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"An equitable learning environment is created by a teacher who has intentionally and deliberately engaged in their own identity development—outside of the classroom."

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how I can make my classroom a more equitable learning environment?

"An equitable learning environment is one that privileges difference. It creates an emotionally safe space in which to grapple with the most challenging of concepts, to make mistakes, and to try again. It is a reflective space, where metacognition and identity-based work are deeply interconnected."

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"Equitable classrooms reimagine the curriculum as a series of access points. First and foremost, these classrooms create an environment in which students are learning together. They begin by learning about each other: how each student understands themselves in the identities they carry and how those identities shape norms for a shared learning space"

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how we can make these "access points" accessible to Multilingual Learners

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"This was the first year when I created a practice of asking students to assess their prior knowledge on a given topic through the lens of their lived experiences; when I encouraged students to respond to a text through the lens of their identity; and when my students started to refer to their identities as a way of entering classroom discussion"

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"This was the first year when I created a practice of asking students to assess their prior knowledge on a given topic through the lens of their lived experiences; when I encouraged students to respond to a text through the lens of their identity; and when my students started to refer to their identities as a way of entering classroom discussion"

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I really liked the pre-work that went into the lessons/units. It felt proactive rather than reactive.
Hillary Boles

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I'm wondering about downsides of vulnerability. The author discusses the need for boundaries for when we as teachers discuss privilege and our own journeys, but does this ever come with a cost? How much can be misconstrued with parents of our students? It's a small concern, but I always worry about the "telephone effect."

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“When educators fail to appreciate the importance of student emotions, we fail to appreciate the very reason that students learn at all.”

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“When educators fail to appreciate the importance of student emotions, we fail to appreciate the very reason that students learn at all.”

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Before we diversify the curriculum, we need to understand who we are teaching: how each student is positioned to the identities they carry and what that positioning means for each child.

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Before we diversify the curriculum, we need to understand who we are teaching: how each student is positioned to the identities they carry and what that positioning means for each child.

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I wonder how can I define my students. Can I find any useful tools/materials for this process other than observation?

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the importance of appreciating students emotions

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how can we guarantee students are 'accessing the very learning experience we set out to offer them.'

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"Before we diversify the curriculum, we need to understand who we are teaching: how each student is positioned to the identities they carry and what that positioning means for each child. If an equitable learning environment honors the lived experiences of our students, then diversifying the curriculum, in and of itself, isn’t nearly enough." I really liked this quote as it points to how important relationships and understanding of our students are to our teaching. I always start with a learner profile that is reflective of them and their positionality. As well, we start our Social Justice course with just that - having students create and understand their positionality before we move into interpreting the work of others

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I am wondering about my colleagues to the south in states where anti-racist teaching/critical theory is being banned and how that will play out in the classroom as teachers try to de-colonize the classroom.

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Darcy Cleaver--I like..."Essentially, these classrooms are, as a habit of practice, positioning the learning of a classroom in relationship to the lived experiences and identities of students in it. " This speaks to a deliberateness (the habit) of making classrooms a place that asks for and values students' experiences and voices.

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Darcy Cleaver--I like..."Essentially, these classrooms are, as a habit of practice, positioning the learning of a classroom in relationship to the lived experiences and identities of students in it. " This speaks to a deliberateness (the habit) of making classrooms a place that asks for and values students' experiences and voices.

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About the best ways, developmentally, to approach this with a course of, say, 9th-grade students. The language a teacher uses to invite safe participation matters.

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I like...

"The equitable learning environment is one that designs for--and celebrates--our students' differences."
"Before we diversify the curriculum, we need to understand who we are teaching: how each student is positioned to the identities they carry and what that positioning means for each child."

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I wonder...

Can my students see themselves in our curricula? How can I ensure so? How can I fulfill my responsibility to create this opportunity for them?

"Ultimately, the students decide the extent to which they can see themselves in our curricula and our practices; our responsibility is to create the opportunity for them to do so."

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" The excellent book Seeing Race Again: Countering Colorblindness Across the Disciplines powerfully creates a case for this in current-day academia, detailing the Eurocentric origins of the established academy as we know it. The authors question the notion of disciplines, in and of themselves, as existing in isolation from the social contexts that shape human life..." I have been bumping up against the constraints of thinking in terms of "discipline" and how it limits content. I'm interested in exploring how content that is not "discipline-centric" might provide a more equitable framework for learning.

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I wonder how equitable teaching practices jibe with current school policies and emerging state laws in the U.S. to limit teacher "influence" on students. To what extent is exposure and representation, the very lowest rung on the ladder of an equitable classroom, seen as a threat of "pushing an agenda?" To what extent are teachers supported in this work by their schools and school leadership?

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"Ultimately, the students decide the extent to which they can see themselves in our curricula and our practices; our responsibility is to create the opportunity for them to do so."

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"In interviews with students on this topic, I found a broader range of experiences, some students speaking with incredible gratitude about the experience of being able to learn about a racial or cultural identifier they carry, others feeling empowered by the opportunity to bring their home culture into the classroom space, and still others describing their experiences with deep and unhealed pain."

How can we, as teachers, find the balancing point between these disparate experiences? How can I ensure that I am reaching those who want this opportunity without alienating those who are not comfortable with it?

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"An equitable learning environment is one that privileges difference."

How can I develop a space where everyone feels valued and safe, where those who feel "different" are accepted without others feeling unimportant or devalued?

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I wonder what it would feel like to hear the naming of your identity as a precursor to your involvement in a discussion? It is such an interesting way of positioning identity. How did the students go about selecting which part of themselves to share? Quote: "when I encouraged students to respond to a text through the lens of their identity; and when my students started to refer to their identities as a way of entering classroom discussion: “As a white male,” “As a trans-racial adopted Asian-American,” “As an Egyptian Muslim…”. Not only did I know my students and their positionality with regard to their identities, but they knew each other’s."

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I wonder what it would feel like to hear the naming of your identity as a precursor to your involvement in a discussion? It is such an interesting way of positioning identity. How did the students go about selecting which part of themselves to share? Quote: "when I encouraged students to respond to a text through the lens of their identity; and when my students started to refer to their identities as a way of entering classroom discussion: “As a white male,” “As a trans-racial adopted Asian-American,” “As an Egyptian Muslim…”. Not only did I know my students and their positionality with regard to their identities, but they knew each other’s."

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I like "If an equitable learning environment honors the lived experiences of our students, then diversifying the curriculum, in and of itself, isn’t nearly enough." It reminds me that everything from the physical space, discipline policies, instructional methods, posters/bulletin boards around schools, language we use in everyday communication is all part of an equitable learning environment, not just the resources/content.

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I wonder how to keep moving forward when there is so much pushback through laws, legislation and even school policies.