This week is part two of the SmallBites Black History series. It could aptly called “Beyond the Struggle”. When I think of June and Pride celebrations, there is so much joy. Yes, there is talk of Stonewall and the fight for human rights, but there is a joy that we are missing in February. I believe that comes from the focus on our civil struggle and a lack of knowledge about the many achievements of people from the African diaspora in America.
Let Your Students Do the Sleuthing
I invite everyone to take time, this month especially, to celebrate all that Black Americans have accomplished in the face of insurmountable odds. Did you know that most enslaved people were freed with no education, no restitution and no path to transition from enslavement to freedman in a hostile environment? And yet, there have been notable achievements in every sector, achievements that are not widely known. Since this month is dedicated to Black History, allow your students to research Black business owners, scientists, writers, inventors, choreographers, educators, politicians, generals, etc. Discuss who they find and allow your students to take the lead. I’m hoping that will be acceptable even in today’s climate. There is so much to celebrate and Black achievement in the US is so much deeper than Civil Rights and Soul food.
Who Wants to Join Me??
If you do find someone especially interesting to celebrate, I’d love to interview one or two Black History super sleuths this month for SmallBites. Message me at 5smallbites@bluewin.ch.
With book bans sweeping the country, I felt the need to record some of the words I’ve written, just in case. Cherry Lake publishing has released a phenomenal Black Achievement series, designed by Kelissa Wing, just in time for Black History Month. I am honored to have written 3 titles, one of which I’ll preview here.
More Than ‘Black Girl Magic’
In this episode, you’ll hear about Dr. Tai-Danae Bradley who looks more like a girl-next-door Instagram model than any mathematician I was ever introduced to in school. Reading her blog and watching her Youtube videos was actually interesting for me–a confirmed anti-mather! The greatest thing about introducing living (Black) American heroes is that your students can see themselves reflected in the here and now. These are people your students can follow on Twitter and Instagram, which makes their achievements feel much more relevant than our normal content connections to old dead people. Not that old dead people aren’t great, but who wants to grow up to be dead and then famous? Certainly not your students who see instafame on the regular.
I’ll be previewing other lesser known Black History heroes in the coming weeks, but I hope you’ll do some research on your own with your students to discover other American stories beyond Martin and Rosa. I hope also, that you will consider investing in books that highlight those stories. As you consider what choices you make for your class library and how much say the state has in those choices, make sure you invest in literature you feel is valuable. And as always, remember to vote your conscience, not only in national but also upcoming local elections. Our democracy depends on it.
Over the past few weeks, I have awakened daily to the news of new humans in the classroom. Now, if you’ve taught a while, you’ll remember when “new humans in the classroom” meant meeting a fresh-faced new group in August or September of each year. Now, it means new humans teaching in the classrooms. Well, teaching is relative. As long as the children are attended, we’re good. Hey Rick Grimes, got a few minutes??
Education: In The Beginning
You see, when free public education was conceived centuries ago, it was designed to cement a unified version of American pride and way of life after the Revolutionary War. Later, after the industrial revolution and, more importantly, after women entered the workforce in large numbers, it evolved as a cost effective way to provide social services and keep our GDP growing.
Under the flag of education we have designed a system that cares for, feeds, assesses and entertains students for most of the waking day while parents work. Working parents means more money flows into and through the economy. Or at least, that’s how it was before COVID. After shut downs crippled and even killed off businesses, the right people must have cried foul: Schools MUST be kept open at any cost. Of course, “virtual learning doesn’t work” was the tagline. ‘Learning loss’, especially ‘in our most vulnerable populations’ was a big problem. Quality learning face to face with teachers, that’s what we needed to do for our kids.
GDP Maintenance vs. Learning Loss Mitigation
Fast forward, more COVID, so much so that schools are suddenly closing on an emergency rolling basis. And in order to prohibit that? Creative thinkers everywhere are getting warm bodies into classrooms to keep schools open. The learning loss needs of fall have given way to the economic needs of winter and the other Big Lie is now lain bare. Learning loss is not and never was the real concern.
The US does not have the number 1 GDP in the world for no reason. We have been ruthless in prioritizing profit, this is no different. Schools are necessary to the economy. Now you, as a teacher, are most likely in this job for the kids. And if you really want the best for them, here are three things you need to do THIS WEEK to prioritize academic needs:
PRIORITIZE VALUING THEIR TEACHER. Decide that if anyone can stand in your class to teach and get bonuses and special permissions, you deserve bonuses and special permissions too. Get together with other teachers and decide what kinds of monetary and non-monetary bonuses would best support the valuable work you do.
Stop giving your employer money. If you’re working 10+ hours more than your contract calls for, you’re investing in a system that does not value prioritizing you or education. Make needed changes, start here with the 40h teacher work week. The information on Jennifer Gonzales’ podcast is a good beginning.
Write your school board members and show up to meetings. Use your voice, do your research and vote in local elections. Better yet, run for office. If that’s not something you want to do, campaign for a teacher who will.
Mostly, we have work to do. Our students need more resources than we can give and it’s time that education gets a bigger slice of the economic pie. Valuing the job you do is a big part of that. Not only are you an educator, you are an essential part of the largest GDP in the world. Start valuing yourself, and ensure that others do too.
Note: This OpEd is designed as a thought provoking, rather than research based, informative article.
It was not so very long ago that Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina led the charge against this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday that we now celebrate. Today, that congressional fight has largely faded from memory as we celebrate the powerful words Dr. King spoke. In Selma. In Detroit. In Washington. From the many great speeches: I have a dream…; Now is time to make real the promise of democracy… so many great words flood our social media threads on this day. We remember the greatness but forget what he fought for. Dr. King’s marches began because of segregation and voting rights. This past year, the rights he fought for have been under attack like no time since he began the fight.
In 2021, the state legislative push to restrict access to voting was not only aggressive — it was also successful. Between January 1 and December 7, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. More than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access have been introduced in 49 states in the 2021 legislative sessions. These numbers are extraordinary: state legislatures enacted far more restrictive voting laws in 2021 than in any year since the Brennan Center began tracking voting legislation in 2011. More than a third of all restrictive voting laws enacted since then were passed this year. And in a new trend this year, legislators introduced bills to allow partisan actors to interfere with election processes or even reject election results entirely.
Unfortunately, the momentum around this legislation continues. So far, at least 13 bills restricting access to voting have been pre-filed for the 2022 legislative session in four states. In addition, at least 152 restrictive voting bills in 18 states will carry over from 2021.
Liberty and Justice for All?
Who are we? Are we really who our founding documents say we are, or are we only patriots when it serves us? Gerrymandering, redrawing districts and attempted coups make me afraid of what that answer might be.
How will you honor the memory of a man who believed in the America we could be? My ask this week is that you spend some time reading the article on voter suppression from the Brennan Center, and that you contact your congressional representatives. After that, ask at least 3 friends to do the same. If you’d like additional information on voting rights and redistricting (wtheck do we do that for anyway??), head to Ballotpedia and use the dropdown menu on the left.
You Can Make a Difference
Although we teach all to often only about the great speeches in schools, Dr. King’s legacy is far greater than the words he spoke. MLK was not just a Nobel prize winner, not just a man of great words. He was a man of action, arrested 29 times and finally assassinated, shot in the face at the age of 39 for leading the nation into the constitutional promiseland of liberty and justice for all. He was a true patriot who gave his life for his country. If you want to honor his legacy, skip the quote post and instead, post a copy of your protest letter. That would be a celebration worthy of a King.
This episode is dedicated to Sidney Poitier, the first actor I remember seeing who looked like me, may he rest in peace.
I don’t remember when it happened, but somewhere along my journey, I lost my taste for ‘classic’ movies. As much as I loved curling up together with my grandmom to watch old Hollywood movies, and as much as those memories warm me, the movies themselves no longer hold the same enchantment. Without using Google, the only big stars I remember who looked like me in mainstream movies were Butterfly McQueen, Lena Horne and Sidney Poitier. As a matter of fact, the cartoons and sitcoms were similarly populated, until Norman Lear came along, with mostly Americans of European descent. Since that was my norm, I never really knew what I was missing.
She missed–without knowing what she missed…
The old adage “you can’t miss what you never had” could not be further from the truth. Just as childhood trauma leaves scars to be reckoned with in later life, the lack of representation in my childhood smacks me in the face quite often. Scooby-Doo? Where were the diverse actors. After school cartoons? Same question. And hollywood ‘classics’? Well, geez, we couldn’t even get a Black Cleopatra.
Amazon Prime for the Win!
This year, that smack in the face came as I settled in to watch some of my childhood favorites for Christmas. My invisibility weighed heavily on me, cast a pall over my downtime–until Amazon Prime Video breathed new life into the phrase “Christmas Classics”. I found myself in romcom heaven with Black protagonists doing all the kitchy stuff people do in romantic comedies. And they were doing it in falling snow and red and green Christmas lighted backdrops. My little girl’s heart found what it had missed!!
Representation Matters
Everytime a child sees themselves reflected in the classroom around them, they stand up a little taller, knowing that their place in the world is secure. And everytime children see the world as a place rich in diversity, they develop a little more empathy, understanding and respect for differences. That’s a win for us all.
The next time someone tells you that culturally responsive teaching is a bad or dangerous thing, share this blog with them. Responding positively and with inclusivity to the diverse populations that make up our nation isn’t indoctrination, it’s just good teaching.
OneWord ’22 graphic. SmallBites returns Monday, January 10th wherever fine podcasts are heard.
Standing at the precipice of the new year has long ceased to feel like some magical new beginning. That’s a good thing. I have not bungled this year. I’m not waiting on the turn of a page so that I can resolutely start anew. What I am doing is taking the wins of the last couple of years and shaping them into a harmonious melding of many hats. If you are a teacher and a parent, you understand being a wearer of many hats.
The thing about wearing many hats is that it can be difficult to identify which hat is The One. Usually that’s because there is no ONE. Could you choose between ‘child’, ‘spouse’, ‘parent’, ‘educator’ or ‘friend’? Each of those hats are vitally important, but they aren’t always on your head all at once. Still, sometimes you stack them, sometimes they sit askew. Sometimes you just want to throw them all down and go hatless.
This evening, as I write the last blog of 2021, I am hatless. It’s one of those rare moments where I can just be. And in this moment, I savor the time to reflect in quiet about my many hats.
So how do I bring all those hats under one umbrella? Well, that’s my focus this year. A little prioritizing, a little fine tuning the schedule and a little more work-life balance. And this is all worthy of a blog post, why? Because, as usual, I have an ask. In the next few days, I would like each of you multi hat wearers to spend a little time being intentional about which hats need to be worn when, for how long and in what order. By allowing a picture of your priorities to emerge, you’ll be better able to focus on the now and shape your path forward. This is especially true if you are, like many, considering a shift away from the classroom or away from education altogether.
Happy New Year
As you define and re-order your hats, define also what brings you joy, what ameliorates stress and what is good for you. Make choosing yourself a firm priority. All the people around you will be happier if you are balanced and content. How will you do this with the coming year, including COVID and testing season? Only you can say. But I know that if you don’t take a minute to establish your priorities, the year’s stressors will do it for you and you will likely not be pleased with the outcome.
FInally, I’d like to thank you for reading and listening. I hope that by shaping your coming year and beyond, that you’ll continue to have energy to learn, to grow and to make safer, more equitable classrooms and campuses for all students.
Watch on YouTube or listen on Anchor, or wherever podcasts are heard.
While going through some memorabilia, I ran into my US constitution poster. I usually keep the pocket version handy. But this one is the inexpensive replica one with the big calligraphed We the people. That first sentence is the one that I’d like to highlight:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…
E Pluribus Unum
Union. Unity. Unite. United. All of these words come from the Latin ‘unus’-one. You know it in another form from our Great Seal and our money. E Pluribus Unum-out of the many, one. That was the motto selected in 1776 by John Adams, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Our founding fathers declared that unity was to be woven into the fabric of our nation. But somehow, along the way, we’ve fought to keep national reverence of our founding fathers in tact while wholly disregarding their original intent-unity.
How can a house divided stand? On both sides, people are fighting to ‘establish justice’. But what does justice look like? Depending on who you ask, the answer will, of course, be different. So how do we reach common ground? How do we build bridges instead of walls? Here are three thoughts to guide the process of establishing more unity in our communities.
1. We all can’t have our way.
If we realize that our way is just that, our way, we can work on letting others have their way. Everyone around us does not have to believe what we believe, think what we think or even behave the way we do. We keep ourselves and others safest when we stay in our own lane, both on the road and in life. There are enough like-minded souls to commune with without attacking those who are looking to build their own communities.
2. The other guy may be at least partially right.
While we may be convinced that our way is absolutely right, it may not be right for everyone. We can compromise on immigration, abortion, climate action and even what we do about issues of identity and equity. The truth is, there is no absolute solution to any of those problems. For example, murder is a punishable offence, most everyone would agree. However, soldiers kill common enemies, homeowners kill robbers, executioners kill those convicted of crimes and these are all considered justifiable. Absolutes rarely exist without exceptions and we can find common ground when we find and accept those exceptions. Some exceptions may line up with our beliefs, some we may not like so much. Still, compromise is necessary. That works best when we, in humility, acknowledge that we may not be 100% right even 50% of the time.
3. Patriotism involves commitment to democracy.
Democracy and patriotism go hand in hand. Consider that in 2016, many were unwilling to accept the presidential election results because Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. Since our country’s presidential elections are decided by our electoral college, the popular vote has no bearing. Donald Trump became everyone’s president in 2016, without dispute. Then, in 2020 more than 50 lawsuits trying to prove voter fraud in the last presidential election were dismissed by the courts and Joe Biden became everyone’s president. In a democracy we vote. That means that someone always has to take the loss. That’s how democracy works. Either we accept the rules of democracy or we become something completely incongruent with the ideals set forth in our founding documents.
Ask Yourself…
What can you let go of? What hotly debated topic are you willing to see from someone else’s vantage point? If you personally concede your opinion to someone else, might there be a gain for the greater good? What if we refuse to feel threatened or become irate when our neighbor thinks or opines differently unless it directly affects us?
My guess is, if you reflect over those questions and let go of even one issue that you irately post about online, we could begin to lay a foundation for bridges instead of walls. My ask this week is that you think about what unity and patriotism really mean. If John, Ben and Tom could envision it in a document we still hold dear, let’s consider working toward that more perfect union by using the three thoughts above as a measuring stick for our conversations, posts and actions. Do it as if your children are watching, because they are.
Watch on YouTube or listen on Anchor, or wherever podcasts are heard.
There’s a song well known in German speaking parts of the world called Alles Hat Ein Ende, Nur Die Wurst Hat Zwei. Translated, that’s “everything has an end, only the sausage has 2”. After over 60 vlog episodes and as many Lagniappe podcast episodes, #SmallBites on YouTube is converting to an all podcast format. I hope you’re as excited about this as I am.
New Day Dawning
After celebrating with friends and family from almost every era of my life on last Friday, it’s time to move on to the next chapter. With Finding Your Blind Spots released to the edu-universe, I find myself busier with consulting and courses, and I want to have time to serve my clients well. Still, my audience is hugely important and you can still expect blogs, resources and answers to your pressing questions on race and identity through social media.
One thing about podcasts is that they usually accompany listeners who are driving. Because of that I will sometimes be extending just a couple of minutes beyond our 5-7m mark to give you even more #SmallBites to chew on. I hope that meets with your approval!
You Are Appreciated!
Beyond that, I would just like to thank you for coming back each week, for listening, for learning and for taking that knowledge back to your classrooms and learning communities. Join me next week for episode 65 when we’ll say our final goodbyes. In the meantime, see below for the 5 most important #SmallBites links and resources.
Small Bites All Time Favorite Friday Five:
When I started #SmallBites, Learning for Justice was still called Teaching Tolerance. This site is the definitive starting place for standards, lessons, articles and resources on race and identity. Whether you are just beginning your journey on classroom diversity and inclusivity, or are well on your way to helping others understand concepts that some find divisive, Learning for Justice is a site that constantly evolves to help you learn more and be better for your students.
The Harvard Implicit Bias tests help you recognize bias and blind spots. And Harvard GSE’s teaching resources provide tools to help you create more inclusive courses, syllabi and to better integrate conversations on race and identity into your daily lessons.
Of course, if you are going to miss #SmallBites Fridays after you’ve revisited the wealth of resources, keep learning with free courses taught by Yale and Harvard professors here. Or, you can read and use the 1619 curriculum (or information from it, if your district allows) in addition to other historical resources, to add multiperspectivity. Finally, with students, use PBS, the Smithsonian and NPS.gov to find a plethora of school resources on history and culture in the US and the world.
See You Soon
Finally, use the 65 episodes of SmallBites to find the above resources and many more that will guide you as you seek to better understand and teach all students.
Watch on YouTube or listen on Anchor, or wherever podcasts are heard.
Small Bites Friday Five 12-03-21:
This week, in honor of my own book launch, I am recommending 5 books that would make great stocking stuffers for you or the educators in your life.
Define Your Why, by Barbara Bray, will take you on an inward journey so that you can capture the joy of really doing what you love.
Once you define your why, you can get more intentional with your teaching and learning routines withBe Awesome on Purpose from Bonnie Nieves.
Of course, being intentional in the classroom should mean impact outside the classroom. Environmental Science by James Fester and Jorge Valenzuela provides strategies and tools to help teachers amplify student voice through authentic, project based learning.
When guiding students through project based learning modules, asking the right questions is key. Connie Hamilton’s Hacking Questions will provide you with the tools you need to step off the stage and get students to efficiently and strategically problem solve.
Finally, if you’re into banned books, get a copy of What is Anti-Racism, a kind of allyship 101 book that covers where race came from and how to fight against racism, even if marching is not your thing. It was written for children but it’s for everyone.
Books Making Impact
These books, the authors in particular, have all brought something special to my practice. And as an educator, growing into an applied researcher has broadened my horizons and impacted what I can do for and with my students immensely. Now that I have written my own book on teaching and learning strategies, I can only hope that the information will impact your teaching as these educators have impacted mine.
My wish for this book is that it strikes a chord with people looking to become more inclusive as well as with those sitting in a mandatory book study. With that wish, I tuck myself into bed.
Be sure to look out for a special edition post after I reflect over tomorrow’s book launch. And meanwhile, join in on December’s 31 days of positivity challenge (#31DP). Details below.
How do you eat an elephant? One #smallbite at a time.
Watch on YouTube or listen on Anchor, or wherever podcasts are heard.
This week, I’m asking you to do something each day in December, so, no additional reading or researching. I am, however, posting 5 podcasts with phenomenal educators that you can listen to and learn from.
In this Cult of Pedagogy podcast, Hedreich and Jennifer Gonzales talk about the ways we try, but sometimes miss, when we are working to create more culturally responsive spaces.
A few months ago, I talked to my good friend and phenomenal educator, Jorge Valenzuela. I was having an “ouch before it hurts” moment, pre-stressing about criticism that I knew was forthcoming, especially after Finding Your Blind Spots dropped. Well, the book won’t be officially released until next weekend, but the criticisms have come early.
There were only 2, but neither talked about my work, just my ignorance, my ineptness and the fact that a place in hell is reserved for me. Interestingly enough, I had already planned this week’s Smallbites before I read those posts. This post extends a conversation I had with Tom Schimmer. We talked of how disagreements so often become visceral, personal attacks. We are both saddened that being nice seems to have gone out of style.
If You Can’t Say Something Nice…
If we look at codes of conduct and classroom rule anchor charts, being kind is a common theme. But one look at social media tells me we think that obviously only goes for kids. That’s unfortunate. Limited studies, like this one from Pitt’s Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health, link social media use with depression and anxiety in adults. Various studies cite diverse reasons for the link, but I am sure one causal factor is the negative venting that has become so popular.
What do you do when you see someone voice a strong opinion that doesn’t line up with your own? Do you engage? Do you move on? Or maybe do you close the app on your phone and do something more constructive?
More importantly, what do your students and families see you doing? Are you modeling kindness, civility and respect? Or do you shoot the virtual finger, going off on a rant of your own? My one ask is that you reevaluate how you react when you read something triggering.
Let It Go
The best thing about social media is, you can simply walk away. Or you can choose to write something peaceful that deescalates. Sentence stems like “I respect your point of view”, I can see why you feel that way” or even “I’m afraid I don’t agree, but thanks for sharing your viewpoint” can all build bridges–or at least not burn them. And one choice you can always make is to simply keep scrolling. You do not need to answer everything and for at least the next 31 days, I hope you won’t.
No Negativity Challenge
This December let’s make a pact: Use the month to post something positive daily. Pick a platform, send out your post and tag 3 people. Your post could be a quote, the view from your porch, work from your kids at school or even your dog’s pic. Maybe we can retrain our brains not to be so reactionary. Maybe we can help others do the same. Do I think this will fix all that’s broken in the world? Of course not. But I do think we can be more intentional about the words we choose. And I know that intentionality will be good for the young people we teach. Join me?
