a civil rights activist, a Supreme Court Justice and lawyer for the Brown v Board of Education case in 1954. Can you guess who I’m talking about? If you said Thurgood Marshall then you are correct.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Founded 1908, Howard University in Washington, DC by sixteen women. These women came together during a time when few women, let alone Black women were enrolled at a college or university. Their desire was to bring like minded women together for the purpose of mutual uplift, and coalescing their talents and strengths for the benefit of others. To that end, the sorority built 10 schools in Africa in the late 1990s. AKA was the first Black Greek Sorority. They blazed a trail for many sisterhoods to come. A notable member of AKA is our very first woman to be vice president of the United States of America. The first bi-racial woman to be vice president of the United States of America. She is Indian and Jamaican. A former California district attorney, attorney general, and U.S. senator. Can you guess who I am talking about? If you said Kamala Harris, then you are correct. 

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Indiana University by 10 collegiate men. These men formed Kappa during a time when racism, prejudice, and segregation ran rampant in Indiana. Black students were allowed to go to class and run track, if they were athletically inclined. But they were not allowed to stay on campus and were not provided off campus housing either. These men were not a part of the social scene. They were missing out on the benefits of college outside of academics. The founders of Kappa saw that Black men on campus needed academic support and socialization. Thus the journey of forming a fraternity where the fundamental purpose is achievement in every field of human endeavor began.  In 2019 Kappa partnered with the Room to Read program. Each month children in an under-resourced elementary school are introduced to a Room to Read South Africa storybook title through a read aloud by one of the fraternity members. They also engage the students in reading activities and donate 10 copies to the school’s library. A notable member of Kappa is tennis legend, civic activist, the only Black man to ever win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. Can you guess who I am talking about? If you said Arthur Ashe then you are correct.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Howard University in Washington, D.C. by three undergraduate men and one faculty advisor. Bonding under the motto, “Friendship is essential to the soul”, these men formed the first Black Greek organization to be founded and incorporated on a Historically Black College campus. In 2018 The men of Omega Psi Phi hosted the Charles R. Drew blood drive in conjunction with the American Red Cross to honor the first African-American Red Cross medical director.  A notable member of Omega is one of the best basketball players of all time and certainly one of the most recognized names in the NBA. He is not only an athlete, but a businessman, actor, philanthropist, and author. Did you guess Michael Jordan? If you did, you are correct.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Founded 1913, Howard University in Washington, D.C. by 22 women who had a desire to not only support each other academically and socially, but to prioritize public service. For this reason, their first act was participating in the Suffrage March of 1913.  From that day forward, Delta has sought to be on the forefront of political and social change in our world. In 2003, they were the first Black Greek organization to become a Non-governmental organization by the United Nations. A notable member of Delta was the first Black woman to be elected to the United States congress, she also became the first Black candidate for a major nomination and the first woman to run for the Democratic party’s nomination in 1972. Do you know who I’m talking about? If you guessed Shirley Chisolm, then you are correct.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Founded 1914, Howard University in Washington, D.C. by three undergraduate students. These men desired to form a brotherhood that was truly inclusive and welcoming to men of all economic backgrounds, skin tones, and nationalities. They were devoted to what they call the “inclusive we” rather than the “exclusive we”. Their main objective is to use their newly acquired skills to uplift the community. In 1924 the Sigmas began the International Bigger & Better Business Initiative. The goal is to assist Black owned businesses with development, promotion, and growth. A notable member of Phi Beta Sigma, as noted on the Phi Beta Sigma website, was World famous scientist, botanist, educator and inventor whose studies and teaching revolutionized agriculture in the Southern United States; most famous for research into and promotion of peanuts and sweet potatoes. Were you thinking of George Washington Carver?! Then you’re correct. http://www.pbsad.org/notable-sigmas.html

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Founded 1920, Howard University in Washington, D.C. by five collegiate women. These women wanted to create a sisterhood that did away with the trappings of elitism and socializing and focus specifically on raising the consciousness of their people, encouraging the highest standards of scholastic achievement, and fostering a greater sense of unity among its members so that they could help fight poverty, illness, and prejudice. As evidenced by several community based programs, but in particular the Stork’s Nest, a program that focuses on prenatal, health promotion for low income pregnant women, the Finer women are doing just that. A notable member of Zeta was an educator, anthropologist dedicated to studying and promoting Black culture, and a celebrated author in death. One of her works is “Their Eyes Were Watching God”. Do you think you know who it is? Did you guess Zora Neale Hurston? Then you are correct. 

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Founded 1922, in Indianapolis, IN by seven young educators as a professional organization. In 1929 the organization became chartered as a collegiate sorority on the campus of Butler University in Indiana. It is the only NPHC member that began as a professional organization. For this reason, the women of Sigma Gamma Rho have a particular focus on supporting women in all stages of life and all walks of life. One way the SGRhos accomplish this is through several affiliate organizations that empower, encourage, and develop girls and women of all ages and backgrounds. Walking in step with their motto, “Greater service, greater progress”, the sorority facilitates programs like Swim 1922 in partnership with Swim America, a program designed to decrease the number of Black and Hispanic children that do not know how to swim. Members of the organization teach about water safety and how to swim. A notable member of SGRho is a non profit CEO, army officer, and the first officer to be crowned Miss USA in 2016. Do you know who I’m talking about? If you guessed Deshauna Barber, then you are correct.

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Founded 1963, Morgan State University by 12 collegiate men. Unlike the other fraternities, Iota Phi Theta was founded by a group of men that was older than your traditional college students. Most of the founders were full time students and employees. Some also had families. Some were U.S. veterans. This life experience gave them a unique perspective when thinking about how to best support each other and their community. This led them to develop the motto: “Building a tradition, not resting upon one.” One of the many initiatives developed to support this mission is called I – S.H.I.E.L.D. Under this initiative, the brothers have developed programs to shine a light on, and work towards eliminating sexual assault and domestic abuse. One notable member of Iota Phi theta was a weather forecaster for ABC’s Good morning America from 1986 – 1998 and has written several children’s books. Did you guess Spencer Christian? Then you’re correct!

And there you have it. The Divine Nine. Nine organizations founded by people looking to uplift and serve the Black community and increase opportunities for empowerment and advancement both personally and professionally. Nine organizations continuing the legacy by developing the current generation and equipping the next generation of thought leaders.

What better way to show students the beauty of Black people and Black culture than through lessons about historically Black Greek organizations and the amazing brothers and sisters that carry out the missions behind each.

One thing I did while I was still in the classroom was introduce my students to these organizations. And many of the notable members. I would start right after we returned from winter break. I chose this time because many of the organizations celebrate their founding in the month of January. In addition, Black History month is in February and the lessons could continue. I would introduce one new organization per week. 

My students LOVED it! This was not the typical Black history month lesson that they were getting in any other class. These were relevant and interesting and exciting.

It was important for me to share this information with students because I wanted them to see something both fun and impactful that Black people can create. I wanted them to see that people of color can gather in a peaceful, productive, and powerful way. 

As an 8th grade teacher with students preparing for college and the military and the real world, I felt it was important they saw people that could support them and uplift them on their journey. Even if you don’t pledge an organization, Black Greek org members are always there to uplift and support the community. There are mentorship programs, cotillions, scholarships. I received a couple scholarships when I was headed to college.

The summer before my senior year of high school I attended a pre-college program at Miami University. Several members of the Black Greek fraternities and sororities were counselors. On the last evening they hosted a party for us. Many of the Black Greeks attended. Wow! They strolled and celebrated. It was such a beautiful thing to watch. The energy, the excitement, the unity. This was something I could look forward to going into college, especially going to a historically white university. Knowing there were people and a community that focused on and embraced Black culture, ideas, traditions, and celebrations was everything.

Once I got on campus I learned even more about the amazing things each organization was doing for our college campus and the greater Oxford community.

Becoming a part of this rich history was huge for me. I didn’t realize just how important this experience was going to be in shaping who I am and continue to become. My line sisters are my sisters. My sorority sisters have been so supportive and instrumental in my successful transition to full adulthood and marriage and parenting. All phases of life. They have been there.

To make this a lesson you can easily share with your students, I have created a resource that I designed to use with my students and you can buy using the link in the show notes. There are videos and task cards, research papers, and quotes. Tons of goodness. 

Below I have included links to all of the Fraternities and Sororities national websites so you can do some learning on your own. But I know it is a lot of information. Nine organizations. That’s why I created the teaching resource that you can easily use in your classroom.

Are you a member of the Divine nine or another BIPOC Greek organization? Share it in the comments and podcast review section. I would love to know your story.

Are you teaching your students about Black Greek life? I’d love to hear about that too.

Historically Fraternities and Sororities Organizations National Websites

http://www.blackgreek.com/divinenine/

https://apa1906.net/

https://aka1908.com/

https://kappaalphapsi1911.com/default.aspx

https://oppf.org/

https://www.deltasigmatheta.org/

https://phibetasigma1914.org/

https://zphib1920.org/

https://sgrho1922.org/

https://www.iotaphitheta.org/

NPHC

Check out the many https://customteachingsolutions.com/how-many-paragraphs-is-an-essay/, teaching resources, and coaching options available:

Co-Create Norms for Discussion & Sharing

1. Co-create or revisit classroom norms about sharing and celebrating culture. It is important that expectations are clear and a culture of safety and bravery are established. Creating norms with your students as opposed to simply telling them the norms is good for two reasons, 1) it increases student buy-in to creating a classroom community everyone appreciates, and 2) it allows you to get a sense of what your students believe about certain topics. Things that seem appropriate or normal for you may not be for your students. Everyone has a unique set of lived experiences that influence their understanding of concepts like safety, respect, and bravery. Your students are no different. One key norm is to listen and learn with curiosity not judgment.

Establish Context for teaching Black History

2. Establish context before diving into lessons, discussions, movies, and projects. Answering questions like: 

• • What is Black history month and why was it started? 
  • Do we only talk about historical people and events in February? Do we only talk about Black present in February? 
  • Why is it important to highlight Black people and achievements during this month?

Answering these questions is a good place to start. Explain that historically, information about Black Americans was often not shared outside of the Black community. This information was not shared in mainstream curriculum. Establishing Black history week and eventually Black history month were a way to begin righting this wrong. Although sharing and celebrating Black culture should happen 365 days a year, it is nice to have a month dedicated solely to the elevation and celebration of Black people.

Talk about Black History & Black Present

3. Talk about Black history and Black present. Sharing only about the history of a people can leave students with the impression that there has been no advancement since that time. Give students  the full story of how Black people and culture have evolved over time. We never want students to get the impression that Black people are stagnant or have only one story.  Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has an incredible Ted Talk called “The Danger of a Single Story” that I think you would find incredibly insightful.

Sharing stories from the present day allows students to balance images and experiences from the past with images and experiences from today. Students can see that there is hope, opportunity, possibility, and innovation.

Highlight and Center Joy

4. Highlight and center joy – historical joy and present day joy. Joy, according to Dictionary.com, is the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.  Some ways that you can share and celebrate great delight or happiness represented in the Black community:

• • Read books and poems:
    • by Black people and 
    • about Black people and the Black experience
    • that feature Black characters living life, but not connected to a “Black experience”. 
  • Talk about the founding of Black Greek Fraternities and Sororities. Share the mission, good works and service of each organization. Feature some of the more well known members of these organizations. Check out The-Culture Centered Classroom Podcast S1.E7 – “9 Powerful People – What are Black Greek Organizations? Why are they Important?” 
  • Showcase the work of African American artists in the classroom. This can include paintings, sculptures, music, and literature.

Share Multiple Stories

5. Share multiple stories. Black people, Black perspectives, the Black experience, and Black culture is nuanced and dynamic. It is important for students to see the nuances and diversity within Black culture. One way to clearly show this is by sharing a variety of stories across time and locations. This will allow for stereotypes about Black culture to be identified, addressed, and deconstructed. Include the contributions and perspectives of Black women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized groups. 

Intentional Reflection is essential

6. Provide time for intentional reflection about the learning. Consider asking yourself my three anchor questions while planning the lesson. These questions are also great for building a simple and sustainable reflective practice with students – before, during, after the learning. Asking these questions will create space for students to think critically about their own biases and assumptions and how they affect their understanding of Black history and present.

Considering these six tips is a great place to begin planning your Black History Month Celebration, but also to think about how Black history, Black present, and Black excellence can be weaved into the mainstream content presented in the curriculum.

If you want additional 1:1 guidance click the image below and schedule a 30 minute coaching call with me. This will be a time for us to talk about your joys, challenges, and concerns around facilitating Black history lessons.

Cheers!

Jocelynn

Before sharing some tips for creating culturally responsive science lessons, I want to share two definitions of science. Clearly defining words allows for the strong foundation necessary to understand what is needed to make these lessons responsive and relevant.

According to Merriam Webster dictionary science is:

: knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific method

: the state of knowing : knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding

I also looked up the word science in the Urban Dictionary for perspective. I think it is important to consider multiple sources when understanding a term or concept.

According to The urban dictionary science is:

A system of understanding the physical universe that is open to adapting to new information, even if that new information means that what was previously assumed to be true has to be henceforth regarded as false.

Contrary to popular belief, a scientist does not (or at least should not) attempt to prove their theories correct, but rather attempt to find any flaw in the theory, so as to gain a better understanding of the fundamental principal being studied.

Start with Reflection to Create Culturally Responsive Science Lessons

Reading these definitions and reflecting on student learning, student development, and student growth – connecting these words and their meanings – and the goals connected to them – gives me a new appreciation for science and learning. Thinking about creating personalized learning experiences in the science classroom so all students are affirmed, welcomed and celebrated … so students SEE and are SEEN through instruction. It gives me a new lens through which to view the importance of the study of sciences.

This is why I truly value reflection. It brings awareness. It brings appreciation. It brings about awareness for what should be amplified, shifted, or rejected. 

Here is what I love about science. Based on new understanding, new learning, new data, things change. Change. Scientist are always seeking to discover a truer truth. Scientist test theories and hypotheses. Scientist experience a lot of failure, but that failure is characterized as new learning. It is a win because it provides one more thing that can be ruled out. 

Through science students can learn so much about the power of discovery and exploration, trial and error, systems, cause and effect, and the theory of change. Why would you want to teach those things in a silo? Each of these concepts can be correlated to life in general and each student’s life specifically. 

Establishing this connection will help students see the why behind the what. It will allow them to get invested in their learning in a new and beneficial way. 

Life is an experiment. It is through experimentation that we learn the greatest lessons. It is through listening to wisdom however, that we make the best choices. Help students understand how they can do both.

How are you allowing your students to be scientists? Do they understand the role of a scientist? Do they see other scientists that look like and identify in similar ways to them or is scientist synonymous with someone other than them?

So, here are my three tips for creating culturally responsive and relevant science lessons. Pull out the three anchor questions! Yes, I have said it before and I will reiterate it now. These three questions are the simplest way to make sure you are touching on one basic element of culturally relevant pedagogy.

Three Anchor Questions for Culturally Responsive Science

The three anchor questions are :

1. What are my students learning about themselves? There are so many ways to consider this question, but for the sake of a start, think specifically about the science content you are teaching and how students are aligning themselves mentally with being a scientist – a biologist, a chemist, a physicist, botanists, etc. How are you facilitating this process from the beginning of the student learning journey in your classroom allllllll the way to the very last day. Showing students a diverse variety of scientists – some that look and identify in similar ways as they do and some who do not is important in forming their own identity as a scientist.
2. What are my students learning about their peers? The joy of learning and discovery, experimentation, trial and error, and failure as success is at the heart of the sciences. Different scientists have different theories and are testing different hypotheses. Scientists put their informed hypothesis into the world. They talk about it with other scientists, compare notes, experiment together, build on each other’s research. All of this can and should happen in the classroom. What do science discussions look like and sound like? Establishing norms for sharing, listening, and next steps should be established.
3. What are my students learning about the world around them? Science literally impacts every aspect of our world and our life. Our students lives. Every topic and concept should be connected to how it has impacted the world we currently live in. Have students think about how the changes in what we know, the truth, have affected people’s power, perspective, and plans. As students reflect on change and impact, what are they learning about their level of comfort with experimentation, trial and error, and failure as success?

Relevance in action 

Here are a few lesson suggestions:

The periodic table of me – Before starting study of the periodic table of elements, let students know that just like them, the elements have characteristics called properties. These properties are indicators of their personality style if you will. “For example, atomic number, boiling point and melting point. As we learn about these elements and their properties I want you to pay close attention to the ones that you feel are most similar to you, metaphorically speaking.”

Once study has been completed, have students complete a “periodic table of me”. Which elements best describe their make up?

Younger learners – If I were a seed – make it a whole analogy. What is the seed in your life? How do you get it to grow into a full grown plant? Water it with what? Where/what is the sunlight?

I will definitely be doing another lessons with impact series, but if you just can’t wait, I am always happy to facilitate a workshop with you and your colleagues.

Check out the many https://customteachingsolutions.com/how-many-paragraphs-is-an-essay/, teaching resources, and coaching options available:

Social studies is an umbrella discipline that covers history, geography, civics, economics, and sociology. There are a few other topics that can be covered like art and anthropology and philosophy, but the five main focus areas are what I mentioned before. 

The thing about creating culturally relevant and culturally responsive social studies lessons is that there is so much gook surrounding it. There are layers of bias and perspective that color: 

• the “story” in history, 
• the way places are represented, displayed, and discussed in geography, 
• the understanding of rights and responsibilities of citizens as well as who is a citizen in civics, 
• the distribution and access to wealth as well as knowledge surrounding how to make wise money moves in economics, 
• and the lens through which social development, societal problems, and the functioning of human society are viewed in sociology

“History is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books—books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe. As Napoleon once said, ‘What is history, but a fable agreed upon?’” 

– The Davinci Code

Social studies is scary because it is a discipline riddled with complex conversations. It is a disciple with layers and layers of complexity just off rip. Some of the other disciplines have layers that are buried underneath flowers. Things need to be unearthed. Not social studies. The top layer is bumpy, there are several holes covered with saran wrap. So, watch your step. 

So how then, do we share social studies with our students in a culturally responsive, appropriate, and inclusive manner? *** With lots of intention. 

Three Key Practices for Creating Culturally Responsive Social Studies Lessons

The three key practices that I shared on the last episode are foundational to teaching with intention in the social studies discipline. Those practices are reflection, learning, and implementation.   Stepping back to REFLECT on what it is you are teaching and why, is a key first step. Understanding who wrote the story, the theory, the rule and why. Who benefits? Who does not. Who is the victor? 

There is this other famous African proverb that you might have heard before, it says, “Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.”

Therefore, it is important, as a social studies teacher, to think about how “the hunter” is painting their story, their cause to be more glamorous?

As a former 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher, I can tell you that there were many many complex conversations in my classroom. There was also a lot of time spent doing my own research. I love my alma mater, but they didn’t teach me a lot about a lot. In order to truly know, I had to seek out some information on my own. I had to LEARN. I had to go to different sources. Ask questions. 

I had to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. And guess what? There were so many times when the story that I had been told over and over again as a child was unearthed, reframed, and told from a different perspective that wasn’t as rosy. Shattering stories and people and ways of being that had become idols. They had become standard. It was tough, but necessary if I was going to provide my students with an accurate history. If I was going to be able to let them grapple with concepts, disagree with systems, and question motives.

I had to let go. I couldn’t hold so tightly to my truths that I wouldn’t allow my students to explore their truths. And do this in a safe space. Because let’s be honest, it’s going to happen. Students are going to question and explore, but who will be there to help them navigate?

Another strategy that was helpful for me was looking at my students and then learning about my students. None of this I don’t see color nonsense. None of this we’re all the same rhetoric. We each have a story. Our students have a story. There are beautiful layers and traumatized layers. I needed to see my students, fully and completely in order to understand what they needed to learn – not just what was dictated by the state, but what they personally need to thrive. 

What did they need to hear? Something in opposition to what was being learned at home? (Black people, Mexican people, Indigenous people, women… are intelligent, creative, forward thinkers, innovative, funny, etc)

What did they need to see? Kings and queens from more than just one or two continents. Theorist and inventors and artists of every gender and hue.

The Anchor Questions

What did they need to question? I love, love, love to use three anchor questions when I am planning lessons. Depending on the age of your students you can volley these questions back to them. The questions are:

1. What are my students learning about themselves?
2. What are my students learning about their peers?
3. What are my students learning about the world around them?

These questions allow for a deeper level of learning. There is focus on more than just the information being presented, there is a focus on the connection between student and study. No longer am I teaching for teaching sake. I am now facilitating a learning experience of discovery, thought, curiosity, disappointment, confusion, anger, etc. Some learning is fun, other learning is challenging. Introducing students to the complex nuances of learning from an early age allows them to recognize that life is a learning experience. Sometimes there is no person to guide you or facilitate the process. Sometimes you are alone in your quest.

Finally, after some time of reflection and learning, I would implement. I would take action. It is time to put into practice what I knew was needed. Maybe that meant coupling resources, finding additional primary sources, reaching out to community members for assistance, and really allowing the students’ stories to guide the learning. 

There were several times, as a social studies teacher when I would shift directions because I saw my students needed an injection of inspiration. The whole reason I created the lessons on Black Greek organizations (Hop back to episode 7) was because I saw that my students needed some role models. A different perspective. They needed to see groups of young Black adults having fun AND having impact in the community. My students needed to see the possibilities for a future not yet determined. So, although I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and I know quite a bit about the other 8 organizations, I wanted a complete picture and I needed to do my research. I started Googling information, finding YouTube videos, pulling together articles, and inviting local chapters to connect.

My students loved it year after year.

Look, we get one shot at this. 180 days to make things shake. 

Is it scary to think about all the truths you never learned? Yes. Is it scary to think about your students having different opinions than you? Yes. Is it scary to discover that your hero is not perfect? Like not just to understand that all people are flawed, but to have a real life example of something this person did that was not great? Yes.

But what is the purpose of education? Think about this…

“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” –Paulo Freire (Pedagogy of Oppression)

This is a quote that I pull out many times when I am facilitating PD and coaching sessions with teachers because it is important that we think about this… the purpose of education. Why are we teaching? Why are we so married to the one story? The one text book? The one perspective. The one method?

Relevance in Action – 

Learning how to navigate complex conversations. I see so many educators on teachergram saying they are not equipped and prepared to talk about certain topics. It is a part of the curriculum, but no one teaches a strategy for effectively doing so. 

I have developed a framework for using your S.T.R.E.N.G.T.H.S. to be confident and prepared in this situation. In my Complex Conversations workshop, I walk teachers through the framework to equip them to have these conversations. Now, I won’t share the framework here, because that is not fair to my school partners, but let me give you two strategies:

Choose one topic in your curriculum that is more complex. If you say,  “There are none.” I need you to look at your curriculum with fresh eyes. Now you can either write that topic on a sheet of paper or download the thought worksheet that I created for you. The link is in the show notes. Underneath the topic please write reflect, learn, implement. 

For reflection, think about how you were taught this topic. Are you teaching it the same way? Why or why not? Who does this benefit?

For learn, I want you to do some additional research. Are there opposing perspectives and viewpoints on the truth of the topic, the way it should be taught, the parties that should be glorified? Whose voice is missing from the teaching of this topic?

For implement, I want you to choose at least one new resource to support learning and one new perspective to share regarding this topic.

That’s it my friends! Remember that we are partners on this journey. I want to hear from you. What challenges you most as a social studies teacher? What brings you the most joy?

And I would be remiss if I didn’t add that if you think this work is something your department could benefit from, reach out to me. Book a FREE discovery call so we can get you scheduled for a workshop. 

Keep leveling up.