Anti-Racism in the English Language Arts Classroom

One of my favorite places to be is in the studio, or these days, in the Zoom room, with Jeffrey Garrett and Dr. Manuel Rustin, the co-hosts of the All of the Above web show and podcast. As the Senior Middle School Correspondent for the show I am blessed to share my perspective on a range of topics - middle school, literacy, curriculum, pedagogy, building community, you name it. If you haven’t seen their powerful commentary on all things public education yet, be sure to check out one of their more than 50 episodes. 

Their latest episode titled “English Language Arts and Anti-Racism” features Julia Torres, an educator I adore, and me in conversation. Julia is a teacher librarian for five schools on the Montbello Campus within the Far Northeast region of Denver Public Schools. I was blessed to meet her through the Project LIT Community a few years back and am so grateful for her expertise and sisterhood. Check out our conversation on how to put anti-racism into practice and decenter whiteness in ELA classrooms.

You can also enjoy other All of the Above episodes I’ve been blessed to be a part of here:

Creating a Culture of Literacy

When Teachers Hit A Low Point

Exploring Teacher Quality in High-Need Schools

The Teacher’s Dilemma: Should I stay or should I go?

It's (Project) Lit! A Conversation with Geneviève DeBose Akinnagbe 

Looking back on the 2020-2021 School Year

Student Engagement Conundrum

Seven Lessons from Cesar Chavez 27 Years After His Death

On the 27th anniversary of Cesar Chavez’s death I had the privilege of having lunch with his son Paul Chavez. 

It wasn’t in person (Zoom world) and it wasn’t just the two of us (about 25 of my colleagues were there too) but it was exactly what I needed that day. I wasn’t exactly sure why but that morning had been tough for me. I cried without reason (besides the global pandemic that is negatively impacting all of us) and felt incredibly sad but couldn’t put my finger on why. When I logged into that lunch meeting at 11 o’clock everything changed. 

Paul Chavez is the President of the Cesar Chavez Foundation. He was joined by Celia Garcia Alvarado, former Watts teacher and current Executive Vice President of Education for the foundation. They had been invited by my colleague to share the work their foundation is doing and insight into the troubling times we’re in. I took so much away from the conversation and was moved to tears (again!) by the end of it all. Below are a few gems they shared with us: 

1. Have a healthy anger.

Celia shared that a healthy anger drives her work of building a just society through education. I appreciated the term as a reminder for myself. In this time when the injustices of our society are even more front and center, how can my anger drive my work for change in a healthy way? 

2. If you’re doing your best, that is enough.

When asked what message they have for teachers during this time of emergency distance learning, Celia shared “If you’re doing you best, that is enough.” What a powerful message for all of us. This pandemic has turned our worlds upside down. In a time of such upheaval, one of the best ways to support our educators is to support them to do their best, whatever that may look like. 

3. We can all be of service.

When a principal asked Paul how his elementary school students could create a more just society, he responded that we can all be of service, we all have a contribution to make, and we all have a moral obligation to help others. This was a powerful reminder for me that in this time, any act of kindness and connection, big or small, matters. 

4. Recognize others for the hard work they’re doing. It goes a long way.

When asked how to support staff during this time, Paul shared how important it is to thank folks, ensure they have the equipment they need to be safe, and to recognize them for their hard work. Couldn’t agree more. Whenever any of us are acknowledged for the work we do, it means a lot. It goes without saying that in education, teachers don’t get enough recognition. Let’s change that. 

5. Remind people they are part of a movement.

Paul also shared that reminding people that they are part of something bigger is important. In the day to day, and especially now, as we’re sheltering in place, it can be easy to forget that our individual actions are part of the greater collective. Reminding each other that we’re part of a larger movement to end educational inequity is grounding and inspiring. 

6. Plan for the future. 

Paul shared that his father was a planner. He noted that many folks don’t think of farm workers and campesinos as planners but that his father, grounded in his core values, thought about where he wanted himself and the movement to be in the future and used that long-term vision to plan day-to-day actions. Grounding ourselves in our core values, where do we want to be as a community 10 years from now? 

7. In the work for social justice, you only lose when you give up.

The lunch ended with Paul answering the question, “What brings you hope?” He shared a powerful story about a time when he was an organizer and they lost a legislative battle by one vote. He was devastated and drove home with his father. In the car ride he said that his dad could see how upset he was and asked him, “Did you do everything you could do?” Paul responded yes. His dad asked, “Did you leave any stone unturned?” Paul said no. And then his dad, Cesar Chavez, shared that our work is not like a baseball game, where after 9 innings one team wins. Our work is not like a political election where after voting day, one candidate is declared the winner. That in our work, the work for social justice, you only lose when you give up. 

May we carry the strength, power, love and commitment of Cesar Chavez during this time and may we never give up in our fight for social justice. 

Image from @rickynicholes

Educator Self-Care During a Global Pandemic

It’s been almost five weeks since I’ve stepped foot on my school’s campus. When I left that Friday afternoon in March I didn’t suspect that I wouldn’t be back until the fall. It hurts my heart that our students won’t be welcomed into campus by the cheers and chants of our awesome City Year team. It sucks that our 8th graders won’t get to walk across the stage at graduation and our 6th graders have to complete their first year of middle school from home. It pains me that our educators were thrown into an entirely new professional and personal existence in the span of 48 hours. It’s all a bit overwhelming, scary and exhausting. In times like these and with all of those emotions and feelings, things could get dark. 

In an effort to keep my head and my heart pointed towards the light I decided to use some of this time to deepen my practice of self. Inspired by a self-care bingo board a teacher created for her students that I saw on Twitter and a virtual woman’s circle I attended, I decided to create my own “Deepening My Practice of Self” board. 

How it works: 

I’m a visual person so I made it large so I can see it everyday as I'm working from home. I didn't have any butcher or chart paper so I made it on the last bit of wrapping paper I could find. (I think it’s appropriately covered in stars since I’m looking towards the light.) 

I listed 25 things that either bring me joy or that I want more of in my life, one in each square. Running has been my saving grace during this time so I listed “Go for a run” in one square. I’m trying to get better at doing handstands so “Practice your handstand” is in another. I’ve been tearing it up in the kitchen so why not try some new recipes? One square reads, “Cook or bake something new.” More time at home has given me more time to meditate so another square reads, “5-minute mindful meditation.” 

Every time I engage in one of these practices I draw a red heart in the box and my goal is to get at least one heart in each box. I'm being gentle with myself so I don't have a specific time frame. This is ongoing. When I need to take a break from my computer or back-to-back Zoom calls I check my board and find something to do.

The board helps me stay grounded, grateful, moving, and present. In this time of uncertainty, grief, and fear, going inward and doing small things that bring me joy has been beneficial. 

I invite you to make your own version of a “Deepening My Practice of Self” board in a way that works for you. It could be a list you keep on your phone or written on your chalkboard wall. It can be created with a family member, friend, or by yourself. It could include 2 things or 100 things. Whatever it is, make sure it works for you and remember to engage in the practices that bring you joy and help you keep your head and your heart pointing towards the light. 

What’s the Greatest Lever for School Site Transformation?

Have you ever been interviewed or on a panel and after it was over you thought of a million things you could have said but didn’t? This was my experience today except for one small shift - I had a million things to say during the panel that didn’t come out of my mouth. (Insert side eye at myself in the mirror.) 

I was invited to speak at “Partnering for Equity: A Convening on School Transformation” hosted by the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools and UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools. The event was an opportunity for education practitioners and school system leaders to learn from one another and dive into the Partnership’s Playbook which outlines practices and lessons learned from more than a decade of working to transform schools. My panel was focused on key levers for school site transformation and it included me as a Literacy Coach, two principals, a district official and a nonprofit director. What folks shared was rich and insightful. We spoke of feedback and coaching for teachers, engaging families, the importance of data, culturally relevant pedagogy, master scheduling, restorative justice, you name it. 

When asked to name a success of our work on the ground I shared the fact that because of roles like mine teachers are being supported to do incredibly complex work. Through coaching cycles, lesson studies, unit launches, data analysis and planning support, the teachers I work with feel more supported to meet their students’ needs. Being supported is crucial for any teacher but it’s especially important for teachers in high-need schools where there is a higher rate of teacher turnover and a larger number of novice educators. 

And, after sharing that, I didn’t speak again.

So, what did I want to say? 

When asked to name a key lever in for school site transformation I wanted to say this: 

Systems leaders need to seriously rethink how teachers spend their time during the day. (Including teachers in this rethinking process would also be helpful.) We ask teachers to do an unrealistic amount of work in a very short amount of time. In a 6-period day, most teachers are with students for five of those periods and then have one conference period to do any and all of the following (and lots of things not listed here): 

• Plan for the next class or lesson - which is so much more than a bullet point!

• Assess student work

• Make copies and prepare materials

• Collaborate with colleagues

• Attend meetings

• Reach out to and engage families

• Use the bathroom

• So many other things that teachers do on the daily

A 55-minute period is not nearly enough time to do these things successfully.

What it truly comes down to is that teachers need less time with students during the day so they can be prepared to meet students’ needs when they’re face to face. It’s incredibly irresponsible for our society and our school districts to expect an educator to do their best work without sufficient time to prepare for that work. 

If we want to have schools where families and students are engaged, restorative practices are in place, students are known well, the arts are alive, joy fills the hallways and classroom and learning is truly happening, we have to blow up the existing structures that determine how teachers spend their time. 

To truly transform a school and the students and teachers within, we must create systems that give teachers time to do this incredibly complex work, during the school day, away from students. 

Sharing Data with Students: The Power of a One-on-One Conference

I’ve never been a big spreadsheet person. My former assistant principal will tell you that I despise state tests and while I prepared my students to be strong readers, writers, listeners and speakers it was not so they could exceed expectations on a standardized exam. I supported their growth as critical thinkers so they could change the world for the better. 

While it may be surprising, I do love data. I collect it all day everyday - as I’m greeting students at the door or in the hallways; as I walk around a room to see what students are writing; as I watch a group of students discuss key ideas in a text. I’m always collecting information about my students. I am definitely not one of those people who thinks that data can only exist in a spreadsheet. 

Today, however, I had powerful one-on-one conversations with some of our 6th graders based on a spreadsheet. Last month our students took an intensive exam that mirrors the state ELA test. It’s called the ICA - Interim Comprehensive Assessment. They sat for hours to read and listen to passages, answer questions and write at length about texts. Teachers gathered on a day off to score those exams and we recently started to analyze our results. 

As a literacy coach I spent time my own time with our data as a whole and looked closely at each teacher’s class to identify how their students are doing, areas to celebrate and areas for growth. One of my awesome colleagues (go Vanessa!) created a spreadsheet that showed students’ state test scores from last year compared to their scores on the ICA. It also included a minimum and maximum error band so we could see how students might do if they took the test again tomorrow. Would they stay at the same level, improve or decline? Lastly, it included how each student did on each of the four ELA claims - reading, writing, listening, and research and inquiry. It’s a user-friendly spreadsheet which made it incredibly easy to identify whole class trends and focus students. 

I am in the process of holding one-on-one meetings with each of our teachers to review their data and support them in identifying trends for their classes. One of our 6th grade teachers asked if I could hold some one-on-one data chats with some of her students to celebrate their progress and support them in setting goals. 

She gave me a list of students and what period she’d like me to pull them from and today I had twelve magical, precious, and heartwarming conversations with students. 

One of her students who scored a level 1 and did not meet the SBAC standard as a 5th grader, earned a level 2 and nearly met the standard on the ICA. She was incredibly surprised when I told her of her growth and was even more startled when I let her know that she exceeded the standard in ELA Claim 2 - Writing. She was overwhelmed with pride and it was incredibly powerful for me to be the bearer of good news. When I asked how she felt, she said, “I’m really happy. I feel proud of myself.” She set the goal of earning a level 3 on the SBAC and said she wanted to focus improving her reading and listening skills. 

Another student I called over was visibly nervous when I told him that I was going to share his results from the ICA assessment. As a 5th grader he scored a level 1 and did not meet the standard. On the ICA he scored a level 3 and met the standard. When I shared this news the smile that spread across his face and the ease that washed over his body was wonderful to witness. He had improved his raw score by over 100 points and when I asked him how he felt he said proud. He set the goal of earning a level 4 - exceeding the standard - and said he wanted to improve his reading and writing claim scores by reading more at home and adding more details and explanation to his writing. 

There is power in a one-on-one conversation with a student. In the span of 6 minutes I gave students key information that shifted their self image, helped them recognize the progress they’re making, their strengths and areas for growth, and supported them in setting a goal. The more information and feedback we can share with students the more empowered they are to drive their learning. As someone who believes in a variety and range of types of data, I am incredibly grateful for the teacher and student-friendly spreadsheet that my colleague created to make sharing this information accessible and easy. 

When our students take exams, performance tasks, or complete final projects, it’s vital that they know how they did and have the opportunity to set a goal and name a few action steps to get them to the next level. I’d like to shout out and appreciate the spreadsheet that helped me do that today.