Choice Lit Topic: Equity
Results
Rethinking Resources: Pausing to Reflect on Old Favorites
It was World Read Aloud Day—one of my favorite days of the year—in my fourth-grade classroom several years ago. We spend the day sharing favorite read alouds from visitors, staff...
Shining the Light on Truthful Histories
At the 2024 NCTE convention, I was surrounded by professionals who valued that year's theme: Heart, Hope, and Humanity. During one of the keynote addresses, I was struck by these...
I Was Wrong About…
When I’m planning an argumentative writing assignment, I like to look for articles to show students how arguments look “in the wild,” or, in other words, how real writers construct...
Eight Tips to Make Virtual Learning Equitable and Accessible for All Students
“Hello, Michael,” I said, as one of my first-grade intervention students appeared in his Zoom box. He wore zip-up Batman PJs, and held a blue Sharpie in his hand. “I’m...
Examining Power Dynamics
Now more than ever it is important for teachers to include anti-bias education in our curriculum. Learning for Justice has created a set of Social Justice Standards as a guide...
Morning Message 4: Application and Differentiation
The scene playing out around the morning message as students trickle in is a familiar one. “Try it, Kento! See this? Say /g/, /l/… like that. You try it.” Naomi...
Using Drama Games to Approach Difficult Conversations
Let’s be frank: Talking about race and racism in the classroom can be scary. As a white teacher, I have at times felt that I wasn’t qualified enough to teach...
Kintsugi
On the first day of a summer graduate class on equity and engagement, the professor handed each of us a beautiful china bowl. Then she shocked us all by telling...
Holding Space for Counter-Narratives That Honor Communities
Rudine Sims Bishop changed our views of children’s literature when she explained that books can be mirrors of our own lives, windows into somebody else’s life, and sliding glass doors...
Considering Positionality and Developing New Sight Lines
Your identity, your thoughts, and your experiences influence the way that you relate to a text. This is your positionality as a reader, and it’s important to consider your positionality...
The Language Spoken at Home Is Always a Gift
A statement that I make often and loudly is that I welcome questions. One of my goals is for the teachers I work with to feel comfortable asking questions. I...
Slow Down to Meet the Needs of All Learners
I've been reading Street Data by Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan, as well as listening to the accompanying podcast. This book and podcast are about gathering and using the kind...
Understanding the Beautiful World of Being Multilingual Through the Lens of Brilliance and Complexity
I often get questions about teaching multilingual students, and the experience can feel like the person is asking for a checklist. Let me explain. When I lead professional development, whether...
Holidays: Where Do They Fit in the Classroom?
“I’ve never had someone acknowledge and recognize the Moon Festival," a parent said to me at parent pickup during one of the first weeks of school. "I didn’t know that...
Making Queer Inclusivity Less Complicated
A couple of summers ago, I had a lovely surprise. One of my former high school students, Brendan, reached out to me through social media to tell me that he...
The Tale of Two Boys
Ryan, a little red-haired boy with a shocking resemblance to Dennis the Menace, bounced around the classroom. He skipped to the cubbies and grabbed a handful of markers, then dropped...
Quick Take: Listen to Create a Sense of Belonging
Stella Villalba encourages all educators to listen to students to understand how to create a culture of belonging.
Using The Proudest Blue in the Classroom
We loved using picture books in our fourth-grade classroom. We’d use them for everything: read alouds; reading and writing minilessons; writing mentor texts; small-group shared texts; vocabulary; and to promote...
Branching Out: Allowing New Influences on Our Pedagogy
Although educational theorists such as Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky laid the groundwork for what we know about teaching and learning, it's important to also acknowledge their positionality as white men...
Reflecting on My Roots
As part of a graduate program, I am enrolled in a course that focuses on educational theory. As I looked at the readings for the first weeks, I saw many...
What Do You Meme: Logical Fallacies
These days, you would be hard pressed to find a person who doesn’t love a good meme. They seem to be everywhere, and you know they have infiltrated the culture...
