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In this blog post, we discuss empathic listening and other types of listening. We also give you advice on how to practice empathic listening in order to improve your relationship with others.

What is empathic listening?

Empathic listening is the saviour of communication, and thus of the quality of interpersonal relationships. Relationships between people are very complex and we cannot talk about a single solution for their improvement or repair. But empathic listening is essential in cultivating quality relationships. It creates human connection, closeness, appreciation and affection.

Moreover, from such an experience, each of the participants in the discussion has something to gain and to learn. If I get into the position of influencing someone, I could use this in a negative way, I could manipulate them, but that risks not building, but destroying our relationship.

Empathic listening is the key to gaining a person's trust, provided that he does not perceive it in this way, but as a sincere concern to understand his needs on a deep level. If your efforts are perceived by the person you are listening to as manipulative and self-interested, the effect is the other way around: you lose confidence.

How we normally listen

After listening to someone speak, we usually have one of the following 4 autobiographical answers, which we give spontaneously and naturally:

We evaluate: we agree or disagree;

We examine: we ask questions from our subjective perspective;

We advise: we give advice based on our own experience;

We interpret: we seek to represent our people, to explain their motives, their behaviour, based on our own motivations and behaviours.

These answers affect the relationship between me and my interlocutor. How could he/she open up to me when I judge and examine him/her before he/she can explain something?

The questions that parents constantly harass their children with are one of the reasons that keep them away from them. We are so overwhelmed by this kind of response that we do it in a completely unconscious way.

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How can we practice empathic listening?

Through exercise. Some are shocked when asked to practise empathic listening. As one learns to control their usual way of responding, and to listen with empathy, he/she may notice spectacular results in the quality of communication.

To listen empathetically to another person, to listen to and truly understand what he is saying, we need to change our perspective on how we look at things. We need to move the magnifying glass from our lives to the receivers.

We must stop filtering our own paradigm and stop reading our autobiographies in the lives of others ("I know how you feel! I've been through the same ordeal. I know the situation. Let me tell you how it was"). The details of the life of the man I am talking to are different from those of my life.

If I can truly understand him, even if I don't agree with him, even if I would never choose to live like him, at least I will be able to treat him with more respect and not treat him. / I judge it the same as if I had only looked through my lenses and analyzed accordingly.

When we listen empathetically, we are also exposed to risks: those of being influenced and becoming vulnerable. In order to exert an influence on someone, I have to let myself be influenced. I need inner stability to face the vulnerability to which I am exposed. But that means listening with deep participation and truly understanding.

Other types of listening

Besides empathic listening, which is our main theme for this article, there are other 13 different types of listening.

Discriminative listening - This is the most rudimentary form of listening that we humans are capable of. Discriminative listening is about the vibrations and sounds of the interlocutor's voice. This type of listening is very important because it communicates the message behind the words. Basically, discriminatory listening helps us to capture emotions from the other person's voice.

Informational listening - A type of listening to that requires immense concentration. This form of listening is about the ability to receive the information the speaker wants to convey. Informational listening is about learning what you hear.

Comprehensive Listening - A type of listening that we practice almost daily. For example, when you are attending a lecture or you are having a conversation with your friend, you practice comprehensive listening. The purpose of this type of listening is to understand best the message of our interlocutor.

Evaluative listening - It occurs when the interlocutor tries to convince us by influencing our attitudes, beliefs or ideas. We listen and evaluate the received message so that we can make the appropriate decisions regarding the received message. Evaluative listening is also called critical listening.

Selective listening - A negative way of listening to someone. This type of listening can often cause conflicts or misunderstandings between people. Selective listening involves filtering the speaker's message and selecting from what he or she says, a part that affects you or that interests you most.

Rapport listening - Oftentimes practised by sellers. Their interest is to make you feel important, understood and valuable. Therefore, people who practice listening will do everything they can to please the interlocutor.

Appreciative listening - Not about communicating with others, but rather about the relationship with ourselves and what we need to do to nourish the mind. Therefore, appreciative listening is practised when listening to our favourite music, a recorded meditation or a recited speech.

Pseudo or False listening - We all practised pseudo listening at least once in our lives. We all found ourselves thinking about anything other than what the speaker in front of us was talking about. Pseudo listening is about pretending to be listening when you actually think of something else.

Deep listening - It means being fully present and ready to listen to the other person. This form of listening involves empathy, understanding, unconditional respect for the other person.

High integrity listening - It implies that you know how to listen with integrity.

Judgmental listening - It is practised by those who, in communicating with others, spend most of their time analyzing and evaluating what the other person is saying. These people do not shy away from expressing their opinion even if it comes in contention with everything the speaker has said.

Sympathetic listening - It is somehow resembling empathetic listening.

Relationship listening - It is about the connection that is formed between people when they communicate. The stronger this connection is, the easier the two people can understand each other.

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Conclusions

In this blog post, we discussed empathic listening and other types of listening. We also gave you advice on how to practice empathic listening in order to improve your relationship with others.

FAQ about empathic listening

What is empathetic listening?

Empathetic listening is a type of listening that prioritizes the mental state, emotions and feelings of the speaker. As an example, you can practice empathic listening when someone gives you advice or asks you for a sensitive issue or topic.

What is empathic active listening?

Empathic active listening is essential in cultivating quality relationships. It creates human connection, closeness, appreciation and affection. Is a type of listening that makes the other feel heard, appreciated and valued.

Why is empathic listening important?

Emphatic listening is important because it creates a deeper connection. If I really want to understand others and have a conversation at a higher level and a deep connection with someone, I have to see things from their perspective. This does not necessarily mean agreeing with them, but only understanding their speech, mood, motivations, arguments, attitude or actions.

How do you develop empathic listening?

What makes a good listener?

A good listener is attentive to his caller. Listen with empathy, understanding, and open-minded ears and ask important questions. A good listener knows that not everything is solved, as if by magic, just by having a conversation. Instead, it takes time and openness.

Further reading

Active Listening, by Carl R. Rogers

Active Listening: Improve Your Conversation Skills, Learn Effective Communication Techniques: Achieve Successful Relationships: With 6 Essential Guidelines, by Joseph Sorensen

The Zen of Listening: Mindful Communication in the Age of Distraction, by Rebecca Z. Shafir MA CCC

Emotional Intelligence 2.0, by Travis Bradberry

References

Active Listening, by Carl R. Rogers

Healthline.com

Indeed.com

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Empathic Listening (A Complete Guide) | OptimistMinds

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In this blog post, we discuss empathic listening and other types of listening. We also give you advice on how to practice empathic listening in order to improve your relationship with others. Empathic listening is the saviour of communication, and thus of the quality of interpersonal relationships.

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LINK (make a copy)

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National Museum of African American History and Culture

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Whether we are aware of it or not, we are all assigned multiple social identities. Within each category, there is a hierarchy - a social status with dominant and non-dominant groups. As with race, dominant members can bestow benefits to members they deem "normal," or limit opportunities to members that fall into "other" categories.

A person of the non-dominant group can experience oppression in the form of limitations, disadvantages, or disapproval. They may even suffer abuse from individuals, institutions, or cultural practices. "Oppression" refers to a combination of prejudice and institutional power that creates a system that regularly and severely discriminates against some groups and benefits other groups.

Systems of Oppression
The term "systems of oppression" helps us better identify inequity by calling attention to the historical and organized patterns of mistreatment. In the United States, systems of oppression (like systemic racism) are woven into the very foundation of American culture, society, and laws. Other examples of systems of oppression are sexism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, ageism, and anti-Semitism. Society's institutions, such as government, education, and culture, all contribute or reinforce the oppression of marginalized social groups while elevating dominant social groups.

Social Identities
A social identity is both internally constructed and externally applied, occurring simultaneously. Educators from oneTILT define social identity as having these three characteristics:

Exists (or is consistently used) to bestow power, benefits, or disadvantage.

Is used to explain differences in outcomes, effort, or ability.

Is immutable or otherwise sticky (difficult, costly, or dangerous) to change.

Oppression causes deep suffering, but trying to decide whether one oppression is worse than others is problematic. It diminishes lived experiences and divides communities that should be working together. Many people experience abuse based on multiple social identities. Often, oppressions overlap to cause people even more hardship. This overlapping of oppressed groups is referred to as "intersectionality." Legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term in the 1980s to describe how black women faced heightened struggles and suffering in American society because they belonged to multiple oppressed social groups.

Watch: A short video on black women and the concept of intersectionality. From the NMAAHC, #APeoplesJourney, "African American Women and the Struggle for Equality."

During the time Crenshaw was articulating the concept of intersectionality, poet-scholar and social activist Audre Lorde warned America against fighting against some oppressions but not others. She insisted, "There is no hierarchy of oppression." All oppressions must be recognized and fought against simultaneously. She pushed American society to understand that although we possess different identities, we are all connected as human beings.

Stop and Think!

"So long as we are divided because of our particular identities we cannot join together in effective political action."
Audre Lorde cautioned us about the ways that our various identities can prevent us from seeing our shared humanity. Why do you think she felt this was a danger to all people?

In American society, systems of oppression and their effects on people have a long, profound history. However, America and our society can change. As our country continues to evolve, we can acknowledge its problems and work to make changes for the better. We can join together to resist the status quo and the systemic barriers that exist to create new systems of justice, fairness, and compassion for us all.

To make this better America, each of us should look at our own privileges and power. Some people have more power or influence than others, and this can shift quickly according to circumstances. Do you enjoy power, privilege, or influence? If so, what do you do with it? Do you silently enjoy your moments of comfort? Or, do you take risks to stand in solidarity with others?

Let's Think

"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."
​- Lilla Watson
Watson, an Aboriginal, women's activist, rejects people coming to "help" as she fights against oppression within her community. Why do you think she does so? Considering your own life and social identities, can you draw comparisons to her struggles?

"I learned a lot about systems of oppression and how they can be blind to one another by talking to black men. I was once talking about gender and a man said to me, 'Why does it have to be you as a woman? Why not you as a human being?' This type of question is a way of silencing a person's specific experiences. Of course, I am a human being, but there are particular things that happen to me in the world because I am a woman." - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie​

Why do you think Ngozi Adichie insisted on being able to talk directly about her specific identity as a woman?

What identities are important to you that others don't always acknowledge?

REFLECT: In the video linked above, Dennis Banks shares how he and thousands of other Native American children were forced into boarding schools by the U.S. government (with the support of the dominant society).

How do you think individuals, institutions, and the dominant American society justified this cruel and inhumane treatment?

What kept those who had power and voice (government officials, school teachers, civic leaders, regular citizens, etc.) from acknowledging the humanity of these children and preventing this atrocity?

Banks connects historical oppression to current oppression faced by Native peoples. How can we join together as allies against this oppression?

Let's Act

1. Work to be continuously self-reflective about your own privilege and power. Write self-reflections and revisit them so that you can seek out resources and supports to stop your own contributions to oppression.

2. Be a Georgia Gilmore by joining with others in teaching, advocating, and organizing locally to dismantle systems of oppression where you are.

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Social Identities and Systems of Oppression

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An oppressive system is built around the ideology that some groups are superior to others. These systems take on many forms, but they all have essentially the same structure. Let's recognize our role within them.

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By Peta Lindsay, Jessica A. Rucker, Mansur Buffins, Kamarie Brown, Cristina Tosto, Turquoise LeJeune Parker, Juan Cordova, Sequoia Kriss

We asked a group of teachers and students to write about their experiences of the Black Lives Matter protests after the murder of George Floyd and during the uprisings for racial justice. We asked if there was one experience, one story that stood out, what they were learning and how it was affecting their teaching. Here's how they responded.

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We Are All Living and Making This History
By Peta Lindsay

The movement for Black lives, equality, and freedom does not end when I step into the classroom - my work in the classroom is part of it. I am a Black woman teaching U.S. history, I do not pretend to be neutral on questions of racial justice or Black humanity. I do not pretend to be neutral when our communities are under attack. My students know that I organize, they have seen me shed tears when I talk about Trayvon Martin and others. Most importantly, my students know that I will fight for them too, against police terror, ICE, or any form of oppression that appears in our community. I find that being sincere, honest, and forthright in my commitment to justice is an important part of building trust with my students.

I teach in Los Angeles, where most of my students have seen and experienced police brutality, racism, and ICE terror up close. They don't doubt that it's real. What they do doubt, at least initially, is their own ability to change these systems. Mass media in the United States has a long history of distorting and discrediting movements for change. It is crucial to teach students to recognize media bias and to question "official" narratives about BLM, Abolish ICE, "violent" protesters, etc. I bring students my own pictures and videos of demonstrations. I search for images and video that display the unity, diversity, beauty, and strength of the movement - and I'll ask students how these images contrast with what they're seeing in the news. I love when my students attend protests themselves - they bring me their own pictures and videos and we share and discuss these as well. I let students know that I have seen photos of protests that I've helped organize appear in our textbooks many years later. We are all living and making this history, all the time.
Peta Lindsay is a U.S. history and ethnic studies teacher in Los Angeles Public Schools and a Director of the Ida B. Wells Education Project.

The week of May 25, 2020, was our last instructional week before summer break. It was also the week George Floyd was murdered. I learned of his murder from a weekly staff email. I skimmed the internet for details of his murder for as long as I could stand. In the process, I learned more names of unarmed Black people murdered under the clutch of anti-Black racism: Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade. My thoughts transitioned to my students. I didn't know what to say or do. I wasn't yet ready to speak with them, but needed to connect, so I texted a small group of trusted students. We exchanged loving words of condolence. We grieved and shared tips for remaining safe when engaging in local protests. Then I made calls. I reached one of my 9th graders. He exclaimed, "Ms. Rucker, it looks like one of those films [Eyes on the Prize] you showed us in class out here - it's wild too! The police are real live taking pictures with protestors for social media and then spraying us with tear gas."

That next Friday, I attended the Zinn Education Project People's Historians Online session with Dr. Keisha N. Blain. She examined the historical roots of the 2020 rebellion, noting that U.S. policing emerged out of slavery and from slave patrols. After Blain's session, my next step was clear: I needed to teach a course about the long history of the Black freedom struggle, starting with the 2020 Uprising. I designed, proposed, and fought to teach a course that would afford my students the opportunity to get organized, be supported by loving and caring adult allies, and develop projects rooted in creating tangible changes. I now teach that course.
Jessica A. Rucker is an electives teacher and the Electives Department chair at E. L. Haynes High School in Washington, D.C.

Rayshard Brooks, a man lynched by the Atlanta Police Department in June, said earlier in the year, "So as we go through these trials and tribulations, it's hurting our kids, and it's taking away from our families." I live a few minutes away from the site of his murder and feel the truth backing his words.

The trials and tribulations of Black Americans, my people, are long-standing and repressive. I've decided to dedicate my life to the struggle for Black freedom. It's the reason why I teach, majored in African American studies, led racial justice campaigns in college, created the Young Black Kings mentorship program, and interned with Teaching for Change. With vitality and hope, my hands are on the freedom plow, and the work I commit to happens inside and outside of my classroom, always student-centered.

This quarantined summer has allowed me time to reflect and plan my courses for years to come. My goals as an educator include establishing a nonprofit to create systematic programming for Black and Latinx youth that nurtures high self-worth, passion-driven initiative, and business creation.

Earlier this year, one of my students shared with me a story of a police officer pointing a gun to his head. He was 15 and unarmed. Harrowing accounts of this nature exemplify the struggle of being an activist-teacher - wanting to uplift my students, meaningfully and intentionally, and to see their success, while having to fight against societal injustices that are simultaneously trying to destroy them. I operate with the fearless determination of Mary S. Peake and the many other Black educators who resisted oppressive systems and empowered America's youth - regardless of their background, ability, or orientation.

It's risky. I've felt the sting of rejection, the pain of being hit by an officer's rubber bullets, and the paranoia of racist backlash. But it's worth it - being the teacher my students deserve.
Mansur Buffins is a social studies teacher at Tri-Cities High School in Atlanta and a 2018 graduate of the University of Georgia Mary Frances Early College of Education.

I've been Black all my life; this chaos ain't new to me. It is new that the world seems to be paying attention. To be honest, it is both sad and enraging that it took a combination of a global pandemic, the horrific murder of George Floyd, and centuries of struggles for Black liberation to shake mainstream America from its slumber. To me, America has always read like a dystopian novel. More than 400 years of institutional oppression, racism, and exploitation and I am told I am free. My people are locked up for profit and I am told I am free. Zero accountability for the murder of Black people and we are told we are free. Our communities live under martial law and we are told we are free. Our schools function as cages, rather than the keys that unlock our potential and we are told we are free.

Black people are dying at disproportionate rates by the police as well as COVID-19, so it's no surprise to learn that Black students check this box too. We deserve better. We should not scramble to remake schools as they were before the pandemic and uprisings began. Those schools were broken and inadequate for Black students. We need schools that center youth and understand the communities in which we are educated. Our schools need to allocate resources for wellness services, especially for Black youth who must watch on a 24-hour news cycle the murder of one of our own. And as we push toward abolition and investment in Black futures, I would love to see a police-free school so that I could feel safe. Like so many of our current systems, education must also answer the call for accountability, to both the students and the community.
Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Kamarie Brown is a senior at Crenshaw High School and a South Central Youth Empowered Through Action (SCYEA) leader in her community.

As an educator, my heart is heavy, and I find myself feeling increasingly outraged after the recent slew of violence against Black lives. Our nation's failure to address the racism undergirding our society is more than taking its toll. As I scroll through arguments on social media posts in the wake of recent events, I am resentful, but not surprised, at the lack of both historical context and empathy that many people exhibit. The failure of many to fully comprehend the racial inequities perpetuated in our nation is, in large part, due to the failure of social studies curricula to provide the most complete and accurate version of our nation's history.

Much of our nation's history curricula leave out viewpoints from women, BIPOC, Latinx, LGBTQIA, and others who make our history complete. Racist and inequitable policies cannot be dismantled if so many refuse to acknowledge their existence. My curriculum includes those perspectives that are often left out of, or misrepresented in, history and highlights the activism of anti-racists from David Walker to Angela Davis. This year my students will read Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds' Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and Youto explore the history of racist ideas in the United States. By placing the spotlight on those committed to equality, I can help deconstruct dangerous myths imbued in the master narrative of history. Imagine what society could accomplish if people knew that progress happened because average people cared enough to take action.

Our schools should be filled with anti-racists - people committed to the work of anti-racism. As educators, it is our job to ensure that our students not only understand the legacy of racism, but to engage them with the tools to create an anti-racist and equitable Union. Though the weight of my profession is heavier than ever, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that this will be a time of national reckoning.
Cristina Tosto teaches U.S. history and African American studies on the gulf coast of Mississippi.

I love me some Mrs. Parker's professors (my students). Those are my babies, y'all. [Insert Black person's name here] could have been one of my professors, my Black principal, my Black teammate, my brother, my college bandmate, my best friend, my husband.

White supremacy is housed in our schools through over-policing, racist certification tests, oppressive aesthetics of our buildings, and more. School districts - through rules, lesson plans, kids walking in straight lines - can be the engine of oppression if we're not careful. Boldly proclaiming that "Black Lives Matter" everywhere should not be a thing we're scared to do. History shows us that when Black people have organized and led the fight for a just society, the lives of all people have improved. And every time a barrier to the liberation of Black folks has been built, our entire society has suffered. We must root our work in the wisdom of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, who said that "Nobody is free until everybody is free."

To reach the goals of strategic plans in school districts, mostly test scores are referenced and the ability to get this magical number of our kids to proficiency, growth, or the whiteness of rightness, as I like to call it. But all of us in our school system must realize that creativity, autonomy, and curriculum that encourages me and my students to embrace not abandon our Blackness is what we need. I want my colleagues, our kids, and their families to organize in an anti-racist collective to transform this world. We have to continually reject individualism so that we can know racial and social justice in our lifetimes. We must continually shout at every rally, staff meeting, school board meeting, county commissioner meeting, and polling place that:

In the streets #BlackLivesMatter

In our schools #BlackLivesMatter

In our homes #BlackLivesMatter

EVERYWHERE #BLACKLIVESMATTER
Turquoise LeJeune Parker is a teacher in Durham Public Schools, proudly represents as a Historically Black College graduate, and is the NEA director for North Carolina educators.

We were in the middle of a pandemic and thousands of people were going to the streets to protest. Social media was abuzz with videos of the murder of Black people that ignited large crowds to gather and demand change. The Black Lives Matter movement was fired up and in motion! And in the middle of all the noise I decided to take a moment to think critically, feel deeply, and think about my role. The conditions now were radically different, but what I learned years ago was that my role in this movement is to educate future activists.

I thought about my 5th-grade students the most. We had cultivated relationships and a community that believes Black lives matter. I had taught them lessons in class about Land Acknowledgement for the Indigenous ancestral lands we occupy, about the Black Lives Matter movement, and about the Civil Rights Movement. They learned the importance of connecting, humanizing, and respecting themselves and one another. And now, my group of activists was homebound and we were all struggling with this new way of learning.

We gathered on Zoom. I provided them with facts about what was happening and reminded them of what they had learned in class. They gradually made connections and shared their interpretations. As we worked together to clear the noise, realizations set in and questions and emotions poured in:

Why are Black people still being killed?

Did they have to shoot them?

This makes me feel sad.

This makes me worried about others.

It's sad that history is repeating itself.

Protests have intensified and I wonder if their questions are still the same. I believe that our time together taught them to acknowledge humanity and respect their surroundings, to value Black lives, and to advocate for their rights. Reaching my new group of 5th graders via screens is going to be a new challenge in elevating their identities and growing through self-reflection. However, I believe that these lessons will ground them and inspire them to seek justice.
Juan Córdova is a community teacher at Cedarhurst Elementary in Burien, Washington.
I Never Thought I Would Be Part of Something like This
By Sequoia Kriss

"No justice, no peace, no racist police."

This is a chant repeated throughout the peaceful Black Lives Matter protests that occurred throughout the United States. As a high school senior, I have learned from the age of 6 that the white man unjustly entered and took over the soil of the Native Americans. I learned about slavery and the Civil Rights Movement from my AP U.S. history teacher, Mr.Dumas. Pictures in black and white of protestors getting sprayed with fire truck hoses, being attacked by police dogs, and placed into jail cells. These vivid photographs lingered in the back of my mind throughout my education and life. I never thought that I would be part of a 21st century racial justice movement.

One day after I finished homework, I looked at social media. All over my feed was a picture of an African American teenage boy named Ahmaud Arbery. I saw the video recording of his death - a young boy, on a run, getting shot. Tears shed from my face instantly. I had a million questions running through my brain but in that moment, I knew that I could not stay silent. My father and I attended a peaceful protest in our city and the following day attended one held by kids my age, proudly holding up our Black Lives Matter posters. I marched with anger, sadness, and confusion and thought back to the photos I saw in my history textbook.
Sequoia Kriss is a senior at Bonita Vista High School, captain of her school's cross country team, and vice president of the Interact Club.

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The Uprising and Our Schools: Educators Speak Out

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We asked a group of teachers and students to write about their experiences of the Black Lives Matter protests after the murder of George Floyd and during the uprisings for racial justice. We asked if there was one experience, one story that stood out, what they were learning and how it was affecting their teaching.

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Dismantling racism and oppression within school systems should be prioritized with mandatory worker training.

Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

Young people learn best in classrooms where they feel valued, and where the social and emotional aspects of their development are prioritized by teachers and other adults tasked with their care, according to a new report by the Aspen Institute's National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development. This finding is hardly surprising, as few adults thrive in settings where they feel devalued. Indeed, few adults look back on their own childhood without some disdain for the teachers who made them feel invisible - or worse, targeted. And few adults look back on their school years without genuine fondness for the teachers who made them feel special - or, even better, loved. While the creation of loving classrooms benefits all children, the Aspen Institute found that creating a classroom culture centered on the whole child "disproportionally benefits children from low-income communities."

Creating a classroom culture that values marginalized children has been fairly impossible in school systems that are rooted in institutionalized classism, racism, sexism and other biases. The history of public education in this country is one of exclusion and disenfranchisement. Policy decisions regarding education access consistently reasserted the privilege of wealthy white Protestants. Changing the power structure that enabled unequal schooling is a revolutionary, multifaceted project of which professional development is one component.

Given this well-documented legacy of inequality in U.S. schools, dismantling the internalized biases that erode the ability of teachers to affirm their students in genuinely loving ways should be a primary goal in all schools. In addition to making suggestions like ending punitive disciplinary policies and giving young people the power of voiced expression, the Aspen report recommends that schools "provide instructional materials and professional development that incorporate strategies for affirming students' varied backgrounds. And they can help teachers and youth development workers recognize and address their own biases and stereotypes to create equitable learning environments."

This type of worker development should not be voluntary, nor should it be contingent on the priorities determined by local school administrators. For the sake of all American children, confronting racism and oppression should be a concrete priority in all schools, and the interventions and training that the Aspen Institute recommends should be mandated.

Elise Mussen, a Brooklyn teacher who grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, has vivid childhood memories of the teachers who valued her - and equally clear memories of the one teacher whose racism prevented her from seeing Mussen as a child of worth. "I grew up attending a Black elementary and junior high school. In that time, I had one white teacher. That year with her was a tough one." Reaching teachers like the one who marginalized Mussen is key to the potential success of equity and inclusion training.

Related Story

Students need classes that emphasize histories of resistance.

Meanwhile, Mussen emphasizes that she benefited from the intentional, focused dedication to uplift Black children that her own African American teachers brought to the classroom. "I don't think I recognized it at the time," Mussen said, "but those teachers were extremely beneficial to me as a student, and I think back on many of them when I'm dealing with my students to this day. They had a way of reaching me, and they seemed to really value all of us and want good things for us. Every year, former students from my elementary school get together with the teachers and staff who are still with us, and we honor and celebrate them."

The reciprocal nature of loving classrooms has reverberations across space and time.

This legacy, and the reciprocal nature of loving classrooms that Mussen describes, has reverberations across space and time. The presence of Black teachers who prioritized her future success in affirming ways not only benefited Mussen in the Black Baltimore of the 1970s, it also benefits marginalized children in multiethnic Brooklyn today.

"A few years ago, I worked with court-involved students who mostly didn't experience any kinds of success, let alone academic successes," Mussen said. "I was co-teaching, and my partner and I painstakingly made everything about the class a safe space community where students were valued for who they were and whatever they could bring to the table. Then we helped them to develop the strengths that they had and encouraged them to step out on faith to new territory. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had as a teacher."

These days, she works with many immigrants who had never met a Black person in person before moving to the U.S. "I have to meet them where they are, as well as guide them into the practices of an American classroom," she said, adding that she strives to connect to immigrant students and learn about where they came from, unlike the teachers who "only want to teach them what it means to be in America."

Training in best practices to offer diverse young people an education they can use as a tool for their own liberation is a career-long pursuit. Just as teachers continue to develop their competency in subject areas like reading and math, they must also engage in ongoing work to create classrooms that are equitable and inclusive, so that all their students are equally valued. Mussen is currently enrolled in an English as a New Language or English as a Second Language (ENL/ESL) certification program. Her co-teacher is a white, Jewish woman who shares Mussen's dedication to all their students, across racial, ethnic and language lines. "Equity and inclusion are absolutely vital to education, because we want to create a community of learners," Mussen said.

Just as teachers develop their competency in subject areas, they must also engage in ongoing work to create classrooms that are equitable and inclusive.

Mussen attended a Black Lives Matter (BLM) Curriculum Share in January, but she wishes more educators would have attended who were not already engaged in racial justice organizing. "Most of the participants were already engaged in this kind of work," she says.

The question becomes: How to meaningfully engage educators who are not already drawn to racial equity work, in ways that will help transform school cultures and individual classrooms?

Mussen does not operate under the delusion that a few workshops alone will alter the systemic, institutionalized racism that reinforces the marginalization of Black and Brown children. Neither does Maryland-based educator Rebecca Jones.

Jones is a Black teacher with approximately two decades of experience in education. She has worked as a classroom teacher, college professor, department chair, curriculum coordinator, national trainer, instructional specialist, director, university supervisor, administrator, and consultant serving diverse teacher and student populations in urban Title I school systems, as well as in colleges in New York, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Her view is that training offerings for teachers in the area of equity and inclusion are currently insufficient because, she says, they "do not change white privilege, and the perceptions associated with it. However, seminars that can creatively immerse white teachers in poverty and expose them to the trials, tribulations and challenges that their students live with and have to overcome would be more effective in changing perceptions and opening them to be more compassionate and understanding in their teaching practices."

Jones points to redistributive policies of the 20th century like Title IX, affirmative action and desegregation, and doubts that 21st century approaches will yield better results for children unless the nation itself is radically realigned.

"Clearly, these policies were intended to level the playing field of some of these disenfranchised groups through equality and equity by using redistribution as a means to accomplish these goals," Jones told Truthout. "However, the unfortunate reality is that it has been approximately a half a century since those policies were enacted, and even though there have been strides toward equality and equity, these democratic values still have not been realized to the full extent that the policies intended. So, [equity and inclusion-related professional development] in American schools is a positive notion in theory, but it would be more effective to address eradicating the cultural and political norms and practices of inequalities and inequities in this country."

The larger work of ending racial injustice on a societal level is key to changing the way education happens.

Jones has attended equity and inclusion workshops as a component of her own professional development, and she feels they merely "scratch the surface" of the bedrock issues that plague U.S. students. She suggests emotional and social learning for children in classrooms, especially adolescents, would be an effective strategy to create loving spaces for children to learn.

"For the most part, I agree that 'students learn from the people they love,'" Jones said. "However, building relationships with them is just one variable in the equation for them to be well-rounded, successful contributors to society."

Jones says that people who work outside the education system should remember that teachers are not social workers, therapists or psychiatrists. Certainly, all schools - but especially schools where inequities in society are expressed in children's attitudes and behaviors - should be staffed with support teams dedicated to the emotional health of students and, for that matter, staff.

Meanwhile, Jones says, the larger work of ending racial injustice on a societal level is key to changing the way education happens.

"Systemic racism in schools is a reflection of the systemic racism in American society," Jones said, "and the same way that inequities, inequality and barriers are in place politically and culturally in this society, the same exists in schools."

Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Educators Can Dismantle Oppression in Their Classrooms. Here's How.

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Young people learn best in classrooms where they feel valued, and where the social and emotional aspects of their development are prioritized by teachers and other adults tasked with their care, according to a new report by the Aspen Institute's National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development.

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Historical Timeline of Public Education in the US

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Learn more about the history of public schools in the U.S. with this timeline.

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The best ideas from last-chance high schools are reforming American education

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Teaching about Racism, Violence, Inequity and the Criminal Justice System

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Anti-bias resources and strategies to help you discuss with your youth incidents of police officers involved in the deaths of African-American and Latino males and a biased justice system.

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These additional resources provide a wide range of tips, tools, strategies and lessons for K-12 educators, administrators, students and family members to promote safe, respectful and inclusive learning environments.

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EmbracingMeLive | Freedom Writers Foundation

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Buy EMBRACING ME Here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCiXUull9dA Donate Share Tweet Share Forward

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On Dedicating the Book to her Father

My father Bernard Alvitre was a skin diver, an abalone diver. He taught us about the connection to everything that lived among us, how everything has a story.

The seaweed, the seagulls, the water, the sand, the sand dollars, everything had a history and a story.

He cherished that. That was his way of teaching. It was through us and and the ability to be able to to memorize these stories.

A Pre-Human Tale of Community Responsibility

The pre-human characters had to find a way to get Tamet, the sun, up into the sky. Because every day he was growing larger and larger and larger, hotter and hotter, and was impacting and affecting all the life. The trees were beginning to shrivel, the water was beginning to dry up.

Waa'aka' is the other main character. She is a black-crowned night heron. And she has a very vain streak about her. She found out that if the sun was with her, she could see her reflection [in ponds of water] and just gaze at how fabulous she was.

The sun was growing hotter and hotter. The council decided they would toss him up into the sky. Waa'aka' becomes very anxious about it because she's realizing she will no longer be able to gaze at herself. She decides she's going to ruin this whole plan, because when they toss him up into the sky, she's going to grab the net and break it, and he's going to fall back to Earth and be with her forever.

She grabs the net. The sun explodes into what he is today - this immense ball of fire and light and heat. She collapses as a burned bird back to the earth.

The rest of the community scolds her because she actually endangered everybody.

Her punishment is to forever stay in darkness and never see the light of day or see her reflection again.

She's left with black streaks on her head, and she juts her head forward in shame.

On the Lessons the Story Has for Today:

Sometimes, we have to sacrifice to provide and to extend generosity to others, so as to continue life and to give life to everybody else.

This is a very important message. Right now as human beings, not to exert our power or authority over the natural world, but to take care of [it].

That's the indigenous philosophy: We 'Take care of.' We need to practice that - not to model it, not to understand it, not to intellectualize it, but to practice it. To take care of each other. Take care of those things that give us life.

The only way we're going to be able to push forward in a very healthy and collective way is to come together. To acknowledge that these these entities in the natural world, how important they are to indigenous people.

We cannot separate our relationship from these the sun, the nature, the birds, the medicinal plants, the Mother Earth, the water, the air. They are very much a part of us and they all have their own stories. They have their own lineage and their own genealogies, and they are their own tribes.

Alvitre also just finished working on an art installation in response to the removal of the statue of Christopher Columbus in L.A.'s Grand Park. In her artist's statement, Alvitre wrote: "It is imperative that those concerned with social justice strip away that veneer of objectivity to challenge, interrogate, and sometimes invert the social relations and structures of power immortalized in public art and monuments. To re-signify public spaces is to conjure new opportunities to imagine something different. Something better. Something more intimately inclusive of the land and all of its people - past, present, and future."

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'Sometimes, We Have to Sacrifice': Indigenous Legend Teaches Kids Community Responsibility | KQED

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My father Bernard Alvitre was a skin diver, an abalone diver. He taught us about the connection to everything that lived among us, how everything has a story. The seaweed, the seagulls, the water, the sand, the sand dollars, everything had a history and a story. He cherished that.

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ADL's online bibliography of recommended children's and young adult books about bias, bullying, diversity and social justice.

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Introduction

Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Recommended Literature List) is a searchable database of books for children and teens which helps students, teachers, and families find books that entertain, inform, and explore new ideas and experiences.

Each book has a description called an "annotation" that explains what the book is about. The annotation can help someone decide if the title is interesting and appropriate to read.

Literature used in a school is determined by the district. Each district should have a selection policy that explains the procedures it uses for selecting literature that reflects the school's education mission, program, and the ages and interests of its students. The selection policy should describe the process for reconsidering the use of a title. The Recommended Literature List is intended as a tool to assist districts as they select literature, but the list only recommends titles. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the district to select literature according to the selection policies that are in place.

Many of the literature selections available within the Recommended Literature List contain material that can be considered provocative or controversial. By its very nature, literature can stimulate debate and disagreement about important issues. The Recommended Literature List is designed to give local educational agencies a range of materials to choose from to meet the needs of local teachers and students. In California, specific decisions about classroom instruction are made at the local level by teachers and local administrators, rather than in Sacramento. It should be understood that inclusion of a variety of diverse materials on the Recommended Literature List does not preclude local teachers and administrators from selecting those specific materials that best suit the needs and interests of their local students.

In 2014, Assembly Bill (AB) 484 eliminated the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program of which the California Reading List (CRL) was a resource. The CRL identified leveled reading materials appropriate to a student's reading level using Lexile numbers provided on a student's STAR results report. Although it does not include Lexile numbers, the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve list is still available to aid students, teachers, parents, and other education stakeholders in discovering quality literature through a variety of criteria including, but not limited to, grade level, topic, genre, and culture.

Search the List

Recommended Literature List Search
Search the online database for books by grade level spans or other criteria. Some books may be out of print and not readily available through most sellers, but they may be available in libraries and through used bookstores.

Recommended Literature List Search Instructional Webinar
This webinar explains the purpose of the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve, and demonstrates search techniques in order to access quality literature quickly.

Recommended Literature List Title Suggestion Survey
This survey may be filled out to suggest to the Recommended Literature List Committee titles to be included in future updates of the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

Recommended Literature List Title Reconsideration Survey
This survey may be filled out to request that the Recommended Literature List Committee reconsider a title included within the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

List Resources

Recommended Literature List Resources
Information about the list including search categories, acknowledgements, awards, district selection policies, literary genres, classifications, connections to standards, cultural designations, frequently asked questions, and previously published literature lists.

Last Reviewed: Friday, December 18, 2020

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Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Recommended Literature List) is a searchable database of books for children and teens which helps students, teachers, and families find books that entertain, inform, and explore new ideas and experiences. Each book has a description called an "annotation" that explains what the book is about.

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An Ounce of Connection is Worth a Pound of Prevention

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An Ounce of Connection is Worth a Pound of Prevention

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Facilitator Deck: An Ounce of Connection is Worth a Pound of Prevention: Nurturing Restorative Communities

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On Empathy

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Online Support Circles in Response to Social Distancing

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Online Support Circles in Response to Social Distancing

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Ten Ways To Live Restoratively_Text_Zehr

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Lincoln's Steady Hand

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Since it opened in 2007, Lincoln High School has been sprinting to catch up with the promises of what it could become. Four superintendents and three principals later, it's yet to deliver.

Things worked against the school from the start. Lincoln closed in 2003 to rebuild its campus. When it reopened the 2007 school year with a $129 million facility, the community applauded - but it struggled to rebuild enrollment.

Early on, Lincoln started with four separate academies that worked under one masthead. When students weren't making progress quickly enough, a new principal brought the schools back together.

Then this year, it created a new plan to offer qualified students a chance to earn college credits. The rest of the high school will be set up as a so-called STEAM program that will emphasize science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

From a seven-year lens, what emerges is an attempt to save the school by offering big solutions. And with each solution, comes a ticking clock: How long should we give this remedy time to work before we try another approach?

When Superintendent Cindy Marten told me last year, "when we get Lincoln right, we get America right," it wasn't just about the urban school's problems - it was about building lasting change instead of hoping for a Superman fix.

Our eyes stay fixed on the school, hoping for a breakthrough, but enthralled by the missteps. In fact, sometimes we get so caught up in watching the drama that we miss the underlying story: What's it like to teach, to be a principal, student or parent in the Lincoln community?

Kiki Ochoa, who teaches economics and government at Lincoln, shared his perspective with me this week.

For about a year, I've gotten emails about Ochoa from a couple of community members, including Sally Smith, who used to serve on the school site council and staunchly supported Lincoln's former principal. Ochoa is " indoctrinating students with his political views," one email said. He's asking students to question white privilege, which has no place on a high school campus, Smith said.

To be sure, Ochoa is political: posters of Che Guevara, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. hang on his classroom walls. Of course, you could also argue teaching a class in American government is, by nature, political.

Ochoa sees it as part of his role to encourage students to question what they read in history books: "It's just problem posing. You don't have to impose your views on anybody. All you have to do is ask questions," he said.

Unlike the change that's been expected out of Lincoln, it's a slower, more substantive transformation that Ochoa's been after. One student at a time. Below is part of our conversation, edited for length and clarity.
First, tell me a little bit about these Che Guevara posters. My high school government teacher didn't have posters like this.
One time a substitute teacher (left me a note that) said: 'How could you have a poster of Martin Luther King next to a picture of Malcolm X? They're complete contradictions to one another. '

And that's what their note was. Not that 'your kids are extraordinary, ' or that 'I had a great day. ' That was it. That was the only thing.

For me anybody on my wall took risks and told the truth. And some of them were peaceful. Nonviolent. And some of the people, you know like Emiliano Zapata, he decided to take up arms during the Mexican Revolution. And of course Che.

It's interesting because George Washington is never viewed in that sense. George Washington was willing to put a bullet in somebody's head in order to gain independence for what he felt was extremely important and urgent in his time. He was a violent revolutionary.

To me what Malcolm X represents is resistance and liberation for African-American communities during the '60s. That's what I take from it. And from Che, a vision of a world without borders. He has flaws. Everybody on this wall has flaws. George Washington had flaws. Some people get fixated on what's negative.

Everything that's promoted in this classroom is love, justice, treating each other with dignity and respect.
Do you ever take a look at Lincoln through a social justice lens?
Oh, yeah. Sure, man. There's a lot of inequities on campus. There's always been inequities from day one, and there are inequities now. I haven't been able to see this program, because it's new, but it's going to have to have flaws, you know.

Whenever there's inequities on campus, if I don't say anything, I'm part of the problem. So I'm a bit vocal at times. Of course, respectfully. I never want to be that person who's condescending, disrespectful, talks down to folks.

But if you're denying kids access, I'll let you know. In a very professional manner. I'll try my hardest.
Do you think that Lincoln, as a school, is providing?
Has it provided historically? It has made an attempt. But of course it has not. It has not been successful.

Presently, you're talking about 10 days into school with a new leadership. Talk to me at the end of the school year and I'll have a better assessment. But even then, it's like a snapshot. I'm a big football fan. You can't give a coach a five-year contract and expect everything to change in one year. You have to give them time to groom. To build. And then assess the situation.

And I learned that with experience. Because I had made some assessments personally, about our school after year one. And I made certain judgments about where we're going. And a lot of those things became untrue. Because I realized, I'd never opened a school before. See, I came into teaching at Marston Middle School, and there's a lot of stability. There's a system in place.

So you would see people get plugged in to a train that was already moving. And it never derailed. If it looked like it was starting to stall, it's easier to tweak, man. But my experience at Lincoln, from year one, was like wow, you're building from the ground up. From scratch. And that experience helped me be very, very patient with every administration that's come.
Historically, where do you think Lincoln's fallen short?
We've always had a classic case of a community, a working-class community, where you have a lot of turnover with staff. That was huge, because you don't get to create a culture.

When it seemed as if we were, certain outside external politics came into play and things weren't allowed to come to fruition.

It seemed as if we were struggling for years to try to establish a strong culture, and we finally had like a group of teachers that didn't leave, so that in itself was a positive. And then there was a change in leadership.

That impacts us a lot. I mean we've had three superintendents in the seven years that Lincoln has been here. So that in itself is going to hurt. If you have a school that is having turnover, lacks the stability and the strong foundation, and then there are changes from above ...

Students bear the brunt of things that teachers are dealing with from above them, that have nothing to do with students.
You mentioned high turnover among staff. Take a teacher that grew up in a privileged community, who went college, had never really been around a low-income community, what types of preparation would give those teachers the tools to survive in a school like Lincoln?
If you're in a teaching credential program, they're just talking about test scores, achievement gaps.

There's nothing in regards to relationship building. Building a base of support. Connecting to the community. Ensuring that you don't just get off the freeway, drive in to the school, get off and go right back to where you came from.

You're part of the community. You immerse yourself in the experience. You start learning the rules of engagement. The culture of the school. The culture of the people in your classroom. Just be open to an exchange of ideas. And take your time. Don't feel pressure. The achievement gap isn't going to close or widen in one day. Be constant.

There's some people that come into our profession and realize that this isn't for them. I have colleagues that have left the profession, man. That's unfortunate, but they split because they know that this isn't where their heart is. You have to have the passion, man. And it has to be constant. Or it's going to be tough.

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Since it opened in 2007, Lincoln High School has been sprinting to catch up with the promises of what it could become. Four superintendents and three principals later, it's yet to deliver. Things worked against the school from the start. Lincoln closed in 2003 to rebuild its campus.

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San Diego Unified Explores Adding Ethnic Studies

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San Diego Unified Explores Adding Ethnic Studies

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Students filled a school board meeting in Tucson, Arizona, shouting a protest.

"When education is under attack, what do we do? Fight back!"

That protest occurred in 2011 and it followed a decision to cancel a Mexican-American studies class. Opponents said the class would create resentment and divisiveness in students. Supporters disagreed. The class was canceled, but the issue has not gone away.

In fact, the push for ethnic studies has become a movement throughout California, and it has arrived in San Diego.

Guillermo Gómez, a Spanish teacher in the San Diego Unified School District for 19 years, said curriculum in the district today offers little diversity and lacks cultural relevancy.

"The curriculum is very narrow, very Euro-centric. It doesn't offer more ground for students to experience certain types of histories," Gómez said.

Gómez is part of the Association of Raza Educators San Diego, which has joined the Ethnic Studies Now Coalition of San Diego in making a push for a mandatory ethnic studies course in the San Diego Unified district.

Earlier this year, the school board passed a resolution that formed a committee to find a way to include ethnic studies in the district's curriculum.

In San Diego Unified, 76 percent of the students are nonwhite and up to 50 different languages are spoken.

Diane Andraca, a senior at Lincoln High School who identifies herself as Mexihca and Mescalero Apache, said she would welcome an ethnic studies program because she doesn't learn much about her own culture or history at school.

"It's not supposed to be like that," Andraca said. "You're supposed to know your background, where you came from, your ancestors."

School districts in Los Angeles and San Francisco have already committed to providing high school students with an opportunity to take ethnic studies courses.

Those efforts also inspired a bill by Democratic Assemblyman Luis Alejo of Watsonville that would have required the classes to be offered as electives across the state.

"If we are serious about preparing students for jobs of the 21st century in this global economy that we now live in, giving students an opportunity to take an ethnic studies course will make them more well-rounded, give them skills to be more successful and work in a diverse environment. I think this is what it's really all about," Alejo said.

But Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the measure, saying it was redundant because the state is in the process of establishing new guidelines for social sciences, which would include ethnic studies.

The San Diego school board supported the state bill and called for the district to move forward regardless of the status of statewide legislation.

But ethnic studies has its opponents.

Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chávez of Oceanside voted against Alejo's bill and doesn't see the need for ethnic studies.

"One of the most important things children of color have to deal with is in science and mathematics, and they're under-performing their counterparts," said Chávez, vice chairman of the Assembly Education Committee. "So introducing a new class that would take time away from their traditional studies would not help out."

Chávez also wonders who the classes would leave out.

"How do you prioritize one culture over another? And how does a professor deal with somebody from Ethiopia or South Africa or Ukraine? Are we going to be slanted strictly to children that are from Mexico?" he said.

Roberto D. Hernández, a professor of Chicano Studies at San Diego State, said ethnic studies shouldn't be seen as something that simply takes time away from math and science.

"We need to recognize that ethnic studies is precisely about changing the world in ways much more fundamental than math and science ... at a bare minimum alongside math and science," Hernández said.

Enrique Eduardo "Kiki" Ochoa, a San Diego Unified economics and government teacher who supports making ethnic studies part of the curriculum, said there should be flexibility when it comes to fashioning a school course.

"You would tweak it to your audience," Ochoa said. "So if you're in a community that is predominantly African-American, obviously you would tweak it to that audience."

Ochoa said an ethnic studies course should be modeled after a social justice class he taught at Lincoln High School. Lessons ranged from cultural value to discussions on race, identity, gender, discrimination, oppression and social change.

Many supporters of ethnic studies describe it as a way to prepare students for living in a society that is ethnically diverse.

Larry Thurman, a U.S. history teacher at San Diego Unified, said for him the change is not just about improving test scores and raising grades.

"History. Identity. It's all connected. And we're trying to not just create a great student, we want to create a great citizen. We want the person to be a successful member of society, to care about other people," Thurman said.

A plan for changing the curriculum in San Diego schools to reflect ethnic studies is still being worked out. Thurman said he expects some opposition to whatever is proposed to the school board.

The district hopes to launch an ethnic studies program in a few schools by the fall of 2016, a school official said.

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San Diego Unified Explores Adding Ethnic Studies Program

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Students filled a school board meeting in Tucson, Arizona, shouting a protest. "When education is under attack, what do we do? Fight back!" That protest occurred in 2011 and it followed a decision to cancel a Mexican-American studies class. Opponents said the class would create resentment and divisiveness in students.

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To build restorative communities by fostering humanizing relationships that are student-centered and values-driven.

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To create and sustain an education system that centers on the whole-child with dignity, love and respect and where the gifts, talents and skills of all students can thrive.

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How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning

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Hammond distinguishes the differences between culturally responsive education, multicultural education and social justice education. Each is important, but without a focus on building students' brain power, they will experience learning loss.

When it comes to distance learning, applying culturally responsive teaching requires "remixing" education by borrowing from the best practices in how kids learn (Montessori, project-based learning, etc.) in a way that repositions the student as the leader of his own learning. By giving students more agency, the idea is to disrupt old routines around teaching and learning that make the student dependent on the teacher for receiving knowledge.

"It's going to stretch us a little out of our own comfort zones, but it's worth it in the long run if we can get students to continue to do that thinking," said Hammond.

She advises three strategies to help students gain that independence:

1. Deepen background knowledge

Many educators are understandably wondering whether they should teach new content or review familiar material. Hammond encourages educators to do the latter because cognitively dependent learners often have gaps in their background knowledge . "A lot of our students are compliant learners," she said. "They're having a hard time shifting right now [because] they're used to the worksheet, but that doesn't mean they're always processing information."

She advises teachers to help students connect new things they're learning to their brain's existing schema - also known as background knowledge - that comes from home, their community, their interests. Teachers can then give them authentic tasks that help them make meaning and connections. This helps turn new inert information into usable knowledge. "You cannot give another person background knowledge," she explained. "They have to acquire it, but as teachers we can help guide the process." This can be done by building upon student interest.

"Survey your students if you don't know what they like," said Hammond. Ask them what books they enjoy reading or what topics get them super excited. She said It doesn't matter if their interests are broad or narrow; it's important to learn what interests them so that you can use that information to:

Assign non-fiction books that build on student interests.

Create a "Netflix" playlist of documentaries, nature shows, historical events, etc.

Encourage kids and parents to do a walk-about, if that's possible in their community, following social distancing guidelines. Encourage parents and students to seek out community curiosities (landmarks or interesting sights) relevant to students' interest.

With each of these activities, it's important to give the students direction so they know what to look out for. "You have to tell the brain what to pay attention to," Hammond explains. She suggested questions like, "What was your biggest surprise from this book/show?" or thinking routine sentences like "I Used to Think ___. But, now I think ____."

She said to always make sure that students do something with the knowledge as well. She suggested having them share interesting facts they learned either during video conferences or via an audio/video clip. For those students with limited internet access, encourage them to share what they learned with their parents.

2. Cultivate cognitive routines

Growing students' brain power during distance learning starts with building cognitive routines. These routines are essential to processing and hardwiring information in the brain.

"Be the personal trainer of their cognitive development," Hammond said. To do this, she suggested having a routine set of prompts in each packet that become a regular part of the way students think. That way, students begin to think that way even when you're not in the classroom to reinforce that way of thinking.

One example is to ask students to connect the "unknown to the known" or across concepts by asking questions like, " What's the relationship or connection between these things?" or "How does this part fit into the whole? What are the parts of this whole?" These may seem simple, but these questions are critical when it comes to processing information so that students internalize these prompts until they become almost instinctual.

She said students should also be encouraged to sketchnote or doodle to actively process what they're learning as an alternative to note-taking. Sketchnoting can encourage people to make deeper connections to what they're hearing.

3. Build word wealth

Building a student's vocabulary is a key tool in equity strategies for schools. "Kids have different interests in words so find out where their energy is. You can have a differentiated assignment around word collecting, but the idea is to get them actively involved in word consciousness," said Hammond. She said there are many small but high-leverage ways to do this, such as introducing robust word study. A teacher can help students engage in wordplay, word consciousness and word knowledge. This should not happen through a worksheet assignment, but rather begin with building word consciousness of words in their community, home and home language.

Word games like Scrabble, Heads Up, Taboo or even word searches are small familiar but high-leverage activities because they're fun but also require a high cognitive load. You can create your own versions of these games and have students do this in any language. Students can also do word collecting activities like scavenger hunts, or make poetry using magnetic poetry. Students can also do a contrastive analysis, by comparing words they might find in Urban Dictionary to those they might find in a standard dictionary.

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How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning | KQED

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Culturally responsive teaching is a powerful way to help students become independent learners, and it can be especially valuable during distance learning.

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When Perception and Reality Collide: Implicit Bias and Race

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High school lesson plan to help students explore the role of implicit bias in perceptions of African-American boys and men.

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What It Takes to Apply Restorative Practices in Schools

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What It Takes to Apply Restorative Practices in Schools

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The new question-of-the-week is:
What are practical ways to implement restorative practices?
In Part One, Dr. Sheila Wilson, Maurice McDavid, Timothy Hilton, Ashley McCall, Bryan Harris, and Kara Pranikoff contributed their commentaries. You can listen to a ten-minute conversation I had with Sheila, Maurice, and Timothy on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

Today, Erika Niles, Gina Laura Gullo, Cheryl Staats, Kelly Capatosto, Ricky Robertson, Victoria Romero, and Dr. Laura Greenstein share their recommendations.

The next question-of-the-week can be found at the end of this post.
Suspensions don't improve school culture Erika Niles is an instructional coordinator in St. Louis and has served in the field of education for over 20 years as a teacher, instructional coach, and specialist. She works relentlessly to develop systems that ensure all students feel a sense of belonging while learning at high levels:
Suspensions don't improve school culture, and predetermined consequences don't change behavior. A growing understanding among educators indicates an increase in concerns about the effectiveness of punitive discipline and suspensions. Most research shows that traditional forms of discipline actually exacerbate bullying, violence, poor academic performance, and a decrease in social-emotional health. Conversely, research shows that restorative approaches can transform student behavior and build healthy school communities. Restorative practice, by simple definition, is a social-science approach that enables those who have been harmed to communicate the impact of the harm to those responsible, and for the person causing the harm to accept responsibility and work to make it right with the person harmed and the community at large. This requires a shift from a zero-tolerance, top-down discipline approach to a relationship-based practice in which teachers help students engage in reflective conversations as a means to understand the harm the actions caused.

While many traditional forms of discipline are focused on the misbehavior and the punishment of the offender, restorative practice focuses on the offender and the victim. Instead of a for or to mentality, there is a shift to working with the offender, helping him or her process as a means to own the wrong and working to make it right with the victim and the community. Because people are the nucleus of restorative practice, a culture that emphasizes the importance of relationships and trust through its messages must be established and felt within the entire community. As a result, one of the greatest challenges to successful implementation of restorative practice is that you need buy-in from the entire community. This is not to say you can't implement aspects of restorative practice in practical ways with positive results.

Affective statements are a great place to start if you're looking to implement restorative practice, as they provide the opportunity to teach an empathetic foundation needed for all other parts of RP. Using an "I statement" to make the person causing harm aware of the impact their choice has, affective statements help to shift the dynamic between those who caused harm and those who have been impacted. The typical affective statement is framed as follows: I feel ______ when you ______ because ________. These statements allow the focus to remain on the behavior as opposed to the student making the choice.

Circles are another simple, yet highly-effective way to build community and problem-solve as part of RP. In the proactive sense, circles are structured processes that bring participants together for a variety of reasons: check-in, problem-solving, community building, celebrating. Circles can also be used in response to missteps as a means to repair harm to the classroom community. The Little Book of Circle Processes by Kay Pranis is a great resource for learning more about circles.

Despite our proactive efforts, which should account for 80 percent of restorative practice implementation, students will take missteps. A shift of language is a practical restorative way to respond to these missteps. For example, when a negative event takes place, rather than asking the student, "What did you do?," you might ask, "What happened?" Other restorative questions used to process conflict and/or wrong-doing:

What happened?

How did it happen?

What were you thinking?

What are you thinking now?

What can we do to make it right?

Much like affective statements, restorative questions place emphasis on the incident, allowing the person causing harm to think about the impact of his or her behavior. It's important to include the victim in these conversations by asking what he/she needs in order to feel safe.

Regardless if you are a teacher, counselor, or building leader, it's important to remember that it takes about four years to see the impact of restorative practice. The best advice I can give is stick with it. While results won't be immediate, they will be long lasting.

Restorative practices require modeling Gina Laura Gullo is an educational equity consultant with GLG Consulting and a researcher of unintentional bias and interventions that serve to lessen the impact of such biases. She also is an adjunct and mentors in educational leadership at several Mid-Atlantic universities. Kelly Capatosto is a senior research associate at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. Kelly's work focuses on race and cognition-how peoples' perceptions of race impact our decisionmaking and maintain social inequities. Cheryl Staats is an education author and researcher with a background in implicit racial/ethnic bias: 1. Create a Shared-Values Classroom Community
This first step intentionally reflects Shane Serif's first step in implementing restorative practices at the school level because it is a critical starting point. The community must be intentionally developed through whole-class discussion and values creation. This includes giving all students a chance to collaborate in the development of core values, writing those core values and posting them where all can read them, and respecting and referring to the values when they are interrupted. (See our book, Implicit Bias in Schools: A Practitioner's Guide, for some considerations during this process.) When the students can internalize these, they can begin to hold themselves responsible and work with others to restore those values when issues arise.
2. Engage in Proactive Circles 3. Intervene in Behavioral Infractions Rather Than Responding 4. Center Students' Leadership in the Community
Communities engaging in restorative practices should allow for students to become leaders in the community. This includes engaging students in decisions made for the community and providing opportunities for affective statements. For example: When the day must be reorganized or rescheduled, allow students to have a voice in the restructuring. Be sure to check in with students about both positive and negative reactions to occurrences using affective statements about emotional reactions. "How did you feel about the change in schedule last Thursday?" or "Seeing students arrive to class late makes me feel like this class is less valued. How do you feel when your classmates arrive late?"
5. Model, Model, Model
Restorative practices require modeling for other teachers and staff, students, and administrators. The teacher must be a representative member of the classroom community. Students should see the classroom values reflected in the way the teacher behaves inside and outside the classroom and be able to learn how to be an ideal community member from watching.

Teachers should be aware that implementing restorative practices may not be as simple as it seems. Avoid being discouraged when a classroom culture shift does not happen overnight. Be patient and persistent. Give yourself and your students time to develop the skills and knowledge needed without rushing the process. Begin the journey one step at a time.

"Talk, Trust, Feel, Repair" As a consultant and coach, Victoria Romeo is an educator with over 42 years of experience working as a classroom teacher, principal, consultant, and instructional coach. Victoria is the co-author of the book, Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Whole-Staff Approach, published by Corwin: Talk Trust Ricky Robertson assists schools in developing trauma-informed systems of support and Restorative Practices that foster resilience and success for staff and students. Ricky is the co-author of the book, Feel Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Whole-Staff Approach Repair , published by Corwin.

Start small. Don't begin with your most challenging student or a severe behavior; rather, start with a conflict that feels manageable and gradually take on more challenging incidents.

Prepare. Talk with each person involved prior to the restorative conversation to understand each person's perspective and assess their willingness to participate in the restorative process.

Document. When you bring the parties together, document the outcomes of the conversation. Restorative conversations are not just about students saying they are sorry but are intended to result in actions that repair harm.

Follow-up. Ensure that the person responsible for the harm has taken the agreed upon action(s) and everyone involved is aware of the outcomes.

Relationships are the foundation of effective teaching and learning. When we build trust and belonging in our classrooms, our students take risks to learn and grow. However, in every classroom, conflict will inevitably arise. How we respond can either deepen our capacity to connect and teach our students or erode trust and diminish their success as well as our own.

While none of us became educators because we wanted to send our students to prison, we work within a system that has created a school-to-prison pipeline through its reliance on punitive and exclusionary discipline. Restorative Practices are a key component of transforming our education system. Schools have adopted Restorative Practices that keep students in schools, strengthen relationships, and respond to discipline equitably with care for the social-emotional needs of students.
When Assessment Becomes Restorative A lifelong educator, Dr. Laura Greenstein has served as a teacher and school leader, professor and professional-development specialist. Her passion for excellence in assessment is evident in her numerous books, articles, and blogs on the topic:
Because implementing Restorative Practices can be difficult, we offer suggestions through a Talk, Trust, Feel, Repair framework, adapted from our book on trauma-informed practices, Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Whole-Staff Approach(Corwin, 2018).

Take a moment to reflect on these questions: How do you build trust with your students? How do you know if a student trusts you?

Trust is integral to healthy relationships and is always tested in times of conflict. We can build and maintain trust through routines, aligning our words and actions, sharing about ourselves in ways that are relevant and helpful, and eliciting and incorporating feedback to show that we value student voice.

As stewards of the restorative process, we must attend to our emotional well-being. If an incident has left us emotionally escalated, it is best to wait before engaging in a restorative conversation or ask a colleague to facilitate it. Ongoing professional development that helps educators explore our beliefs about student learning, unpack our biases, and develop self-care goals to build our resiliency is essential.

If you are beginning to implement Restorative Practices:
Reciprocal conversation starter: Tell me what was clear and/or confusing about your learning and assessment.
Restorative Practices are an investment in our students. They require planning, practice, and patience. However, they have the potential to teach some of our most valuable lessons.
Responsive question for learners: Can you think of other ways to show your learning?

Reciprocal conversation starter: Tell me about what did and didn't work with your plan and process.
A BIT OF BACKGROUND
Respectful question: Can you describe steps to improve your grades? How can I help?
The path to restorative assessment began with restorative justice, a set of principles and practices for repairing and responding to conflict and wrongdoing. Restorative justice developed into restorative educational practices that empower students to resolve conflict through peer-mediated conversations. Aligning these restorative principles with educational assessment means re-engaging learners, restoring their control and confidence, refocusing assessment as learning, and respecting all learners as they progress toward mastery.

Next Question!
Assessment becomes restorative when it repairs harm from ineffective practices, engages reluctant learners, builds self-reliance, and encourages progress. Restorative assessment shifts the focus from assessments that indicate deficiencies to ones that illuminate strengths. With appropriate routines, all types of learners, from disengaged to divergent thinkers, can make progress toward mastery. Restorative assessment includes four essential elements
What are the best ways we can support Long-Term English Language Learners?
RESTORATIVE IN PRACTICE

Reciprocal and Purposeful means that learning intentions are visible and understood by both student and teacher. Expectations are clear and exemplars are available. Transparency, authenticity, and accountability form a safety net. When anyone stumbles, be it the teacher, student, or learning partners, interventions and resolutions are prompt, focused, and instructive

Responsive and Balanced (a.k.a. comprehensive) assessment relies on multiple types of evidence of student learning. It responds to strengths and challenges with just-right adjustments to practice, pacing, and depth. A formative approach, embedded throughout teaching and learning, incorporates feedback that is timely, specific, and actionable.

Refocused and Inclusive assessment considers the needs of all learners and sustains students as goal-setters and planners. It is fair and unbiased. Relevant learning intentions and reasonable challenge are combined with transparency, flexibility, and support.
Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And if you missed any of the highlights from the first eight years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. The list doesn't include ones from this current year, but you can find those by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar.
Respectful assessment starts and ends with the learner. It relies on multiple assessment methods throughout the taxonomies of learning, continually monitoring progress. From knowing to creating, students rely on their strengths and overcome setbacks through reflection and self-assessment.

Synthesizing and relying on confirmed best practice in assessment improves learning outcomes for all students. This doesn't require an extreme makeover but rather relies on purposeful practice, complementary pathways, and balanced approaches that engage the whole community and get everyone moving forward on the ramp to success.

The next question-of-the-week is:

Your responses are welcome!

Thanks to Erika, Gina, Cheryl, Kelly, Ricky, Victoria, and Laura for their contributions.

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

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What It Takes to Apply Restorative Practices in Schools (Opinion)

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The new question-of-the-week is: What are practical ways to implement restorative practices? In Part One, Dr. Sheila Wilson, Maurice McDavid, Timothy Hilton, Ashley McCall, Bryan Harris, and Kara Pranikoff contributed their commentaries. You can listen to a ten-minute conversation I had with Sheila, Maurice, and Timothy on my BAM! Radio Show.

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The Key to Effective Classroom Management

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The Key to Effective Classroom Management

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A three-phase process helps build strong teacher-student bonds, which can reduce disruptive behavior.

©Shutterstock/Monkey Business Images

It's a daunting but all-too-common sight for many teachers: A classroom full of rowdy students who are unable to focus on the lesson. Classroom management techniques may get things back on track, but valuable time has already been lost.

Many experienced teachers know that making meaningful connections with students is one of the most effective ways to prevent disruptions in the first place, and a new study set out to assess this approach. In classrooms where teachers used a series of techniques centered around establishing, maintaining, and restoring relationships, academic engagement increased by 33 percent and disruptive behavior decreased by 75 percent-making the time students spent in the classroom more worthwhile and productive.

"Strong teacher-student relationships have long been considered a foundational aspect of a positive school experience," explains Clayton Cook, the lead author of the study and a professor at the University of Minnesota. When those relationships are damaged, student well-being may be affected, leading to academic and behavioral problems.

In the study, teachers used an approach called Establish-Maintain-Restore to build positive interactions with students-a total of 220 in fourth and fifth grade-and boost their sense of belonging. (A follow-up study with middle school teachers used the same strategies, with similar results.) Relationship-building was broken down into three phases: the first meeting, maintenance throughout the school year, and points when a relationship may suffer damage, with useful strategies for each phase.

Since it can be easy for some students to fall through the cracks, a relationship reflection form-like the one we share here-can help teachers take notes on each individual student and highlight ones who need the most attention.

Starting on a Positive Note

At the start of the school year, the teachers in the study made time for establishing relationships. "The goal is to ensure all students feel a sense of belonging that is characterized by trust, connection, and understanding," Cook and his colleagues explain. For students with learning or behavioral problems, cultivating positive relationships provided "protective effects" that helped them stay focused on learning.

"Bank time" with students. Schedule one-on-one meetings with students to get to know them better. The goal is to "make deposits into the relationship" to help ease conflict in the future if you have to give constructive feedback or address disruptive behavior.

Encourage student-led activities. Students feel more invested in their learning if given opportunity to share their interests. Teachers can step aside, be supportive, and listen.

Welcome students into the classroom. Activities such as positive greetings at the door and icebreaker questions help create a warm classroom culture.

Use positive communication techniques. Open-ended questions, reflective listening, validation statements, expressions of enthusiasm or interest, and compliments help students-especially shy or introverted ones-ease into classroom discussions.

To establish positive relationships, teachers can:

Maintaining Relationships

Without active maintenance, relationships deteriorate over time, the study authors point out. Teachers may focus too much on academics and not enough on supporting students' emotional well-being, slowly using up the banked time they initially built up with students.

Take note of positive and negative interactions with students. Teachers should aim for a five-to-one ratio.

Regularly check in with students. Ask how they're doing and what support they may need. In an Edutopia article, Todd Finley explains how 5x5 assessment time helped him focus on a handful of students every day.

Acknowledge good behavior. When teachers focus attention on positive conduct, disruptive behavior is stemmed before it becomes an issue.

Teachers can maintain relationships by continuing to implement the strategies above, and in addition they can:

Repairing Harm Before Things Get Worse

Eventually, negative interactions such as misunderstandings, conflict, or criticism can weaken a teacher-student relationship. If these negative interactions are left unaddressed, students may feel disengaged and be less willing to participate in activities. They may also be more likely to misbehave, creating further damage. So it's important for teachers to "intentionally reconnect" with students to restore the relationship to a positive state.

Let go and start fresh. Teachers should avoid holding mistakes over a student's head, instead giving them a chance to start each day with a clean slate.

Take responsibility for their actions. Teachers can avoid blaming students when things go wrong, and think, "What could I have done to avoid the problem in the first place?" They shouldn't be afraid to apologize when that's called for-doing so helps build trust with students.

Show empathy. There are two sides to every story, and a teacher can acknowledge that students may have a different perspective about what happened.

Focus on solutions, not problems. Teachers can work with students to find a solution that everyone feels is fair.

Separate the deed from the doer. It's important to criticize the behavior, not the person. If teachers label children as "problem students," there's a danger that they'll internalize that label, making it more likely that they'll repeat the behavior in the future.

When relationships need repair, teachers can:

The takeaway: Effective classroom management starts with relationship building. When students feel a greater sense of belonging, they're more likely to be academically engaged and demonstrate positive behavior.

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The Key to Effective Classroom Management

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A three-phase process helps build strong teacher-student bonds, which can reduce disruptive behavior.

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SDUSD High School Teacher of Year for 2020-21

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On March 18, 2021, it was announced that Ms. Sharon Apple is San Diego Unified School District's High School Teacher of the Year! She will also continue to the next round to compete for County Teacher of the Year! Congratulations Ms. Apple!
Ms. Sharon Apple is currently an SJA teacher for freshmen at Hoover High School, and was named Hoover's Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Apple was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and moved to San Diego when she was 11 years young. She was raised by a single mother during her childhood. She has a Guyanese background and is a first generation American. Ms. Apple attended school here in the San Diego Unified School District. One thing she had to face growing up in school was being teased for her strong New York accent. She even tried changing her accent so she could fit in.

Ms. Apple describes herself as a very empathetic person that can relate to anybody's emotions and is always connected to the feelings she had her whole life. She first began her teaching career as a substitute teacher at Encanto Elementary and shortly after that, she received a contract as an intern which led to her attending school and teaching at the same time for seven years. She then went to Clairemont High School and officially started her career as an English teacher. One goal Ms. Apple has for the new year is to win the District Teacher of the Year. She also wants to figure out better ways to engage her students in classes and wants to make sure they are connected to what they're learning.

Ms. Apple's two year old daughter, named Faith, motivates her to work hard. When she found out that she was pregnant, she realized that she needed to be a better person so she could be a role model for her daughter. One of her favorite things about teaching is hearing her student's voices, especially during this time of online school. It lightens her heart to hear them, no matter what she's going through. Ms. Apple's favorite foods to eat are curried chicken and macaroni and cheese. Also, her most favorite movie is Avengers: Endgame.

Congratulations Ms. Apple for being Hoover High School's Teacher of the Year!

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Ms. Sharon Apple ~ Hoover High School's Teacher of the Year!

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On March 18, 2021, it was announced that Ms. Sharon Apple is San Diego Unified School District's High School Teacher of the Year! She will also continue to the next round to compete for County Teacher of the Year! Congratulations Ms. Apple! Ms. Sharon Apple is currently an SJA teacher for freshmen at Hoover High...