Providing information and strategies and examples of how to create a learning space that centers equity, celebrates diversity, and affirms culture is the central focus of this piece of the internet. Helping you develop the type of learning space that you desire and your students deserve is a privilege
Women’s history month is an incredible opportunity to highlight the brilliance of female intellect, ingenuity, and innovation. Women are trailblazers. Herstory is an integral part of our world. Seeing, sharing, and celebrating the stories of joy and suffering is important in helping students connect the pieces of a very nuanced
Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Week have been synonymous for a very long time, but they are not one and the same. Read Across American Week is a celebration started and created by the National Education Association in 1997. The first Read Across America Day actually took place on
During a recent coaching session an educator asked me, “Jocelynn, how do we create a happy and equitable Valentine’s Day experience for all students?” This is a complex and nuanced question to answer because there are several things to keep in mind. Firstly, all of your students do not
Creating a culture-centered classroom is built on the foundation of culturally responsive pedagogy and culturally relevant teaching practices. These may seem like big, fancy phrases, but they are also super powerful and effective phrases that represent strategies that work for ALL students. Pedagogy & Practice Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) encourages
Creating a Black History Month bulletin board is a great way to share and celebrate Black culture in a few ways. Bulletin boards are a resource that students can learn from again and again. Each time they see the bulletin board in your classroom or the hallway, something new will
One of my favorite ways to celebrate Black History, Black present, and Black Excellence is by sharing information about Historically Black Sororities and Fraternities – The Divine Nine. I want to share this information with you because it is likely different from all the other narratives you’ve heard when studying
Sharing and celebrating Black history, Black Present and Black Excellence is a 365 days a year experience, not just a month long experience. However, as you prepare for the annual monthly celebration, here are a six helpful tips: Co-Create Norms for Discussion & Sharing 1. Co-create or revisit classroom norms
Before sharing some tips for creating culturally responsive science lessons, I want to share two definitions of science. Clearly defining words allows for the strong foundation necessary to understand what is needed to make these lessons responsive and relevant. According to Merriam Webster dictionary science is: : knowledge or a system
Social studies is an umbrella discipline that covers history, geography, civics, economics, and sociology. There are a few other topics that can be covered like art and anthropology and philosophy, but the five main focus areas are what I mentioned before. The thing about creating culturally relevant and culturally responsive
A culturally relevant math class? Indeed, my friend, it can. There is often a misconception that math classes can’t be culturally relevant or shouldn’t be culturally relevant. It should be all about the numbers. There is no place for culture. I think this is because our definition of culture is
What do you think of when you hear the word culture? When I think about the word culture, I imagine a network of all the individual pieces that make up a person’s life story. I think of the cultural traditions and beliefs and practices of different people that make our
Have you ever thought about the power of words, or choosing one word specifically on which to focus? It can be an incredible motivator. Having your students choose their one word to focus on for the year can be a game changer in their lives and your classroom. Let me
Christmas Around the World is probably one of my favorite projects. Any “around the world” journey opens the door for multiple ways to level up each students’ cultural learning. Plus, people celebrate Christmas in several countries on EVERY continent. Yes, every continent: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and
John Dewey said, “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” Every experience students have is an opportunity to help them tap into their power as learners. Experiences outside of the classroom impact the way students view experiences inside the classroom and vice versa. As educators,
I help teachers discover the joy in transforming their classroom instruction using culturally responsive teaching practices. Aside from my passion for education, I love running and singing and family time!
