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Addressing Microaggressions in the Classroom

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Addressing Microaggressions in the Classroom

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Addressing microaggressions in the classroom - Teaching@UW

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The term microaggressions refers to everyday comments and/or actions that express a prejudiced attitude or bias toward a member of a marginalized group. Microaggressions can target any aspect of a person’s identity, including their race, ethnicity, gender expression or identity, sexuality, nationali…

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What Differentiated Instruction Really Means

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What Differentiated Instruction Really Means

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When I wrote my article "Why We Need Differentiation Now More Than Ever" for an ASCD newsletter in May of last year (Westman, 2020), remote learning was new. It was just weeks after the initial school closures due to COVID-19, and everyone's emotions were raw. As our school systems (and many of us) were in survival mode, remote learning had become our lifeline, but certainly not our lifestyle. At the time, one question I kept getting asked was, "How do I differentiate for students virtually?" My advice at that time was for teachers in all grade levels and content areas to make their essential question to students, "How do you feel?" and use their responses as a form of formative assessment for figuring out what they needed most.

Now, with a year under our belts of some combination of remote, hybrid, or in-person learning with social distancing restrictions-and (hopefully) a bit of time this summer to relax and restore-we are ready to take on the 2021-2022 school year. This time the question on everyone's mind is, "What will our students need?" And, once again, the idea of differentiation is taking center stage.

Many are looking to differentiating instruction as a means to undo "learning loss." In fact, a Google search of the terms "learning loss and differentiation" returns over 55 million results. Schools are grateful for additional funds to address learning loss, quickly amp up professional learning, focus on assessing where students are, and firm up differentiation practices and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). But differentiating is not a new approach or program-in fact, MTSS and differentiation are hot topics almost every school year, whether we're in a pandemic or not. Veteran educators have likely heard about this approach many times in their careers, though they might still be confused as to how to do it, and novice teachers have likely read about it in their studies but not had any practical experience implementing the approach successfully.

As a consultant who works with school systems internationally on differentiation, I frequently hear comments like, "Oh, we tried differentiation a few years ago. It didn't work." Or "I used to differentiate for my students, but I just don't have time for that now."

Sadly, this is the case for many educators. And even more disheartening is that fact that we often throw in the towel because we hold a flawed view of what differentiation is and what it is not. We assume that differentiation must have this or must have that, when really differentiation only needs to include one thing: a clear focus on students' academic and social-emotional needs. When we are responsive to our students' needs, any action we take to meet those needs is differentiation.

The tricky piece here is adequately answering the question, "What do our students really need?" Surely, each student will need different things. And teachers need effective and sustainable strategies to meet these needs. So, where do we start?

1. Focus on growth instead of loss

Educators have been anticipating "learning loss" for the past 18 months. But focusing on "loss" assumes something was "had" in the first place. If students "lost" their learning, did they ever really have it? Instead of focusing on "loss," let's focus on determining whether or not students have met learning targets. The way we do this is through instructional clarity: having clear goalposts of what learning looks like and centering your planning process around success criteria and formative assessment. Ensure that for every lesson and unit of study:

The focus standard is clearly identified.

Learning intentions are clearly defined (these are the discrete skills and/or concepts derived from the standard).

The success criteria are clearly identified (these are the indicators that the student has mastered the learning intention. Collectively they indicate proficiency in the learning intention).

For the success criterion, there are formative assessments. Evidence from these formative assessments is then regularly used to inform instruction. And with that data we. . . .

2. Offer empathy, not interventions

In the June 2021 issue of Psychology Today, the table of contents includes a teaser for the feature article in the "Treatment" section of the magazine. It says, "[pg.] 34-Addiction: Interventions Don't Work. This might." When you turn to page 34, you find an article by Peg O'Connor (2021) titled "Empathy over Ambush."

While this article is about interventions for people struggling with an addiction and not struggling learners, the same premise holds for our schools.

The antithesis of empathizing with students is shaming them (inadvertently or not). When students feel shame, it renders them incapable of learning and may likely lead to other adverse behaviors. When we pull students from their classes (whether for remediation or extension), we run the high risk of inducing shame in them.

Instead, we can structure our lessons to provide additional instruction and practice to students at their readiness level while simultaneously exposing them to grade-level content and skills if we. . . .

3. Plan instruction that is equitable, not equal

While in college, I worked at a day camp. At the time, I had never heard of the term "differentiation," but what I learned from how the camp ran their swimming program taught me so much about two differentiation mainstays: flexible grouping and student choice and voice. The camp had nine "swim levels," each with very clear criteria. Once a student could meet the criteria, they switched groups to the next level.

However, in the first 15 minutes of swim time, all students were introduced to the day's skill, for example, treading water. Even the students who had not yet demonstrated proficiency to go into the deep end were still exposed to the new skill and then given scaffolds (water wings or floaties) or the option to work on a deep-end skill in the shallow water for this "whole group" part of the lesson. Then, during small-group instruction time, the swimmers were given additional direct instruction and practice of the prerequisite skills they needed.

Pulling a small group to reteach prerequisite skills is an example of a "tier-two" intervention during tier-one instruction time. It allows all students to be exposed to "where they are going" and hone the skills they need to get there with targeted instruction.

This model works in the classroom, too. Pulling a small group to work on phonics skills necessary to decode text while other groups dive into comprehension questions for a text would be one example. How can students comprehend text if they can't decode? During the whole-group portion of this lesson, the "floaties" might be listening to an audio recording of the text or reading a smaller passage of text to demonstrate a specific comprehension skill.

This leads me to another common misconception about differentiation. Often times, educators believe that you cannot have whole-group direct instruction as part of differentiation. You surely can-the differentiation can and should be embedded in this context. In addition, educators often believe they need to see all small groups of students every day for the same number of minutes. This is equality. Equity is when you see students in small groups based on needs (academic and social-emotional), so that students with the greatest needs are seen more frequently and/or for a greater number of minutes than students who have less needs. All students receive the amount of small-group instruction appropriate for them, with zero minutes being suitable for no one.

4. Assume positive intent

As educators, we are obliged to be responsive to the children and young adults in front of us. We have a choice to respond to students in punitive and judgmental ways or in compassionate ways that give them the benefit of the doubt.

Take cheating, for instance. Cheating was a hot topic of conversation during remote learning since teachers had less oversight and control over how students were completing work. Even strategies that allowed teachers greater oversight were doubted in the face of the freedom students had during remote learning.

For example, a teacher I worked with last year used Google Slides in a super creative way to mimic, in a virtual way, walking around the classroom and looking at your students' work (you can see every student in real time when you view Slides in "grid" view). I loved this teacher's idea so much that I shared it with another team of teachers. This team, however, was concerned that since the students could see each other's answers, they would "cheat."

I said, "Well, the great thing about this format is you can see if any of your students are looking at slides other than their own. If you see a student on another student's slide, what would you do?"

One teacher said, "I would give them a zero."

I countered: "What if you assume positive intent?" I went on to ask that teacher to assume the student isn't looking at another student's work to "cheat," but instead because he or she is confused. Instead of failing the student, make a note of students who look at other students' slides and use that as one piece of formative assessment evidence that those students may require additional instruction. Then pull those students as a small group and check their understanding. This mindset is critical to differentiated instruction and will be particularly helpful as students return to schools this year.

The same premise applies to our personal professional practice. There will be some strategies that we try that will work. There will be others that are lackluster. This is simply formative assessment evidence for us to reflect on and hone our practices. If you find yourself saying things like, "I tried it, it didn't work," think about extending empathy and assuming positive intent for yourself as well as your students. In the words of meditation teacher and author Jack Kornfield, "If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete" (Kornfield, 2018, p. 28.) When it comes to differentiation (and all instruction), please be compassionate to yourself, your students, and each other. Remember that both you and your students can always take something you learned today and refine it tomorrow-it's a marathon, not a sprint.

As we adjust to teaching and learning in this post-pandemic world, a genuine understanding of what differentiation is (anything we do to meet the needs of our students so they continue to learn and grow academically and socially) will certainly redirect our focus from fear of the loss to celebration of the gains.

Reflect & Discuss

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What Differentiated Instruction Really Means - ASCD

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When I wrote my article "Why We Need Differentiation Now More Than Ever" for an ASCD newsletter in May of last year (Westman, 2020), remote learning was new. It was just weeks after the initial school closures due to COVID-19, and everyone's emotions were raw.

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Best 10 Free Online Tools for Teaching https://corp.kaltura.com/blog/online-tools-for-teaching/ Please check out #2, #3, and #9! 

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Best 10 Free Online Tools for Teaching https://corp.kaltura.com/blog/online-tools-for-teaching/ Please check out #2, #3, and #9! 

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Collaborative Planning: Never Having to Go It Alone (10 minute read)

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Collaborative Planning: Never Having to Go It Alone (10 minute read)

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Collaborative Planning: Never Having to Go It Alone

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This experience gave me the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues I don’t usually get the opportunity to work with, and we were able to support and help each other to get through the first couple of weeks while we were still getting used to the online learning platforms.Anonymous survey respons…

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Using Success Criteria to Support Motivation in Your Students

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Using Success Criteria to Support Motivation in Your Students

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Think about a time when you were learning something. Did you know where you were going in the learning progression? Did you understand the outcome?

Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, Olivia Amador, and Joseph Assof (2018), authors ofThe Teacher Clarity Playbook, compare learning and outcomes to a pilot flying a plane.

"Imagine getting into an airplane that was being flown by a pilot who didn't know where he or she was headed. Rather, a control tower would contact her at some unspecified time in the future to let her know she had arrived, or worse, that she missed the mark entirely. That is a completely irrational way to fly a plane" (p. 20).

Students are flying their own "learning plane." If we know they know where they are headed, learning would be much more successful and efficient. If students know the outcome of the learning, know what the goals of the learning are, and are able to communicate how they'll get there, then they have taken ownership of their learning. But the question is, how do we as teachers help our students get there? (p. 20)

One way is through implementing Success Criteria.

What is success criteria?

To start, we need to think about teacher clarity. A major part of teacher clarity is understanding what students need to learn and identifying how they'll know that they learned it (p. xv). To do this we need to analyze standards, plan meaningful instruction and assessments with impact, and clarify expectations (p.xv). Success criteria helps students know what success looks like. When students know this, they are more likely to plan and predict, set goals, and acquire a stronger sense of how to judge their own progress (p.xvi).

Success criteria really provides students with an opportunity to assess their own learning. Think of it as an assessment aslearning. Assessment aslearning occurs when students personally monitor what they're learning and use the feedback from this monitoring to make adjustments, adaptations, and even major changes in what they understand. Fisher et. al explain that "success criteria let students in on the secret that has been too often kept from them - what the destination looks like" (p. 20). Part of success criteria are the learning intentions (or objectives) that are communicated to students, which is an end result of careful planning. The success criteria provide a mean for students and teachers to gauge progress toward learning. Success criteria makes learning visible to the teacher and the student(p.20).
VIDEO: Targeting Learning with Success Criteria
Why is success criteria effective?

Success criteria have been shown to increase students' internal motivation. It provides students with clear, specific, and attainable goals that can spark motivation. Even in some of the most reluctant learners (p.20). The more explicitly and precisely they can see the goal, the more motivated they will likely be to meet that goal. The authors of the The Teacher Clarity Playbook explain that, "internal motivation to succeed is one of the most important things your students can learn" (p. 20).

What are examples of success criteria?

Success criteria is NOT "do your best" or "try hard" and they are NOT tasks to be completed, like "finish the art project" or "finish the writing assignment."

Success criteria does include "I can" statements that focus on future success levels.

Ex. I can use correct grammar so my reader can read my writing.

Success criteria can be statements of what has been learned.

Ex. My response explains the main idea and has evidence from the text that supports the main idea.

There can be multiple success criteria per learning intention.

Ex. Learning Intention: I am learning how to compare fractions.

Success criteria:

I can identify the numerator and denominator.

I can draw a model to represent fractions.

I can use inequality symbols to compare fractions.

Success criteria can also include rubrics or teacher/student co-constructed rubrics. The rubrics need to be written with descriptive and strong language so students can monitor their own learning.

There are multiple ways to create and implement success criteria. How might you use them in your classroom?
This article was originally published on March 5th, 2019.

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Using Success Criteria to Spark Motivation in Your Students

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Think about a time when you were learning something. Did you know where you were going in the learning progression? Did you understand the outcome? Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, Olivia Amador, and Joseph Assof (2018), authors ofThe Teacher Clarity Playbook , compare learning and outcomes to a pilot flying a plane.

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Five Monitoring Techniques that Deepen Student Learning (5 minute read)

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Five Monitoring Techniques that Deepen Student Learning (5 minute read)

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For years, we've had a serious problem in education. The heavy emphasis on high-stakes testing has prevented teachers from getting timely, actionable evidence of student learning. Ultimately, when a test score, issued after a student is no longer in a given classroom, indicates that the student did not meet the expectations of the standards, it's too late for the classroom teacher to provide any additional support or do anything about it.

Fortunately, the tide is changing. Schools are focusing on short-cycle formative assessment to monitor student progress throughout the course of each and every lesson. This way, teachers can stay informed about who's learning and who may need additional help before the end of the lesson-and before the first quiz or test.

Dr. Dylan Wiliam has said, "Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students' achievement of intended outcomes."

Student monitoring also helps to clear up misconceptions, so learners don't go home and rehearse errors in their homework. The closer to instruction the feedback and adjustments occur, the more likely students will reach the intended goals of the lesson. Over the year, this brings about student mastery of the standards.

This impactful teacher practice helps teachers know how their students are progressing on a daily basis, allowing opportunities to provide extra support if needed. The possibilities for implementation are endless, but here are five monitoring techniques that teachers are using to deepen student learning:
1) Entrance and Exit Tickets
As students arrive and/or leave the classroom, require them to demonstrate mastery of key parts of the content. For example, a math teacher's entrance or exit ticket could consist of three problems of varying complexity, giving the teacher a clear picture of each student's level of understanding, as well as where his or her understanding may have been altered.
2) Student Reflection
Have students communicate what they know, what has helped them learn, and what they're still unclear about. This gives educators clear insight so they can make adjustments and plan the next steps in their teaching. It also gives them opportunities to help students revise their knowledge and clear areas of confusion. Best of all, they now know what part of their instruction was most helpful to students.
3) Revising Knowledge
To deepen their knowledge, students must be able to identify what they know about the critical content and recognize how their understanding has evolved. A myriad of activities can be done in small groups to get students discussing their own learning processes and solidifying the revised knowledge in their minds.
4) Accountable Answers
Effective student monitoring provides more than a snapshot of how the majority of the class seems to be doing. When teachers require all students to respond to a question, they can effectively gauge each learner's understanding. They can quickly display responses on whiteboards or vote anonymously. You may even have them walk to the corner of the room that corresponds with their responses, essentially "voting with their feet."
5) Summarizing
Another good way to help students grasp their learning targets is by having them summarize what they've learned. This immediately shows teachers which students need an adjustment in instruction. It can be as simple as asking students to summarize in quick phrases or a teacher might spontaneously have them provide descriptors for a particular character, person, or concept from the lesson.

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5 Monitoring Techniques That Deepen Student Learning | Learning Sciences International

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By Carla Moore For years, we've had a serious problem in education. The heavy emphasis on high-stakes testing has prevented teachers from getting timely, actionable evidence of student learning. Ultimately, when a test score, issued after a student is no

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Discovering a Disturbing Bias in Kids' Books - Edutopia (1 minute and 49 seconds long)

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Discovering a Disturbing Bias in Kids' Books - Edutopia (1 minute and 49 seconds long)

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Discovering a Disturbing Bias in Kids’ Books

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Why Virtual Student Engagement Isn't Impossible (5-7 minute read with strategies you can use immediately!)

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Why Virtual Student Engagement Isn't Impossible (5-7 minute read with strategies you can use immediately!)

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The challenges teachers are facing this school year are incalculable. Constant schedule changes. Social distancing regulations. Another virtual platform to learn. It can all feel so overwhelming.

But there is one frustration that sticks out the most. One that makes us question our belief in our teaching abilities. One that makes us feel as if we are no longer making an impact: Not knowing how to engage our students anymore.

In the shift to virtual learning, many of the strategies that we had previously used to draw our students' attention and to keep them in awe have fallen by the wayside.

I've found it helpful to take a step back and remember what we already know about engaging learners. There are three types of student engagement: emotional, behavioral, and cognitive (Fredericks, Blumenfeld, &amp; Paris, 2016). When students are engaged in all three components, they can learn at their highest capability. Through examining each of these components in action within my virtual classroom, I developed the Virtual Engagement Framework.

Emotional Engagement

Students are emotionally engaged in the learning process when they hold a set of attitudes and values that are beneficial to their growth. They feel a sense of belonging among their peers and throughout the school. Teachers are able to bolster student emotional engagement in our virtual classrooms through establishing strong learning communities where every student feels valued, developing strong relationships with each individual student, and perpetuating a growth mindset among students.

Learning Community

Although building a strong learning community in a virtual platform can seem significantly tougher than when students are not physically in the classroom, there are some strategies that we can utilize to strengthen our students' sense of value and acceptance. By consistently putting our students' social-emotional well-being at the forefront and building a sense of unity in our virtual classrooms, our students will be able to thrive.

Strong Relationships

We may not be able to interact with our students in the same ways as before, but we know that building a strong, supportive relationship with every one of them is the foundation to their success. There are many ways that we can virtually dive into our students' interests, strengths, struggles, and passions. Through digital discussions, shared documents, and online activities, we can continue to show our students that we truly believe in their capabilities and that they can always come to us for support.

Write down and incorporate student interests and strengths into class activities. One fantastic way to allow students to build upon their passions is through Genius Hour Projects. A.J. Juliani developed a Genius Hour Blueprint for educators to utilize these projects to promote inquiry and research, student choice, and autonomy.

Growth Mindset

From unfamiliar digital platforms to balancing their own schedules, students are facing new challenges. For many students, these pressures can seem overwhelming and may push them to the point of wanting to give up. However, by incorporating strategies and opportunities for students to develop a growth mindset, teachers can help students to embrace the challenges that are thrown their way and to persist in the face of setbacks.

Instruction of growth mindset elements. In Mindset, Carol S. Dweck outlines five key elements of developing a growth mindset: embracing challenges, persisting in the face of setbacks, seeing effort as a path to mastery, learning from criticism, and finding inspiration in the success of others. In my class, we have class discussions surrounding a chosen "quote of the week" that ties to developing a growth mindset.

Behavioral Engagement

Behavioral engagement refers to our students' participation and efforts in completing class tasks and assignments. To increase student involvement and attentiveness, there are a few strategies that we can implement in our virtual classrooms, such as collaboratively developing virtual class norms, utilizing restorative practices over digital platforms, and using technology to better communicate with our students' other supporters.

Class Norms

Many aspects of virtual learning are brand new to our students (and to us!). As with any activity, it is important for us to teach our students what is appropriate and what is not acceptable. Students are more likely to take ownership of their actions and to meet expectations when they are involved in the process of developing class norms. By implementing student-created norms, posting them in the virtual classroom, and consistently reviewing their importance, teachers create greater routine and consistency, leading to increased engagement.

Restorative Practices

Restorative practices, which shift away from using rewards and punishments to using an approach that gets to the root cause of the issue and builds on human connection, can play an integral role in promoting positive behavior in our virtual classrooms. When we take the time to strengthen our classroom culture through deep class discussions, our students can identify with other viewpoints and think critically about their own thoughts and actions. When our students make mistakes, we can meet with them one on one or in small groups through a virtual platform to strengthen relationships, to help them take responsibility for their actions, and to devise a plan of action to repair the harm.

Use virtual resources to teach mindfulness, self-awareness, and self-regulation. Virtual mindfulness videos, digital gratitude activities, online coloring pages, and personal reflections are excellent resources that can be used to build student social-emotional skills. We have a district resource site that includes mindfulness videos and activities.

Meet with students in a one-on-one meeting to discuss behavior issues. In Hacking School Discipline, the authors outline five restorative steps to take when working with a student: Initiate, Empathize, Analyze, Execute, and Reflect (Maynard &amp; Weinstein, 2019). By utilizing this blueprint, we can allow our students to learn and grow from their mistakes.

Collaborate with Other Supporters

Collaboration with parents and other student supporters is an essential component of student success. In the shift to virtual learning environments, many public school districts have reported that an average of 22 percent of students were missing class each day (Sawchuck &amp; Samuels, 2021). It is imperative that we try to work with all of our students' supporters to get them the help they need.

Maximize family connection through technology. Sending digital parent tips, classroom news, shoutouts, and Snapshots of the Week are excellent examples of how some teachers are reaching out to their students' families during this time. One resource that many parents loved was a Google Guidebook for Families and Students.

Cognitive Engagement

Helping students actively connect to the material they are learning requires three components: authentic learning experiences, higher-order questioning, and teachable learning strategies.

Authentic Experiences

By making purposeful decisions about how to utilize technology in our classrooms, students can see the value and make connections with the content that they are learning. They have access to endless information at the touch of a button. We can use these resources to spark their interest and boost motivation.

Utilize virtual resources to build a more relevant learning experience. Incorporating virtual field trips, social media, video clips, and gamified learning into classroom activities, students are more motivated to actively participate. BreakoutEDU allows educators to incorporate digital escape rooms with simulated application of the content.

Higher-Order Questioning

In a virtual classroom, we need to continue to move students from a place of simply regurgitating key information to a level of higher-order thinking. Teachers can deliberately plan higher-order questions using question starters and incorporate project-based learning, passion projects, and collaborative documents.

Use Bloom's Taxonomy to plan higher-order activities prior to the lesson, which outlines six levels of student learning: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create (Anderson and Krathwohl, 2001). The Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Pyramid provides ideas for using online tools.

Learning Strategies

Through a virtual learning model, many students are taking on a larger responsibility in their own learning than ever before. By taking the time to show the students the neuroscience behind their learning and demonstrating the use of specific learning strategies, such as rehearsing, persistence, and connecting to prior knowledge, we give them a jumpstart in taking ownership.

Regardless of the challenges that we are face, we can still focus on employing strategies that will allow us to engage our students on emotional, behavioral, and cognitive levels.

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Why Virtual Student Engagement Isn't Impossible - ASCD

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The challenges teachers are facing this school year are incalculable. Constant schedule changes. Social distancing regulations. Another virtual platform to learn. It can all feel so overwhelming. But there is one frustration that sticks out the most. One that makes us question our belief in our teac

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Beyond the Letters, Season 2, Episode 4   -Heinemann Blog (5-7 minute read)

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Beyond the Letters, Season 2, Episode 4   -Heinemann Blog (5-7 minute read)

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Beyond the Letters is a podcast featuring LGBTQ+ educators, their stories, strategies and practical advice for creating safe and inclusive educational spaces for queer youth and educators, alike. Hosted by Kate Roberts and Maggie Beattie Roberts, each week features a new guest as they talk all things LGBTQ+ and education.

Kate and Maggie are joined by LaMar Timmons-Long in today's episode as they talk about being vulnerable, the intersections of race and queerness, and building brave spaces in our classrooms.

Make sure to subscribe to Beyond the Letters wherever you listen to podcasts!
B elow is a transcript of this episode.
Maggie: Welcome to Beyond the Letters. I'm Maggie Beattie Roberts.

Kate: And I'm Kate Roberts.

Maggie: I'm very excited to introduce our guests today. LaMar Timmons-Long is an English teacher in New York City. Born and raised in Brooklyn. He is also faculty at Pace University and a member of the NCTE LGBTQ+ advisory committee, and the educator collaborative. You can find his writing on the NCTE blog, featured May of this year, 2019. The Time is Now; affirms black queer youth. LaMar has been one of the most joyful additions to my year, and I am so excited to share his voice and presence with all of you today. Welcome LaMar.

LaMar: Thank you for having me.

Maggie: You're welcome. There's so many places we could start. So I think I'll just start, if you think about your life as a queer person, as a queer educator, as a queer youth, do you have a critical moment or a turning point for you that kind of set you on your path that you're currently in?

LaMar: That is a really, really good question. I think that there's not been one moment, but there may have been multiple moments that if I wanted to, I can put them all into one. I think the first moment was really coming to terms with my identity and recognizing that I am a black queer male, and that is in itself a journey. And so when I really was able to sit down and really look in the mirror and say, "This is who I am." That was like, "Okay, this is it." And so then kind of figuring out how to operate in the world as this black queer male and being a teacher. I've never really hid myself from my students. I have never told my students like, "No, this is not who I am," if they asked. I would say, "Yes, I'm queer."

They are very open to the idea of having a black queer teacher, because I think our experiences are very similar in how we grew up because I do teach in an urban environment and I do teach students that look like myself and come from neighborhoods where I grew up. And so I think that that is also a barrier. That was also a crucial moment when I was able to say, "Wait, you guys accept me. Wow." Okay. So that was another moment that was kind of big for me.

And then this year meeting one of the most amazing, talented, super awesome authors, meeting Michael Arceneaux and Darnell Moore this year was probably the moment that made my entire body explode, both internally and externally. And so meeting them was another moment for me to say, "Okay, you can operate in this world in you're a black queerness, and you are seen and heard, and there are other men out there that identify just like you, and that understand what you have to internally deal with, and externally deal with." So those would be the three moments in my life that I could think of right now that really were big for me.

Kate: It's lovely. Because all three of them are so beautifully about acceptance and being accepted and seeing yourself. There's the seeing yourself in the mirror, then there's the seeing yourself in the acceptance of your students and getting that affirmation. And then there's the acceptance of seeing a mentor or a hero or something, something of like, "I can be that someday.' The acceptance of the future you that's out there now. That's really beautiful.

LaMar: Yeah. It's empowering, for sure. It's very empowering

Maggie: And like a precise reflection. This idea of, I see not just one side of myself reflected in this person that I admire, but I see many sides of myself that are all intersecting the same way with another person. And just how validating and empowering that is to be able to bond with people that you have nothing in common with, to bond with people that you have some sides in common with, but also to have a bond with someone that you just have a lot in common with in terms of the different ways that you identify.

LaMar: Yes, absolutely. I think that that's ... The Antiracist Book Festival, that session, queering education featuring Darnell Moore and Michael Arceneaux are literally, my mind exploded.

Kate: What was it about the session? So there's the representation, right? If you see it and you're like, "Okay, I can be like that too." But was there other stuff about that session that you found so powerful?

LaMar: Oh man. I mean, looking at them, it was great to have that mirror, but then to also have language, right. I remember clearly hearing Darnell say, and I am going to paraphrase a little bit because it was a little while ago, but queerness and blackness are somewhat in the same. Where we're both kind of fighting against the norm. And we are part of groups that are oppressed. And so we're fighting for an equitable seat at the table.

And when he said that, I was like, "Oh, I've never looked at it like that." And I think that if more people did look at it from that lens and that perspective, then you would understand why people within the queer community that identify as within one of the groups for the IBPOC, right. Why we have to have multiple perspectives, and why we think the way we may think, or why I think the way I think. Or how I view the world, how I operate in the world, because I can only speak my truth.

And so that, that was one of the most powerful things that he said. And then having Michael sit there to really interject and give multiple counts of experiences that I was able to not only identify with, I was also able to say, "Some of my kids are identifying with this as well." So there's a bigger picture here, right? That session was the first session of the day, and that any other session I went to, I was ... It was great. They were phenomenal, but that one was so profound for me.

And then meeting the two of them after. And I had the books, the books were in my home, but I didn't have them with me. And so I decided I'm going to re-buy them and I'm going to go get them signed by them. And having these, because they are accessible, having these conversations with these other black queer males that felt like a home. It felt like home. And so that was, even now, I still get goosebumps when I just think about that experience. And that may not mean anything to anyone else, but for me, that was big.

Kate: ... speaks. We think about the importance of having ... I don't know what word you would use to identify them for you, but it strikes me as like heroes, or mentors, or models, or things we aspire to be, but also are like us. I remember aspiring to be Luke Skywalker, but he's a white straight dude. You know what I mean? So I can't be him. And it wasn't until ... And I didn't have many models of gender queer women to aspire to. And when I finally did meet some people that I was like, "Oh, not only can you be gay, have short hair, or be masculine, but you also can be outrageously smart and successful and amazing and accepted and not in a corner somewhere, but like on the stage. That's so powerful. And it strikes me that you are probably that for your kids too. You probably won't admit that, right? But just by your presence, that is the legacy, right? Of being able to like, "I see who I want to be, and then, therefore I can start to be that for somebody else."

LaMar: I would hope that. I would hope that when they see me that they see that identity is versatile, identity is multifaceted, identity it's like an entire bowl of gumbo, right? There's so many pieces to the gumbo to make it so rich, and so fulfilling. So I would hope that when they see me in my life, and when I share my experiences with them, that they see that I can do anything, that I can be anyone. That there was nothing that I can not achieve regardless of who I am, or what I identify as.

Identity is just a factor of me. I think that the world tries to make it feel like all you are is your identity. It's like, "No. I'm sorry, but there are so many other things to me that I identify. So many other groups I'm a part of as well, but you want to highlight or heighten this only aspect of me." Where I'm just like if we just did a whole identity wheel, and really broke down who we are... Not in percentages, but just to look at who you are, you will see that's a piece of me. But an important piece. Right?

Kate: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

LaMar: A piece that I have to consistently fight for.

Maggie: Your piece that debuted on the NCTE blog May of this year, The Time is Now: Affirming Black Queer Youth, made a huge splash online and offline. I didn't know if you could give us a little preview, or window into some of those thoughts that resonated with so many in terms of affirming Black queer youth.

LaMar: I definitely have to thank Cody Miller for that Cody Miller... Hi Cody. He pushed me for this. I really didn't want to do it. I have to be honest, I really was like, "No, I'm I know I'm a member of the committee, but no I don't have to write." He was like, "No, you're going to write." I was like, "Okay." So he had given me a plethora of ideas. Sometimes I can not ideate. Right? It's so interesting, I did some foresight training when I was in graduate school. There are four pieces of foresight where either you're a classifier, implementer, developer, or an ideator. I'm very low and ideation, but I'm very high in clarification, and development. Then I'm an implementer. So ideation's like really at the bottom.

Maggie: Yeah.

LaMar: So I can't think of ideas, but if you give me an idea I can take it and run with it. So he had given me a plethora of things, and the one that I knew that I could come from both a personal and professional place was this piece here. So just talking about that experience of being in that session with those two amazing Black man, Black queer men at that, the words just flowed. It was interesting that when it was edited, there wasn't much that I had to change.

Maggie: That's great.

Kate: Right.

Maggie: Yeah.

LaMar: That, for me, really solidified that I had did the right thing. That was my first real piece being published. So to have that piece publish at the time, it was my birthday month, it was... That came out. Then another piece after that came out, for #31days. So that piece alone wasn't difficult to write, but it was difficult to write because that mirror was put up in my face again. I definitely had some oppositions with myself in writing this piece. I definitely struggled. I didn't know where to go with it. I didn't have a final destination. I just know I just wanted to share this information, and share these five things that you could do to make your space more equitable for queer students. Particularly Black queer students. Right?

Because I want people to always understand when you ask me, "What do I identify as?" I'm going to say, "I'm a Black queer male." Right. So Black always comes first. Not just because of how the world sees me, but that's what I identify with first above anything else. So I think that in creating these five tips, if you want to call it that, it really was a self reflection for me as well. Because not only did I have to believe it, I had to live it. How am I bringing this into my classroom as well? So that, yeah,

Maggie: Well, it's like there, that piece there of, "How am I bringing this into the classroom?" Also, this idea of like Cody setting you up.

LaMar: Yeah.

Maggie: Then you flew. It makes me think about what are the ways that you set up your kids to help them fly, right? Whatever story they are. I can only imagine being a student in your classroom as I've been having the honor to get to know you. What are things that you do in your classroom that we could replicate, hold onto that gives the kids the space that we know that you give in the classroom?

LaMar: Well, I work really hard with my students and understanding that everyone is accepted in this brave space. That regardless of what your ethnicity is, your identity, your gender, your religious beliefs, everyone is accepted. What we're not going to do is create a space where we make others that are very different than what we may identify with or what we may believe, "That, that's unacceptable." My kids know that. That if I am able to come up here and be vulnerable... And so I guess it's a lot of modeling as well.

Modeling to how to be vulnerable, and modeling, and sharing stories from my life. I've cried in front of my kids in sharing something personal to them, and with them. I think that, that's the first step is to be this model for your kids that will allow them to see your humanity, as well as see, "Here's another way that I can show up in the world and be better. And while I may not agree or believe I do respect you." As teachers, we can look at our kids and we know when they are about to say something that's not going to be that great, that's not going to be that pleasant. I can frightfully give them a look in a kind of reminder that this space is for every single person in the world if they wanted to come in here.

Maggie: Well, the idea there that modeling vulnerability, I don't have to be queer to model vulnerability-

LaMar: I don't.

Kate: Right.

Maggie: I don't have to have a specific identity to model being an open human who is willing to share a part of myself that maybe isn't the sort of cookie cutter story.

LaMar: Right.

Maggie: I think sometimes if I'm a white, straight teacher, I may not think I have that, but we all have those stories to model our openness and our vulnerability, which then gives our kids permission.

LaMar: I think it just allows, it forces teachers. So if you're not queer, you're not Black, or indigenous, or a person of color, you if you're white, you have to just do some work in asking yourself and reflecting, "Where in my life have there been moments where I've had to be vulnerable, that I'm willing to share with my kids?"

So first. "Am I willing to share this piece with my kids?" That's the first thing, right? Am I really willing to share this? Because it's so personal and it could hurt to relive some of these things. So am I willing to do that? If I'm not willing to do that, what does that really say about you? Who are we as teachers when we are the foundation of the entire world? So every day when we're coming into our classrooms, when we're working with our students, they're watching everything we do. Literally they watch every single move that we make. So how are you making sure that you serve as a model of what justice is, that you serve as a model of providing access to groups that don't have access. That you show vulnerability because if you can show it you're now showing them that I can be vulnerable as well. And if I'm vulnerable and you guys are listening and then one of your classmates decide to share something personal as well, it's just going to be a ripple down effect right? And then they begin to see the humanity of themselves amongst themselves, within this space.

Maggie: When I heard you talking about creating space and creating safe space, what I loved was, you were like, "It's not just safe space here; it's a brave, safe space." I'd love to pause and linger there in terms of, what are the markers of a brave safe space? What indicators do you put up in your classroom that communicate, that this is a brave, safe space where you can be out loud? Tell us a little bit about that.

LaMar: And so, the beginning of the school year is probably the most tiresome any teacher ever is. But at the beginning of any school year is the foundation that is laid for the year, right? And so spending time in building community norms, is so important. And not norms that you want but norms that the kids want right? Because when the classroom reflects them directly, then they can really say, "This is not just Mr. [Timmons-Long's classroom, this is my classroom as well. You're not a dictator, this is a partnership right?" I'm slowly, I'm still working on it but getting away from the idea of student and teacher and I'm moving toward co-learners, right? Because although I may know this content, there are things that you may say that I, didn't even think of, and I'm like, "Oh God, that was so profound." Right?

And so, the idea of moving from, student, teacher to co-learner. Trading these community norms, right? And making sure that everyone agrees with these community norms, right? And then naming when the community norm is being done well but also naming when it's being done incorrectly right? And going back into saying, "What do we establish together as a community? Let's go back to our norms maybe we need to revisit this." And then taking time throughout September and October to build a strong community. Whether it is through watching videos, looking at text, conversations, open ended questions, having them really reflect on self and identity, right? Like "Who am I? What is my place in the world? What do I identify as? What do I want to be when I grow up?" That big question that we're asked when we're kids, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Right?

Maggie: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

LaMar: And also just, "How do I want to make an impact? Do I want to make an impact?" Right? And it's okay if I don't. Because it's my job to show you that, in whatever capacity you do and when you work and what you do, you will make an impact to someone right? And so I think doing those things really helps me build this space. This brave space for my kids to make mistakes, to get things wrong. And they know when they get it wrong. It gets to the point where you don't even have to correct them anymore. Because they're referred to the norm or they remember these conversations that we have had, one-on-one, a whole group, a small group.

And they're like, "Man, I messed up. I need to apologize for that." Or I even had a kid tell me, "I have some internal work I need to do." Yes, you do have a lot of internal work that you need to do right? But I am here to help you through that right? So where can we start? Where would you like to start? What can I refer to you? What can I view with you? What can I experience with you? And what can you experience on your own as well?

Kate: When you're building those community norms, what are some ways that you go about it, right? I'm sure you do it way, more subtly than I would at first glance. Would you be, "Hey, what community norms do y'all want?" I bet you do it in a more nuanced way than maybe I would at first.

LaMar: Well I think about asking them, "What's the perfect classroom? What does a perfect classroom look like for you? Not in this ideal world but in the world you currently live in, in the world you abide in; what does this perfect classroom look like?" And so then they write on post-its or they write on, what are those things called? Index cards.

Maggie: Yes.

Kate: Yes.

LaMar: Right? And so they're jotting these things down, then they're sharing with partners. And they're asking questions because when you're talking, if we're having a conversation, I'm actively listening. And then after I'm done, I'm formulating a question because I know I want to think a little deeper. Because I'm trying to help them become better questioners of the world that we live in. And so, after they think about what the perfect classroom is, then it becomes, "So let's write some of these down. Let's talk about this."

And then I'm like, "So what I'm noticing is, what you guys like, is this, this and this. You want spaces where you are able to speak your mind. You want to respect everyone's voice. You want to make sure that the classroom is a direct reflection of you right?" And so I always think of Bishop's work with mirrors, windows and sliding doors, right? Where it's a direct reflection and is an access point, right? So, you want that as well. You want to make mistakes and be okay with making mistakes. So this is what I'm seeing. So are we all agreeing about this? Do we agree that this is what you want based on what I see? What I think teachers sometimes struggle with is, we come up with the norms, right?

Maggie: Yeah.

LaMar: And then there's not that communication between you and the class right? Because I am nothing without the class, right? And so I have to now... I shouldn't make these but I think I have a little bit of say, right? And so my say I think comes from just reframing and restructuring and noticing what you're saying and bringing that into life and so we go from there. And sometimes we have to revisit it and say, "I think we need to add something." Right? Or, "I think we need to restructure one these norms." Because I've been noticing things. Or I'll ask them, "In the last 30 days what have you noticed happening in the class? Jot that down." So a lot of reflection, right? And then seeing how this space is going to be brave enough for you to take and make... What are they called? Take risk.

Maggie: Yeah.

Kate: There it is

LaMar: That's what I was looking for. Take risk right? Because I think the classroom is a space for all students to take huge risk.

Kate: Well and to look back that is an active vulnerability too right?

LaMar: Yeah.

Maggie: That is.

Kate: So, if you're talking about modeling vulnerability, I can model vulnerability with the stories I tell, what I tell kids about myself. But I also model vulnerability by saying, "This is your classroom. I'm your steward, I'm your facilitator, I'm your guide." But like, "Let's co-construct this together." That is a vulnerable place to be.

LaMar: I wish schools would give teachers time to do more focus groups with students at the beginning of the school year or bringing kids in where they can make the room there right? And I also think like each class has different norms because they're all different personalities. Each class has their own personality. So the norms are-

Maggie: Yes.

Kate: Yes.

LaMar: So sometimes it's four charts of norms and we're like, "Period one, period five, period six, period eight." Right? So I think that's important as well, to know and think that there's not just one set of five.

Kate: That's right. I love that.

Maggie: What I am holding on to too is, your call and your confidence to take your time.

Kate: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Maggie: To intentionally build and help build not by taking it over but providing the materials for kids to facilitate their own building of a vulnerable culture, a safe culture, a brave space. And cautioning us not to rush over that, in the beginning of the year, cautioning us not just to do it once and then not revisit it. But really mindfully put in times where we are, posing the question back to kids to say, "Is this working for you?"

LaMar: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Kate: Well and we're talking about kids in general and just classroom community. I think what hitches it so nicely to our podcast, Thinking About Queer Youth and Queer Teachers, is that we can't create a safe space for queer kids if it's not a safe space for all kids, which is why anytime I've done any kind of activism work, ...

LaMar: Right.

Kate: ... or equity work, what's so striking to me that I know you share, too, is it helps everybody.

LaMar: It really, it's supposed to help everybody.

Kate: It's not just about this one marginalized group.

LaMar: Right, right.

Kate: Do you know what I mean? When we make something better for all kids, all kids flourish.

LaMar: I think that, when you think of the marginalized groups, we bring highlight to these groups because they are underserved, they're underrepresented. When we begin to make our spaces ready for everyone, we don't have to then say, "Well, let's not forget our black kids.

Kate: That's right.

LaMar: Let's not forget our queer kids. Let's not forget Latinx kids, our Asian students, our indigenous students." It's like, No, I've been intentional in doing this work and making sure that I'm making this space for everyone, even where ... I teach English, so thinking about how the texts reflect the kids I serve versus what the District wants me to teach, or what my administrators want me to teach, or you should use this over that. I'm a little bit of a rebel, so I will push back in a heartbeat and say, "But this doesn't reflect the students that I serve."

Kate: Beautiful. I love that idea. So we've got vulnerability and part of that vulnerability is creating a truly safe community, a kid-centered community that we co-construct with them. I love that. So, Lamar, we have a tradition of ending our podcasts with a closing five questions where we get to know you a little better ...

LaMar: Okay.

Kate: ... and see inside your soul, I mean your personality.

LaMar: Okay.

Kate: So are you ready for the first closing five question?

LaMar: Okay, I'm ready.

Kate: It's a fill-in-the-blank question.

LaMar: Ooh.

Kate: I know. You won't see me without my _____.

LaMar: Bag of the day.

Kate: Oh, you have different bags.

LaMar: I will always have a bag on me. I feel naked without one.

Kate: And you have different bags?

LaMar: Yes.

Maggie: The bag I'm looking at right now... Oh, that's a beautiful bag. It's just a beautiful bag.

LaMar: So yeah. If I don't wear something, I will, "Wait, something's wrong. Who is missing on me today?" What's happening? I feel off balance.

Kate: Yeah, I know.

LaMar: Yeah.

Kate: I love that. Okay. This might be the same answer. I don't know, you might struggle to have a different answer for this.

Maggie: Who knows, you never know.

Kate: Your favorite article of clothing is?

LaMar: Oh, that's a good one. My favorite article of clothing. That's a little hard. It depends on the season, to be honest.

Maggie: I can see that. Let's do winter.

LaMar: It's a scarf.

Maggie: It's a scarf, right!

LaMar: I love a good scarf. I love a good warm scarf. You know, I have no hair and so sometimes I don't want to wear hats, and so I like big scarves that I can wrap everything in, and so nice and toasty.

Kate: Oh, I like that.

LaMar: Yeah.

Kate: I wish we all had scarves right now.

Maggie: I do, too. I do want to say that Lamar has an impeccable sense of fashion.

Kate: It's true, listeners.

Maggie: And ...

LaMar: Thank you.

Maggie: ... I see a future of Lamar being able to dress a teacher on a teacher's budget. Ladies, this would be a service ...

LaMar: Yes.

Kate: ... that he would be willing to offer you.

LaMar: They are absolutely correct.

Maggie: Looking from the shoes to the glasses, that if, Lamar, you could help me get dressed.

LaMar: I would love it too.

Kate: It would help us a lot.

LaMar: I would love to.

Maggie: I see a reality TV show in our future.

Kate: Okay. Your first concert that you remember going to?

LaMar: Oh, my first concert that I remember going to. Jill Scott, Radio City Music Hall. It was New Year's Eve, and she did a show at Radio City, and I had never seen her live and I was ... I mean, I was a fan but I became a fan after that show. She gave a show, a vocal show, not dancing. It was a vocal show. I was like, you're really a singer. Like, you really, this is your craft. Okay, yeah, Jill Scott.

Maggie: That's a good one.

Kate: May we all be as good at something someday as Jill Scott is at singing.

LaMar: At singing, yeah.

Kate: Absolutely. Okay, your first queer icon.

LaMar: Oh man. There's two.

Kate: Okay.

LaMar: Grace Jones.

Kate: Yes.

LaMar: Back then growing up we didn't have a language. In my mind I said label, but no, it's more of a language. We didn't have a language of how to really discuss identity. I would look at Grace Jones and be like, They are really beautiful, but what are they? Are they, is this a woman? Is this a man? What's going on? But they're so gorgeous, right. So, at a young age, I was like I have to operate like Grace Jones in the world, because they function in this duality that I think is just seamless. Watching them on the movie, Boomerang, I was like, "I want to be like that. I want to be like that."

The other one would be Emil Wilbekin. I think I said that right. I hope I did. He was the Editor in Chief of Vibe Magazine when I was a kid. I remember seeing him do interviews with celebrities, and I was like, Wait, this is a Black guy on TV that works with this magazine Vibe, catered to black culture, and music, and fashion. I read vibe magazine. So, seeing him on TV was like, Wow, where are the others?

Kate: That's right, that's right. I found one. I found one.

LaMar: He's on ... We follow each other on Instagram, and anytime he does something great ... I named him my godfather because he's awesome. He's awesome, yeah.

Kate: And what about your current queer icon?

LaMar: Ooh, Darnell and Michael.

Kate: Yeah.

LaMar: They are. They may never hear this, right, and that is okay. There is not enough words. Thank you is not enough to discuss what they did for me in April. So, for me they are it. To watch how they operate and move in the world as a black queer male, and they move in the world that is not the stereotypical way that a black gay man, or a black queer man, would move, right? I am so thankful, and grateful, for those two men, and their literature, because I see myself in literature, finally. They are, and I think they will be for a very long time, because I think it's so personal, yeah.

Kate: I mean, I have to end with the same idea where I absolutely guarantee that you are that for your students, at least one of them, every year. That is who you are. Thank you so much for being here.

LaMar: Thank you for having me. This is fun.

Maggie: Thank you, LaMar.

LaMar: Thank you.
...
Subscribe, like, and review Beyond the Letters wherever you listen to podcasts!

LaMar Timmons-Long is a vibrant educator who believes that every student deserves access to an equitable and high-quality education. His main work centers around racial linguistics, anti-racist education, intersections between literacy, social justice, and language, as well as students experiencing disabilities.

LaMar teaches English in New York City, where he began his career after obtaining his Bachelor of Science in English Education, 7-12, from SUNY Buffalo State. He holds a Master of Education in Special Education and is currently finishing his advanced graduate certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Pace University. LaMar has taught middle and high school grades and serves as a student advisor.

LaMar is a proud member of NCTE, where he serves as a member of the LGBTQ Advisory Committee. His writing and work can be found at the NCTE blog, the #31daysBIPOC project, and the Educator Collaborative. A compelling and contemporary voice in the advocacy for BIPOC and LGBTQ youth, LaMar bridges pedagogy with practice, personal with professional, whether teaching students in his NYC school or presenting to teachers at national conferences. This commitment to student learning and quality education guides LaMar's focus on the use of literature to advocate for marginalized voices and as a means of promoting social justice within the classroom.

You can reach him via Twitter at @teachltl or email at lamar.timmons.long@gmail.com

Follow Kate on Twitter Kate Roberts is a national literacy consultant, top-selling author, and popular keynote speaker. She taught reading and writing in Brooklyn, NY and worked as a literacy coach before joining the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project in 2005, where she worked as a Lead Staff Developer for 11 years. Kate's latest book, @TeachKate and KateAndMaggie.com A Novel Approach, asks how we can teach whole class novels while still holding onto student centered practices like readers workshop. She is also the co-author of Falling in Love with Close Reading (with Christopher Lehman), DIY Literacy (with Maggie Beattie Roberts), and she co-wrote two Units of Study books on Literary Essay. Her work with students across the country has led to her belief that all kids can be insightful, academic thinkers when the work is demystified, broken down and made engaging. To this end, Kate has worked nationally and internationally to help teachers, schools, and districts develop and implement strong teaching practices and curriculum.

Maggie Beattie Robertsbegan her teaching career in the heart of Chicago and then pursued graduate studies as a Literacy Specialist at Teachers College, Columbia University. She worked as a staff developer for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project for nearly ten years where she led research and development in digital and media literacy, as well as differentiated methods of teaching and content area literacy.

Maggie is currently a national literacy consultant, guest teacher, author, and frequent presenter at national conferences. She is committed to helping teachers tap into the power of their own deep engagement in reading and writing, and leads school-wide staff development around the country. She is happiest teaching alongside teachers in their classrooms. She is co-author of the popular book, DIY Literacy: Teaching Tools for Differentiation, Rigor, and Independence (with Kate Roberts), and authored several Heinemann Unit of Study books on the teaching of writing. Her latest article, Thinking While Reading: The Beautiful Mess of Helping Adolescents Learn and Celebrate How Their Minds Work (co-authored with Kristen Robbins Warren), is featured in the December 2016 issue of NCTE's middle school journal, Voices from the Middle.You can learn more about Maggie's work, as well as access videos and other resources, at KateAndMaggie.com.

Follow Maggie on Twitter: @MaggieBRoberts

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Beyond the Letters S2: Building Brave Spaces with LaMar Timmons-Long

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Beyond the Letters is a podcast featuring LGBTQ+ educators, their stories, strategies and practical advice for creating safe and inclusive educational spaces for queer youth and educators, alike. Hosted by Kate Roberts and Maggie Beattie Roberts, each week features a new guest as they talk all things LGBTQ+ and education.

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NEW!! Spring 2024 Paraeducator Support Offerings. Please see this document for more information about Semester 2 Paraeducator Course Offerings. Courses were released on PDO on January 25th at 5:00 PM. Please email Jean if you would like to discuss the PDO courses and find a match! :) Please scroll down  to see the link.

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NEW!! Spring 2024 Paraeducator Support Offerings. Please see this document for more information about Semester 2 Paraeducator Course Offerings. Courses were released on PDO on January 25th at 5:00 PM. Please email Jean if you would like to discuss the PDO courses and find a match! :) Please scroll down  to see the link.

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14 Effective Opening and Closing Routines for Teachers

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14 Effective Opening and Closing Routines for Teachers

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The bookends of a class-the first few moments, and the wrap up at the end-can transform all the material addressed in the middle.

Good openers introduce new concepts to students in ways that evoke wonder and extend engagement for the duration of the class period, while good closers provide students with opportunities to review and consolidate recently learned material.

But effectively drawing students into a lesson at the start of class, or checking for understanding and correcting misunderstandings at the end of class, requires more than simple "do nows" or reminding students of homework assignments as they pack their bags.

While you don't have to use any of the following activities every day-some days a simple warm-up activity suffices-strategically mixing them into your week at crucial junctures can work wonders, according to teachers.

Classroom Openers

Rebecca Alber, an instructor at UCLA's Graduate School of Education suggests finding a provocative quote about one of the subjects of your study-a historical figure in history class, a scientist in science class, an author in English class, for example-and asking students to write responses to prompts such as: "What is the meaning of this statement?" or "How can you connect this statement to something happening in the world at the time it was said?" If the quote is sufficiently meaty, you can follow up with a five minute debate leveraging their thinking.

Before you lead a discussion about the terms, students can turn and talk for a few minutes, or meet with a small group and discuss their sorting rationales and compare and contrast their respective methods. The activity, Chandler writes, allows teachers to preview "the most crucial" vocabulary terms they'll need to know, and also helps students establish connections between terms that will prove useful down the line.

5. Low stakes quizzes (and pre-quizzes): Quizzes and practice tests help students gauge their understanding of recently learned material, and identify areas of strength and areas where they need to grow. To use quizzes effectively as openers, research suggests it's better to keep them low-stakes (or no-stakes!). This will reduce anxiety and allow students to focus on recalling information.

Although it sounds odd to test students on material before they've learned it, research shows that pretesting students is surprisingly effective. According to the 2021 study, students who took a pretest outperformed peers who studied more traditionally by 49 percent on a follow-up test. Researchers concluded the mistakes students make on pretests prove useful in motivating them to "search for the correct answers" when they actually encounter the new material.

Classroom Closers

2. Two-dollar summary: Tell students to imagine that each of their words are worth 10 cents and ask them to write a concise, two-dollar summary of the lesson they just learned, Reading Rockets suggests. To make things more challenging, Todd Finley, professor of English Education at East Carolina University, recommends asking students to include key terms related to the material or to write the summary in a way that would be simple enough for a first grader to understand. This activity asks them to retrieve material, pushes them to distill their learning, and requires them to decompose and simplify complex ideas and concepts.

3. Clear or cloudy: Ask students to identify what is clear about what they've learned (what they understand) and what is cloudy (what they're having trouble understanding). You can use this Teachers Pay Teachers simple "Clear or Cloudy" handout to record responses.

4. Measure (or signal) your knowledge: A human bar graph is an interesting closing activity. According to Literacy Minnesota, you can create your graph by labeling points along a line drawn on the floor or across a wall that show different levels of mastery: I'm confused, I mostly get it, I totally understand. Ask students to stand where they feel most comfortable.

An educator on Twitter created a simpler version using a picture of a traffic light they affixed on the door. Before students leave the room, have them write their names on three sticky notes and leave one thing they learned on the green light, one thing they're still thinking about on the yellow light, and one thing they still don't understand on the red light. Collecting the responses can help you better understand what topics need revisiting.

5. Create news "headlines" or "six-word summaries": Ask students to summarize what they've learned that day into a short, snappy news headline, suggests Teach Starter. Students can work in pairs, or the activity can be done amongst the whole class: Collect suggestions, write them on the board, and discuss which one works best. For a different spin on this, educator Sarah Frisby Cook recommends limiting students to a "six-word summary" of the most important idea or concept they learned that day. On Facebook, Cook told Edutopia that because students are limited in word choice, "they really have to think about what is most crucial to say."

7. Quiz the next class: This one will probably take you a good chunk of time, and might be deployed as you end a unit. Regardless, research suggests that asking students to generate good questions about what they're learning can promote deeper engagement with the content-and better retention, too. Educator Nikki Cobb-Struzynski puts these findings into practice by asking students to come up with quiz questions-and multiple choice answers-to give to peers in other sections of her class studying the same material. To make the quizzes easy to share, students can create them using free platforms like Kahoot!

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14 Effective Opening and Closing Routines for Teachers

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Stimulate thinking at the beginning of class, and check for understanding at the end of it with these engaging opening and closing activities. Stimulate thinking at the beginning of class, and check for understanding at the end of it with these engaging activities.

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Daily Question Slides for Morning Meeting

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Matific.com - Search by content and grade level! Lots of fun, engaging, and meaningful content for choice boards and more. :) 

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Matific.com - Search by content and grade level! Lots of fun, engaging, and meaningful content for choice boards and more. :) 

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Fractions for Grade 4, Math Games & Worksheets

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Fractions for Grade 4, Math Games & Worksheets

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Fractions games and worksheets for Grade 4. Explore Matific’s online math resource.