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This video focuses on self-awareness for students and teachers to build trust and a sense of community in the classroom by including culture, various identities, and languages.

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The Physics of Ramps as Community Building

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The Physics of Ramps as Community Building

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4. Actively promotes allyship to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts that benefit people as a whole.

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Students can apply their knowledge of physics to solve problems in their communities-like studying inclined planes to gauge the effectiveness of wheelchair ramps in their school.

Sergiy Tryapitsyn / Alamy Stock Photo

It can be hard to ensure that students stay engaged in the dreaded weeks between the holidays and February break. I've found that this time of year is the perfect time for the implementation of service-learning projects in my high school physics classes. Service learning helps my students develop their civic character through empathy and community involvement while also helping them develop a strong understanding of the course content.

Many of my students have been accepted into college by the spring and find themselves just going through the motions of solving F = ma or J = Δp. In addition to this, our most mathematically involved unit on inclined planes (or the physics of ramps) is normally taught in the spring, when students are most likely to be somewhat tuned out. In years past, this has been akin to reteaching trigonometry to a brick wall. However, through the implementation of a project that my colleagues and I title "Inclined Planes for a Purpose," I have seen dividends in terms of student engagement, excitement, and connectedness to their broader community.

Inclined Planes for a Purpose

The purpose comes in the framing of the project: analyzing ramps through the lens of people who rely on a wheelchair to get around. All in all, the project spans the course of about three weeks, with about two class periods a week allocated for students to work on their product or research, all while exploring the scope of forces at angles throughout the rest of our weekly lessons.

The physics: Within this project, students analyze the ramps in our school: where they're located, what they're made of, their angle of incline, why the students think the ramps were built in their respective locations, and how they could make our school more friendly and accessible to folks who use wheelchairs or have health conditions or impairments that make ascending stairs difficult.

Students are engaged in exploring the physics involved in ramps. For instance, they determine the values of the coefficients of friction of the various materials that ramps could be made from by analyzing the forces acting on a body ascending and descending an inclined surface.

Students are actively engaged in the physics and mathematics required by the state curriculum. Through formative and summative assessments, I track their understanding and knowledge of core content. I use a rubric to assess their growth, broken down into levels of proficiency toward the standards I'm looking to address. This rubric includes references to mathematical proficiencies and physics-related proficiencies, and it assesses students' abilities to clearly and effectively communicate their research and the fruits of their endeavors.

The product: The product that students are expected to create is a model of a ramp that is visually interesting, designed to scale, and one that contains both macro and microscopic views of the physics of bodies interacting on an inclined plane. I encourage creativity in terms of the product that students turn in; sometimes it's a hand-drawn model, and sometimes it's a trifold, a CAD file, or a 3D printed model built to scale-or anything in between! I've even seen students pick up woodworking in their effort to meet proficiency in the standards addressed within this project.

Social and emotional learning: Even more striking to me is the empathy my students develop as their perceptions change over the course of the project. The project spurs significant social and emotional growth.

One student remarked to me, "When I was walking down the hallway, I saw a nurse wheeling a student from class, and she was frustrated because she couldn't find the closest ramp back to her office and realized she'd have to walk farther than if she'd taken the stairs right in front of her." Based on this comment, the class created a model of our school in which we indicated where ramps were and where else they could be added.

As an entrance activity for one lesson, my students were tasked to think of anyone in their lives they knew who might utilize a wheelchair, have motor difficulties, or work with folks with physical difficulties. We then broke into a think-pair-share to discuss these people in our lives, and almost every student could name at least one individual. One student remarked, "This reminds me of Scottie, a local guy who uses an electric wheelchair-I never thought of how difficult it must be for him to go about his day. My aunt works with him on occasion. I'm proud of what she does." Many other students shared a similar sentiment and newfound respect for the struggles he must face daily.

One student even reached out to a local disability and employment agency and a university professor as part of the project to better understand the legal requirements of constructing outdoor ramps for people with disabilities. He wanted to better understand how to make the structures safe and effective.

Future Service Learning

Having observed this change in my students' attitudes, I am now rethinking the motivation of many of my other units across my classes: How can I best engage students to empathize with folks of different backgrounds within the overarching study of science?

Moving forward, I'm planning to create a survey for my students to brainstorm cultural topics that they are passionate about and then try to bring those topics into our academic studies. Perhaps our electricity unit could be wired into the struggles of some folks around the world to get adequate power. Our waves unit can be studied through the lens of providing internet to all members of our local community.

Certainly, this will take time, a lot of fine-tuning, and plenty of do-overs, but that's why we refer to our job as a "practice"-we're always trying to better and better address the broader needs of our students as they emerge as community members and future civic leaders. I expect a unit revamp to start with one lesson at a time, one project at a time, and these to take several hours to flesh out in any practical sense, but I look forward to this process over the second half of this school year.

I intend to more effectively orient my lessons toward service learning and through the lens of valuing the struggles of all members of our community. I hope my students can see the value of using science to come up with effective solutions to the problems we see.

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Setting Up Service Learning Projects in High School Physics

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Students can apply their knowledge of physics to solve problems in their communities-like studying inclined planes to gauge the effectiveness of wheelchair ramps in their school.

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This will aid in creating lesson plans that promote Self Awareness for students mental health and how to deal with the stressors of life and different ways of learning and teaching to benefit students lives.

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Darius the Great Is Not Okay-Book. This text helps spread Self Awareness about mental illness and struggling with emotions, depression, feeling like you don't belong, being denied opportunity because of privilege, cultural and personal identity, and the perspectives of families, and communities suffering from racial hatred.

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Darius the Great Is Not Okay — Adib Khorram Writes Books

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Darius the Great Is Not Okay Dial Books for Young Readers—Available Now

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Promote teaching students Self Awareness and good decisions that will benefit them. Decisions are often negatively effected by emotions they cannot control. Teach how to frame decisions by providing tools for examining their choices on how to address the systems of power that deny their growth, challenge oppression.

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

Some students need help when it comes to weighing pros and cons, and this simple decision-making matrix will help them sort things out.

Allison Shelley for the Alliance for Excellent Education

Many decisions are made unconsciously, and our emotions affect our choices and behavior.

The human brain doesn't fully develop until around the age of 25. Those older than 25 tend to rely on the prefrontal cortex (considered the rational part of the brain) to make informed and responsible decisions.

Children, teens, and young adults typically use the amygdala to make decisions. The amygdala is the region of the brain considered part of an "impulsive system" involved in decision-making that triggers emotional responses to immediate outcomes. This means that young people often lead with their emotions when making choices, since the link between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, which is needed for considering long-term consequences when weighing decisions, is still developing in their brains.

When discussing a popular social and emotional learning (SEL) framework, elementary and middle school teachers I work with frequently tell me they wish their students had a better decision-making process. They often say things like, "They are so impulsive" or "I wish they would have thought that out better."

Honestly, I've had similar thoughts about students and my own children, which caused me to take a deep dive into better understanding some of the science of how decisions are made. Here are some important takeaways about the role of emotions, which will help teachers tackle this critical component of SEL:

Without having a working knowledge of how to apply their emotional intelligence (EQ) skills, it can be very difficult for some elementary and middle school students to make good, calculated, and responsible decisions. To clarify, it's not that young people lack appropriate decision-making skills entirely. However, during high-stakes situations, their decisions may be affected by their emotions or a lack of understanding about possible outcomes.

For example, a decision made to elevate their social status might come at the expense of another classmate (e.g., teasing or bullying). Since a focus of SEL is both self and social awareness, we should help students explore the impact of their decisions on themselves and others.

A Responsible Decision-Making Matrix

Teachers can help young learners start thinking about how to frame their decisions by examining their choices, the alternatives, and the natural consequences of whichever path they choose by using a decision matrix. With practice using the tool as a framework, they'll internalize the process and develop a mindset for good decision-making.

The decision matrix, also known as the Pugh Matrix or Pugh concept selection, was created by Stuart Pugh, a design engineer, as a qualitative method used to rank the multidimensional choices of an option set. In other words, the tool is used to help make tough decisions.

Students can use my adaptation of the tool to make better decisions between up to three choices by weighing options and evaluating the impact (pros and cons) on themselves and others using a simple point system, with positive numbers for pros and negative ones for cons. After tallying their numbers, the decision with the highest score can be deemed the most responsible one.

In their initial practice with the tool, it's more effective when teachers or peers with know-how assist young children in comparing multiple options or criteria that need to be narrowed down to one responsible and good decision. A blank responsible decision-making matrix, or RDMM, with three rows and ample space for listing pros and cons can be downloaded here. There's also a completed example for further clarity. However, as you adapt this tool, feel free to make it your own.

And because we want students to know what to do in the future when confronted with similar difficult decisions, they will need to process their emotions by reflecting and focusing on the consequences of the choices in the decision matrix. Some ways they can reflect purposefully are through independent journaling, goal setting, and reflective conversations with trusted adults.

Incorporating RDMM Into Social and Emotional Learning

Keep it simple and include the RDMM in your SEL strategies for students. You can teach effective use of the tool early in the school year (or as needed) to students using the following steps:

1. Introduce the tool as an analytical framework for helping them make the best possible decisions.

2. Normalize the use of the tool for all students in your class by introducing it as a universal strategy and not a stigma.

3. Let them know that the decision matrix is versatile and can be applied to many different types of decisions-therefore, encourage them to use it both at home and in the classroom.

4. Model its use within various scenarios that they either have encountered or are most likely to encounter (e.g., bullying, conflict de-escalation, and choosing between the fun thing and the right thing). It's important to present authentic scenarios here-even have students role-play.

5. Take time to explain the point system for weighing the pros and cons (positive numbers for pros and negative ones for cons) by paying close attention to the rules of adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers -especially for younger children. Using a number line can be particularly helpful with early elementary students-also, model tallying in different scenarios and have them practice adding and subtracting with negative numbers.

6. Give students time and space to use the tool and incorporate reflection as part of the decision-making process. Having them list the pros and cons and talk through possible outcomes can be very helpful in this step.

Although at times we may be puzzled by the decisions of our students and cannot make their decisions for them, we can help them by providing them the tools they need for leading with EQ. As young people navigate through childhood and into adulthood, they will face many difficult and important decisions. Those with the least amount of parental/caregiver involvement may need your help the most. SEL combined with a decision-making tool can be a game changer.

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A Tool to Help Students Make Good Decisions

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Some students need help when it comes to weighing pros and cons, and this simple decision-making matrix will help them sort things out.

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Self Management-Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

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Self Management-Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

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This novel can help students gain a richer perspective on Self-Management through following Will, the main character, battle between right and wrong.

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The first name bits:

What Jason knows is that there are a lot - A LOT - of people, young, old, and in-between, who hate reading. He knows that many of these book haters are boys. He knows that many of these book-hating boys, don't actually hate books, they hate boredom. If you are reading this, and you happen to be one of these boys, first of all, you're reading this Jason's master plan is already working (muahahahahahaha) and second of all, know that Jason totally feels you. He REALLY does. Because even though he's a writer, he hates reading boring books too.

So here's what he plans to do: NOT WRITE BORING BOOKS.

That's it, and that's all.

Now, for the last name bits:

Jason Reynolds is an award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author. Jason's many books include Miles Morales: Spider Man, the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Correta Scott King Honor, and Look Both Ways, which was a National Book Award Finalist. His latest book, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, is a collaboration with Ibram X. Kendi. Recently named the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jason has appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and CBS This Morning. He is on faculty at Lesley University, for the Writing for Young People MFA Program and lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.

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Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Reynolds, Jason

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Developing Self-Management Skills: Activities for High School Students

As high school students navigate the challenges of academics, extracurricular activities, and personal growth, developing self-management skills becomes crucial for their success. Self-management skills empower students to effectively manage their time, stay organized, and handle stress, ultimately leading to improved academic performance and overall well-being. In this blog post, we will explore various self-management activities that high school students can engage in to enhance their skills and achieve their goals.

Understanding Self-Management Skills

Self-management skills refer to the ability to regulate one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in order to achieve desired outcomes. These skills encompass various components, including time management, organization, stress management, and goal-setting. By developing these skills, high school students can experience numerous benefits, such as improved focus, increased productivity, reduced stress levels, and enhanced self-confidence.

Self-management skills play a vital role in academic success and personal growth. In the academic realm, effective time management allows students to allocate their time wisely, complete assignments on time, and study efficiently. Organization strategies enable students to keep track of assignments, deadlines, and study materials, ensuring they are well-prepared for exams and projects. Stress management techniques equip students with the ability to handle pressure and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Finally, goal-setting and self-reflection exercises foster self-awareness, motivation, and a sense of purpose, guiding students towards their desired outcomes.

Self-Management Activities for High School Students

1. Time management techniques:

Creating a schedule or planner: Encourage students to create a visual representation of their daily, weekly, or monthly schedule. This can be done using a physical planner or digital tools such as calendar apps. By mapping out their commitments, students can effectively allocate time for studying, extracurricular activities, and personal interests.

Setting priorities and goals: Teach students the importance of identifying their priorities and setting realistic goals. By determining what tasks are most important and aligning them with their long-term objectives, students can focus their time and energy on activities that truly matter.

Breaking tasks into manageable chunks: Help students break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. This approach prevents overwhelm and allows students to make progress incrementally, increasing their motivation and sense of accomplishment.

2. Organization strategies:

Developing a system for keeping track of assignments and deadlines: Encourage students to use tools such as assignment notebooks, digital calendars, or task management apps to record their assignments, due dates, and any additional instructions. Regularly reviewing this system will help students stay on top of their workload.

Organizing study materials and resources: Teach students to create a system for organizing their study materials, such as using folders, binders, or digital folders. This ensures that they can easily access the resources they need for studying and review.

Maintaining a clean and organized workspace: Emphasize the importance of having a clutter-free workspace. A clean environment promotes focus and reduces distractions, allowing students to concentrate on their tasks more effectively.

3. Stress management techniques:

Deep breathing exercises: Teach students deep breathing techniques to help them manage stress and anxiety. Encourage them to take slow, deep breaths in through their nose and out through their mouth, focusing on their breath and allowing their body to relax.

Mindfulness and meditation practices: Introduce students to mindfulness and meditation exercises, such as guided meditations or body scans. These practices promote present-moment awareness, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.

Engaging in physical activities or hobbies: Encourage students to participate in physical activities or hobbies that they enjoy. Engaging in activities such as sports, yoga, painting, or playing a musical instrument can serve as a healthy outlet for stress and contribute to overall emotional well-being.

4. Goal-setting and self-reflection exercises:

Setting SMART goals: Teach students the concept of SMART goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Encourage them to set goals that are clear, realistic, and aligned with their personal aspirations.

Journaling and self-reflection prompts: Encourage students to keep a journal where they can reflect on their experiences, emotions, and progress. Provide prompts or questions to guide their reflections, such as "What are my strengths and areas for improvement?" or "What steps can I take to achieve my goals?"

Seeking feedback and adjusting goals accordingly: Encourage students to seek feedback from teachers, mentors, or peers. This feedback can help them gain insights into their progress and make necessary adjustments to their goals or strategies.

Implementing Self-Management Activities

1. Creating a supportive environment:

Involving parents, teachers, and mentors: Encourage open communication and collaboration between students, parents, teachers, and mentors. By involving these key individuals in the student's self-management journey, a support network can be established to provide guidance, encouragement, and accountability.

Establishing clear expectations and routines: Help students establish clear expectations and routines for managing their time, completing assignments, and engaging in self-management activities. Consistency and structure contribute to a sense of stability and facilitate the development of good habits.

Providing resources and tools for self-management: Ensure that students have access to resources and tools that support their self-management efforts. This may include providing them with planners, study guides, organizational apps, or access to online resources.

2. Encouraging self-awareness and self-monitoring:

Reflecting on strengths and areas for improvement: Encourage students to regularly reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement. This self-awareness allows them to capitalize on their strengths and identify areas where they can further develop their self-management skills.

Tracking progress and celebrating achievements: Help students track their progress towards their goals and celebrate their achievements along the way. This recognition reinforces their efforts and motivates them to continue practicing self-management skills.

Seeking help when needed and asking for support: Teach students the importance of recognizing when they need help and seeking support. Encourage them to reach out to teachers, mentors, or peers when they encounter challenges or feel overwhelmed.

Conclusion

Developing self-management skills is essential for high school students as they navigate the demands of academics and personal growth. By implementing the suggested self-management activities, students can enhance their time management, organization, stress management, and goal-setting skills. These skills not only contribute to academic success but also foster personal growth and well-being. Start your EverydaySpeech Free trial today and empower your high school students to become self-managers of their own lives.

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Developing Self-Management Skills: Activities for High School Students | Everyday Speech

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Developing Self-Management Skills: Activities for High School Students Developing Self-Management Skills: Activities for High School Students As high school students navigate the challenges of academics, extracurricular activities, and personal growth, developing self-management skills becomes crucial for their success. Self-management skills empower students to effectively manage their time, stay organized, and handle stress, ultimately leading to [...]

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 Dr. Gates discusses the National Society of Black Physicists

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 Dr. Gates discusses the National Society of Black Physicists

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11. Creates curricular content that invites students to explore complex identities and discusses histories critically through analysis of power, opportunity, denial, and privilege

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Jim Gates and the National Society of Black Physicists

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This podcast discusses the importance of understanding the racial, ethnic, class, religious, ability, and gender identities of students.

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Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Sponsored by PowerSchool and ViewSonic

These last few weeks have been especially difficult for me as the news continues to reflect that racism still exists in 2020. I've witnessed video footage of Ahmaud Arbery shot and killed while jogging, George Floyd murdered by the police, and Christian Cooper harassed while bird watching in Central Park. As we think about the next generation of adults we are influencing, particularly our White students, now more than ever, we need to teach more than kindness.

As an equity advocate, I have lots of conversations about culturally responsive teaching and multicultural education. Not too long ago while I was consulting with an elementary school principal she said, "Multicultural Education is nice, but we are well over 90% White at my school."

A common myth regarding multicultural education is that it is about helping students of color see themselves within the content. But multicultural education is about more than just race: It refers to any form of learning or teaching that incorporates the histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives of people from different cultural backgrounds ( Glossary of Education Reform). And even if the majority of your students are White, it doesn't mean we shouldn't teach from a multicultural perspective.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not advocating for a bunch of Kumbaya moments in the classroom. This is not a post about how we need to teach students to embrace diversity and love each other. It's about the influence we can and should have on our students. Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings taught us that we teach what we value. Therefore, we are part of the problem if we refuse to teach about antiracism and speak out against police brutality. Our students look up to us as adults, and many of our students mimic our behavior. If we are silent around social justice matters, we send a loud message to our students about where we stand as these issues impact many of the communities we serve.

In fact, we need to go beyond multicultural education. In this 2017 interview, Zaretta Hammond differentiates between multicultural education and social justice education, which provides "a lens for the student, really being able to look at the world and seeing where things aren't fair or where injustice exists." To ensure the changes our society is hurting for, we need to give our White students both multicultural and social justice education. Additionally, Dr. James Banks, the father of multicultural education, advocates for educators to teach our students about social and civic action. Ensuring that students engage in multiple perspectives without coupling their learning with civic engagement does not complete the process of developing socially just citizens who are willing to take a stance against the mistreatment of others. We need to help our students find ways they can take action in response to what they have learned.

Going back to the principal I was speaking with about whether there was a need for multicultural education at her school, I was thinking, "This is why multicultural and social justice education is so important!" Even with her assumptions that because there wasn't a lot of racial representation at her school, does that mean the small percentage of students of color don't matter to her? If that's the case, what would her teachers say? Would they support her sentiments?

Why Multicultural Education is 100% Relevant in All-White Schools

"Whiteness" is Complex

When someone asks why multicultural education is needed at a predominately White school, an assumption is being made that White people are a homogenous group. But White people are as heterogeneous as other racial and ethnic groups: there's socioeconomic status, gender and sexual orientation, identity, religion, language, age, and disability, to name a few. All of those represent different cultures. Sometimes, when you're in a dominant culture and used to things being a certain way, you don't necessarily think about your ancestry or heritage and how things have changed over time. And because conditions have changed over time, it may appear that Whiteness is Whiteness, but there are so many different cultures embedded within that broad category.

I think it's essential that we help teach our White students about their ancestors and the origins of when their families first arrived in the United States. The languages, the cultures, the traditions, all those things don't necessarily have to be lost. They can be retrieved.

Let's go back to the 1790s, where the first census was started. With the first US Census, they classified race. The classifying of race allowed those in power to determine or allow a few rights: Who gets the right to get jobs? Who gets the right to marry? Who gets the right to own property? That's how the social construct of race started.

Above is a view of Europeans, or some of the first immigrants, who were coming from various countries. And if you look at the picture, they're White people, right? But they're coming from multiple countries. At this time, there were several languages represented. You had folks that came from Italy, Germany, Russia, England, and so on. There were all types of cultures coming into the United States.

There were also various forms of religions represented when the Europeans began to arrive in the US. In Russia, you had the Orthodox church. In England, you had the Anglican church. When they first came, they weren't willing to give up their culture and become this one White race. They held onto their traditions, values, and beliefs. But we see that over time, things have changed to where White supremacy and racial hierarchies began to form. Today, there are a lot of families who have European origins that may not necessarily speak the language from their original land of ancestry because those things might have been lost over generations.

Multicultural Literacy Is a Separate and Necessary Literacy

The concept of "literacy" is broad. Still, it can be divided into many different sub-categories. One of these is multicultural literacy, the ability to uncover biases relating to culture, and the skills to view the world through different cultural perspectives.

Dr. Robin DiAngelo says, "Historically reinforced ideologies such as individualism and color-blindness have left many White people racially illiterate but racially conscious when perceiving other racialized groups." So because they're in the dominant culture, they don't necessarily have to think about race, but they'll maybe notice racial issues that are not related to Whiteness.

In other words, maybe they might notice police brutality in a Black community. Perhaps they might see issues of race with Islamophobia and discrimination. But we want our students to do more than notice; responding to issues of racism, prejudice, and discrimination is essential.

Having literacy in this area is also key for equipping White students to participate more actively in conversations about racial justice. If they are not regularly exposed to these conversations, they are less likely to speak up on this topic. White friends and colleagues tell me all the time that they want to say something when racism and equity come up, but they often hold back because they don't know what to say or are afraid to say the wrong thing. With a higher level of multicultural literacy, our students will build more confidence.

What We've Been Doing Isn't Enough

Although multicultural education certainly isn't new, it's clear that what we've been doing up to this point hasn't been enough.

As recently as a few weeks ago, there have been instances of White people utilizing the police as a means to address their encounters with people of color. The underlying issue of racism is apparent in many of these instances. Discussing current events and helping White students understand why they should also be upset at discrimination and racism may prevent a continuous cycle of White people remaining silent and complicit when issues happen that do not directly impact them.

These conversations are essential to have. It's also critical to teach students about becoming allies and co-conspirators, especially at the middle and high school levels. It might be a little bit difficult with your first and second graders, and maybe your kindergartners, but I think there are some messages you could still portray to your students even at that age.

What Can Multicultural Education Teach Our White Students?

We've already established multicultural education goes beyond race. There's so much within the concept of "culture," and we must help our White students understand how race can impact them and how they can actively use whatever privilege they have to reduce issues of racism, discrimination, and bigotry.

1. Understanding Their Own Cultural and Ethnic Background

It's not uncommon for White people to say, Oh, I'm just White. I don't have a culture. We need to teach our White students about what their cultural background is and their ethnic backgrounds so they can understand and think about their language and religions going back to their ancestry. Lessons on their culture may help them start to understand how privilege and White supremacy began. So begin with going back and taking some time to help your students understand that. You can also work with students by exploring community history and cultural influence.

One of the things you can teach your students, your White students, is in history. Many White immigrants have been accused of marginalizing other White immigrants. For example, the Irish and Italians were mistreated, discriminated, and marginalized against by other White immigrants. If we can teach our White students how their ancestors might have perpetuated that oppression or perhaps were part of that oppression against each other, maybe that will help them understand a little bit how in 2020, oppression continues to exist to those who are not included in the dominant culture. They can kind of see how the "haves" and the "have nots" happened back then. One of the things we want to do is help students relate items from their background knowledge and be able to bring those to light.

2. Studying Implicit Bias in Everyday Language

Another thing we can do is discuss everyday language. How are words associated with white and black used? Words such as blackmail, blackballed, or blacklisted have different connotations than words like white labeled or whitelisted. We can have students examine how these words may spark negative perceptions based on their meanings and associations.

Consider how words such as "alien" or "immigrant" may trigger the thoughts of someone of Mexican descent. These types of stereotypes in our language may trigger our Latinx community. The same rule applies to phrases like "You should speak up more, you're so quiet" to an Asian student.

The language we use every day may not seem significant because of the implicit biases we have developed in our lives. The words we use daily are influenced by how we were raised, our social circle, and the media. We may not notice how some of the words we use may have adverse effects on particular groups of people (stereotypes, derogatory language, etc.). We can teach students about implicit bias and how to overcome bias in our language usage.

3. Examining Representation in Curriculum and Beyond

Let's take a look at our school curriculum. Have your students investigate how various cultural groups are represented in the school's curriculum. Lead these discussions with your students and have them understand it because a lot of times, that's not a thing we think about. When we are discussing representation in the school's curriculum, allow opportunities for a dialogue beyond heterosexual, cisgender, Christian-based educational norms. Instead, talk about subjects that aren't reflected, such as disabilities, and how they are depicted in the curriculum. How are people from the LGBTQ community portrayed or even acknowledged in the content? Chimamanda Adichie talks about the danger of a single story. We need to make sure that we can bring in various perspectives in our curriculum and instruction.

If students find minimal to no representation of certain groups in the curriculum, discuss ways to bring in a variety of multicultural perspectives. The website We Need Diverse Books is an excellent resource for building a more inclusive classroom library, and Milner published an article that discusses developing a multicultural curriculum for an all-White classroom.

From there, you can expand your communications by discussing popular culture and how various groups are represented in multiple media outlets such as the news, music, movies, and social media. Have them study or research certain groups and how the articles that come up and the titles of those articles. What do the reports say versus other articles about various groups?

4. Understanding and Recognizing Privilege

A combination of multicultural and social justice education can help students see the trouble with implicit racism and how even though they are not doing anything actively racist, they are still benefiting from a legacy of racism. Calling the cops to say that "an African American man is threatening me and my dog" is a result of White privilege. Knowing that Black people have historically been mistreated by law enforcement and using that knowledge to one's advantage is inhumane.

Teaching White students about power and privilege may be a touchy subject for some as White guilt and fragility may seep into the mindset of White teachers and students. However, we must learn to "disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed." Starting at a young age, we can help our students learn to understand that not everyone has access and the same opportunities as others. Students as young as six years old can learn about race and class. And this work doesn't have to be limited to social studies class. We can embed these principles in all subjects, including mathematics.

5. Dismantling Racism

It is not enough to teach White children to embrace racial and cultural diversity. We've got to go beyond cultural competency. "Children must also develop individual and group identities that will recognize and resist the false notions of superiority and racial entitlement" (Derman-Sparks, Ramsey, and Edwards, 2011). Because today we have to teach our students how to be antiracist and how to work to dismantle racism actively.

Invest in meaningful dialogue that brings awareness to issues impacting both local and global communities. Additionally, a social justice-minded educator teaches their students to develop their own socio-cultural consciousness and advocacy skills so they can advocate for themselves and others.

For elementary students, that action may include students committing to do more than not bully or laugh at each other. They may also commit to bystander intervention by stepping in and helping their peers who they see are being mistreated. We can help our students take a stance instead of just teaching them to be kind to each other and not engage in activities that include mistreating others.

For secondary students, action may include writing their school board about their concerns and calls for change. A strong student group organized with a mission and objectives goes a long way toward challenging institutional practices that are unjust toward certain groups. On local and national scales, have students engage in lessons that address mass incarceration, police brutality, civil rights, immigration, racism, healthcare disparities, unequal pay issues, trauma, suicide, drug abuse, and women's rights, and privilege.

Sometimes we teach our students how to be kind to others, embrace diversity, and respect differences. We can go beyond that by teaching our White students how to be antiracist actively and do their part to support advocacy towards social justice and reform. The foundation for teaching our students how to engage in these practices actively is by helping students understand their White racial identity and positionality in society. From there, students may have a better understanding of the need for a multicultural approach in education and what they can do to find their voice and role in creating a socially just society.

Additional Resources
Framing Brave Conversations About Race and Ethnicity 8 Ways Teachers Can Address White Supremacy in the Classroom Teaching About Racism, Antisemitism and White Supremacy How Does Race Affect a Student's Math Education? Curriculum for White Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activity for Project Based Learning Racism No Way: Anti-racism Activities, Years 3-12 How Should I Talk About Race in My Mostly White Classroom?
Learn more from Sheldon Eakins on his website, the Leading Equity Center, where he offers resources, courses, and his podcast, the Leading Equity Podcast.

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Why White Students Need Multicultural and Social Justice Education

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Sponsored by PowerSchool and ViewSonic These last few weeks have been especially difficult for me as the news continues to reflect that racism still exists in 2020. I've witnessed video footage of Ahmaud Arbery shot and killed while jogging, George Floyd murdered by the police, and Christian Cooper harassed while bird watching in Central Park.

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Foster knowledge, skills, and attitudes across five areas of social and emotional competence;

Establish equitable learning environments and coordinate practices across four key settings that support students' social, emotional, and academic development.

Download more information on the framework (available in and Spanish).

Use our reflection protocol to facilitate a discussion on implementation efforts in your school, district, or other setting.

Read more about the 2020 update to our framework, which highlighted the potential of SEL in promoting educational equity and excellence.

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Communities

Communities. Community partners often provide safe and developmentally rich settings for learning and development, have deep understanding of community needs and assets, are seen as trusted partners by families and students, and have connections to additional supports and services that school and families need. Community programs also offer opportunities for young people to practice their social and emotional skills in settings that are both personally relevant and can open opportunities for their future. To integrate SEL efforts across the school day and out-of-school time, school staff and community partners should align on common language and coordinate strategies and communication around SEL-related efforts and initiatives.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL - Community Partnerships

Families & Caregivers

Families & Caregivers. When schools and families form authentic partnerships, they can build strong connections that reinforce students' social and emotional development. Families and caregivers are children's first teachers, and bring deep expertise about their development, experiences, culture, and learning needs. These insights and perspectives are critical to informing, supporting, and sustaining SEL efforts. Research suggests that evidence-based SEL programs are more effective when they extend into the home, and families are far more likely to form partnerships with schools when their schools' norms, values, and cultural representations reflect their own experiences. Schools need inclusive decision-making processes that ensure that families-particularly those from historically marginalized groups-are part of planning, implementing, and continuously improving SEL.

Schools can also create other avenues for family partnership that may include creating ongoing two-way communication with families, helping caregivers understand child development, helping teachers understand family backgrounds and cultures, providing opportunities for families to volunteer in schools, extending learning activities and discussions into homes, and coordinating family services with community partners. These efforts should engage families in understanding, experiencing, informing, and supporting the social and emotional development of their students.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL - Family Partnerships

Schools

Schools. Effectively integrating SEL schoolwide involves ongoing planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement by all members of the school community. SEL efforts both contribute to and depend upon a school climate where all students and adults feel respected, supported, and engaged.

Because the school setting includes many contexts-classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, playground, bus-fostering a healthy school climate and culture requires active engagement from all adults and students. A strong school culture is rooted in students' sense of belonging, with evidence that suggests that it plays a crucial role in students' engagement. SEL also offers an opportunity to enhance existing systems of student support by integrating SEL goals and practices with universal, targeted, and intensive academic and behavioral supports. By coordinating and building upon SEL practices and programs, schools can create an environment that infuses SEL into every part of students' educational experience and promotes positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes for all students.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL

Classrooms

Classrooms. Research has shown that social and emotional competence can be enhanced using a variety of classroom-based approaches such as: (a) explicit instruction through which social and emotional skills and attitudes are taught and practiced in developmentally, contextually, and culturally responsive ways; (b) teaching practices such as cooperative learning and project-based learning; and (c) integration of SEL and academic curriculum such as language arts, math, science, social studies, health, and performing arts. High-quality SEL instruction has four elements represented by the acronym SAFE: Sequenced - following a coordinated set of training approaches to foster the development of competencies; Active - emphasizing active forms of learning to help students practice and master new skills; Focused - implementing curriculum that intentionally emphasizes the development of SEL competencies; and Explicit - defining and targeting specific skills, attitudes, and knowledge.

SEL instruction is carried out most effectively in nurturing, safe environments characterized by positive, caring relationships among students and teachers. To facilitate age-appropriate and culturally responsive instruction, adults must understand and appreciate the unique strengths and needs of each student and support students' identities. When adults incorporate students' personal experiences and cultural backgrounds and seek their input, they create an inclusive classroom environment where students are partners in the educational process, elevating their own agency. Strong relationships between adults and students can facilitate co-learning, foster student and adult growth, and generate collaborative solutions to shared concerns.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Effective SEL Programs

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness: The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one's strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

Such as:

Integrating personal and social identities

Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets

Identifying one's emotions

Demonstrating honesty and integrity

Linking feelings, values, and thoughts

Examining prejudices and biases

Experiencing self-efficacy

Having a growth mindset

Developing interests and a sense of purpose

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Self-Management

Self-management: The abilities to manage one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacities to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal and collective goals.

Such as:

Managing one's emotions

Identifying and using stress management strategies

Exhibiting self-discipline and self-motivation

Setting personal and collective goals

Using planning and organizational skills

Showing the courage to take initiative

Demonstrating personal and collective agency

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Social Awareness

Social awareness: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

Such as:

Taking others' perspectives

Recognizing strengths in others

Demonstrating empathy and compassion

Showing concern for the feelings of others

Understanding and expressing gratitude

Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones

Recognizing situational demands and opportunities

Understanding the influences of organizations and systems on behavior

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Responsible Decision-Making

Responsible decision-making: The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being.

Such as:

Demonstrating curiosity and open-mindedness

Learning how to make a reasoned judgment after analyzing information, data, and facts

Identifying solutions for personal and social problems

Anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one's actions

Recognizing how critical thinking skills are useful both inside and outside of school

Reflecting on one's role to promote personal, family, and community well-being

Evaluating personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Relationship Skills

Relationship skills: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed.

Such as:

Communicating effectively

Developing positive relationships

Demonstrating cultural competency

Practicing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving

Resolving conflicts constructively

Resisting negative social pressure

Showing leadership in groups

Seeking or offering support and help when needed

Standing up for the rights of others

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Social & Emotional Learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.

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Our SEL framework, known to many as the "CASEL wheel," helps cultivate skills and environments that advance students' learning and development.

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Benefits of SEL Integration and Mental Health

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Benefits of SEL Integration and Mental Health

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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This article gives five helpful ways to build relationships with ELL's and their peers, to create an inclusive classroom.

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5 Habits to Build Relationships with ELLs and ALL Students!

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How can teachers build relationships with English language learners to help them feel safe and ready to learn? Valentina Gonzalez shares 5 proven techniques.

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The overarching theme that connects our curriculum/resources is "Wellness." Specifically, we are looking at each aspect of the Social & Emotional Learning wheel. Since we have five members in our group, we each will relate our sources to one of the core social and emotional competencies within the wheel, ensuring that we encapsulate the many parts of wellness so that we can provide an array of resources to both educators and students. This will connect student and teacher relationships and build a cohesive classroom through personal and social wellness.

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Social Emotional Learning Video Lessons - Self-Management Week 3

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Fostering Relationships in an English Classroom

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Fostering Relationships in an English Classroom

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This website provides different ways for teachers to foster relationships in a classroom. It provides 6 different activities: Sharing weekly reflections, introducing me/3 objects, "I am" Project, "Find someone in the class who" scavenger hunt, 2 truths and a lie, 4 squares. This resource ties in with CRSP (#1) through the fostering of interpersonal dialogue, relationships of trust and sense of community among students and adults.

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Fostering Relationships in the Classroom

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Blogger Larry Ferlazzo and fellow teacher Katie Hull Sypnieski, in another excerpt from their book “The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide,” share six fun ways to help students develop positive, trusting and enriching classroom relationships.

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This website provides strategies to differentiate building relationships with ELLs. This ties into CRSP (#10) through promoting cultural identity and heritage through affirmation of student language acquisition experiences.

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One of the biggest topics that educators are thinking about this year is the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL). Building relationships with students is a key aspect of SEL for students of all ages.

The good news is that there are a lot of ideas educators can try now and throughout the year. You might think of it as "going slow to go fast" - a process that not only builds confidence and community but increases engagement and supports students' later academic success.

What's in this article

We have compiled some of these ideas and resources for building relationships with English language learners (ELLs) and their classmates below in the following strategies:

Before getting started

As you read, keep in mind that many of the following activities can be differentiated for varying language proficiency levels. These strategies offer opportunities for:

And we encourage you to keep in mind Kristina Robertson's popular piece of advice: try just one new thing at a time!

Note: This article was originally written for online and hybrid settings. For tips on using these strategies in distance learning, see our recommendations at the end of the article.

Essential Question

As you read this article, consider the following essential question:
In what ways can I build strong relationships with multilingual students this year?
Strategies: Getting to Know Students

Share your stories!

If you try any ideas from this article, we'd love to hear how it went! Post your story on social media here:

Show respect for your students by taking time to learn how to pronounce and spell their names correctly. Ensure that students' names are written correctly in student databases, especially as schools move to more online systems. A misspelled name can impact the services and instruction a student receives.

When you ask students to say their name, listen carefully and repeat it until you get it right.

Ask students to record their names for you so that you can hear their pronunciation. (You can ask them to send you a voice recording or use an online platform like NameCoach.) Share recordings with colleagues who work with the students so that they also pronounce the students' names correctly.

Model the correct pronunciation of students' names to the class so that all students can say it correctly.

Use students' names when greeting them each day.

Consider asking students to share examples of how people mispronounce their name and how that makes them feel.

Learn more about different naming conventions in your students' cultures and languages.

Refrain from coming up with a nickname or a version of the name that's easier for you to say.

Project ideas:

Assign a multimedia or written project in which students share:

If your students are using technology, this is a good way to introduce online platforms they will be using this year.

You might also read aloud books from our booklists on names for children and young adults. After listening, students can record, write, or draw stories about their own names.

Using tech: SeeSaw can be used with primary grades. SeeSaw has related activities already prepared in their "Activity Bank," such as " Your Name is Everything You Are."

For older students, consider using:

What are your students' experiences, interests, hobbies, talents, goals, and strengths? Tapping into these " funds of knowledge" can:

foster relationships, friendships, and student confidence

make students' strengths more visible to peers and educators

engage students across the curriculum.

For example, the children of migrant farmworkers might have a wealth of knowledge about agriculture, seasonal harvest, and different regions of the country. (You can learn more about " funds of knowledge" from this helpful guide.)

Bring these topics into the class by:

giving students a chance to share their interests or strengths in surveys, peer interviews, writing prompts, and art projects

encouraging students to express themselves by decorating a virtual locker or bringing in something they can hang on the wall of the classroom

talking with family members about their child's interests and talents

talking with members of the students' communities about their insights

providing time for students to discuss current events of interest

learning more about culturally responsive practice (and what it looks like during a pandemic).

Note: See some great strategies from Judie Haynes and Carol Salva that incorporate these ideas into activities to start this coming new school year.

Project ideas:

Ask students to share a photo or drawing of themselves that is important to them and to explain why. (You can learn more about this strategy that ELD Team Lead Cindy Close in Douglas County, CO shared with us from Education Week.)

For a more in-depth assignment, ask students to create a project focused on one of their hobbies, interests, or talents that they can share with the class. Some examples might include a collage, a short presentation, poem, or a short video.

Using tech: The platforms mentioned under strategy one will work well for these ideas. You might also consider:

a digital photo album site, such as Google photos

a digital collage site, like PicCollage

a photo finding mission app, like Plum's Photo Hunt

Flipgrid, where students can post their digital picture while they talk about why that picture or object is important to them.

You can welcome students' languages by learning a few words or phrases, such as a greeting or how to say "thank you," or asking them to teach you and their peers some words. They will appreciate the gesture and enjoy being the teacher (and the expert) for a change!

This not only highlights the language skills that your student has, it celebrates the gift of multilingualism and gives other student a chance to think about what it is like to go through the day learning in a different language. (Learn more in our section on what it feels like to be a language learner.)

You might also look for places where you can display flags from students' countries or other photos that are meaningful for students.

Project ideas:

Create a classroom bulletin board, either online or on the wall, where students and families can add homemade signs to a world map with important words such as "hello," "friend," and "thank you." (Thank you to Amanda Goman for sharing this idea on Twitter!)

Tech ideas: Look for ways to create and decorate a shared virtual space or virtual bulletin boards with tools such as Padlet, Corkulous, or Bitmoji. (Note that some of Bitmoji's avatars are not appropriate for students, especially of younger ages.) Various Google Classroom tools include places to save images as well.

Provide opportunities for students to share important traditions throughout the year. You may wish to ask students early in the year what their favorite holidays are and then plan a lesson on that holiday with their family. Look for these opportunities throughout the year and across the curriculum, as well as including them as a part of family outreach events.

Project ideas:

Invite students and families to prepare a presentation or respond to a writing prompt about:

a family story, folktale, or local legend

a favorite saying, poem, or song from their native language

a recipe

a family or holiday tradition.

Tech ideas: Any of the creation tools mentioned above could be used for these projects.

The demands on teachers of ELLs this year will be many; however, making time for regular personal interaction with students will strengthen your ability to deliver effective, meaningful instruction and keep in touch with them during a fluid situation. To help carve out this time:

talk with colleagues and administrators about ways to fit that interaction into instruction, office hours, or family engagement

look for opportunities to co-teach or collaborate with colleagues or paraprofessionals to use time efficiently

consider using phone calls, blogs, messaging, or other forms of written communication with students as a way to check in

collect examples of success and share them with administrators to advocate for more time if needed.

Project ideas:

Ask students to prepare 3-5 (appropriate!) questions they would like to ask you in an interview, such as your favorite food, a favorite toy from childhood, or a book you enjoyed reading. After reviewing and approving their questions, schedule time for them to interview you, in person or online, which they can share with the class through a written summary, video, or presentation. If time allows, you may wish to interview them as well!

Tech ideas: Brainstorming questions would work well in small groups on Jamboard, a digital whiteboard that is a Google extension. Interviews could be done orally asynchronously via Flipgrid or Voxer, a voice messaging app for phone or desktop. Final video could be posted on any of the creation apps listed above (Seesaw, Nearpod, Peardeck, Buncee, etc.)

Strategies: Connecting Experiences to Learning

Once you get a better sense of your students' life experiences, you can connect them to learning by:

looking for ways to connect these interests to the curriculum

asking students to brainstorm ideas on what they would like to study

using an inquiry-based or project-based learning approach that allows students to take the lead in identifying a question or problem to solve/research

assigning students research projects that focus on issues or concepts that apply to their own community

identifying community assets, guest speakers, or local organizations that can support this learning

offering students opportunities to present their work in public, whether to classmates, parents, or community members.

Project ideas:

Consider taking on a classwide project (or group projects) that students help plan and design to address a topic or concern of interest.

Tech ideas: Use Jamboard to brainstorm questions students want to answer in their project or inquiry. Once the questions are posted on Jamboard, they can sort and categorize the questions. Jamboard allows students to post a sticky note and see what others are posting in real time. This can be used in break out groups and/or asynchronously.

Sharing personal stories can be powerful experiences for students and their classmates as well. Provide opportunities for students to share their stories both privately and publicly, whether through artwork, in writing, or in conversation. If a student shares some difficult experiences, consider whether more support is needed through follow-up conversations with families or counseling.
Notes of caution
If you do invite students to share personal stories:

Attend to student cues on whether they wish to share their personal experiences with classmates: Many students have endured traumatic experiences that they may not wish to share. Explain at the beginning of any storytelling activity that it is voluntary and provide alternative assignments as needed. Some students may be willing to share their experiences with their peers or in a more public format such as school assemblies, the school newspaper, or self-published books.

Be aware of the "dangers of a single story": Be mindful of what Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie calls "the danger of a single story" in her 2009 TED talk; in other words, when learning about a student's life story, remember that your own experiences and assumptions, as well as the stories of other individuals, may not reflect your student's life. In addition, students who have the same racial background, speak the same language, or who hail from the same country may not have much in common, and in fact may experience some tension if they come from different groups with histories of conflict.

Don't single students out because of their identity: Never put students on the spot as a "representative" of their race, gender, ethnic group, gender identity, country of origin, experience, or other aspect of their identity. Honor students' experiences and perspectives for what they are, especially if those experiences and perspectives challenge your assumptions.

Project ideas:

Work with students to present a brief personal story they want to share in writing, artwork, video, or audio. This small project may grow into a larger, longer project, such as an autobiography project or yearbook project (which could work well online!).
Tech ideas:

Storybird is an easy to use digital storytelling platform that allows students to create stories with characters and elements provided by dragging, dropping, and writing in your story.

Make Beliefs Comics is a comic strip storytelling platform.

Book Creator is an iPad app that can be used with young students.

There is a lot of attention on social-emotional learning right now for good reason. All students have experienced disruption to some level in their social and academic lives, and many students have also experienced hardship, loss, illness, trauma, and deep levels of stress and anxiety. As district leader Nathaniel Provencio notes in the video below, creating a supportive, nurturing environment for your students, regardless of setting, is a critical step in helping them navigate the uncertainty of the coming year.

Some ideas include:

keeping a calm and predictable environment

creating calm corners

preparing students for transitions

giving students sensory and stretch breaks

teaching tools for mindfulness and stress relief, such as breathing exercises or visualizations

sharing resources such as this "virtual calming room"

encouraging students to show kindness, develop empathy, and share appreciation for each other

encouraging your students to identify and focus on their strengths and resilience, as discussed above

In addition, keep an eye out for situations in which students may need additional support from counselors. Learn more about the impacts of COVID-19 on immigrant families and these trauma-informed school strategies during COVID-19 from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

Project ideas:

Ask students to share an experience through writing or discussion about a time that they overcame a difficulty or reached a goal. Ask them to reflect on what made that achievement possible.

Tech ideas: Use one of the storytelling platforms above so that students can share this experience as a story or their own superhero comic.

Many educators use circle time as a chance to check in and learn more about how students are doing. We have also heard from middle and high school educators that advisory periods offer powerful opportunities to connect with students. One ELL educator shared that her colleagues at the high school level were reluctant take on advisory periods. However, in a survey at the end of the year, the overwhelming majority favored keeping the advisory periods as a way of getting to know students better throughout the year.

In addition, other educators use private mailboxes, student mood charts, journal entries, and other personal ways for students to let teachers know how they are doing.

As you work with ELLs, make sure that all students have opportunities to participate in these activities and scaffold their participating with strategies such as offering sentence frames for discussion to help scaffold students' participation.

Project ideas:

Think about different topics and questions to use during circle time or advisory, perhaps alternating between general updates and focused activities. You also wish to invite students to come up with topics and themes.

Another teacher, Jorge Bermudez, shares his alternative high school's experience with rethinking their advisory periods in the video below.

Offering students opportunities to reflect about own identity can help create an " identity-safe classroom " and also lay important groundwork for later discussions. It can also challenge the notion of "color blindness," a perspective which ignores important aspects of students' identity and experiences. When discussing identity:

Honor students' experiences and perspectives for what they are.

Avoid assumptions. Dr. Ayanna Cooper speaks more about this in her interview clips below about Black immigrant students.

Never put students on the spot as a "representative" of any aspect of their identity or experience.

Become familiar with some of the myths related to ELLs and immigrant students. If needed, share these with colleagues.

Keep in mind that students may be masking some part of their identity. For example, some Indigenous students from Latin America may not share their Indigenous culture or language with the school, or the fact that Spanish is not their first language.

Project ideas:

Look for ideas that fit your classroom in the following collection of resources:
Elementary School Middle and High School Professional development and collaboration
Closing Thoughts

There will be a lot of trial and error in the coming year. As Kristina Roberston says below, if something doesn't work, go back to the drawing board and try again! Don't let those bumps discourage you from continuing to build the critical connections that you, your students, and your families need this year. They may just be what helps everyone get through a school year like no other!

Discussion/Reflection Questions

What is one takeaway that resonates with you from this article?

What is one activity you might try?

What strategies have you used in the past to build strong relationships with students? How might you adapt them this year?

What will be hardest about building relationships this year with students and families?

What are you feeling nervous about year?

What are you looking forward to this year?

More Recommended Resources

Social-emotional resources

Interactive strategies for building relationships & distance learning

Recommended blogs

Getting to know your ELLs and their families

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Kristina Robertson, Becky Corr, Susan Lafond, Areli Schermerhorn, and Beth Skelton for their contributions to this article.

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10 Strategies for Building Relationships with ELLs

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One of the biggest topics that educators are thinking about this year is the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL). Building relationships with students is a key aspect of SEL for students of all ages. The good news is that there are a lot of ideas educators can try now and throughout the year.

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3. Recognizes the positionally of the instructor and acknowledges power dynamics in the classroom and with families.

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Social Awareness: An Introductory Guide | Positive Action

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Discover the basics of social awareness and learn how to apply it in your everyday life with this comprehensive guide from Positive Action

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Integrating Self Management into Primary and Secondary Education

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Integrating Self Management into Primary and Secondary Education

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This file provides strategies for educators of how to implement self-management skills into a classroom.

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9. Promotes non-essentializing conceptualizations of culture, including multiple cultural dimensions (e.g. racial, ethnic, class, religious, ability, and gender).

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Physicist Mary James was a sophomore at Hampshire College in Massachusetts in 1974 when a professor encouraged her to apply for a prestigious internship at a world-class laboratory. Such competitive internships are often an essential step to becoming an academic scientist, which was her goal. But for a young Black woman from Chicago, the idea of spending 10 weeks at what is now called the SLAC National Linear Accelerator Laboratory in California seemed far-fetched.

"I had never been west of the Mississippi," she says. "And the brochure was so intimidating that I thought, 'This isn't even worth a stamp,'" James recalls. But her Hampshire professor kept pushing her to apply, and the next year she did-and was accepted. Spending two summers at SLAC set her on the road to earning a Ph.D. from Stanford University and then to Reed College, where she's been a faculty member for 35 years.

Nearly a half-century later, James can still recall a lunch at SLAC that cemented her future. "A bunch of us students were sitting at the grown-ups' table," she says, "eavesdropping on a very lively conversation, when I had an epiphany: 'They are getting paid to do this.' I hadn't realized you could make a living doing physics."

James also didn't realize that the internships were making her more acceptable to the white male "priesthood" that sets the discipline's culture. That culture, which has historically excluded people who look like James, expects students to meet a certain standard. And rather than giving students the help they need, James and other Black physicists say, the priesthood too often decides that those students are unworthy of joining the profession.

That way of thinking is so common in physics that it even has a name. Diversity scholars call it the deficit model, and they say it's a major reason fewer than 4% of all undergraduate physics degrees awarded by U.S. institutions go to Black men and women. Sadly, that underrepresentation is getting worse: A 2020 report by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) found Black people now comprise a smaller slice of those degrees than they did 2 decades ago.

James was co-chair of AIP's National Task Force to Elevate African American Representation in Undergraduate Physics & Astronomy (TEAM-UP), which wrote the report. It calls on physicists to reject the deficit model and replace it with something that assigns them primary responsibility for diversifying their profession. Black students "have the same drive, motivation, intellect, and capability to obtain physics and astronomy degrees as students of other races and ethnicities," the report says. "[But] they are choosing majors that are perceived as being more supportive and/or rewarding."

"Black students don't need to be fixed," James says, driving home the point. "We know that there are a robust number of African American students capable of doing physics because they are majoring in other STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] fields. So instead of trying to change them, let's talk about why they are turned off by the environment in physics and work to change that."

The TEAM-UP report recommends several ways to improve that environment. One is for departments to help students develop what it calls a "physics identity"-the ability to see themselves as a future member of the profession. Another is for physics professors to abandon their traditional role as gatekeepers who only let the "best" students advance and instead find ways to attract and retain a more diverse group of students.

Students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) take that kind of nurturing for granted, says Arlisa Richardson, who also served on the TEAM-UP task force. Richardson is a physics professor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and an alumna of Grambling State University, an HBCU in Louisiana. "At Grambling, people were rooting for us and helping us deal with any problems," says Richardson, who nearly dropped out of physics during graduate school at a predominantly white institution because of what she and a small cohort of other Black students regarded as a hostile learning environment. Richardson has spent the past decade at Chandler trying "to re-create the experience I had at Grambling," she says, "by providing students with a welcoming environment, hands-on learning, clubs that are student-led, and free tutoring."

Even before the TEAM-UP report, some academic physicists had begun to take similar steps. At Vanderbilt University, astrophysicist Keivan Stassun was moved to act by data showing Black undergraduates are being pushed out of the field they want to study.

"The percentage of incoming freshmen who express interest in astronomy [1%] is not different between majority and minority students," says Stassun, who identifies as Hispanic and says he has "lived the life" of someone from an underrepresented group in science. "But 2 years later, 60% of all students have fallen away, while the rate is 90% for Black students. It's a massive disparity from which we never recover."

Similar attrition is occurring across the country, according to a recent decadal study for astronomy and astrophysics by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), in which Stassun took part. It reports that, among undergraduate students who say they intend to major in physics or astronomy, those from groups underrepresented in science are almost three times less likely to complete the degree than are white students.

Studies have shown research internships like the one James did at SLAC can help keep students engaged in physics. But some students who would benefit most from such an experience can't participate, argues Sheila Kannappan, an astrophysicist at the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill. Kannappan identifies as a woman of color-"I'm half-Indian, and I appear vaguely brown." She is also the department's associate chair for diversity, and once ran summer research internships at UNC funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). But after several years, she realized NSF's research experiences for undergraduates (REU) program wasn't a great fit for her target audience of students from groups underrepresented in science.

"You had to be a superstar to get in," Kannappan says. But many of the students she wanted to serve "don't look good on paper-they don't have 4.0 [grade point averages] and previous research experience. They may also need to work during the summer, or if they are transfer students from a community college, they may need to go to summer school" to catch up on prerequisite courses for their major.

Instead of trying to win another REU grant, Kannappan decided to create a 2-week paid boot camp just for UNC students, including those from marginalized groups. It teaches them computational skills applicable to any area of physics, and is supported by institutional funding and a supplement to her standard NSF research grant. Its short duration, she says, "still allows [students] to go home or take [other] classes."

In fall of 2021, Kannappan also helped stand up a new peer mentoring program that pairs UNC graduate students in physics with undergraduate students in the department. "We understand that there are other things besides their coursework that affect someone's ability to succeed in school," says Zack Hall, who co-directs the program. All of the participants in the inaugural class-six mentees and five mentors-are from groups underrepresented in physics, Hall says. He and Derrick Carr are on track to become the first two Black students to earn a physics Ph.D. from the university.

The program relies on volunteer mentors, and Hall says he's careful to make sure the 10 hours or so a week he spends coordinating their activities doesn't interfere with his work on lattice quantum chromodynamics. But Julieta Gruszko, a white and Latina assistant professor of physics at UNC, thinks such mentors should be compensated in order to recognize their value to strengthening the profession. So in 2020, when she negotiated her startup package, she included funding for a graduate student to work with individual students and organize public events to promote diversity.

Kannappan and Hall hope these and other efforts will ultimately help UNC improve its mediocre record of training Black physicists. Black students earned just seven of the 232 undergraduate physics degrees it awarded over the past decade, a rate slightly below the national average.

Similar efforts are still uncommon at other campuses around the United States, according a 2020 AIP survey of 310 physics department chairs. Three out of four chairs identified "low enrollment or retention of historically underrepresented groups" as a major challenge. However, barely half of the department chairs listed "creating an inclusive learning environment"-exactly what the TEAM-UP report says is essential for improving retention rates and increasing diversity-as something they need to address. And fewer than two in five identified improving the department's "climate" as a priority.

Producing more Black majors at the undergraduate level is only the first step in diversifying the profession. Such efforts will be for naught if they aren't sustained. Graduate training at predominantly white institutions poses its own set of challenges, because physics departments historically have only recruited from a small and homogeneous group of undergraduate schools and use entrance requirements that often put Black students at a disadvantage.

One increasingly popular alternative is for those departments to partner with institutions that serve large numbers of students from minority groups. Those arrangements, often called bridge programs, come in many flavors. But they share the goal of increasing the number of Black students earning graduate degrees in the natural sciences. Simultaneously, many departments have broadened their definition of a viable candidate.

In 2004, Stassun decided to combine those elements into a bridge program that has become a national model. Students apply to a master's degree program at Fisk University, an HBCU also located in Nashville, Tennessee, that feeds into a doctoral program at Vanderbilt. It caters to promising students with holes in their undergraduate education that need to be filled before they can begin a research-based doctoral training program.

Simultaneously, Vanderbilt reduced what Stassun calls an "overreliance on standardized test scores," in particular the graduate record examination (GRE) in physics, to winnow the initial applicant pool. Studies have shown GRE scores are poor predictors of success in graduate school, and many minority students who are otherwise qualified do poorly on the exam, Stassun told a meeting last year of the Roundtable on Black Men and Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine sponsored by NASEM.

The Fisk-Vanderbilt program puts more weight on factors such as perseverance, the ability to set long-term goals, leadership, and community engagement. Those qualities, Stassun says, don't penalize students of color and are also seen as better metrics for success.

Using those criteria helped Vanderbilt attract a more diverse pool of students. But that was only the first step toward producing more Black Ph.D.s in the natural sciences, Stassun explains. "The next challenge was building a sense of community." Vanderbilt's partnership with Fisk serves that role, he says, by giving minority students "1 to 3 years to capitalize on what Fisk has to offer."

And once students began their doctoral work at Vanderbilt, Stassun took on a third challenge: creating a more hospitable environment. That required creating mentoring networks that went beyond the traditional mentoring "dyad" between a graduate student and their adviser, he says.

"I can't be their only source of support," Stassun says. He says the broader mentoring networks, which include faculty from other departments and peers, allow students to tap into "all the experiences they will need" to succeed.

The bridge program has made impressive strides in increasing diversity: Some 80% of the 150 students who have earned master's and doctoral degrees identify as either Black or Hispanic, according to data compiled by the program, and more than half are women. Along the way, says Stassun, who stepped down as director of the program in 2015, Fisk has become the nation's top producer of Black students with master's degrees in physics and materials science. "And my lab has awarded more Ph.D.s. in astrophysics to African Americans than any other lab in the country," he says.

The Fisk-Vanderbilt bridge program has shown that pairing a minority-serving and a predominantly white institution can boost the flow of Black students into physics. A half-dozen major research universities have adopted variations of the model, and the American Physical Society is using the concept to build a nationwide network of graduate programs that have pledged to train more minority students. (Hall earned his master's degree at California State University, Long Beach, under one such program, which he says "really bolstered my confidence.")

But not every pairing has been successful. For example, the checkered history of the former Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM) based at Boston University shows what can go wrong.

In addition to advancing research in the emerging field of space weather, CISM hoped to alter the field's overwhelmingly white demographics. So the center partnered with Alabama A&M University (AAMU), an HBCU with a new graduate program in space physics. The plan was to have students earn a master's degree from AAMU before pursuing doctoral work at that university or elsewhere. The center received 10 years of funding from NSF, which wanted to foster greater diversity in the discipline.

But AAMU's program only graduated two Black students-Fana Mulu-Moore and Samaiyah Farid-over its decadelong affiliation with the center. And both women say the partnership was little help to their careers. In particular, they viewed themselves as tokens in a program they say only gave lip service to diversity.

"Sometimes it felt that they were just checking a box," says Mulu-Moore, who spent 10 years trying to find her place in physics after also earning her Ph.D. from AAMU in 2009. "We were doing a lot of outreach to minority schools for CISM. But I don't know of a single minority student who came through the CISM program and went into the field."

Farid left the AAMU program after her master's degree to work at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. She hoped it would be a springboard into space physics. But she says she was the only Black scientist there and was subject to racial taunts. After leaving that job and enrolling in a doctoral program at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Farid said she experienced a similar sense of isolation and hostility toward her as a Black person. It was a "horrible experience," she recalls. Although the department was a partner in CISM, Farid felt it offered her no additional support or guidance.

But Farid didn't give up. After dropping out of UNH and taking a short respite, she resumed her doctoral studies at Vanderbilt under Stassun. Although Farid was too advanced to qualify for a master's degree through the bridge program, she participated in many of its activities.

Looking back, Farid thinks her experiences at AAMU, UNH, and Vanderbilt show that a partnership between a predominantly white institution and a minority-serving institution is no panacea. "It definitely stigmatizes the students," Farid says about the Fisk-Vanderbilt bridge. "People assumed I was in the program because I was Black. And if you're in the program, people also assume that you're not up to par."

At the same time, her affiliation with the program has helped advance her career. She is now doing a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University that is only available to astrophysics students who have gone through bridge programs at Vanderbilt, Columbia, and Ohio State universities.

Mulu-Moore now teaches at Aims Community College in Colorado. Last summer, after several years living a precarious existence as an adjunct, she was hired as the department's only full-time faculty member. She relishes teaching first-generation college students who remind her of herself when she arrived in the United States 20 years ago from Ethiopia. "It's a small, nurturing school, and I feel that I've found my niche," she says.

Along with engaging in extensive community outreach to broaden the pool, Mulu-Moore tries to connect her most promising students with the kind of high-quality summer internships that helped launch James's career. One of those students is Carter Woodson, a biracial student who graduated from a rural West Virginia high school and has spent 10 years trying to acquire a college education, the cost of which is often beyond his means.

Woodson teaches and tutors at a local high school that Aims operates, a job that pays the tuition for his science courses and feeds his long-term ambition of becoming a science and math teacher. When Mulu-Moore told him about a 10-week, paid summer program run by the National Solar Observatory in conjunction with the University of Colorado, Boulder, he jumped at the chance. "I've always loved math," he says, "and this sounds like the chance to do something really interesting."

Mulu-Moore knows he'll face stiff competition. "These internship programs are usually looking for students from the top universities," she says. "But Carter checks all the boxes. He's very smart, he's a full-time student, and he's absolutely determined to get a degree."

To Mulu-Moore, Woodson is exactly the kind of student the U.S. physics community should be encouraging and welcoming. "He's just as capable," she says, "as somebody from an Ivy League school."

Correction, 3 March, 3 p.m.: This story clarifies the status of Zack Hall, a Black graduate student in physics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the ethnicity of Julieta Gruszko, a faculty member in the physics department.

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Diversity researchers say fix the system in physics, not the students

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Physicist Mary James was a sophomore at Hampshire College in Massachusetts in 1974 when a professor encouraged her to apply for a prestigious internship at a world-class laboratory. Such competitive internships are often an essential step to becoming an academic scientist, which was her goal.

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Understanding students racial, ethnic, class, religious, ability, and gender identities of students. 

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2. Uses appropriate cultural referents and ability identities to co-construct knowledge and foster the development of the whole child/youth

Relationship skills: Developing positive relationships

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Fostering relationships with students in math classes. 

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Fostering relationships with students in math classes. 

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1. Fosters interpersonal dialogue, relationships of trust, and a sense of community among students and adults.

Relationship Skills: Developing positive relationships

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Writing with advice for building great relationships with your students is difficult. Teachers do not come with cookie-cutter personalities! It is important for each of us to have the freedom to fully be ourselves in our classrooms and with our students.

There is also no doubt that having healthy, connected relationships with our students is crucial for student achievement, wellbeing, and a non-toxic classroom environment. If you teach for any amount of time you will start to notice children changing - due to changes in society, family, community, and social issues change the stressors students (of all ages) are dealing with. I'm sure OUR teachers went through the same thing in the course of their careers! What is timeless is the need for students to have someone in their lives with whom they can connect safely on a personal level, and sometimes that person will be you. Here are a few ideas for connecting positively with all the students in your class.

Understand the differences between authoritarian and authoritative.

Given that we all have different personalities and interaction styles, it makes sense that managing a classroom will not be easy for everyone. Some respond to difficulties in this area by trying to garner respect by becoming overly authoritarian. Understand that authoritarian management styles are a power trip that students can see right through. You can be authoritative with your students, running a "tight ship", while fostering positive interpersonal relationships. Students will respect you and perceive you as a fair and trustworthy person.

Develop and project confidence in yourself, even if you have to fake it till you make it.

A sense of confidence is the foundation upon which a healthy classroom environment is built. You have to be able to face your class with a sense of holding boundaries, and their environment, in a safe way. This requires that you feel confident in yourself and your abilities as a teacher and a person. Just as kids can see through an authoritarian persona, they can smell if you are insecure or insincere in your efforts. Work hard to develop and project an air of competence regardless of your personality or interaction style.
Also Read - Bellwork Keeps Me Sane

Humanize yourself to your classes.

Some students come to school with an unbelievable amount of baggage. Some have had such terrible life experiences (some while at school) that they view teachers as a sort of removed alien life force to tolerate (or not). Sharing your own experiences as a student and as a person can go a long way toward helping them realize you are an open, available resource that can be trusted. I struggled with algebra. I mean, I was the girl crying at the kitchen table over homework. When my algebra students struggle, I tell them about BARELY making a C in algebra in high school.

Consider adding time for a personal connection with each student into your routine.

Let's face it, some things are just not going to get done unless you etch it in stone. Adding time for personal connection is one way to make sure these important relationships get fostered. Do you want to greet each student and make eye contact as they come into class? Do you want to connect with them while taking attendance? Do you want to hold regular class meetings, open door "office hours", or have a "lunch bunch" a couple of times a week? In my classroom, lunch time is usually a time that I allow students to hang out in my classroom (as long as they don't make a mess). Every year, there is a (different) small group that really appreciates the safe space away from their peers. There are a variety of ways you can incorporate these interactions into your routine until they become second nature. You will be surprised how much your students will look forward to these special experiences!

Put extra effort into reaching your "difficult" students.

I have talked before about the necessity for teachers to have a solid hold of their own emotions and reactions to challenging circumstances. This is another situation where you have an opportunity to prevent your own reactive response to difficult students.

All behavior serves a purpose. Some students have already been beaten down by life. Some have learned that negative attention is the only kind of attention they can get. If you can respond in difficult interactions with warmth and equanimity, you are teaching students that you are not going to jump into their emotional whirlpool, and you also aren't going to give up on them. Make an effort to really talk to and listen to these students. Maintain an overall positive ratio of interactions with them, while holding them accountable. Make them feel seen with targeted praise when you see them doing the right thing.

Every student in your classes needs to feel they have a positive connection with you. There are a variety of ways you can go about incorporating intentional connection into your routines. These efforts will pay off in an improved classroom environment, improved student mental and emotional health, easier classroom management and positive behavior, AND positive academic growth. You have the opportunity to be a powerful positive presence in your student's lives, so spend some time reflecting on your intentions for your relationships with all of your students.

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How to Build Great Relationships with Your Students

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Building positive relationships with students is a very important of teaching. If you want a good relationship or a positive rapport with students, these tips will help. They may even improve your classroom management!

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Science Teaching based on Critical Pedagogy 

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Science Teaching based on Critical Pedagogy 

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14. Promotes student development of skills to become social critics and decision-makers.

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1. Fosters interpersonal dialogue, relationships of trust and sense of community among students and adults

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If you think of gender equity in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as a "women's issue" we encourage you to think again! Increasing diverse participation in STEM fields is not a women's issue nor is it an issue that only impacts girls, women, and other historically marginalized groups. Diversity, equity, and inclusivity are important human issues that impact us all. Research also demonstrates that diversity is just good business. Businesses are shown to benefit from diverse perspectives that bring innovation to their companies.

So how can we ensure STEM industries thrive and benefit from diverse perspectives when men continue to outnumber women in many STEM fields like computer science and engineering (see: NGCP's State of Girls and Women in STEM)? More than ever, we have a growing need for majority group allies working in STEM fields to advocate for greater gender equity and shifting cultures in careers where they drastically outnumber women. Educators, parents, and caregivers are also needed as allies to help interrupt biases and bridge encouragement and exposure gaps from an early age.

Not sure where to start? If you are an educator, parent, caregiver, or STEM professional we are here to help! Check out the 5 tips listed below taken from our recent NGCP webinar " Learn to Be an Ally to Girls and Women in STEM" featuring speakers Joanne Esch, Senior Research Associate at the National Center for Women and Information Technology ( NCWIT), Snehal Bhakta, the Career and Technical Education Administrator for the Clark County School District, and Joshua Sneideman, the Vice President at Learning Blade.

1. Educate Yourself on Allyship - What does it mean to be an ally and why are allies important? It is okay if you do not already know the answer to these questions! Allies are people who actively support gender equity at work, in school, and in social settings. The NCWIT Male Allies and Advocates Toolkit is a great place to start exploring information like why majority group allies are important in STEM fields and what they should be advocating for. The toolkit explains that allies advocate for and work to create more inclusive environments or cultures that will ultimately benefit everyone. Just as importantly, the toolkit also provides key information on what NOT to do as an ally. For example, it advises that allies should "avoid approaches that focus on "helping" or sometimes even "fixing" individual women. These approaches are not research-based and can come across as patronizing, even when well-intentioned."

2. Disrupt Biases - Allies can work to recognize and push against biases related to girls and women in STEM. In our recent webinar, Joanne Esch, from NCWIT, explains that "there is a broad social bias, and it works its way into our educational systems and workplaces in all kinds of ways. A key piece of the work of allies is learning to recognize how bias shows up and interrupt it." Think about your educational, social, or professional setting. Are there ways that biases are showing up that you can disrupt? For example, are there certain people who often end up doing note-taking or other kinds of tasks? Are there some people who dominate conversations in your setting? Become aware of these biases and think of ways you can foster more inclusive meetings, task assignments, or learning opportunities so that everyone has equal opportunities to learn and be heard.

When it comes to addressing biases with other individuals, the NCWIT Toolkit reminds us to always assume the best intentions of someone who makes a mistake. "Remember this is not about blame but about us all working together to correct these biases. Acknowledge their effort and explain how they might improve their approach in the future."

3. Bridge the Encouragement Gap - Receiving encouragement from parents, educators, caregivers, supervisors, and mentors can make a big difference in the persistence of girls and women in STEM. Providing encouraging messages to girls (and all youth) exploring STEM activities and concepts from an early age is something important that allies can do. When giving this encouragement, allies should try to foster a "growth mindset" or the idea that intelligence and skills are not fixed but instead can change and grow incrementally through practice and hard work. Fostering a growth mindset can help counter the stereotype that some people are just "naturally" gifted at math and science. What does this look like in practice? It can look like providing encouragement that praises hard work, persistence, and overcoming obstacles - not just the final product of someone's work.

4. Talk to Other Potential Allies - You may be surprised how many people are interested in getting involved with diversity efforts but are hesitant to get involved because they aren't sure how to get started or they are afraid of doing or saying something "wrong." Stories and conversations with allies can help reduce fears and motivate people to get involved. This can be as simple as sharing your own experiences as a majority-group ally.

When talking to potential allies, Snehal Bhakta shares that "knowing their reason why is really important" in our recent webinar. In Snehal's case, he shares that his daughter is his motivation. Listen and learn about what might motivate a potential ally to act. Maybe it is a daughter, a sister, a student, or a personal experience. Once you have tapped into their "why" there are a lot of other ways you can share valuable information while talking to potential allies. For example, you could share a research finding you found interesting or a solution you have tried (see more ideas here). Remember, it is important to emphasize that it is okay to make mistakes and take risks during this conversation!

5. Increase Exposure from an Early Age - The issue of female representation in STEM is complicated and begins long before women enter the workforce. Beginning at an early age, stereotypes have the power to influence children's interest, confidence, and identification with STEM. Joshua Sneidemen, VP of Learning Blade and dad to three daughters, talks about the importance of early socialization and exposure to relatable female role models in STEM in our recent webinar. He explains that "young girls can't say they want to be a wind turbine technician if no one's ever exposed them to that."

Exposing children to diverse STEM role models from a range of careers can help break stereotypes about who can and should pursue STEM. Allies can help to introduce girls to positive female role models through books, media, or at in-person events! The IF/THEN® Collection, managed by NGCP, is a great resource to start with. It is a free digital library with photos, videos, posters, activities, and other assets featuring diverse women STEM innovators - all available for educational and other non-commercial use.

You can also check out NGCP's list of useful picture books that showcase female characters in STEM stories here and access more information about addressing stereotypes from an early age in this NGCP webinar.

When it comes to allyship, remember that you will probably make mistakes along your journey (we are all human after all). No one is perfect, so remember to accept feedback with the desire to learn and improve your words, actions, and approaches. Communicate an honest interest in understanding more and in improving your approach in the future.

Want to learn more about allyship? View the NGCP Webinar: Learn to be an Ally to Girls and Women in STEM and check out some of the other resources below:

Associated Partners

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5 Ways to Be an Ally to Girls and Women in STEM

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If you think of gender equity in STEM as a "women's issue" we encourage you to think again!

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13. Enacts anti-bias pedagogy and assets-based perspectives of families and communities; identifies counternarratives

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Connecting mathematics and social justice

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Connecting mathematics and social justice

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11. Creates curricular content that invites students to explore complex identities and discusses histories critically through analysis of power, opportunity, denial, and privilege.

Relationship skills: Practicing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving

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7. Uses instructional strategies connected to different ways of learning and students’ interests and backgrounds

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Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and the 5E Lesson Plan

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Menchaca (2001) described traditional curricula and textbooks as homogeneous and “culturally unfamiliar” to minority students because they “often fail to address culturally relevant content and concepts” (p. 84). Jones, Pang, and Rodriguez (2001) further stated that when diverse student groups hold…

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7. Uses instructional strategies connected to different ways of learning and students' interests and backgrounds

Relationship skills: Developing positive relationships

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So, we all have had that one kid that just hates math, or that one kid who is bored because they don't see the meaning to learning math. Okay, if we are really being honest, we know quite a ...

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Math Can Help Teach Students to Make Good Decisions

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Math Can Help Teach Students to Make Good Decisions

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14. Promotes student development of skills to become social critics and decision-makers.

Relationship skills: Developing positive relationships

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Think about the last time you faced a challenging situation. Perhaps you needed to pause and take a moment. You may have weighed how to respond. Once you made your choice, you may have reflected on the result. Was the situation resolved? Left unfinished?

Whether we realize it or not, we constantly make decisions that guide us through our daily lives. Classrooms are no different. Consider the number of daily interactions in a class of 30 students. When students lack good decision-making skills, they can sometimes react to tough situations in negative ways.

Throughout my 15-year career as a classroom teacher, I have experienced several large classes in which reactive and impulsive interactions between students created a challenging dynamic. A few years into teaching, however, I began to draw students' attention to their choices and the impact those choices have on themselves and their peers. The result: The overall environment improved. The work wasn't always easy, but I found effective strategies that can help teachers. Below, I describe them.

For starters, learning environments have to be safe for good decision-making to take place. In my third-grade classroom, we had regular conversations about ways students could help make our classroom physically safe, such as pushing chairs in and keeping hands and feet under control.

When we talked about intellectual safety, we discussed how the students responded to one another's ideas. Normalizing errors as part of the learning process and learning to respond constructively helped my students learn to take intellectual risks in class.

Emotional safety included empathizing with one another and considering how actions and words make others feel.

Decision-making and mathematical problem-solving

Math really is the perfect content area for building good decision-making skills. Solving math problems involves more than simply finding a single correct answer. Students make decisions throughout the process.

To help develop these skills, teachers should choose tasks that promote analyzing complex situations; identifying givens, constraints, relationships and goals; evaluating their progress; and reflecting on the reasonableness of the solution.

When making sense of problems, students must choose where to enter the problem and plan possible solution pathways. As they work, it's good practice for the teacher to ask them to select specific tools and defend their choice of those tools. When solving problems, they also need to attend to mathematical relationships in the problem, select appropriate operations to use in their solution and attend to precision in their language, recording and calculations to effectively communicate their reasoning.

Teacher choices affect student choices

When preparing to deliver a math lesson, teachers should try to maximize opportunities for student voice and choice so children develop both strong math skills and good decision-making skills.

A close analysis of a lesson's problem set reveals an increase in the complexity of the tasks, as can be seen in the image below. This ladder of complexity serves as the teacher's road map to designing differentiated pathways from which students can choose during the lesson. The teacher can select different combinations of Must Do, Could Do and Extension problems for independent practice, leading each student toward success with the lesson objective in different ways.

In the example below, the teacher made the following selections:

When designing sets of assignments, teachers should allow students to choose their level of challenge while guiding their decision-making. This means clearly communicating the challenge level of each set and keeping track of student choices. In the example, because each set includes Problem 3 as a Must-Do, all students can work toward the lesson objective and participate in the debrief that follows.

When students overestimate the appropriate level of challenge, a teacher can respond in several ways. For example, when a student is struggling with a selected problem, the teacher might ask what she understands about it, what tools she has tried or whether working with a classmate might help. If she needs more support, the teacher could suggest that she look at a simpler problem to get some ideas for tackling the more challenging one.

Preparing and teaching high-quality lessons is not easy. Teachers must balance content with social and emotional skills to meet a variety of developmental needs. But by incorporating opportunities for choice into math learning, teachers can simultaneously tailor instruction to meet student needs, develop students' math skills and help students practice decision-making.

Those are all worthwhile goals that will serve students in and out of math class, as well as outside school.
Joe Roicki is a program specialist on the professional development and implementation success team for Eureka Math, the PK-12 math curriculum from Great Minds. He taught math to students in grades 2-5 students in New York, Florida and Washington state and supported classroom teachers in grades K-8 for 16 years.

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Roicki: Math Can Help Teach Students to Make Good Decisions, Inside and Outside the Classroom. Here's How

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Think about the last time you faced a challenging situation. Perhaps you needed to pause and take a moment. You may have weighed how to respond. Once you made your choice, you may have reflected on the result. Was the situation resolved? Left unfinished? Whether we realize it or not, we constantly make decisions that [...]

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4 Ways to Build Student-Centered Math Lessons

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4 Ways to Build Student-Centered Math Lessons

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5. Uses intersectional knowledge of the students to make learning more appropriate and effective.

Relationship skills: Demonstrating cultural competency

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To help more kids thrive in math class, keep student identities in mind during the lesson planning stage.

Allison Shelley for the Alliance for Excellent Education

In traditional math classrooms, teachers present lessons, students work through problems individually or in groups, or perhaps they're asked questions or take a quiz to demonstrate understanding, and then teachers correct or affirm answers.

On the surface, it's a concise, logical teaching model where the teacher "starts with an instructional objective and then designs a lesson with the goal of students demonstrating proficiency," write educators Sam Rhodes and Christopher R. Gareis for ASCD's In Service. But it's an approach they say tends to "relegate equity to an afterthought, inadvertently positioning many students as passive observers of mathematics." Over time, this passive positioning impacts students' math identity-especially kids from diverse backgrounds who might already struggle to connect classroom learning to their own life experiences-building a "sense of disinterest, inadequacy, and disenfranchisement," note Rhodes and Gareis.

A more equitable model of math instruction, they believe, begins with student identities firmly in mind during the lesson planning phase, with the teacher thinking first about students' beliefs around math-for example, considering their comfort level with language, or how they view themselves academically and as mathematicians. "We cannot leave considerations of student identities to the end," write Rhodes and Gareis, an assistant professor of elementary math education at Georgia Southern University and a professor of educational leadership at William and Mary, respectively. "Rather we need to consider what dispositional outcomes we intend for students," and then intentionally design curriculum backward, keeping "the aims of equity and sense of self in mind" so that more kids begin to see themselves as competent mathematical thinkers.

Here are four things to keep in mind when designing student-centered math lessons.

Develop a Clear Mission Statement

Consider creating a mission statement that articulates the intentions of your school's math curriculum and communicates "what teaching mathematics should look and feel like in the school," write Rhodes and Gareis. This is a simple way to "codify the beliefs and identities that [teachers] aim to foster in students."

The mission statement might highlight the importance of creating a community of learners "who are seen as doers of mathematics," for example, and set a goal of giving every student the chance to "develop and communicate deeper understandings of mathematics through flexible thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving."

Connect to Students' Experience

Children are naturally drawn to explore the math around them. "From young ages, we quantify, recognize patterns, and question the equivalence of things, even before we have those words for it," say Rhodes and Gareis. "As we grow, these informal learning opportunities are intrinsically tied to home and cultural experiences and identities." Drawing on these experiences in the classroom can be a powerful way for teachers to "create mathematical understandings that are inherently connected to the lives of their students."

While clearly not everything in the math curriculum can directly relate to students' life experiences, it's important to plan for lessons that include more connection points for kids in your classroom-similar to how a thoughtfully assembled classroom library would include a rich variety of options that reflect students' diverse tastes, cultural backgrounds, reading levels, and specific interests.

In his seventh-grade math classroom, Kwame Sarfo-Mensah plans a unit where students investigate an issue of interest. It's an effort to help students "make sense of the world in which we live," he says, and in the process, connect them more deeply to mathematics. He starts the unit with a survey to gauge students' areas of interest. One year, the responses led to a three-week project examining the intersection between law enforcement and communities of color in Boston.

Sarfo-Mensah helped students come up with a focus question and brainstorm the different math-related data points needed to investigate it-statistics, graphical representations, geometric diagrams, and functional relationships-and he made sure to align the work with the appropriate academic standards. He gave students three options for their final product, providing "multiple access points for diverse learners," he writes.

Allow for Multiple Solving Pathways

In vibrant math classrooms, teachers often "show different ways to solve the same problem and encourage students to come up with their own creative ways to solve them," writes Matthew Beyranevand, a K-12 math and science department coordinator for Massachusetts Public Schools. "The more strategies and approaches that students are exposed to, the deeper their conceptual understanding of the topic becomes."

After students solve a problem using a single method, encourage them to brainstorm alternative solving pathways, then discuss the various options as a class. It's a subtle shift that puts emphasis on developing critical thinking and encourages students to embrace asking questions and sharing strategies as a way to make sense of complex material. "Whereas a focus on [right or wrong] answers results in judgments of correctness, a focus on thinking builds and refines understandings from what students know and understand," write Rhodes and Gareis.

Encourage Productive Struggle

Problem-solving is an integral component of math, and allowing students to struggle productively as they attempt to solve complex problems "sends the message that the teacher believes students are capable of doing and creating mathematics," write Rhodes and Gareis.

High school math teacher Solenne Abaziou, in an effort to build up her students' problem-solving skills and stamina, assigns weekly open-ended math tasks called problem solvers-problems like Dice in a Corner and Snowmen Buttons. "Students often struggle with persistence-they're uncomfortable with the idea of trying a solution if they're not confident that it will yield the desired results, which leads them to refuse to take risks," Abaziou writes. "Helping students get past this fear will give them a big advantage in math and in many other areas of daily life."

A good problem solver "has a low floor and high ceiling," Abaziou notes. "The skills needed to tackle the problem should be minimal, to allow weaker students to engage with it, but it should have several levels of complexity, to challenge high-flying students." As students engage with the problem, they should be "confused at the beginning, which encourages them to struggle until they get on a path that will likely lead them to the solution." It's only by working through that initial frustration that students begin to build "problem-solving resilience," she writes.

All students are capable of doing math, Rhodes and Gareis insist. "We believe that diversity of thought enhances understandings of mathematics for all students, and we believe that allowing student voices and experiences to shine in mathematics classrooms is a crucial step towards rehumanizing the subject," they conclude.

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4 Ways to Build Student-Centered Math Lessons

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To help more kids thrive in math class, keep student identities in mind during the lesson planning stage.

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Equity in Action: Culturally Relevant Teaching in the Math Classroom

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Equity in Action: Culturally Relevant Teaching in the Math Classroom

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This doesn't fall under the rubric, but I still feel like this is a useful resource to use.

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What is culturally relevant teaching (CRT) and how can educators incorporate culturally relevant instruction into the math classroom?

What Is Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT)?

Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT), defined by Ladson-Billings (1994), is "a pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural references to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes."

Through cultural relevance, teachers can connect math content to the lives of their learners using real-world scenarios, classroom discussion, and formative practice.

Let's examine both student and teacher demographics across the nation in order to understand the importance of culturally relevant teaching.

Student vs. Teacher Demographics in the U.S.

Dramatic population changes over the years have impacted student and teacher demographics in the U.S. and, as a result, an increasing proportion of students come from homes that are more culturally and linguistically diverse.

According to NCES 2020, 50.7 million students attend public school from Kindergarten through 12th grade and more than 50% of these students come from non-white households.

Source: NCES - https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_203.60.asp

In contrast to student demographics, the demographics for teachers in the U.S. are not nearly as diverse. According to NCES 2017-18, nearly 80% of teachers in the U.S. are white - a drastic difference from the student population.

Source: NCES - https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_clr.asp#:~:text=In%202017%E2%80%9318%2C%20about%2079,1%20percent%20of%20public%20school

Although teacher demographics are not aligned to student demographics, teachers can still arm themselves with culturally relevant teaching strategies to better relate to learners from diverse backgrounds.

Using "With-It-Ness" for Cultural Relevance

When teacher and student demographics are not aligned, teachers may feel disconnected from their students' latest trends and cultural norms. To combat this, teachers may want to achieve " with-it-ness " to create buy-in from the students and a sense of comradery within the classroom.

When a teacher demonstrates 'with-it-ness', meaning that she/he is aware of cultural norms and modern changes in society, students can be more inspired to engage with their teacher and learning. Further, it validates the teacher as a meaningful educator in the eyes of the student.

In this NAEYC article, researchers talk about how incorporating cultural relevance into the classroom can help teachers with effective classroom management, which can help prevent disruptive behavior.

Demonstrating "with-it-ness" can help teachers gain 'cool' status among students. In return, teachers create synergy and interest in the classroom.

Activities to Promote Cultural Relevance in Your Math Classroom

Ready to put culturally relevant teaching into action? Here are a few activities to try in your math classroom to create a culturally relevant learning environment.

1. Using digital games

Incorporating digital games into the math classroom is a great way to strengthen communication between your learners and their peers. Additionally, digital games can be a more fun and approachable teaching style compared to traditional, everyday instruction.

Examples:

Kahoot! - Use Kahoot to incorporate culture during a review before a quiz or test. Incorporate a Kahoot activity during transition from direct instruction into a whole class review as a way of keeping students engaged.

Math Bingo - As a way of enhancing collaboration and motivating learners, incorporate math bingo as a strategy to bring all learners from various backgrounds together in a way that not only reviews concepts but teaches learners ways to remain open-minded while creating a healthy social environment.

Prodigy - Help students relate to their own lives as they complete math problems online. While using prodigy, direct the focus and attention of students toward games that celebrate diversity. Pair students up with peers from different backgrounds and teach them how to have fun together in math.

2. Including culture in group projects

Group projects are a great way for your students to showcase their unique culture. This helps students not only remember the content displayed in their project, but it gives them a positive association of the math as it pertains to their culture. Lastly, it provides an opportunity for students to share a part of themselves that they value with their peers.

Examples:

When students solve systems of equations, have them create scenarios that can be turned into two equations with variables representing an item (i.e., landmarks, fruit trees, food) specific to their cultures.

You can have students graded from teacher-made rubrics that have various categories to grade their work. Categories can include comprehension of math, along with a category for ethnicity/cultural representation as a part of the overall grade, so that students are aware of the expectations.

3. Having bell work discussions around cultural events

Start your class with bell work focused on cultural events. For example, use student names in bell work when referencing someone for students to connect to. They can also pull from someone in their community or a celebrity within the culture to help students feel a connection to their culture. When accurately implemented, you can increase your students' respect for you and therefore increase the effort they put into their work.

4. Acknowledging culture through holiday celebrations

Students are always looking for an excuse to have a 'party' in their class. However, as educators, we want to make sure classroom time is spent being productive. Why not do both?

In their article, " Cultural Responsive Instruction for Holiday and Religious Celebrations," Lundgren and Ponce (2019) state that, "given that research, test data, and anecdotal evidence repeatedly confirm that culture plays a significant role in teaching and learning, student diversity challenges us to explore ways to bridge cultural differences and develop culturally sensitive teaching practices that recognize and accept these differences."

Examples:

Highlight mathematicians of various demographics during a specific month as you celebrate a particular holiday.

Assign a class activity and decorate your handouts around a specific holiday being celebrated.

Have students create a song or poetry as a group that highlights a specific culture and teaches a main idea of the math lesson.

Assign posters with a cultural theme that students can teach lessons from in their peers.

Have students create art on a whiteboard or posterboard that celebrates various cultures and math that they can display at their desks and throughout the classroom.

When teachers apply culturally relevant content ranging from cultural influencers to traditions and holidays, students can better relate to the math as well as empathize with the real-life experiences of their peers.

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Equity in Action: Culturally Relevant Teaching in the Math Classroom

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What is culturally relevant teaching (CRT) and how can educators incorporate culturally relevant instruction into the math classroom?

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6. Communicates high expectations and provides appropriate contextualized support to reach these.

Relationship skills: Communicating effectively

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Critical Thinking in Math

Critical thinking is a key factor in separating those students who can 'do' math from those who truly understand what they're doing. When students do math, they can perform computations and explain concepts because they've learned formulas and definitions through practice and rote memorization. They don't necessarily know why the formula works, but they can use it. Likewise, they may not know how some ancient mathematician defined the concept, but they know the definition.

On the other hand, students who've been taught to think critically in math can explain why a formula works, and they can trace the steps used to define a concept. Not only can they solve a problem, they can explain the logic behind the process they used to reach a solution.

Think of it this way: sooner or later, most math students learn the Pythagorean theorem and its related formula. Students can become adept at using the formula A squared + B squared equals C squared to find the length of the hypotenuse or one of the sides. They can solve problems involving right triangles using the formula, provided they are given enough information. Students who have been taught to think critically can explain why the Pythagorean theorem works. More importantly, they know when and how to apply the Pythagorean theorem to solve a problem even if right triangles aren't an obvious part of the solution.

Real World Problem Solving

Math textbooks only go so far when it comes to presenting real world problems that require mathematical solutions. Texts are organized around concepts, making it easy for students to see what strategies they need to use to solve a problem. If the chapter is on the quadratic formula, students automatically know they will use that formula at some point to answer every question, even a complex word problem. Critical thinking kicks in when students have a variety of options for solving a problem. Students apply critical thinking to find the best strategy out of many possible methods to reach a solution.

Here's a problem that requires mathematical critical thinking:

Based on current trends in rising or falling temperatures, predict the average high and low temperatures for five different places on Earth five years from now.

To solve the problem, students will need to analyze data, determine the trends in each place, and select a method for predicting the future temperatures. They may need to use a variety of formulas and statistical tools to form their predictions. Teachers can take this a step further by asking students to explain and defend the methods they used.

Asking Questions

To think critically is to follow a clear line of logical steps and reasoning. To solve critical thinking problems, math teachers should model the way they think when solving a problem. Students can internalize a set of questions to ask that will help them think their way to a solution. These questions could include:

What is the problem? What am I trying to figure out?

What do I know? What is the given information?

What do I need to know to solve the problem?

What problems like this have I solved before?

What solutions could work? What strategies will work best in this situation?

After students attempt a solution, they can further ask: Why did my solution work? Or they might try to understand why their solution didn't work. Critical thinking activities present the perfect opportunity for students to collaborate and have meaningful conversations using mathematical vocabulary, which is a good sign they have developed a deep understanding of concepts.

Bellringers

Bellringers are short activities students do at the beginning of class as a warm-up exercise. Normally, bellringer activities require students to practice or apply skills they have already learned. Bellringers can also stimulate critical thinking.

For example, a critical thinking math bellringer might ask students to evaluate a pattern and determine a missing piece. For example:

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critical thinking math problems: examples and activities - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Critical Thinking Math Problems: Examples and Activities - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Critical thinking is a key factor in separating those students who can 'do' math from those who truly understand what they're doing. When students do math, they can perform computations and explain concepts because they've learned formulas and definitions through practice and rote memorization.

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Social Awareness in a World Language Class

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Social Awareness in a World Language Class

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7. Uses instructional strategies connected to different ways of learning and students' interests and backgrounds.

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Social and Emotional Learning in a World Language Class

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Monthly visits to a nursing home taught middle school students empathy and built their confidence as they practiced their Spanish.

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10. Promotes cultural identity and heritage through affirmation of student language acquisition experiences.

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12. Challenges and modifies the 'core curriculum' by recognizing the legitimacy of cultural heritages of multiple racial, ethnic, class, religious, ability and gender groups as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum.

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4 Steps to Integrate SEL into Your Curriculum " Britannica

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Support your district or school in implementing SEL initiatives that seamlessly integrate SEL into everyday academic instruction.

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16. Actively engages in critical self-work identity and address aspects of privilege and marginalization in one's own multiple social identities.

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In March, World Learning hosted 25 teachers of English as a foreign language from outside the United States to participate in a professional educational exchange focused on integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) principles in their classrooms.

The participants were alumni of the Department of State's Online Professional English Network program, which offers participants the opportunity to take advanced online courses and professional development programming.

I feel that I'm a better teacher now because I am not only thinking about my perspective as a teacher but I'm also considering students' feelings.

Over two weeks, the group participated in workshops at World Learning's Washington, DC, office that taught how to create a culturally and linguistically inclusive classroom and what SEL skills and values would be most effective for different contexts and populations. Learning theories and discussing how to then put them into practice was a main component of the interactive sessions that consisted of group work and a final project.

"I feel that I'm a better teacher now because I am not only thinking about my perspective as a teacher but I'm also considering students' feelings," Fatima-Ezzahrae Sidqi from Morocco said. "Now I understand that if students do not feel welcome in the classroom, if they are not comfortable, if there's something bothering them, that would make learning impossible for them. Their affective filter will be high, so they will not learn anything."

The participants came from 25 different countries and varied in years of teaching experience and familiarity with SEL. Hearing and learning from their fellow colleagues was a crucial component to their learning process as they put new principles into practice together. This included doing so not just for their students, but for their own daily well-being as teachers.

"Instead of the instructor talking a lot, we all talked about the activities that we usually do whenever we feel stress," said Saw Ehta Ler from Myanmar. "It was marvelous, especially hearing different activities that we do for our well-being. It actually gave me new insight."

While the program explored and taught the importance and impact of social and emotional well-being, it also provided specific teaching tools and strategies to implement SEL in the classroom. Participants explored ways SEL can be integrated into English lessons, using techniques such as bibliotherapy, a creative arts therapy that involves storytelling or the reading of specific supportive literature. Through micro-teaching activities, participants practiced the techniques and reflected together.

Using restorative practices and supporting the participants' personal well-being was an integral part of the exchange experience.

Outside of their classroom sessions, the participants took site visits to the TESOL International Headquarters, Casa Chirilagua Community Center, a community college, and a middle school.They also experienced visits with host families, which provided another unique cultural immersion opportunity for reflection.

"Using restorative practices and supporting the participants' personal well-being was an integral part of the exchange experience," said Dr. Kara McBride, a senior technical education specialist at World Learning. "This allows participants to experience activities as students do, which works with our experiential approach. But just as important, teachers can only teach social and emotional skills that they too possess. And knowing these skills also helps them manage their own stress and prevent burnout."

In a survey conducted following the exchange, 96 percent of the participants indicated that the program substantially improved their understanding of SEL. And all the participants said that their ability to implement SEL-specific strategies and activities had improved.

"I'm definitely going to integrate all of these things that I have learned here in my classroom," Sidqi said. "For example, mindful breathing as a warm-up activity [in the beginning of the class]. You only need those few steps and simple actions to start integrating SEL in your classroom."

Collectively, the group felt the exchange will make them more effective teachers.

"World Learning is a place that changed who I am and helped my career," Ehta Ler said.

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Integrating SEL into the classroom was focus of interactive teacher exchange

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In March, World Learning hosted 25 teachers of English as a foreign language from outside the United States to participate in a professional educational exchange focused on integrating social and...

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Ashley Cooke

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Frida Martinez

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Diana Ayala

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Andrea Figueroa

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Alex Derrick