We need to learn best practices from one another!

The following is one of my colleague's responses to a professional article our school recently read on race and teaching. Enjoy!

“Teachers need opportunities to witness diversity responsive practices.” I thought this was a particularly pertinent quote. What do diversity responsive practices look like? Who are the teachers in our school who have these strategies in their ‘teaching toolbox’ and utilize them regularly? Can we identify “people from whom and places in which others can learn” in our school? Can we be provided with “time and resources” to observe and learn from them?


One colleague in my building comes to mind when I think of one of these individuals in our school from whom we can learn. Recently, she has established a group of minority students from her on-level English class who meet each day at lunch to tutor each other and to act as "cheerleader and support" for each other. Daily, this group enjoys the camaraderie of being together and the challenge of learning something new.


Additionally, the article suggests for us to practice “family involvement strategies that are responsive to racial and ethnic diversity.” It suggests that we “learn about the communities in which we teach by becoming familiar with community resources.” Several years ago, our faculty actually ‘toured’ the community in a bus to witness, firsthand, the diversity of our students’ communities. It might be interesting to do this again…perhaps bring in social workers, police officers, pastors of local churches or other community’ resources’ who would be able to give us more of a glimpse as to where our students come from and what issues they face each day.


Lastly, I agree with Hawley’s statement that “policies and practices that are particularly responsive to the needs of students of color are likely to be the best things we could do to enhance the learning of all students.”