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This episode walks through the steps of a practice in which instructional leadership teams can identify trends in pedagogy across classrooms. We’ll focus on how to collect data that centers student experience over teacher actions and what to do once the trends are identified.
Why? We know from Hattie’s (2018) research that collective teacher efficacy has a bigger impact on student learning than anything other factor studied. Teachers, like students, are also more invested in what they co-create or choose for their own learning. In a learning walk, a team visits several classrooms to identify team-wide or school-wide trends. Takeaways are shared out, highlighting strengths and successes and identifying a next step(s) to support an area of growth. The focus on broad trends instead of specific teachers’ skills lowers the stakes and fosters a culture of collective growth. What are the steps?
Final Tips
To help you implement Learning Walks in your school or district, I’m sharing my Learning Walk Protocol slide deck with you for free. And, if you’re looking for more details on the ideas in this blog post, listen to episode 143 of the Time for Teachership podcast. If you’re unable to listen or you prefer to read the full episode, you can find the transcript here.
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In this podcast episode, Crystal Frommert shares the importance of partnering with families in students' education.Crystal emphasizes the power of a simple phone call to build bridges and promote understanding. She also explores the complexities of navigating effective communication in these partnerships and discusses restorative practices for relationship-building with families.
Crystal Frommert, M.Ed, has over 20 years’ experience as an teacher, instructional coach, school board member, adjunct college instructor, technology coordinator, and school administrator. She is the author of "When Calling Parents Isn't Your Calling, a teacher's guide to communicating with parents." She currently teaches middle school math in Houston, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and dog. The Big Dream Crystal dreams of an educational system where teachers partner with parents and families. Alignment to the 4 Stages: Mindset, Pedagogy, Assessment, and Content She focuses on maintaining a mindset of empathy and understanding towards the families she works with. In terms of pedagogy and content, she stresses the importance of communication and respect for the diversity of families. Phone calls are specifically helpful to communicate with families about any of this because you can both listen to each other’s tone. Mindset Shifts Required We can work to overcome any apprehensions about communicating with families. It’s incredibly beneficial to take a moment to challenge any assumptions we have about family backgrounds. Action Steps Make the first contact positive and personalized. Show respect for family titles. (Look at the title on file and/or ask the child if they’re old enough. If you can’t find it beforehand, ask the caretaker once you meet them.) Utilize phone calls more often for better connection and understanding. Alternatively, you may prefer or need to use voice recordings or video.) Use sentence starters. (Crystal has several in her book!) Challenges? Not asking for help when emotions are high. Loop in an administrator if this happens. Set boundaries so families aren’t texting you at 11:00 PM. One Step to Get Started Administrators, invite your teachers to reflect on something dumb you did when you were a teenager (or whatever age group of students you have.) Teachers, be more mindful about when the communication should be an email and when it should be a phone call. Also, send a happy note home when you can! Stay Connected You can find this week’s guest on her website, Twitter, and LinkedIn. To help you implement these practices in your school, Crystal is offering Time for Teachership listeners a complimentary author Q&A for schools who are doing a book study of her book! (Reach out at any of the above links.) And, if you’re looking for more details on the ideas in this blog post, listen to episode 142 of the Time for Teachership podcast. If you’re unable to listen or you prefer to read the full episode, you can find the transcript here. Quotes:
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In this podcast episode, Dr. Judy Krause explores the principles and implementation of anti-bias education. She discusses the four core goals of anti-bias education, how Pacific Oaks classrooms handle bullying and racism, and the importance of empowering students to be active participants in their learning. She also discusses the support structures that enable teachers to do this work well such as regular team meetings and PLC time and the director's open door policy, which foster collaboration and help address challenges encountered in implementing anti-bias education.
Dr. Judy Krause serves as Associate Dean and Program Director for the Doctor of Education in ECE program in the School of Human Development & Education at Pacific Oaks College. Her research focuses on developmentally and culturally appropriate pedagogy. In this episode, Judy tells us about Pacific Oaks' four core goals and how they tackle challenging subjects like bullying and racism in age-appropriate ways. The Big Dream Judy's dream is to carry on the legacy of the "PO giants" who founded Pacific Oaks 80 years ago, using their values of social justice, inclusivity, diversity, and respect. This involves instilling an understanding of “what's right and fair” in children and young adults and fostering a safe and inclusive learning environment through collaboration and support among educators. Alignment to the 4 Stages: Mindset, Pedagogy, Assessment, and Content The four goals of anti-bias education are identity, diversity, recognizing what's right and fair, and advocating for what's right and fair. These goals are integrated into every aspect of Pacific Oaks' curriculum and instruction, ensuring that students develop a strong sense of self, an appreciation for the diversity of others, and the ability to stand up for justice and fairness. This could look like: Students “talking about something maybe that they saw in the news. Kids see a lot and hear a lot that we don't realize that they're hearing.” “If a child is seeing another child being bullied, being able to stand up for that child that's being bullied. It could be something as simple as that.” Mindset Shifts Required To successfully implement anti-bias education, educators must first have a genuine desire to promote inclusivity, diversity, and respect. This mindset shift can be achieved by seeking out education and resources, such as Pacific Oaks' anti-bias symposiums, which provide valuable insights and inspiration for creating a more just and inclusive learning environment. Challenges One potential challenge is resistance from teachers, parents, or community members who may not share the same commitment to social justice and inclusivity. In these cases, Pacific Oaks stands firm in the values of anti-bias education and continues to provide support and resources for those who are interested in making meaningful changes. Judy shared, “Whenever you're going to do change, it has to come from within. So if you have a teacher who really doesn't believe in inclusivity and diversity and respect or social justice, if that's something that they don't really believe within and that doesn't resound in them, you're not going to get a mindset change.” Action Steps What might it look like to bring the four listed goals to life in your school or district? Step 1: Start with small, manageable changes, such as incorporating more diverse books and materials into the classroom or discussing current events in age-appropriate ways. Start with the first two goals (identity and diversity) and then move to the third and fourth (recognizing what's right and fair, and advocating for what's right and fair). Step 2: Foster collaboration and support among educators by creating opportunities for regular discussions, feedback, and problem-solving related to anti-bias education. At Pacific Oaks, teachers have weekly team meetings on Fridays and also monthly Curriculum Depth Study Group meetings. Step 3: Engage parents and families in the conversation through town hall meetings, book clubs, and other educational events focused on social justice and inclusivity. One Step to Get Started To begin incorporating anti-bias education into your classroom or school, start by exploring resources like Pacific Oaks' anti-bias symposiums, the Social Justice Books website, and articles on anti-bias education. These resources can help you gain a deeper understanding of the principles and practices of anti-bias education and inspire you to take small but significant steps towards creating a more just and inclusive learning environment. Stay Connected You can find Dr. Krause on LinkedIn. You can learn more about the Pacific Oaks school on their website. Additional Links: The Invisible Classroom: Relationships, Neuroscience & Mindfulness in School by Kirke Olsen Pacific Oaks’ Anti-Bias Resource Page (not mentioned in the episode, but hosted by PO’s library) To help you implement the ideas we talked about today, Judy is sharing all of the past Pacific Oaks Anti-Bias Education Symposium videos with you for free! And, if you’re looking for more details on the ideas in this blog post, listen to episode 141 of the Time for Teachership podcast. If you’re unable to listen or you prefer to read the full episode, you can find the transcript here. Quotes:
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In this podcast episode, Miriam Plotinsky discusses the essence of leadership in education. including the importance of humility and openness to change, and how to create effective teacher coaching programs that focus on simplicity and collaborative communication. She also discusses shared leadership and overcoming resistance, highlighting the importance of teacher and student voices in decision-making processes and providing strategies to navigate any resistance that may arise.
Miriam Plotinsky is an author and instructional specialist who addresses challenges in both teaching and leading across schools with a wide range of differentiated needs. A strong advocate for student-centered learning, she provides coaching and professional development for teachers and administrators. In this episode, we talk about curriculum, professional development, teacher coaching programs, and the importance of humility in leadership. The Big Dream Having a clear vision of where we're going—what we are teaching and why—and to communicate it effectively to students. Alignment to the 4 Stages: Mindset, Pedagogy, Assessment, and Content Mindset is like an umbrella, overarching all other aspects of teaching. Mariam stresses the importance of building a growth mindset, being open to different perspectives, and being willing to admit when we are wrong as leaders. Pedagogy, assessment, and content, she says, fall into place when teachers have a clear understanding of what and why they are teaching. Mindset Shifts Required Clarifying what and why you’re teaching prevents a lot of “classroom management” problems. Mariam says, “New teachers will say ‘I'm so worried about classroom management.’ But they don't mean that. They mean ‘I'm worried, I won't be able to control my class.’ And so one thing I've been trying to make a connection between is if your instruction is where it should be, you won't have as much to worry about.” Action Steps What can leaders do? Step 1: Start with identifying (and helping teachers to identify) what we are teaching and why. This clarity helps align all other aspects of the teaching process. Step 2: Implement effective teacher coaching programs. Harness the human resources within the building, let each teacher be a leader, and set up structures where they can help each other. Step 3: Adopt shared leadership. This involves including teacher and student voices in decision-making processes and avoiding the pitfall of surrounding ourselves with “Yes” people. Challenges? One of the hardest things is giving people the help they actually want. Mariam suggests getting “feedback on feedback.” One Step to Get Started Decide on your one thing, and stay focused on it. Stay Connected You can find Mariam on Twitter: @MirPloMCPS, Facebook: Miriam Plotinsky (author page), or her website. To help you get even deeper into the concepts Mariam discussed in this episode, she’s sharing this link to her articles published in Edutopia. And, if you’re looking for more details on the ideas in this blog post, listen to episode 140 of the Time for Teachership podcast. If you’re unable to listen or you prefer to read the full episode, you can find the transcript here. Quotes:
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The spark for this episode comes from my just-for-fun reading life. I was reading (actually listening to the amazing Lauren Graham) One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle. In Chapter 3, Serle describes the main character traveling for the first time on her own like this: "I am somewhere new where I have to be nimble, alert, present. It forces me into the moment in a way I hadn’t been in a year, maybe even ever.”
This connected with me because I want to be more present in the moments of my life. It also made me think about my experiences in the classroom when my students led discussions. This type of lesson "forces me into the moment.” When students run the show and can take the conversation in 100 directions that I have to be ready for, it requires me to be "nimble, alert, present." Why? I don’t think I’m alone. Many teachers—many humans—likely want to be more present in the day-to-day moments of our lives. Educators also have a ton of things to constantly be doing or thinking about doing, which takes us out of the moment. Certainly, there are many structural supports we need to put in place to improve teacher working conditions, including taking tasks off teachers’ plates. At the same time, I’d love to see leaders helping teachers to co-create the class conditions and design lessons for thoughtful student-led discussion. In my experience, this creates moments of professional satisfaction (seeing my students be brilliant without me stepping in is an absolute joy) and one of the more immersive types of experiences I’ve had as an educator (you know those ‘Oh wow, class is over?!’ moments). Leaders (Coaches, Department Chairs, PD Facilitators) Can… Step 1: Ask teachers to identify when they feel most present during class. Invite teachers to share, brainstorm, and plan how to create more feelings of being fully present with students. Offer any supports that may help (e.g., professional learning resources, opportunities to start meetings with a moment to reflect on moments of being present). Step 2: Offer Professional Development sessions on student-led discussion. Set teachers up for success by helping them plan out:
Step 3: Support teachers new to student-led discussions to try it out. Decrease the pressure. Trying new pedagogical strategies can be scary, especially strategies that require teachers to step back and respond to student ideas versus adhere to a structured information-sharing type of lesson plan. Co-create a list of evidence of success with your teachers. This way, you can emphasize the focus on student comments and actions instead of teacher actions. Step 4: Encourage visits to peer classrooms. Invite teachers who frequently have rich, student-led discussions to share what they do well. Ask if anyone would be interested in having teachers new to student discussions visit their class to see one in action. If yes, you can share a Google Doc/Sheet where teachers can add dates and times when they are having a class discussion. Offer coverages for visiting teachers as needed. Step 5: Facilitate ongoing reflection. Regularly invite teachers to share successes such as insightful student comments and practices or discussion questions that have generated high student engagement. Final Tip I’m inspired by Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan’s concept of a pedagogy of student voice, which they write about in their book, Street Data. In it, they encourage teachers to design lessons that have students talking 75% of the class time. Since publication, I’ve heard Shane Safir say the percentage maybe should have been even higher. I think this is a great goal to guide our aspirational teaching, coaching, and leading. To help you help teachers implement more student-led discussions in your school or district, I’m sharing my Circle Facilitation Guide with you for free. (This is my all-time favorite student-led discussion protocol!) And, if you’re looking for more details on the ideas in this blog post, listen to episode 139 of the Time for Teachership podcast. If you’re unable to listen or you prefer to read the full episode, you can find the transcript here.
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In this podcast episode, we delve into the power of meaningful conversations in education, emphasizing the role of educators in fostering student voices, creating safe spaces for student expression, and setting monumental goals for academic growth. Kara presents tons of useful student-led discussion strategies, and of course, we tackle the challenges of teaching students to engage in discussions about issues of justice and equity.
Kara Pranikoff is an educator in New York City. She has worked as a classroom teacher; reading interventionist; Instructional Coach; curriculum designer; and an adjunct instructor at Bank Street College of Education. As a consultant Kara partners with school to nurture independent thinking, voice and a sense of belonging for all members of the community. She supports educators in deepening their practice of inquiry-based teaching of social studies and writing. Kara’s book, Teaching Talk: A Practical Guide to Fostering Student Thinking and Conversation (Heinemann, 2017) shares ways to foster productive and independent student discussions in elementary and middle school classrooms. The Big Dream Kara’s dream for educators is to keep their eye on the big picture of education. We are raising humans! As educators, we walk alongside children on their journey of growth. Alignment to the 4 Stages: Mindset, Pedagogy, Assessment, and Content Educators who can adopt an abundance mindset and understand that nurturing student voices is a process are going to be highly effective. For pedagogy, we want to co-create an environment of understanding between teachers and students, set community agreements, and provide time for conversation and reflection. For assessment, we can create an artifact of student-led conversations and of course, have clear expectations for what teachers and students should ideally be doing in a student-led discussion. As far as content, discussion should revolve around topics relevant to students and their life experiences. Mindset Shifts Required We have the time and resources for what is truly important. We can remind ourselves (and our teachers) that nurturing student voices is a process that requires patience and deep listening. Action Steps Context as relevant… Step 1: Be clear and explicit with your students about the fact that you are working to ensure their ideas are central is really important. Step 2: Set community agreements about what talking and listening (i.e., a good discussion) is going to look like and feel like in the community. Step 3: Invite students to share some ideas they want to talk about—maybe based on a text that you just read. Then, students can vote on what they want to talk about. Go with it! Step 4: After a discussion, provide dedicated time for reflection and student autonomy to problem-solve and explore how they experienced the discussion and what they might want to change moving forward. Step 5 (ongoing): Curate sparks! (e.g., images, topics, quotes, song lyrics that might generate student conversation) Challenges? Overcoming the fear of saying the wrong thing during difficult conversations and navigating conversations about justice and equity. Action steps for this challenge:
Teachers may also feel pressure to keep conversations on track and avoid tangents. Action steps for this challenge:
One Step to Get Started Find a friend or a coach to help navigate the process. This person can provide support and help with preparing responses to difficult conversations. Also, communicate with parents and caretakers from the get-go about the pedagogical approach and the importance of open conversations in the classroom. Stay Connected You can find Kara on her website: www.eyesopeneducation.com. To help you implement the ideas in this episode, Kara is sharing her Partner Talk Data Collection Resource with you for free. And, if you’re looking for more details on the ideas in this blog post, listen to episode 138 of the Time for Teachership podcast. If you’re unable to listen or you prefer to read the full episode, you can find the transcript here. Quotes:
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In this podcast episode, Charles Williams dives into a comprehensive discussion on rethinking education. We explore the importance of equitable assessments in classrooms and critique the traditional approach to grading and feedback. Charles emphasizes the significance of providing feedback that doesn't contribute to the overall grade, promoting a safe learning environment free from the fear of failure.
Charles Williams has served as an educator for nearly 20 years as a teacher, an assistant principal, and a principal for students in grades K-12. He also serves as an equity advocate with the Equity Offices of the City of Chicago and the Chicago Public Schools. In this episode we explore the power of equitable assessments, honest feedback, and challenging traditional grading systems. And we keep it “sugar free.” The Big Dream Open-mindedness (not having sugar-coated conversations) and understanding the purpose of grading and assessments and feedback. Specifically, grading is equitable and feedback is continuous, authentic, and meaningful. Alignment to the 4 Stages: Mindset, Pedagogy, Assessment, and Content Charles emphasizes the need for an open-mindedness in the teaching community, a shift away from averaging grades, and a focus on ungraded formative assessments. He offers this metaphor: “I think about sports. When I go out and I practice, there's no points for that. I'm not getting any stats right…For football, for example…That happens Friday night. You know, nothing else counts. The tackles I had during practice, the yardage that I ran, the touchdowns that I threw. None of that matters Monday through Thursday. Until Friday night, and those lights come on. Now it counts. So why do we struggle so much with it when it comes to academics? It's that same concept. When it's game time, now it counts.” The content, he believes, should be driven by the students' learning journey, not by an overall grade. Each student can have, in essence, their own IEP. He explains, “there's no one way…but I think it's stepping back and looking at: What do my students need and what is a practical way for me to develop or introduce that, to provide that? You know it's not the convenient thing, right, but it's also on the other end…not just saying..I'm gonna create a lesson for every single student. That's not feasible. But falling in that middle is what do they need and what can I actually provide? And in recognizing that, sometimes I gotta take my hands off and let them go, which, again, as I said earlier, I think is a scary thing for a lot of educators.” Mindset Shifts Required We can question the convenience of traditional grading systems, see beyond the transactional experience of grades, and help students embrace a learning journey that is not motivated by fear of failure. Action Steps What could it look like to start building the foundation for a shift to equitable grading in your school or district? Step 1: Start by reading Grading for Equity, a book that provides a comprehensive understanding of equitable grading systems. Charles says it’s crucial to read it in its entirety to grasp the complete concept and its implementation. Step 2: After gaining insight from the book, initiate conversations within your teaching community about these concepts. Understand the potential obstacles and discuss how to overcome them. Step 3: Test out these concepts in an elective class or subject. Learn from the implementation, make necessary adjustments, and then scale it up to core subjects. Challenges? Challenge: The non-zero policy. Response: ask: Is it actually equitable? Are we setting up students with unrealistic expectations? Charles explains, “You're receiving half credit for doing nothing…and…learning how to game that system, because that's essentially what we're teaching students: How do I game the system so I can do as little as possible and get a grade? Because, again, we're still in this transactional experience…Instead of focusing on that mindset shift of ‘Why am I in school?’ and shifting that over to the process of learning as opposed to that transactional experience.” Challenge: Stopping short of the depth of the concept (e.g., thinking equitable grading will help Black and Brown students at the expense of white students). Response: “That's not the whole concept…It's about understanding that sometimes students don't have resources or the supports at home that other students have…but again…If we're not averaging it, it doesn't matter, because all that homework should do is provide an opportunity to learn and to practice a skill.” One Step to Get Started Familiarize yourself with the concept of equitable grading systems. Reading Grading for Equity is a great way to start. As often as you can, step back and ask; “Why are we doing this? Does it make sense? Is is it what's best for students?” Stay Connected You can find Charles on his website and on Twitter @_cwconsulting. I also recommend his podcast, The Counter Narrative Podcast. To help you implement some of the ideas Charles shared, I’m sharing my Diagnosing Adaptive Challenges Mini Workbook with you for free. And, if you’re looking for more details on the ideas in this blog post, listen to episode 137 of the Time for Teachership podcast. If you’re unable to listen or you prefer to read the full episode, you can find the transcript here. Quotes:
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Lindsay and I explore the significant impact of connecting with students on a personal level, engaging in empowering conversations, and making education relevant to their lives. We also delve into the role mindset plays in creating a thriving educational environment. Join us as Lindsay Titus shares tips on how to incorporate this approach in our everyday interactions with young people, and discuss how to empower students (and ourselves) through self-reflection and action.
Lindsay Titus has been in the field of education for 17 years and specializes in the study of behavior analysis. She is passionate about helping educators create a mindset that allows them to live a life of purpose and passion inside and outside of the school setting! In this episode, we talk about getting to be humans first, defining who we are, and the power of asking why…all in service of creating curricula and pedagogy that honors the humanity of students and makes class relevant to who they are right now. The Big Dream To create a thriving educational environment where students are treated as people first, and curriculum and instruction are connected to who students are now, not who we think they should be or will be or could be. Alignment to the 4 Stages: Mindset, Pedagogy, Assessment, and Content Mindset is the foundation for creating a thriving educational environment. Aligning our beliefs with our actions will better support students and foster meaningful connections in the classroom. “We often use the house analogy…I can bring in the greatest windows and doors and paint and things like that. So I can have really good assessments that are actually helping us move the needle forward…I can be teaching content that is relevant to now, but if I don't have the belief or the mindset that this is important…there's a disconnect, and so I truly believe that [mindset] has to be the foundation.” “That's really what I help educators do. It's like here's the situation we have. Let's unpack it and we're going to go deep…to figure out what's the barrier. And then, how do we…create new habits, new standards, new boundaries, new values, so that this now just becomes our new foundation?” Mindset Shifts Required Educators need to understand that they have the power to create change within themselves. Many say “if my leader changes, if my admin changes, if my school policy changes, if I change schools, if something else changes, then I'll change.” That’s what Lindsay Titus calls “the chase.” Chasing a dream or chasing a change isn’t the fix because we keep experiencing the same things. We are never doing anything new. We're building on from experience that we have, and that doesn't mean we have to keep doing what we've always done. Draw Your Ideal Self Triangle Step 1: Draw your ideal self triangle. On a perfect day, how will you show up? At one point of the triangle, write or draw what you look like. At another point, what you sound like. At the final point, what you feel like. Step 2: Then, on a day where you're not finding the joy, refer to this “anchor document.” Notice things like “my ideal self speaks gratitude, not complaints,” and try to find gratitude. Step 3: Repeat this ideal self triangle description/drawing every 4-6 months. Two Steps to Get Started Start with gratitude - Set aside three minutes each day to focus on things you are grateful for. Connect gratitude to something you see all the time, like mirrors. Every time you pass by a mirror, remind yourself of something you are grateful for. Ask: What is one thing I can do today? What is one step, one small, simple step I can take to build that momentum? Stay Connected You can find this week’s guest on her website, DefineYOUniversity.com. She’s also on Facebook and Instagram. To help you define your ideal self, deeply reflect, and practice gratitude, Lindsay is sharing her 7-Day Journal with you for free. And, if you’re looking for more details on the ideas in this blog post, listen to episode 136 of the Time for Teachership podcast. If you’re unable to listen or you prefer to read the full episode, you can find the transcript here. Quotes:
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In this episode, Nadia A. Bennett talks about the pressing need for anti-racist school environments, her dream for curricula that equips students to grapple with social issues head on, and a concrete example of a school in which the leader said racism was too hard to solve. (She insightfully shares how she responded in that last situation.) We go deep into the journey of leading anti-racist work including the challenges along the way and practical strategies for what your anti-racist leadership can look like.
Nadia Bennett is the founder of When Brown Girls Lead™, an education consulting firm that leads the way for schools to become anti-racist learning environments through culturally-relevant leadership development and mentorship. For more than 15 years, Nadia served in education, as teacher, principal and executive director of K-12 schools. In this episode we go deep into the journey towards leading anti-racist work including the challenges along the way and practical strategies for what your anti-racist leadership can look like. The Big Dream Nadia says, "The curriculum that is used in schools would lead students to this truth that the mind is a weapon and reading is one of the best ways to sharpen that weapon." She envisions a curriculum that equips students to grapple head-on with social issues like poverty and racism. Alignment to the 4 Stages: Mindset, Pedagogy, Assessment, and Content Mindset is really important. Nadia says, "We have to embrace unlearning, the lies that we have been told," she emphasizes, adding that anti-racist schools begin with anti-racist adults. “Shift, unlearn, learn the truth, make a decision to move forward in a space of anti-racism, equity, equality,” she says. Mindset Shifts Required Nadia stressed the need for adults to take responsibility for creating anti-racist school environments. "The adults have to do the work because the adults are making the decisions, setting the policies, and creating the systems and structures," Nadia explained. Action Steps In our conversation, Nadia outlined three key steps to confronting racism in schools: Step 1: Look at the data. According to Nadia, the data can reveal disparities in education that often slip beneath the radar. "One of the best things you can do is show them the data.” Step 2: Assess why the disparities exist. "We need to assess why there are so few Black and Brown children in AP and honors," Nadia states, urging educators to take a hard look at the adult actions leading to these student outcomes. Step 3: Adults must take responsibility. Nadia stressed that adults have to have the courage to do this and commit to making changes. Challenges? Nadia described a concrete example of a white administrator saying the racism showing up in his school data was too hard to solve. She explained why this happens, “Let's be honest, it's not going to directly impact him or his children because he identifies as a white male. So he's fine. He can go home at night, he doesn't have to worry about his child being killed, unarmed, just because they're getting gas at a gas station or whatever the scenario is this year. He doesn't have to worry about his child being funneled into the school-to-prison pipeline. He doesn't have to worry about his child being passed along when they should be supported more academically or his child walking into a classroom and people have little expectations for him. That's not his concern. So he gets to lean back.” This is not okay. Nadia says “that's why I often use the word anti-racist…[Kendi says] it's not enough to not be racist, one must be anti-racist. And anti-racism looks like taking actions against racist policies, taking action against racist ideas and expressions, et cetera. So that same man will look at me and say, ‘Well, I don't mistreat black people intentionally, I don't use the N word, I don't do ABC, so that means that I'm not racist.’ No, sir. No sir, that's not enough, and it's really not enough because of the work that you do and what the children you owe these children because you decide to take this job. You wanted to do this work, so you owe them. You give them the education that they deserve.” Later in the episode, Nadia reflects on this moment, sharing, “ I have been learning that this work, even for myself, is to also be done over the long haul. And I have to be patient with individuals that are just starting to engage with the work or have not engaged with the work…Now I can lean back and say ‘You know what? He's just not there. He's just not there yet.’ And what can I do? Maybe through this assistant principal…support him in managing up. So I'm learning to have grace and and in my support of schools and understand that every school leader is in a different place.” One Step to Get Started To start making a difference, Nadia believes that educators should first commit to understanding the problem. "If you are educating children, you have to understand that everybody comes into a space with their own biases and it is your responsibility to not have those biases play out when you're working with young people who are put in front of you to be educated," she said. Stay Connected You can find Nadia on her website, LinkedIn, and Instagram. To help you implement some of the ideas Nadia shared, I’m sharing my Root Cause Analysis Worksheet (which now includes my Data Analysis Worksheet too) with you for free. And, if you’re looking for more details on the ideas in this blog post, listen to episode 135 of the Time for Teachership podcast. If you’re unable to listen or you prefer to read the full episode, you can find the transcript here. Quotes:
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In this episode, Jeanette Shorey and I co-create a unit using my unit planning process. This one’s for music teachers (or any teacher wanting to incorporate music into their classroom), and would be great for the beginning of the year as the class culture is being developed.
Jeanette Shorey is National Board Certified music teacher with over 2 decades of experience teaching general music, choir, Orff ensembles, and group guitar. Jeanette is an Arts Integration Specialist, an instructional coach, a National presenter and a mentor. In this episode, we apply a step-by-step unit planning protocol to dream up a new unit where students co-create a supportive class culture and express the pursuits of identity, criticality, and joy through music! Unit Planning Step 1: Context/Spark We’re creating the first unit of the year where we develop class culture and explore, celebrate, and normalize different genres of music. The unit will take about 8 weeks, seeing students once a week for about 30-45 minutes per class. Unit Planning Step 2: Pursuits (from Dr. Muhammad’s HILL Model) Identity: How will our unit help students to learn something about themselves and/or about others? Students will see themselves as a whole person, with all of their identities affirmed. They’ll also see themselves as a person who contributes to and works positively with the class as a whole. Importantly, Jeanette wants students to feel confident in their identities as creators. This includes students feeling comfortable sharing ideas with the confidence no one will laugh at them. Criticality: How will our unit engage students’ thinking about power and equity and the disruption of oppression? Each class has a different personality and a different way of working together in addition to classes spanning multiple grades, which means addressing power, equity, and how to disrupt oppression may require different approaches unique to each group. Joy*: How will my unit enable, amplify, and spread joy? *Joy is: beauty, aesthetics, truth, ease, wonder, wellness, solutions to the problems of the world, personal fulfillment, art, music Jeanette’s goal is that students always find joy in Music class. She wants them to say, “That was my most fun class all week!” The goal is for students to cultivate a love of music, and for music class to not feel like a struggle for students. Unit Planning Step 3: Project Question What would it look like if we created music that shows how fabulous we are? Unit Planning Step 4: Summative Project (Publishing Opportunity and Possible Formats) Student music can be published as YouTube videos on the school’s private YouTube channel. The music would likely be played on non-pitched percussion instruments. (Jeanette likes ukuleles!) Unit Planning Step 5: Unit Arc Hook (2 lessons) Story book lesson: All Are Welcome Here by Alexandra Penfold. Story book lesson: Your Name is a Song by Jamila Tompkins Bigalow. In this second lesson, students can do a Circle activity with the following rounds:
Build the Base (approximately 1 lesson) Teach 4-measure rhythm. (The goal is for students to be able to create a 4-measure rhythm for any concept with lyrics and play it on any one of 4 instruments.) Case Studies Create a 4-measure rhythm on: First Case Study Lesson:
Second Case Study Lesson:
Third Case Study Lesson:
Project Work Time/ Peer Feedback (2 lessons) Students rehearse and record YouTube videos. Stay Connected You can find Jeanette on her website and on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube @thehappymusicteacher. You can email her at jeanette@storiesthatsing.net. Her awesome podcast is The Happy Music Teacher. Books Mentioned: To help you be a happy music teacher or incorporate music in your class, Jeanette is sharing her Lesson Plan Sampler (includes a lesson plan for All are Welcome along with another storybook lesson and a fun outdoor music activity) with you for free. And, if you’re looking for more details on the ideas in this blog post, listen to episode 134 of the Time for Teachership podcast. If you’re unable to listen or you prefer to read the full episode, you can find the transcript here. Quotes:
If you enjoyed this episode, check out my YouTube channel where I compare continuum of skills to mastery based rubric:
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AuthorLindsay Lyons (she/her) is an educational justice coach who works with teachers and school leaders to inspire educational innovation for racial and gender justice, design curricula grounded in student voice, and build capacity for shared leadership. Lindsay taught in NYC public schools, holds a PhD in Leadership and Change, and is the founder of the educational blog and podcast, Time for Teachership. Archives
October 2023
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