My Youth Group and Learning

The partnership between psychology and neuroscience gives us deeper understandings about what works in learning and why. 

Knowing how to effectively express one's ideas, needs and desires is one of the greatest skills that a learner can have.

We need to equip our children to confront inequity. If we do not equip them to confront inequity, they will grow up to be adults who are unable to identify racism, bias and their complicity in oppressive structures.

Students learn best when they are actively engaged in their own learning; in other words, when they set learning goals and they use evidence of their progress to get them there. 

Some teachers advocate for historiography, which means students research history for themselves and contrast different point of views to ultimately reach their own conclusions. This method could teach students how to think rather than what to think. 

We owe our children and students hope and justice and love. We owe them a world where all children can live, learn, lead and thrive. 

There are many ways to teach children how to be a racial transformer:

1. Open Mind: they need to learn about others' histories, plights, and aspirations, and make conscious choices that prioritize racial equity and inclusion
2. Vocal Mouth: to teach them to speak up and speak about injustices, and help others find their voice by knowing when NOT to speak
3. Outstretched Arms: join hands with others unlike you in organizing and building power og change
4. Smart Phone: if they have one, inform and activate  your network; blog, share, teet, comment, and post prolifically about race issues and actions
5. Moving legs: visibly vote with your body by showing up in support and solidarity at public actions, marches and rallies
6. Alert Eyes: keep your eyes on the prize by envisioning real solutions to the realities of racism, using an equity-conscious lens, rather than colorblindness
7. Big Ears: listen to, and learn from, people of color
8. Strong Backbone: muster the courage to take risks, go against the grain and even make mistakes
9. Rolled-Up Sleeves: dig in and do the work, not just talk, of racial justice
10. Decoder Ring: watch out for coded racism and expose it
11. Pocketbook: donate to social change causes and support good businesses and boycott the bad ones
12. Grounded Feet: dig in for the long haul, holding onto your values, allies, aspirations and spirit, eager to dance in the delight of being on a worthwhile and winning road to JUSTICE

Children are sponges. They pick up and internalize everything they experience. It is very important to proactively teach children about race and equity. 

English teachers have a great responsibility. We teach the power of words. We bring texts in; we highlight different voices. We need to teach our students critical thinking.

We need to raise socially conscious and anti-racist students. The most powerful thing we can do is to teach through the lens of equity during our 21st century and thereafter. 

We must teach the difference between equal and equitable. We all need the same basic things to survive, but we might need slight variations in the conditions around us to truly thrive.

Indeed, teaching is a lot like doctoring. Children go to a doctor with different needs. What if the doctor said the same thing to all of them? "Here is some cough medicine." Only one child would get what he or she needs. And that is not fair. Well, it is the same thing in a classroom.

Every student has different needs so different students should get different things to help them succeed. And that is what makes a classroom fair for everyone. Indeed, fair is not always equal. 

We must teach our children and students notions of equity and justice before they can fully understand these concepts just as we teach them love, compassion, kindness, generosity before they can fully understand those concepts.

I like the book called Antiracist Baby written by author and scholar Ibram X. Kendi. It is a good book because it provides a tool for parents to have conversations with little children about racism before they can even understand it. The idea is that when they are older they will have heard so much about it, it won't be anything mysterious or taboo. 

"Antiracist baby is bred, not born," the books begins. "Antiracist Baby is raised to make society transform."

The steps encourage parents not to teach children to ignore race but to name racism. We must teach our children notions of equity and justice before they can fully understand these concepts.

We need to educate our students to be activists. 

I ignite learning in my classroom. I teach. I commit to educational equity. I teach with and for dignity. And I also dream...

I teach my students and my children empathy, equity, and generosity in these challenging times.