Looking for ideas for Black History month? Well, here are my 5 favorite ways to celebrate Black History month with my students. Each of these ideas offers a peek into the past and a glimpse into the future, while presenting the choice offered today. It is important to look at history to learn and grow …
My 5 Favorite Ways to Celebrate Black History Month in the Classroom Read More »
Are you ready to design culturally responsive lessons, but are not quite sure where to start? Trust me, you are not alone. The good news is that today, I am going to pull up a (virtual) chair beside you and we will talk through a few strategies together. Excited yet? Me too. A Framework to …
How to Design Dynamic Culturally Responsive Lessons Read More »
Merry Christmas and happy culture-centered holiday season! *chuckle* Maybe that sounds silly, but it is important to think about. Every year before October even ends, my social media feeds begin filling with teaching resources or tips, tricks, and strategies for navigating the classroom until Christmas break. There are Christmas countdowns, Christmas themed rewards for positive …
How to create a Culture-Centered Holiday Experience in the Classroom (Winter) Read More »
Are you looking for ways to make sure all students in your class feel affirmed, welcomed, and celebrated? Look no further. A culture-centered classroom is just that. By using culture-centered teaching practices, students feel affirmed, welcomed, and celebrated for several reasons. First, teachers use the culture of the students inside and outside of the class …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRErRPSsNl0Whether Thanksgiving is a few months away, or a few days away, there are a few things to consider as you plan your lessons and prepare to facilitate conversations with your students. As with all lessons, creating the Thanksgiving lesson should be done with purpose and intentionality. This is a lesson that should be revisited …
3 Considerations When Teaching the Thanksgiving Story Read More »
As an educator and a mother of five children, I strive daily toward intentionality in my actions, in the choices I make, and with the words I use. This is completely contradictory to the age old saying, “Do what I say and NOT what I do.” For this reason, I not only strive to have …
6 Ways to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom Read More »
Culturally responsive. Culturally relevant. Culturally competent. Culturally… Each year, educators are becoming more aware of these terms, but what do they really mean? Most importantly, why is it beneficial to create a culturally responsive classroom? Alright, so here is the skinny. And I mean skinny, because these concepts have been researched and written about for …
Are window, mirror, and map texts really that important? Over the summer my son, a rising first grader, read one book each week. While he read to me this morning, he kept stopping to comment on how different characters looked like certain friends. The book he was reading is called Next Stop: Second Grade! It’s …
What About Me, Teacher? The Importance of Window, Mirror, and Map Texts Read More »