TL;DR Strong relationships in the classroom are the foundation for a successful school year. Be intentional with the activities you choose and be willing to be vulnerable with your students. It is important to scaffold relationship building with students. I believe that I am an outstanding teacher because I work hard every day to build relationships with my students to … Read More
Make the Drive Part of the Experience
TL;DR: For the past two years, Ray has involved his two boys with cooking by taking turns shopping, preparing, cooking, and serving the food from different countries around the world. More recently, they have changed it up by challenging themselves with a cost budget and weight budget, forcing them to be more creative. The best part of this experience is … Read More
Have Courageous Conversations
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
To Work or Not to Work
TL;DR: To think better, we have to be willing to think differently. Consider the questions we ask ourselves. Perhaps rather than asking a question, make a statement. Be mindful of the language you use. Shift your mindset to be present every day. This changes your thinking so instead of thinking ahead, you can focus on now. 3 ways to get … Read More
Creating & Nurturing Linguistically Inclusive Spaces
TL;DR: Dig into your own language identity and reflect on the ways in which language is weaponized. This post shares a number of ways we can create and nurture linguistically inclusive and linguistically safe spaces in our classrooms, schools, and communities. Consider your instructional materials, start a campaign, and engage with your local agencies or businesses. “You’re in America. Speak … Read More