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I thought the Warm Demander Chart was very interesting. As a counselor, rapport building is at the core of my job. I definitely want to strive to be a warm demander, but I think sometimes it is easy to fall into the sentimentalist if I am not careful.

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As a parent, I want my children's teachers to let me know about what they are doing at school and if they are kind and having fun. I never get a check-in unless I ask outside of the conference that you sign up for at the beginning of the year. It would be nice for teachers to spend more time connecting with parents as people who know the kid the best. I also find it just as offensive that people may not be reaching out to me because they think we are fine or my kid is doing just fine. As a school administrator, it pushes me to consider how to get authentic feedback in our work. In recent work, engaging with established cultural and historical community businesses and non-profits have helped to get a bigger perspective. Phone calls and check-ins on anything go a long way. Establishing trust and relationships with people first go a long way for future project partnerships. We could hold more division-level "fun" events. We could allow parents to drop into schools more often.

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-Asking families at the beginning of the year what traditions are important to them and what they expect from the school.
-Beginning conversations with listening.
-Regular contact through phone calls, email, Seesaw, and meetings.

I think these strategies are each working to some degree to help me build positive and meaningful relationships with families.  I hope to be more intentional with communicating with families on a regular schedule, to ensure that I am sharing positive feedback and requesting feedback on my practice regularly.
-Alex Salesin

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Trust between teachers, students, and families is the glue that binds educational relationships together. Not trusting teachers has several negative consequences for students. When students don't trust teachers, students are not willing to take academic risks. Just remember, a perceived value plays a large roll in whether or not the relationship between students, parents, and teachers will be meaningful and successful.

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Trust between teachers, students, and families is the glue that binds educational relationships together. Not trusting teachers has several negative consequences for students. When students don't trust teachers, students are not willing to take academic risks. Just remember, a perceived value plays a large roll in whether or not the relationship between students, parents, and teachers will be meaningful and successful.

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3.2Melissa BlackI really enjoyed the last two articles. There was a lot of information that piqued my interest and I can begin using these pieces of info on a small scale as I feel comfortable and have time, given our current instructional situation, to integrate. I love the idea of making the traditional parent conferences more dynamic, frequent, and collaborative in nature. I see a lot of potential to connect with families more easily and more effectively through using Zoom, which is a byproduct of COVID that I hope will hang around for educators. 

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3.2Melissa BlackI really enjoyed the last two articles. There was a lot of information that piqued my interest and I can begin using these pieces of info on a small scale as I feel comfortable and have time, given our current instructional situation, to integrate. I love the idea of making the traditional parent conferences more dynamic, frequent, and collaborative in nature. I see a lot of potential to connect with families more easily and more effectively through using Zoom, which is a byproduct of COVID that I hope will hang around for educators. 

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Currently reflecting on how to make the information gathering practices we employ richer with feedback that indicates culture, values, individual experiences, and dreams for students' educational experiences. Then how to disaggregate that data and create actionable plans, instead of an FAQ  on a webpage. 

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Currently reflecting on how to make the information gathering practices we employ richer with feedback that indicates culture, values, individual experiences, and dreams for students' educational experiences. Then how to disaggregate that data and create actionable plans, instead of an FAQ  on a webpage. 

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I worked on project based learning last year and had my students work on leading their own conferences which I loved and enjoyed watching my students share what they had learned with their parents! It was also nice watching the parents respond to what their children had to Not sure how to do it while teaching virtually with prek students.

As far as my teacher persona, I fall somewhere between the Warm Demander and the Sentamentalist.

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I will work to include conferences into class. Creating individual breakout rooms to get students one on one will be a good way to set goals. Creating a goal or reinforcing a goal can lead to great conversation so I can build a better relationship with students.

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When reading about Yosso’s Cultural Wealth Model I reflected on the importance of unity days, and how important it is to help students recognize the strength in a united community.

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I found these resources to be helpful! I definitely fall in the category of warm defender though there are many times that I allow kids to extend the time it takes to complete their work when I see that they are excited about it, but aren't hitting their goal deadlines. Perhaps this is because my line of work as TDRT is often seen as "extra" so I feel that often my kids aren't given enough class time to prioritize their work. Regardless, I could be more helpful with pushing them to complete their work in a more effective manner for sure!

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I want to explore ways and means to engage and form partnerships with students and families. How can we reimagine communication with families, create meaningful relationships, etc.

Are parent-teacher conferences outdated. How can we put students in the forefront (student-led conferences as one means).

How can we create liaisons?

Timelines and procedures
~Reed

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I after evaluating my teacher persona, I find myself stuck somewhere between "The Sentamentalist" and the "Warm Demander."  As I work to build relationships, the students that I have the most difficulty connecting with are the ones that then recieve the "Sentamentalist" teacher.  I put all of my effort into showing them that I care and yearning for that connection that I am afraid to demand from them for fear that it will squash any type of trust or caring relationship being built.  I recognize this, and it is something I have to continue to work on especially when those relationships and connections don't come easily.

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When reading about a CRT trained teacher's experience with a new student with limited English proficiency, it reminded me of a student I had a few years ago. Through reading this, I realized how simple it can be to make a connection with a student and a family. Just making a small effort to learn a phrase in a student's native language can mean so much to them and build that bond. I also thought it was interesting that this teacher was able to find common ground in her religious background with this family.
On another note, I found Yosso's Cultural Wealth Summary really interesting. There were many aspects of a student's knowledge that I had never considered. I want to continue reading about this and reflecting on examples of my students' and families' cultural wealth.

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The teacher was able to take a step back and see where the connection between herself and the student was lacking. Incorporating aspects of the student's home language into her teaching helped the student to feel welcome.

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I found Hammonds article interesting about the warm demander. I took the self assessment on the warm demander chart. I could explicitly think of specific examples of teachers I had through the years who fell into each category so I took a moment to reflect on that and how each one of them effected me.

I really love the learning pact conferences that Hammond suggests but seems daunting/near impossible with current school set up.

The microaggressions article was interesting and really made me stop and think about some of the ways that I try to bring culture in to my classroom in an appropriate way without students feeling on the spot or pressured to.

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I'd really love to work with/discuss further the specifics of how educators in our county have used Yosso's framework in practice!

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I feel like I do this already but it's not as effective as I'd like so after rereading the excerpt from Z. Hammond I think the problem is setting benchmarks from the very beginning. I struggle with this probably because I hate them. I tend to do things at the last minute and they get done but I realize not everyone is this way so setting up the overall goal with bite sized chunks would help students. I need to be more disciplined myself in setting these up with students and then making sure I help them meet them.

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I think the exemplar did a wonderful job of connecting with the student and their family.  The teacher was able to connect in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense by making personal connections with the student and her family.  Sharing stories and experiences leads to finding those connections that help to build those bonds and trust threads needed for growth through partnerships.  We need more opportunities to make these connections outside of school.

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With the examplar, sometimes I find that it is hard with secondary students and takes much longer to build a level of trust with teenagers that might not be as open to that initial emotional connection as in this story especially if they have had long history or experience losing trust in education and the school system as a whole it is very difficult to overcome the past decade of schooling and feeling marginalized. However, I did like reflecting on Yosso's cultural wealth model and how that looks in my student family interactions. I can see ways to leverage that to a greater extent to build that rapport and buy in from families.

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I fall in the sentimentalist category and I want to move towards the warm demander. I struggle to build relationships with some of my students and families. Often, those are the same students who perform poorly in my classes. My goal is to continue looking for authentic ways to connect. This year I gave a student interest survey that has helped a lot, but I still have students that are not engaging in the content.

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3.1 Talent Development Portfolios thru Learning Partnership Model

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3.1 Talent Development Portfolios thru Learning Partnership Model

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One aspect of the articles that I appreciated was the emphasis on equity to create a level space for teachers to engage with parents. Even something as simple as renaming the parent/teacher conference to a progress review was a unique approach to rebranding our approach as educators to families. Education is a partnership and a true partnership is built off identifying strengths and employing them to experience success.

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3.1 Reflection: The Learning Partnership

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3.1 Reflection: The Learning Partnership

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I appreciated rereading the excerpt from CRT & The Brain about learning partnerships. The process of reflecting on learning, identifying strong areas, and determining areas of growth fits right in with my experience running a writing workshop. The partnerships I forged in the years I used workshop were strong. As I look forward to returning to the classroom next year, I want to think about how to also create a practice like this around reading, particularly if I end up in a high school. I often hear HS teachers lament that many students will not engage in independent reading. Perhaps a learning partnership forged in a context of reading together as a class could have an impact on student participation/engagement/growth.

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This article was in direct correlation with the conversation we had in our breakout room. Reading this truly makes me want to learn more about how to teach individuals to celebrate their cultures, without making them feel "exotic"!

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CRT 3.3  Culturally Responsive Teachers acknowledge, show value for, and incorporate the cultural influences of their students. 

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CRT 3.3  Culturally Responsive Teachers acknowledge, show value for, and incorporate the cultural influences of their students. 

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In the article, Culturally Responsive Teaching: What you need to know, the question was asked; are there barriers to engaging families you want to address? While I feel like I have "tackled" a hurdle in my ability to use Google translate with many of my lessons in Spanish; which is the second largest population at my school. This question does challenge me to think about other students/families that would appreciate seeing lessons in their native language as well.

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I am so grateful for the suggestions of ways to build partnerships with families! I work with all of the students in my school, so I get overwhelmed thinking about how to do this; this resource helped me think on a grander scheme of how to get to know families and build trust with them, a little at a time.

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Contacting parents by using their preferred method (email, phone, text) and at a time that is convenient for them,  family engagement nights, calling with success stories for their child, surveys and questionnaires,  asking for their input about their child/goals/interests.
Virtually, I have been able to form relationships with families that I struggled to build trust with in the past.  The virtual platform has helped us to reach that "partnership."  It has also helped me to see the importance in taking time to engage with them in this way.

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I don't have a product, but I learned so much just by reading more about 3.3. I knew nothing about the names of the different assets, and I realized I really need to get to know my students better!

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I don't have a product, but I learned so much just by reading more about 3.3. I knew nothing about the names of the different assets, and I realized I really need to get to know my students better!

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We have a WEALTH of assets within our student's families and communities.  Capitalizing on their experiences and knowledge makes my teaching better and our shared classroom experience richer. 

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We have a WEALTH of assets within our student's families and communities.  Capitalizing on their experiences and knowledge makes my teaching better and our shared classroom experience richer. 

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I like how the teacher found the church where the student and her family participate and made that connection.  That's a wonderful example of going out of your way to find out about your student and their culture. I mentioned to my breakout group that I did my student teaching on the White Earth Anishinabe reservation and the school hosted a pow wow and none of the White teachers came and most of the students were there.  I saw the message loud and clear that day.

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I like how the teacher found the church where the student and her family participate and made that connection.  That's a wonderful example of going out of your way to find out about your student and their culture. I mentioned to my breakout group that I did my student teaching on the White Earth Anishinabe reservation and the school hosted a pow wow and none of the White teachers came and most of the students were there.  I saw the message loud and clear that day.

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Reading the Cultural Wealth Exemplar connected well to our first breakout room.  We discussed building trust with students and their families.  The teacher connected with the student using linguistic and safety to begin with.  Followed by getting to know their family and then connecting through their religion.  What a great story to share.  The teacher was intentional about learning more about the student and their cultural wealth which completely changed the young girls trust and comfort with the teacher.  We know this but sometimes we really need to see where we can connect to build these opportunities to gain their trust.  I love reading and learning more about these success stories.

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I discussed with my group the difficulty of building relationships during virtual learning and how it seems to take longer this year.  The physical distance makes it hard as well as for some of us, the shorter amount of time that we are with our students. Small groups really benefit us getting to know our students better and building relationships.  How do we bring linguistic capital into our classrooms on a regular basis, much less during a time when we are virtual?

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I discussed with my group the difficulty of building relationships during virtual learning and how it seems to take longer this year.  The physical distance makes it hard as well as for some of us, the shorter amount of time that we are with our students. Small groups really benefit us getting to know our students better and building relationships.  How do we bring linguistic capital into our classrooms on a regular basis, much less during a time when we are virtual?

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Thoughtful completion of the Familial Cultural Wealth Inventory requires an investment of time with both the student and the family. It requires the educator to build a relationship that allows you to respond to each of these areas with a body of evidence that ultimately leads to the educator discovering the assets each child and family bring to the shared learning experience. It is this action that begins develop the "unshakable" belief that the child can succeed.

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Cultural capital is not a monolith, there are many types of cultural capital: cultural capital are: aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistance.

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The CRT certified teachers story really hit home with me today as I realized the actions that I would typically would be taking with one of my students that just is not happening virtually. My ESOL student and I have connected so little on language because we are so focused on getting through all of the other parts of our day. Things like lunch bunches and reading together are nearly nonexistant.

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Thinking about how to use/facilitate the use of the Funds of Knowledge Matrix as a way to start conversations with my families. There are topics of conversation on the matrix that I have not considered talking with families about and I am realizing how authentic and genuine those conversations can be when using this tool. Analisa Herring

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Thinking about how to use/facilitate the use of the Funds of Knowledge Matrix as a way to start conversations with my families. There are topics of conversation on the matrix that I have not considered talking with families about and I am realizing how authentic and genuine those conversations can be when using this tool. Analisa Herring

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Microaggressions prevent the establishment of a meaningful relationship with students, because they send a negative message to students in a way that often goes unrecognized by the teacher; while the teacher is thinking they are being encouraging and supportive, the student is left feeling isolated, judged, or stereotyped. The messages sent by microaggressions attack student identities at a core level. These must be recognized and prevented in order for teachers to be able to build trusting relationships with their students.

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We have to be able to recognize the different cultures in our schools/students and then work collaboratively with families to establish essential partnerships.  This trust and rapport that is created from these partnerships will help increase "student-centered" instruction and rigor.

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This was something that I was thinking about today.  This article helped me a great deal.
I would begin by conferencing with my student and helping them to identify their strengths.  I would have them make a poster with drawings or cut outs of things that demonstrate this strength.

Next, I would work with the student to identify an area that needs improvement.  We would come up with a plan and share it with the adults in the child's life and a timeline.

Together, the student and I would take data and post it on the timeline.

At the end of the learning experience, the student would present the data and what they had learrned with the adults in their life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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Current structures - reaching out to families to share positives about their students early in the year, using questionnaires to find out what families are concerned about and what they want for their children, listening first in conferences before "dumping" info......I am interested in changing the vibe of the parent-teacher conference into more of a sharing about the student experience for both the family and myself, and even include the student more - student-led conferences in the spring?  I also feel short updates more often throughout the year is more valuable to most families than a formal conference.

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Current structures - reaching out to families to share positives about their students early in the year, using questionnaires to find out what families are concerned about and what they want for their children, listening first in conferences before "dumping" info......I am interested in changing the vibe of the parent-teacher conference into more of a sharing about the student experience for both the family and myself, and even include the student more - student-led conferences in the spring?  I also feel short updates more often throughout the year is more valuable to most families than a formal conference.

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Meeting students and families before school starts is one of the highlights for the year for me. It allows me to introduce myself and get to know the families on a small scale before school starts. I have always sent out check ins and made phone calls to families to make connections but after reading this information there is so much more meaningful collaboration that can be done with families. I have always loved the African proverb that it takes a village to raise a child. This also is true with teaching. As teachers we need the parents. They know their child better than anyone and we are partnering with them to assist in the development and education of their child. One of the things I am definitely taking away is asking more questions about what the parent wants for their child. To be honest and ask the questions to get the parents trust and to be prepared for their honesty, good or disappointing; but to use that information to strive for excellence.

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Without trust, students won't feel comfortable taking risks and being vulnerable. After reading "Creating a Pact," I realized that I have been setting goals with students without being explicit that students will feel uncomfortable and that I am asking them to stretch. I picked this topic since I have a student in my class who says he doesn't like school as a reason to not complete work, and I am brainstorming how to get him involved through a learning partnership.

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Current structures are: 1. New year phone call. To have parents tell me anything they want me to know about their child at the start of the year.   2. texting, emailing, phone calls to share out positive things about what I have seen.   3. Information binders about kids 

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Current structures are: 1. New year phone call. To have parents tell me anything they want me to know about their child at the start of the year.   2. texting, emailing, phone calls to share out positive things about what I have seen.   3. Information binders about kids 

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Things I would like to change is having kids as part of the goal setting refreshers. Have students report the progress of their goals per their IEP to their parents instead of me. (Currently i just have student help me write their IEPs and lead the meetings) I would love for them to be in more control with that part. Since I have to complete quarterly progress reports anyways.

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- being vulnerable,
-clear expectations
-  student feedback
- word choice and phrasing
- safe space and teachable moments
-modeling empathy and praise

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Current structures - reaching out to families to share positives about their students early in the year, using questionnaires to find out what families are concerned about and what they want for their children, listening first in conferences before "dumping" info......I am interested in changing the vibe of the parent-teacher conference into more of a sharing about the student experience for both the family and myself, and even include the student more - student-led conferences in the spring?  I also feel short updates more often throughout the year is more valuable to most families than a formal conference.

# data[].attributes.subject
Current structures - reaching out to families to share positives about their students early in the year, using questionnaires to find out what families are concerned about and what they want for their children, listening first in conferences before "dumping" info......I am interested in changing the vibe of the parent-teacher conference into more of a sharing about the student experience for both the family and myself, and even include the student more - student-led conferences in the spring?  I also feel short updates more often throughout the year is more valuable to most families than a formal conference.

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Something my teaching partner and I have done at the beginning of the year is a project were students pick an adult in their family to interview. There are about 5 questions that the student will ask that family member. The questions range from family traditions, why their family came to the U.S., how was that family members childhood, and what makes their family proud. Most of the time students write about each question, but some also focus on one or two questions. The questions are purposeful and allows them to have open, honest conversations with the family member they are interviewing. We go through the whole writing process and the end products are magical. Most students have a better understanding of who they are and where they came from. Some even learn something about their family that they did not know before! Being able to read their family's story is a privilege as a teacher, but also allows me to understand who my students are and what is meaningful to them and their family.

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Our virtual start seems to have given me more ways to connect with student and families. In many cases, parents are nearby and can lean in to talk. Having barriers to overcome like technology issues, avoidance behaviors have had some parents seeking more help than they have in the past. For some families, they are recognizing the difficulties their children are facing for the first time- and they are motivated to reach out for support.

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As an interventionist, I am not always the bearer of information. It is hard in this virtual climate to know how to connect with families. In years' past, I have taken the time to communicate with parents regularly with positive notes home (email or hand-written or phone calls). I have attended conferences to meet parents and share their child's progress and what goals we are working towards. I need to shift from being a bearer of information to a listener and be a student of my students. I intend to be more proactive, when I get my case load, to reaching out to parents/families in more ways than giving a report of data.

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Current structures virtual learning style

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Current structures virtual learning style

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First structure is always a phone call prior to the start of school to just introduce myself and ask a few questions about family and child as well as ask parent preferences for additional contact...phone, zoom or email.
I have had several phone/zoom calls with most families, but realize I am leading an control content even through I ask if they have concerns at the end. Moving forward I want to lead with asking about what they want to share first. Also having limited engagement with google form survey and it appears parents are not interested in parent meeting or group...need to be more targeted in asking about interest. Also wondering about defining meaningful collaboration differently for each family.

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I read the article "Cultural Responsiveness Starts with Real Caring".  No growth happens without relationships.  

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I read the article "Cultural Responsiveness Starts with Real Caring".  No growth happens without relationships.  

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Main takeaways- a more inviting term for parent-teacher conferences is progress meetings. These meetings should not be heavy on teacher talk(no acronyms, please), but should really be a time to get to know families. I feel like students should run their own meetings. If the kid prepares and is ready to run it, few parents would want to miss. Be aware of child-care needs and interpreter needs too. Do home visits. Make phone calls home and LISTEN.

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Main takeaways- a more inviting term for parent-teacher conferences is progress meetings. These meetings should not be heavy on teacher talk(no acronyms, please), but should really be a time to get to know families. I feel like students should run their own meetings. If the kid prepares and is ready to run it, few parents would want to miss. Be aware of child-care needs and interpreter needs too. Do home visits. Make phone calls home and LISTEN.

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Currently we use SeeSaw and the notifications, announcements, and messages to reach families. We also include info in the weekly school newsletter and make ourselves available to zoom with families as needed.

Due to be special area teacher in an elementary school, I find it hard to build relationships with so many families. I need to find better ways to communicate with families and get more background information. I have met with parents via zoom and have called families whose students are disruptive in our zoom classes. But am unsure how to reach so many via this virtual world. I want to know our students backgrounds and what they have available to them. I like the idea of a school cultural database.

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Collaboration with parents is crucial to partner with students and families for successful outcomes. I have reached out to all families through email and some via phone, I have followed up on students not attending class or struggling with turning in work. At this time parent response has been low. I am planning to shift to do a newsletter/email to parents every two weeks to let them know what is going on in our class. I also plan on doing a survey to gauge how their student's experience was in my class at the end of the quarter and will use that feedback for the 2nd quarter. I plan on sending positive emails home to all students (do a few each day) to personally try to connect to parents and guardians.

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Collaboration with parents is crucial to partner with students and families for successful outcomes. I have reached out to all families through email and some via phone, I have followed up on students not attending class or struggling with turning in work. At this time parent response has been low. I am planning to shift to do a newsletter/email to parents every two weeks to let them know what is going on in our class. I also plan on doing a survey to gauge how their student's experience was in my class at the end of the quarter and will use that feedback for the 2nd quarter. I plan on sending positive emails home to all students (do a few each day) to personally try to connect to parents and guardians.

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A. Walkup

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When I first dove into creating learning partnerships, I was solely focused on my students. Building a rapport with them, inspiring intrinsic motivation, and building the skills they needed to succeed. I worked to make sure they knew I believed in them.

It was only later that I realized I almost completely iced my parents out of the learning partnerships. There wasn't much opportunity for them to come into the classroom, outside of regular school events, I can't say I saw them much. I don't remember an avenue to really having conversations that edified our teamwork. In one of the CRT essays, someone said they felt like no parent contact was them "winning". I felt the same.

The following year I definitely realized my mistake, and am still growing in this area. However, I know that learning partnerships are incomplete if the family is not involved. I was raised to shoulder the responsibility of my own education, and I naturally translated that to making sure my students could stand on their own two feet in my classroom. But, the collaboration that can be fostered from an engaged family, teacher, and student, is worth so much more than what students can muster on their lonesome.

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When reading the article for CRT 3.1, (Cultural Responsiveness starts with real caring) the resonating message of the text that teachers need to take away is genuine authentic caring. I feel this is the core and one of the "whys" of our Greer teaching community.  

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When reading the article for CRT 3.1, (Cultural Responsiveness starts with real caring) the resonating message of the text that teachers need to take away is genuine authentic caring. I feel this is the core and one of the "whys" of our Greer teaching community.  

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The Trifecta: Parents, Students and Teachers

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The Trifecta: Parents, Students and Teachers

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It takes all three: Parents, students and teachers to help a help a child experience success at school. And building trust is so important. Like all Greer teachers, I begin the year with a phone call to each parent introducing myself. I then do a home visit and share a refrigerator magnet with my contact information. It has my email and cell number.  I explain to my parents that they can call me anytime if they have questions or concerns.  I express how important it is for parent, student and teacher to be on the same page.  I also leave a gift baggie that includes a sheet for parents to complete their hopes and dreams for their child.  I also like to check in with parents with highs and lows;  If students are struggling with behaviors or academics, I ask parents to come in to chat about how we can help build a successful year their their child.  Not blaming, just helping.  Parents are receptive and appreciative because, like me, they only want the best for their child.  It takes all three of us, parent, student and teacher, working together to ensure student success.

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I usually do an "All About Me" project with my children during which they take turns bringing in a bag of 3-5 items to help us get to know them. I like the idea of making this more of a cultural activity ... it might be fun to do it as a family event around a potluck supper. Families could bring an item or two from their culture to share in a small group & then display for everyone to see in a gallery walk. However, with the ongoing pandemic, it might be awhile before such an activity will be feasible.

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As a child's first teacher, I feel that it's especially important to develop a partnership with the family & collaborate around the child's growth & development. With some families, this comes very naturally; with others, it can be quite a challenge. It's nice to work as a team (teacher, TA, family support) so that at least one of us can have a close relationship with each family.
My relationship with families starts with a home visit before the school year starts. Next comes Open House & Back to School Night ... both of which we try to improve each year. I love the simple idea of changing the name of "parent teacher conferences" & my team is already in the process of revamping our regular family events.

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I aspire to be a warm demander and still struggle with figuring out how much to demand. The excerpt mentions putting students in their zone of proximal development. This is something I think about often. I want to get students to their ZPD and not their danger zone, eliciting a shutdown. However, I find that I sometimes can't figure out how to provide the right supports to help students become dependent learners who can access the curriculum while remaining in the ZPD. This is to say, I continue to learn how to add the demander part to my teaching. This was something I focused on improving this year and will continue to work on next year .

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In reading the "warm demander" profile, the characteristics are all things I've aspired to my whole teaching career.  I hope that is how students see me, but there is always room for growth.  I find that students respond best when they feel seen, heard, understood, and liked.  Just like they have preferences for how they like to learn, they have preferences for how they like to trust and be trusted.  It takes time and energy to build those relationships, but the benefits are huge!  

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In reading the "warm demander" profile, the characteristics are all things I've aspired to my whole teaching career.  I hope that is how students see me, but there is always room for growth.  I find that students respond best when they feel seen, heard, understood, and liked.  Just like they have preferences for how they like to learn, they have preferences for how they like to trust and be trusted.  It takes time and energy to build those relationships, but the benefits are huge!  

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"It’s about authentic caring...but also by showing “tough love”. "

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"It’s about authentic caring...but also by showing “tough love”. "

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I am a firm believer in being caring through tough love. It has been used with me by people whom I love and respect- parents, educators, colleagues, friends, and the list can continue. I have used it with my own children, and I use it with my students. However, the caring rapport has to be there, and has to be there solidly and authentically, before the tough can enter. Even in teaching some of our younger learners, I have found that this is still possible. I have found that it helps to strengthen the bond of trust, and allows for growth, even if it is hard for the child to see. When success is achieved, the child is more willing to take that next risk, and be "pushed".

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We need to make sure that we are genuine in our conversations with students.  As we work to build relationships we need to use student interests to help encourage learning.  If we take the time to get to know our students, they are often more willing to work and attempt challenging learning situations, because they know we will be there to support them.

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I think that a silver lining in our school closure is the strengthened relationships we are developing with families. I spend a lot of time on video calls right now and both the student and a parent are involved.  I have deep respect for the parents that are struggling with me to help their student with the distance learning arrangement.  So now I want to think about how I can continue this style of communication, after schools are open again.  I'm wondering if I could ask parents if they'd like to do a video conference- I'm also thinking about how I could use a survey for parents leading up to conferences- specific for EL families. I'd also like this to become an ongoing conversation, that parents feel like they can have a voice more easily, not just at conference time or when there is a school event.
M Cann

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One of my favorite projects in class this year was a "family tradition" writing project. Students wrote about a tradition they shared with their family, added pictures, and brought in items for show and tell. They then presented to their classmates. In the process, I learned so much from the kids about things I could use as a conversation starter and connection point with families.

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I think with Brad's leadership we did a much better job this year bringing families and their cultural influences into our SBIT process.  Brad always opened up with questions about things the family enjoys and made connections with families during the meeting.  This helped parents feel like a part of the SBIT team.

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I think with Brad's leadership we did a much better job this year bringing families and their cultural influences into our SBIT process.  Brad always opened up with questions about things the family enjoys and made connections with families during the meeting.  This helped parents feel like a part of the SBIT team.

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CRT is not a simple strategy of 'story telling' or 'call and response'

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CRT is not a simple strategy of 'story telling' or 'call and response'

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"But I am reminded by the Ralph Ellison quote that the foundation of culturally responsive instruction is not technical, but relational. It’s about authentic caring. It’s not about using some generic “call and response” strategy to get kids fired up so they are excited about the same ole boring, unrelated stuff. Kids can see through that…quick."

Kids can spend all day responding to various 'calls', however, if they are not truly 'engaged' through a stronger 'relational' thread to the learning, those 'responses' can just be another way of going through the motions but not actually being engaged in learning.  For example, if a teacher uses. the "123... Everybody freeze!" or the "Hands on top....That means Stop" call & response so that he/she can. give feedback or further instruction, and the kids say the response but then continue talking or working or being otherwise unengaged. If the teacher simply continues without 'warmly demanding a respectful attention" the unintended/ subconscious/subliminal message students receive is that the teacher doesn't really (truly) care if they are listening or not and consequently that they don't really care if the student learns or receives the feedback.  In other words, if what I, as a teacher, am saying is important enough for me to ask the class to listen, then I should wait til they are all listening.  That is just an example of how simply using a strategy, without relational integrity doesn't work and isn't actually Culturally Responsive.

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 In thinking about a specific student I can see examples of familial cultural wealth.  This student has demonstrated strengths in these areas in the classroom.  I would like to create a learning pact with this specific student. To do this I will explicitly acknowledge her strengths in the classroom.  I will look for concrete examples of strengths that relate to navigating institutional systems and resistance in enquitable systems.  My hope is that this acknowledgement will bring us to a place of trust, where I see what is real to her.  I will show her how she can use these strengths to create artwork that demonstrates her stance to our society, starting at our school community.

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 In thinking about a specific student I can see examples of familial cultural wealth.  This student has demonstrated strengths in these areas in the classroom.  I would like to create a learning pact with this specific student. To do this I will explicitly acknowledge her strengths in the classroom.  I will look for concrete examples of strengths that relate to navigating institutional systems and resistance in enquitable systems.  My hope is that this acknowledgement will bring us to a place of trust, where I see what is real to her.  I will show her how she can use these strengths to create artwork that demonstrates her stance to our society, starting at our school community.

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"Be explicit about your belief in his capacity to master this learning target. Make this authentic. Students are good at sniffing out fake flattery. Share the information you've learned about the student's strengths during your rapport-building phase. Help the student understand that you really believe in him. "

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"Be explicit about your belief in his capacity to master this learning target. Make this authentic. Students are good at sniffing out fake flattery. Share the information you've learned about the student's strengths during your rapport-building phase. Help the student understand that you really believe in him. "

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I've heard that if you see someone's gift it is a great disservice to the world if you do not tell them.

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List of questions you can ask families to get a better grasp on their cultural wealth:
1.) What are your hopes and dreams for your child/family this year? (Aspirational)
2.) What would be a question you still have or are confused about, about your child’s schooling? (Navigational/resistance)
3.) Describe your child’s strengths. What are some challenges? (Familial/social)
4.) What is your favorite family tradition you celebrate? (Familial/linguistic)
5.) What can I do, in your opinion, to help your child the most this school year?

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Being in special education it is so important that I build a relationship with the families of my students. I try to begin by listening to their concerns as many are anxious about their child attending school. I also like to ask them what works at home and what they want me to know about their child. I try to communicate with families often and learn about the student at home. I also try to communicate with them about school sharing small successes, sending pictures, and sharing my joy of teaching their child. I believe most parents are doing the best they can and want the best for their child. I am always open to offering support but make sure it is something they want and not something I am imposing.

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Meeting Our Students Where They're at and Lifting them Higher.

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Meeting Our Students Where They're at and Lifting them Higher.

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Building learning partnerships starts with us, as teachers, understanding where are students and families are coming from. Once we have an understanding we can then use that information to build our learning partnerships. For me, beginning my first year at Greer,
I looked at the demographics of the school to best plan out what PE units would be best for our students. I thought about units they may really enjoy because they play them a lot, as well as units that they may never really have any other chance to play to give them an experience they might really like, but never have the opportunity to do it.

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"We cannot fix socio-economic disparities, but we can convince those families that they have value and are truly needed to complete the circle of people that will successfully educate their children." ( love this- from reading)
As an interventionist I only have 30 mins a day with my students and I have to make the best of the time we are together.  I found taking a few minutes each day to ask , How's it going? helped to get to know them and show that I care.  Learning cannot take place until they feel safe and trust you. Relationships are important.