Emdin Teaches How to Build a More Welcoming, Culturally Proficient Classroom

Chris Emdin teaches us well how to build a more inclusive teaching/learning environment in his book, For White Teachers Who Teach in the Hood and the Rest of Y'all Too.

I'll think on the many points I culled from the book in the tweets below as I plan for the new school year. In particular, I'll foster the following learning/teaching efforts:

• Use of video
• Foster growth mindset/identity lessons
• Create bulletin boards for self expression, questions
• Use learning menus including artistic expression choices and students choice/voice for learning projects
• Foster student preparation and teaching of concept
• Look for ways to foster positive team "battles" or competition
• Find ways to learn specifically about and engage with students' unique contexts
• Foster variety of greetings
• Embed call and response into classroom efforts
• Teacher: "TeamFive Students: (they make up a host of responses for all kinds of situations)
• "Can I proceed" - "Yes, Indeed"
• Start year with question, "What do we need to do to run a successful teaching/learning community here?" List jobs, let Ss choose what they will do.