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Teaching Black Lives Matter - Yasmeen Chisolm

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Teaching Black Lives Matter - Yasmeen Chisolm

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I chose this webinar because, as a Black person I feel compelled to teach BLM but I'm not sure how to go about it without isolating and/or excluding students who do not identify as Black especially during the month of February. My school makes little to know note of Black History Month, which is just as much American history as Colonial History, Women's History Month, and  Native American History--three subjects I find myself teaching my 4th graders.  I feel like it gives a one sided view of what it means to be American, or that even worse Americanism is almost equated with whiteness.

I intend to apply what I learned from this webinar by being transparent with my students about what it means to be Black (the many meanings to many different people) and exposing them to different literatures and forms of media. I also intend to check my biases as I am teaching, to help give a clearer understanding of what is being taught.

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Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression-Gerard Cordano

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Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression-Gerard Cordano

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1. I chose this webinar because as a gay man, I am very concerned and empathetic to students who are or may be LGBTQ. I feel as a teacher that the school system must do all it can to ensure that LGBTQ students are free from bullying so that they can focus on learning instead of worrying who might bully them next. I am grateful that we have realized that there is a relationship between educational equity and academic achievement.
One of the things that I really liked was the pronoun selection by the students. This gives them the freedom to label themselves.
I also liked the point about , "that's so gay"-it must be addressed, and failure to do so has consequences for the student being bullied as well as the other students in the class who may be feeling unsafe. These are 2 things that I will surely use in my classroom.

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1.) I chose the webinar whiteness.
2.) I chose this documentary to see what others in the education community are saying about why its important to talk about whiteness.
3.) I have chosen to acknowledge that whiteness is an identity in the classroom. It is important when discussing historical and social issues to acknowledge the role that race has played in the development of our country. If I am honest about how not everyone has started from the same place due to historically racist laws and polices, my students will have a stronger understanding of why we still have a civil rights movement in America and why it is important to fight for it. Showing students the progress that we have made is important, but it is also important to recognize that white privilege persists. it is wrong, there are no justified reasons for it, and everyone is equally entitled to the "American Dream" White Americans have traditionally been able to achieve since the 1950's. To be color blind is to ignore all of the privilege and differences in terms of equity that different students have been afford based on their racial background. While Brown v Board of education made students equal as people in the eyes of the government and school, it did not mean that the economic situations or historically partitioned status of none whites became automatically evened or accounted for.

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I chose the webinar Gender Savvy: Creating an Inclusive School Climate. I decided to pick this webinar because this is a familiar topic to me. Beside having much respect for the LGBT community, as a sociology major in college I took some classes about tolerance and the sociology of sexuality and they always interested me.
I have previously learned a lot of the info that was presented in the webinar, however it is always good to refresh your memory. I think that it is so important to always have an inclusive classroom and to keep parents involved in what the students are learning as well as the classroom environment. The webinar taught me how to inform parents about gender identity while also respecting a students' privacy.

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Let's Talk!  Discussing Black Lives Matter with Students - Christine Jelcic

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Let's Talk!  Discussing Black Lives Matter with Students - Christine Jelcic

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I chose this webinar so I could gain a better understanding of what the Black Lives Matter movement really means and stands for. I can see myself using what I learned in my classroom. We just started a unit on A Raisin in the Sun and I can use this to explain to my students the  historical connections to the civil rights movement and also to explain to my students that there is still racism and prejudice in our society today just as it was in the 1960's.

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Classroom Management = Classroom Culture - Theo Fawell

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Classroom Management = Classroom Culture - Theo Fawell

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I'm not sure why I chose this webinar. I think I was worried that there was something I didn't understand about classroom management. It is definitely the biggest difficulty we face at our school, and the most apparent and disruptive type of failure one can have as a teacher. Most professional development I have heard describing positive classroom management focuses either on hyper concrete tricks that work most of the time, or on teacher-student relationships and the diverse perspectives teachers can use to be more empathetic and patient. I had the thought that the latter was very similar to what we call classroom culture, and I started wondering if the two were different at all.
I have been and will continue re-thinking power dynamics. I became a teacher with the intention of validating students' intentions and thoughts instead of trying to control them, because authoritarianism was my excuse for missing out on high school. A lot of the empathetic behavior mentioned in the webinar I already use to - varied - positive effect. I have this lingering suspicion that empathy is only valuable if its tied to something extremely serious and a little menacing. I thought it was ironic that one of the articles, about getting student feedback to improve management,  mentioned that students had told the teacher he was being too soft and needed to enforce the class rules more. I've had students tell me the same in the past. I see lots of nice, inspiring teachers whose students sort of behave, and a few teachers who I would describe as severe while conveying a distant warmth, whose students really behave really respectfully. I don't want to rely on authoritarianism, I want to have a classroom where students are excited to think, not just to impress me by behaving.
I will try out the EATS table and see if this reveals more to me about my students' various problems. I recently found out that the whole class is reticent to speak in their other classes because the American kids make fun of their accent. I'm also going to try to find more concrete tips for helping students get over their fear of peer-judgment, as this is something that holds my students back from participating in activities that I think are fun.

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I watched the webinar Equity Matters: Developing Empathy.

I chose this webinar because I believe that empathy is the key to building classroom environments founded on respect and understanding. Our interactions with one another speak volumes before we even voice an actual lesson. Empathy is an ability that becomes embedded into our mindsets and branches out through our decision-making, as well as our actions (which are louder than words). Empathy is also a skill that always has room for growth. Therefore, I sought to learn of instilling empathy within an academic context so I can deliver lessons that both my students and I could learn from as equals. Also, this webinar caused me to question what we teach, as educators, if empathy is absent from our learning environment.

I appreciate the webinar’s Do Now-esque brainstorm session, which pushed the audience to become participants and have them contribute their definition of empathy. I love how this word-collage morphed into a train of thought. I would adopt this model for the start of a lesson and/or discussion to open a dialogue and get everyone thinking in regards to classroom expectations. I would also utilize the empathy lesson modified for high school (made available via toolkit links). Overall, modeling empathy through practice tends to resonate with me the most. A class collaborating on vocabulary posters that displays examples of empathy could be represented with other associative words and images, which may also act as friendly class reminders for rules on respect. Discussing empathy as a class, practicing the activities in the webinar toolkit and taking the time to get to know one another would ultimately help address social issues and matters of inclusion in the class. Opportunities for students to discuss their identities and experiences, in addition to empathetic strategies and exemplifying skills, allow students to identify with one another -as well as, help empathy become actualized not just philosophized. Aside from the helpful resource links I will also push myself to practice tolerance driven by compassion through turning that compassion into action, as prompted by the participants
contributions. Lastly, I intend to read up on some of the aforementioned peace-figures who blossomed out of violent environments and see what insights their experience may offer, then I’d share it!

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Webinar: Speak Up at School - Anna Dunlavey

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Webinar: Speak Up at School - Anna Dunlavey

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1) I watched the webinar "Speak Up at School: How to Respond to Everyday Prejudice, Bias and Stereotypes"

2) I chose to watch this webinar because working at a middle school means hearing jokes or slurs in conversations both inside and outside of the classroom. It's something I know I'll be dealing with quite often, and something I'm not quite sure how to properly address yet.

3) One tactic from this webinar that I will use is a ready response. This is something that I have already thought of before I hear anyone say something that could offend someone. That way, I'm not scrambling for words and making it more difficult for myself to explain why we don't use these words and why they are offensive. Another tactic I plan to use is language and context. Sometimes students, especially ELLs, don't realize just how much power certain words have. Putting offensive words and phrases into the context of their power can help when explaining to students why they should not be used.

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Reading Diversity: Tools for Selecting Diverse Texts - Jacqueline Helmig

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Reading Diversity: Tools for Selecting Diverse Texts - Jacqueline Helmig

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I watched the webinar about Reading Diversity: Tools for Selecting Diverse Texts.

I decided to watch this webinar because I struggle to pick strong texts that my students will be interested in.  My school is small, about 200 students, but the ELL population is pretty large (about 65-70 students).  The largest population amongst the ELLs is Spanish speaking, and I work mostly with Entering and Emerging level 9th graders, so I find getting grade level appropriate texts challenging.

I would try to use the Reading Diversity tool when working with the ELA department at my school, this would help us search for texts that the students could really be engaged with. The way the tool asks questions regarding various aspects of the text really gives teachers a better framework for deciding what texts would be best suited for their class.

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Fun Activities For Anti-Bias Education-Natalia Aristy

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Fun Activities For Anti-Bias Education-Natalia Aristy

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1) I watched Fun Activities for Anti-Bias Education.
2) The reason I chose this webinar is very simple. I've been looking for some fun activities for my students  and here it just  clicked. I do believe education in the 21st century should both have  fun and  substance.  Not to mention that the title itself sounds practical to me which is something I always appreciate.
3)The main theme of this webinar is to teach tolerance and  promote appreciation for diversity in schools. I will  use the suggested  20 activities both  for teaching tolerance and academic content.  Activities are designed to connect students through play and to allow them to voice  their opinions.

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1)I saw the webinar about  Let's Talk! whiteness.
2)I chose this webinar because I was interested to see how it can be introduced into the classroom.
3)The webinar talked about color blindness. In order for me to apply it to my classroom   I have to acknowledge all my student's cultural background. I would like to have an open conversation about what is "whiteness". I think the biggest  role I play as an ENL teacher is to advocate for my students as well as to teach them how to advocate for themselves. Having conversations about race can allow them a safe space to be able to discuss it without judgement.  This is in an effort for them to be able to recognize it and be able to advocate for themselves.

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Gender Savvy: Creating an Inclusive School Climate- James Davis

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Gender Savvy: Creating an Inclusive School Climate- James Davis

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1) I watched the webinar Gender Savvy: Creating an Inclusive School Climate.

2) I chose this webinar because people like me were discussed. I am very sensitive to this topics, so this choice was natural for me. I am a fierce advocate for LGBT students, and will not hesitate to advocate for my "babies!"

3) A lot of info presented in the document was familiar to me. The webinar enlightened me to ways that I could be inclusive while respecting everyone. Like giving lessons that make things human instead of male female. Even though we all have our bias I will try my best to treat all my students with respect. Mr. Davis has a will always have an inclusive classroom environment.

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Reframing Classroom Management: The Classroom Consensus- Yessi Jimenez

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Reframing Classroom Management: The Classroom Consensus- Yessi Jimenez

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1) I chose to watch the "Reframing Classroom Management: The Classroom Consensus" webinar.

2) I chose this webinar because classroom management is a big issue at the school where I currently work.

3) I will apply what I learned to my classroom by keeping in mind the approaches discussed in the webinar. For example, 1) Understand and distinguish behavior, 2) Rethink control and power dynamics, 3) Be proactive instead of reactive, and 4) Respond to the child, not the behavior. There are certain teacher habits that support student development and success,  like student-teacher relationships, and being able to redirect classroom disruption. The advice offered through the webinar are very similar to the Teach Like A Champion techniques.

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Let's talk! Teaching Black Lives Matter in the classroom - Ayana Colvin

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Let's talk! Teaching Black Lives Matter in the classroom - Ayana Colvin

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1) I chose to watch the webinar that discusses the importance of the black lives matter movement.
2)I selected this webinar because as a black woman, I find that I am still learning about my history and there is still so much that I do not know. I believe that the black lives matter movement is an important movement, as well as, historical. I feel that it is important for my students to understand what is happening in the world around them.
3)Whenever I complete a lesson a bit early or get a chance to talk to my students about topics than graduation or passing the regents. I would like to talk to my students about topics and things that are happening around the world. I teach seniors and I find it is important to be honest with them and allowing them the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the black lives matter movement.

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Classroom Management Webinar Response- Katie Rehder

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Classroom Management Webinar Response- Katie Rehder

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1) I watched the Reframing Classroom Management: The Classroom Consensus webinar.

2) I selected this webinar because classroom management seems to be my and the school's biggest struggle.

3) I feel like all of these webinars/books say the same thing which is build relationships, connect with students, set up expectations, create structure. I think many of these strategies are are easier said than done. I am currently struggling to teach effectively as I have students constantly saying inappropriate things throughout the class, causing a negative environment. Many of them don't have structure at home nor in their other classes.

This webinar did give me a few ideas to implement such as the fidget cube, and really talking to the students 1:1. After watching this webinar, I am reminded I need to find the cause of their behavior to really address it. I also liked the idea of the teacher who wrote a letter to the students and then had them write one too .

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Teaching Tolerance Webinar Response - Richard Billson

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Teaching Tolerance Webinar Response - Richard Billson

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1) I watched the Developing Empathy webinar.
2) I selected this webinar because I wanted to reflect on how empathetic I am as a person/teacher and how I can effectively help my students to develop empathy. I am teaching mainly 12th graders and I believe this theme is very important for them as they prepare to leave high school.
3) I facilitate an Advisory every day with a small group of 6 to 8 students. The topic of empathy and the activities associated with the webinar will provide a lot of opportunity for what I hope will be fruitful discussions.

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Developing Empathy Webinar Response - Ashley Beccia

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Developing Empathy Webinar Response - Ashley Beccia

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I watched the Developing Empathy webinar from January 10, 2017. I chose this webinar for a couple reasons. First, my school (P.S. 91X) has been trying to implement a classroom management approach called Responsive Classroom, which treats students’ socio-emotional development as an importantly as academic learning. This idea clearly involves teaching empathy, the primary focus of the webinar. Secondly, I personally believe that students must learn to feel, act and think empathetically and that it is teachers’ responsibility to instill these sentiments.

Something from the webinar that I would like implement in my classroom is the linking arm activity. Students stand up close to one another and are told that they are a community. Next the teacher tugs on the arm of one student, causing all the students to move. This illustrates the idea that when one person in a community is affected, everybody else is affected as well. The teacher can also talk about why the students are connected in the first place and the ways in which they constitute a community. I believe this kinesthetic, visual and memorable experience would have a meaningful impact on students and teach them to feel empathy toward one another.

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Deborah Stack: Teaching Tolerance Webinar Response

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Deborah Stack: Teaching Tolerance Webinar Response

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1) I watched Reading Diversity: Tools for Selecting Diverse Texts.

2) I selected this webinar because I have a very diverse classroom across a variety of spectrums: racially diverse, religiously diverse, linguistically diverse, as well as a diversity of ability levels and learning needs. I am in need of resources to help me choose texts to cater to the wide range of diverse students in my classroom.

3) The main takeaway from this video was to introduce a tool called "Reading Diversity." It essentially was developed to help teachers wrap their heads around different potential texts for the classroom and categorize them based on various planes of diversity, to help teach them more effectively or identify them as a positive or negative choice for the classroom. The tool is based in the idea that we all have our own inherent biases, so this tool helps teachers to reframe and focus on the elements of the text we really need to consider.

I like the idea of the tool, although it seems to be time consuming and a bit unwieldy. I think it will be helpful to use as a reference to help me frame my thinking as I consider different texts for my classroom.

Two of my favorite takeaways from this webinar were actually thoughts mentioned in the context of Consideration IV: Reader and Task Considerations. The speakers explained that diversity can exist even in a classroom that 'appears' to be homogenous, because both internal and external diversity exist. Even in a classroom which is 99.9% homogenous racially, there still might exist sexual, religious, and linguistic diversity. We need to acknowledge this, and not reduce 'diversity' to only race or gender.

My other favorite takeaway is that students need texts to function as both 'mirror and window.' They need to encounter nonfiction texts which reflect their own experience, but they also need to encounter nonfiction texts through which they view diverse experiences with which they do not identify. There is another webinar related to this concept which I will likely explore next.

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Reading Diversity: Tools for Selecting Diverse Texts (Samantha Friend)

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Reading Diversity: Tools for Selecting Diverse Texts (Samantha Friend)

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1) I chose Reading Diversity: Tools for Selecting Diverse Texts.

2) I chose this webinar because my school (PS19Q) has a large diversity of ELLS, as it a massive school with over 2,000 students. Of these 2,000 students about 1,200 are ELLS. Since starting at PS19Q, the fact that students learn more from texts that they can relate to has been solidly reaffirmed. Due to the diversity of the school, I thought that this Webinar could give me better insight into choosing these types of text to improve the effectiveness of my language lessons.

3) I would be very interested in using the Reading Diversity tool to select texts for my classroom, as I have been struggling to select my texts. Text selection is critical to both literary instruction and student engagement. Instead of focusing on the quantitative and qualitative approach, the Reading Diversity tool prioritizes text complexity, critical literacy, reader and task, and cultural responsiveness. The webinar provided examples on how to use the 2 versions of the tool, which help you select diverse texts by completing a teachers questionnaire for day-to-day lessons or a multi-step method used to identify texts for curriculum planning. I think this could be an amazing tool to use in my classrooms and especially for planning teams to start talking about diverse text selection!