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1. What do I need to learn about both the root of inequities (racism) in my city and the cultural community cultural wealth in my city in order to be an effective diversity advocate who challenges deficit perspectives about my city and community?
I need to look more closely at the city’s history and become more closely connected with people in order to learn about both the inequities and the resources.
2. How can I use my knowledge from this course and my lived experience to plan my actions and steps to be a culturally responsive teacher, a diversity advocate in the classroom, and an anti-racist educator?
I can use the advice Nicole’s interview subject provided: “see and be seen.” This is similar to what I learned in Peace Corps but I would’ve never thought to do it in my own community.

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1. How does racism and racial justice show up in schools in my work as a teacher? How and why must I address it?
Racism in embedded in the school system, it’s rules and the ways in which teachers are expected to interact with students. Racial justice is being intentional, handling problems in the room and establishing trust with students and families - especially as they can often feel powerless in the community. It also means helping students, encouraging them to be their best selves and work their hardest while not selling them wolf tickets about the world. Racial justice in my classroom is empowering students to question their world and guiding them as they build the skills that they need to advocate for themselves.
2. What are the assets and community cultural wealth in our assigned areas and neighborhoods for the virtual community immersion and how will we learn more about them?
There is lots of oral history in the community. This is very cool and the only way to access most of it is to get to know the people around you. When you don’t know something/someone, people can always start to point you in the right direction.

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I really enjoyed the panels. I think that it is hard to remember that one day, all of the pedagogy and theoretical scenarios will impact real students in real communities - especially when we are so isolated from one another. I did leave with a few questions:
1. Why is it that many of the best resources aren't stumbled across online, but mostly are learned about through word-of-mouth and social connection?
2. Can we chat with more students? That was the highlight of my week!
3. Have you ever used surveys or parent panels to collect information on how to be more effective in and out of the classroom?

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Reflection on "How Baltimore Got the Nickname 'Charm City'"

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Reflection on "How Baltimore Got the Nickname 'Charm City'"

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I chose the article Jamie posted from Our Community Now because it is a source I had never seen before. I did read about the name Charm City being credited to a Baltimore Sun writer, but I didn't know that we had a shot-lived PR campaign that led to the nickname. The former-mayor's statement was true - Baltimore has so many charming aspects that you'd never see or experience unless you come and will to venture out of the tourist areas. There's amazing food and art, and the people here are very musical. We don't have buskers or people trying to become famous just performing in the streets like New York or LA, but at the Inner Harbor someone is almost always putting on a show of some sort. People walk down the street singing and rapping, graffiti alley is cool, and listening to people talk in the accent can be entertaining to say the least. This was a short, but interesting article that made me really reflect on why I love the city so much. It really is a charming place to be.

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1. What are the assets and community cultural wealth in our assigned areas and neighborhoods for the virtual community immersion and how can we learn more about them?
I'm not too sure. Assets can include community members, organizations, and other resources that can help our students strengthen their skills, make real-world connections to the content they're learning, and push for change in their communities. We can learn more on the internet, but from living and learning in Baltimore I realized that many resources are based on how connected you are. I have to connect with community members citywide to learn about initiatives that I may not know to search for online.
2. What insights into the Baltimore City community and teaching/learning in Baltimore City can I gain from hearing from community organizers, partners, students, and parents?
I can learn more about problems that affect students, the resources that students really want to see in their classrooms, and what parents would like to see. I hope that our classroom community can involve the whole family and provide students with what they need to build a coalition that goes beyond academic interests.

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Appetizer / Entreé / Dessert Assignment (7/9)

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Appetizer / Entreé / Dessert Assignment (7/9)

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Appetizer Choice 1: This video came from an interesting perspective but the prompt was definitely right, it addressed the question that we have been exploring. I like that she encourages educators to talk about, think about, and reflect on the historical and current implications of race. This shows up in the  way that schools are maintained, the level of preparation for students and the amount of funds that are allocated to schools that need the most support. Students are forced to read texts that insult people of the same identities and are forced to look at structural racism in the face.
Entreé Choice 1: This talk began by explaining the use of powerful words to talk about mundane classroom practices - they don't push educators to talk about and do real work for equity. He emphasizes the idea that teachers dump their own ideas and guilt onto students rather than giving students the space to express themselves in ways that are most meaningful to them. He says reality pedagogy is learning materials based on the life students are listen. Culturally relevant/student-centered pedagogy focus more on teacher interpretation of the students/culture rather than on students' expressed needs or wants. The 5 C's include:

Co-generative Dialogues: students represent different demographics of class and talk with students for feedback on instruction. You must take it and move forward.

Co-teach: Let youth teach the class - give students the chance to think about the lesson and to deliver the content. Give students agency.

Cosmopolitanism: Associate non-school expressions with classroom activities. Students should be accountable to eachother and help them build pseudo-families.

Context: Students' cultures are nuanced, focus on the world that they live in and bring that into the classroom - school is part of the world students live in.

Content: Curriculum is last. The classroom vibe is important because students don't learn where they don't feel comfortable and safe. We want students to succeed and not in spite of our instruction.

Dessert: Reflection and Connections
After reading this, I realized that a lot of race work is geared toward white teachers (which makes sense since they make up the majority), but I wish that these made educators remember not to put this all on students. Students live this reality and don't get to take a break from it when they go home - it permeates their lives and the way they see the world. I guess that from this I'd hope to get more teachers willing to do this work privately and infuse it into lessons without shoving it down students' throats. They see the same news and videos that we do, and they have to wrestle with it too. We have the responsibility to explore that with them and empower them with the skills to express themselves. One of my goals as a teacher is to teach students a more holistic view of the world through multiple lenses. I want students to read stories that not only focus on the struggles of people of color while they get to enjoy whimsical works by Eurocentric writers; I want students to see diversity in ALL genres. It is not up to students to verify teachers' woke-ness, that'll show in the conversations that they have surrounding policy and curriculum, funding, and the way that they engage students in the classroom.

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1. What are some of the key inequities in Baltimore City today and what is the source of those inequities?
Many of the key inequities can be seen in the blatant segregation in the city. The readings for today highlights some of them. The city spends money to fix streets and update areas, but these areas are usually in the upper working class and white areas. Other forms of inequities are in the lead-piped school buildings across the city with no heating and cooling, communities with crumbling streets and buildings, and so many families who lack access to resources. This matters to me because these problems are not isolated to one area of students' lives, but affects how they perform in school and interact with the world around them.
2. How does racism and racial justice show up in schools in my work as a teacher?

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This quote reminds me of the argument that racism has existed long before race had- even in the US. We can see that in the case of John Punch before Black and white had legal definitions. Until the US can look at these issues honestly, tear down the systems (not just "fix" them). In my reading and research since returning to the US and being quarantined, I learned about different organizations who argue that now is the perfect time to restructure schools to be more equitable. This means that schools could repair buildings while students are away, teachers can add readings - no matter how long - to the curriculum that teaches students about cultures beyond their own.

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What types of community cultural capital do you see evidence of in the video that you chose?
What types of capital have the greatest salience for adults? For young people and children? How and why do these differ?

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1. What is community cultural wealth and why is it important to me as a Baltimore City teacher?
Community cultural wealth is our social and professional connections. It is important because as a teacher in the city, we could help connect our students to so many resources. Whether that's programs where students can learn practical skills, connect with people in fields that students may be interested in or may not know of. Students could complete projects, get more involved in their community, and a myriad of other things that could expand their interests and horizons.
2. What are some of the key inequities in Baltimore City today and what are the sources of those inequities? Why does this matter to me as a teacher?
Many of the key inequities can be seen in the blatant segregation in the city. The readings for today highlights some of them. The city spends money to fix streets and update areas, but these areas are usually in the upper working class and white areas. Other forms of inequities are in the lead-piped school buildings across the city with no heating and cooling, communities with crumbling streets and buildings, and so many families who lack access to resources. This matters to me because these problems are not isolated to one area of students' lives, but affects how they perform in school and interact with the world around them.

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1. On a scale to 1-4, how confident am I that we reached the two objectives?
3 / 3
2. What are two key takeaways from class today?
I learned that we all come to the table with our own sets of biases, so we need to constantly check to be sure that we aren't perpetuating those ideas. We need to be mindful to check microaggressions when we see/hear them - amongst students, colleagues, and ourselves. We must be committed to creating an inclusive environment so that all students feel welcome. We must also be careful so that we don't ice out other students too. This can be difficult, but worthwhile if done correctly.

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1. How do biases occur? Within myself? Within the classroom?
Biases are usually taught long before anyone even learns the justification and systems that support them. Based on my upbringing, the people that I am surrounded by, and all of the internalized -isms I may have. This means that I must be intentional in everything that I do and say in and out of the classroom to be sure that I don't show and ultimately, don't believe any of these biases. These biases are in the curriculum and may come into the classroom because we all, no matter our age or background, have learned some form of bias.
2. What do I do when microaggressions, biases, and/or racism occur? What will this look like in my classroom?
In my classroom, when these biases occur, I must be very intentional in addressing them. I will try to take advantage of every teachable moment while being firm so that students understand that it is not acceptable to repeat those mistakes.

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Today's class called for us to be very vulnerable. This is difficult for me as I'm not a huge fan of discussing trauma outside of a therapist's office. The reading and reflecting on my own experiences were enlightening because I realized that today's assignment was something that I never wanted to do again: spill my guts on paper for others' consumption. The way I framed my paper made me think of Nikki Giovanni's Nikki Rosa in which she discusses how the public consumes her upbringing and troubles versus how she prefers to portray them. This was an eye-opening experience as I got to peak behind my peers' own masks to see what kind of things inform their own thoughts and worldview.

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Today's session was especially enlightening in that many of the things that I thought about in reflecting on my desire to teach was  brought up and I liked the opportunity to talk to other teachers with my same ethnic background. It was comforting to know that others had the same worries as me and to get to talk about our concerns as Black teachers. So far, we've spent a lot of time talking about the responsibility of white teachers, but as minorities, we have to be sure to not enact on our own internalized biases and create this single-story perspective for our students.
The text caused lots of introspection as I had to question my own beliefs and consider whether or not I have internalized any racism, sexism, ableism or other forms of oppression. This made me aim to highlight students' exceptionalities. Kids who draw should get to display that work, kids interested in unique things should have the opportunity to tell us about it. We should dispel any myths or hurtful language we hear centering "being white" or colorism or the "nerd". We should celebrate and give opportunities for kids to use their interests to help them learn because we all had experience with being "different."
One of my major concerns going in was how to hold high expectations for my students without being unreasonably hard or lightening up because of a number of factors - Drew emphasized that we should force ourselves to build a good relationship with all students so that we have an idea of what is a reasonable amount of pressure. In a soundbite, Jane told us that it wasn't so much about the pressure, but mores the approach, each student can complete the work, but some need more coaxing and praise than others. That was very insightful.
I appreciate being able to have the honest conversation in a place away from white teachers to talk about our roles as it relates to students and as it relates to other staff.

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1. I identify as a straight Black woman. This informs my role as a teacher because I may have some cultural similar meetings with students. This also means that I have to be careful not to fall prey to projecting my own thoughts and experiences on students - being careful to understand that Blackness and other minority experiences aren't a monolith. I also have to mind my privilege as a heterosexual cisgendered person and being intentional in the way I think and talk about others' experiences.
2. Sometimes, I can hold personal biases against people not in any of the identities I hold, so I must be cognizant and intentional in my interactions with others.

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Journal for Session 1 / Reading of Wheatley

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Journal for Session 1 / Reading of Wheatley

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1. One of The most profound statements of this article was "To be curious about how someone else interprets things, we have to be willing to admit that we’re not capable of figuring things out alone." In setting class norms, this means that I must help set a comfortable space in our classes where students are comfortable with saying that they don't know are are willing to work together to handle any issues and to learn more about the world.
2. These norms set for when class may breach an "uncomfortable" topic and sets the culture of respect that will allow for disagreement where they may never see eye-to-eye.
3. I need my classmates to stay on-topic and to be ok with having tense conversations. Otherwise, just to stay cute and be engaged so that I can learn from them too.
4. I just need respect and different ways to interact with the information. Also, I love facts and stats.

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What does it mean to me to be a part of a learning community?
It means that I'm surrounded by people all willing to learn and grow professionally together, no matter the age/position of power. We all bring our own knowledge, experiences, and questions together and create a space where we can explore it.
What does it mean to be liberated?
To me, to be liberated means to be free in some way - hopefully from bias, punishment, etc.

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Why Teach in Baltimore City? Why Urban Teachers? part ii

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Why Teach in Baltimore City? Why Urban Teachers? part ii

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After reflecting on the Teaching Tolerance video, I believe that I must work harder to be sure I'm not reflecting any internalized racism. I have been educated through and lived through a racist system and I must be sure that I, too don't internalize all of the things I hear about "urban youth." I also must work hard to be a safe space for students and fight to be sure that my students see themselves reflected in what happens in my classroom. I will actively work to remember and reflect in my actions that no minority experience is a monolith and students all deserve to feel seen and heard. There's so much that I don't know/I'm not aware of - even as a Black person. I hope to do that and to learn ways to become better at being an advocate for and listening ear to students both inside of the classroom.

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Reflection on "Teaching Tolerance Interviews Robin DiAngelo: White Fragility in the Classroom"

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Reflection on "Teaching Tolerance Interviews Robin DiAngelo: White Fragility in the Classroom"

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The defensiveness of White people can be really be off-putting when you bring up race and its effects on our lives today. It makes you wonder how any real change is going to happen.

Some of her points reminiscent of Carter G. Woodson's The Miseducation of the Negro and it reinforces the idea that no part of the US' education system reflects the needs, values, or culture of students of color.

As individuals become less "racist," they become less likely to hear out people of color who say racism effects their lives and even less likely to evaluate the systemic forces that reinforce modern racism.

"White Fragility" leads to tone policing and other things that make Black, Brown and other people of color the villain in spaces where they air their grievances.

The "white woman tears" idea is especially resounding because it is often my experiences in places where I am in majority white spaces - summer camps in NH and ME, my undergraduate PWI, the Peace Corps, etc.

There have been many times when I have found myself giving feedback, making a statement, or outright disagreeing with someone white or white-passing and have been attacked for my tone or the fact that I addressed an issue.

People no longer cared about the issue that caused me to speak, but more about the fact that I "hurt" someone's feelings.

It was interesting to ask white feminists to look at their responses to discussions about race in the lens of sexism. If you'd be offended as a feminist, then you shouldn't say it as a white person about race.

It is inconceivable to me that she would mention that because my own intersectional experience makes both of these things visible at all times.

I like that she offered that - it is an access point that may bring empathy and maybe even concern, and furthermore, action.

Her book was very interesting, and in this moment, I am happy that the Black Lives Matter Movement is gaining steam. I hope to see more substantial changes as opposed to all of the "symbolic" banning of racism.

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Why Teach in Baltimore City? Why Urban Teachers?

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Why Teach in Baltimore City? Why Urban Teachers?

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I was born and raised in Baltimore and I love this city so much. I had the opportunity to experience life elsewhere, but for now, this is the only place I can imagine being. I want to be able to pour into the communities that I've grown to love and appreciate. I want to influence students positively in the way that some of my teachers influenced me.
As I reflect on what made me finally decide to follow through with Urban Teachers was a session they had for Black students and applicants - the speaker talked about coming to our communities and showing students that "making it" isn't always getting out of the city and moving away from the community. That someone has to pour back into the community so that it can continue to grow, gain resources, and produce a generation more successful than the last.
He had put into words exactly what I wanted to do. Education, equity, and justice are all important to me. While law and policy could check the boxes for things I want to accomplish in my career, I'd love to use my passion in the most direct way I can - guiding students in their pursuit of the skills and information they need to become the best versions of who they imagine themselves to be.

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The early 2000's had a good bit of representation growing up! I looooved watching Moesha, That's So Raven, The Parkers, Living Single, Girlfriends, A Different World, The Cosby Show (although now it pains me to say it haha). I loved reading books about girls who did amazing things and broke the rules.
I think that these shows let me dream of being what I felt like I couldn't be at the time: well-off, self-sufficient, confident, flamboyant, pretty and other things. Maybe because our family was so religious. Sometimes, she let me pick out things I liked (i.e. these denim boots like some I thought Raven might wear) but she was never outright willing to say "you're beautiful" or anything.
Emotionally unavailable mom, meet socially awkward child - we never talked about anything deep. My tv family and teenage self-help books gave me lessons in confidence and self-esteem. I didn’t necessarily identify with what I was seeing, but it helped put an image to the life I imagined when I was able to finally move out.

So what was beauty to me, when I was left to my own devices? Think Lisa Bonet, Beyonce, Christina Milian, Cree Summer, etc. I loved other women that were darker and closer to my own complexion, but I had internalized the colorism around me - it's what everyone else said was cute. I don't think I can remember anyone using "cute" or "pretty" in descriptions of me as a child (and all tea all shade, I was not conventionally cute. All of my throwbacks are atrocious haha). Many of the women that I aspired to be like weren't what I used to think I was, so I went along with what my mom emphasized: getting good grades, being sweet, and flying under the radar. I became a social chameleon, more passive, and very self-conscious. I went to Western and fell in love with who I could be if I would just get over my own doubts. My alma mater showed me that real women have the life I wanted - its not just a tv thing.
This makes me want to be more loving and affirming to the students around me. I want to be more vocal in praising my students and highlighting their strengths. As an educator, it is so important to realize that many of our actions and beliefs are not conscious decisions and to be intentional about our language around and reactions to the adolescents we're surrounded by. I loved seeing empowered women, but I always felt like an imposter if I tried to emulate those characteristics I loved. I want to be intentional in creating a safe space where students can learn the skills they need and figure out who and what they want to be.