Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month: Celebrating All Year

Teach Better TeamBlog, Leadership, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th-October 15th. The terms Hispanic and Latino have different origins and cultural and political meanings. Hispanic primarily refers to individuals who come from Spanish-speaking nations. Latinx offers a more ethnic and geographic understanding and includes individuals who come from non-Spanish-speaking countries. Latine and Latinx are gender-neutral forms of Latino. Latinx and Hispanic … Read More

Breaking Down Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Teach Better TeamBlog, Leadership

TL;DR:  Diversity, equity, and inclusion must also include justice. Schools are smaller microcosms of our world, and include power dynamics that communities need to make sense of in order to shift from diversity and inclusion to equity and justice.  This past week’s Daily Drop In theme was equity and inclusion. This is a topic close to my heart and even … Read More

Student Voices

Teach Better TeamBlog, Differentiation, Lesson Planning, Student Engagement

TL;DR: No matter the grade level, emphasize student voices. Let students have a voice; hear their opinions and build upon them. Consider student voices when lesson planning and teaching curriculum and content knowledge. “Equity and Inclusion Just Got Better” Journaling/Reflection Questions: How would you incorporate student voice into your curriculum? What does advocacy look like for you as an educator? … Read More

 Have Courageous Conversations

Teach Better TeamBlog, Leadership

TL;DR: Advocate for equity and inclusion by being brave and honest. Know you can’t control the reaction of others, but you can control your actions to create positive spaces. Don’t let the voice of someone be silenced. It’s not ok, so speak up. This post shares 4 steps to having courageous conversations. Journaling/Reflection Questions for Courageous Conversations: Can you plan … Read More

Maintaining a Summertime Social Justice Practice

Teach Better TeamBlog, Reflect Better, Student Engagement, Teach Happier

TL;DR: Social justice work is about consistent commitment and action. Reflect, disrupt, and teach to maintain a social justice practice this summer. Summer is a time when teachers rest, relax, and catch up on the reading we didn’t get to do during the school year (or is that just me?). Most teachers, even through summer, spend time planning for the … Read More