Strategies to Build Culturally Competent and Affirming Schools
A framework for the courageous school leadership our students deserve. From the foreword by Gholdy Muhammad... "In Leading With C.A.R.E., Dr. Allen provides a way to disrupt the harms that systems, teachers, and leaders may inflict on children. He uses the richness of his personal and professional experiences to speak to the true purpose and power of schools, which is to disrupt disparities and affirm students' cultural identities and brilliance. In doing so, Dr. Allen reminds educators that we must examine the structures of education historically and in the present so that we can dismantle harmful practices. The framework of C.A.R.E. presented here guides educators to lead with Culturally Responsiveness in teaching and learning, while Affirming children's identities, and building positive Relationships with youth. Dr. Allen posits that this leads to spaces of Empowerment. This book provides the what, the why and importantly, the how. The C.A.R.E. framework helps leaders center the genius and joy of youth and teachers, while recognizing the social times we live in and elevating the education of children, especially those who have been historically excluded in schooling and in society. The framework provides a way forward for leaders to lead differently-with care, belonging, and excellence; providing every child with what they deeply deserve." With learning goals, summaries, and reflection questions included in each chapter, this guide offers actionable strategies educators can use to establish a culture that prioritizes students' experiences and affirms their identities.
Foster a love of mathematics by creating a more inclusive and empowering learning environment through asset-based teaching! An asset-based perspective on math education means starting with what students already know instead of focusing on what's missing. This approach elevates student thinking and reasoning skills. In this way, educators acknowledge that all students bring prior experiences, strengths, talents, and resources to the learning process and can contribute meaningfully in an authentic learning environment. Transform Your Math Class Using Asset-Based Teaching for Grades 6-12 provides insight into asset-based perspectives in mathematics education to create an environment where all students feel valued and capable of being doers of mathematics. In the book, Michael Steele and Joleigh Honey highlight the importance of using language, instructional routines, and systemic structure that positively impact student engagement, their math identity, and ultimately their outcomes. Providing a wealth of knowledge and practical strategies that can be used to transform math classrooms into inclusive, supportive, and empowering learning environments, this book: Introduces an asset-based perspective that focuses on students' strengths, assets, and potential to learn mathematics Includes a variety of frameworks and tools that teachers can use to build and grow their sense of asset-based perspectives Offers strategies for promoting a growth mindset in mathematics, encouraging productive struggle in math, and promoting equitable math instruction Supports teachers in reflecting on their decisions, self-awareness, and self-management Includes a companion online study guide to support teachers individually or as part of a professional learning community Adopting asset-based perspectives is about movement over time, not about flipping a switch. This book paves the path for an asset-based journey that ultimately helps to transform our math classrooms and advance all students' learning and development.
Your Teacher Toolkit for Better Teaching and Learning Every educator needs a toolkit of strategies to ensure that students of different abilities, backgrounds, and learning profiles achieve success in the classroom. Rather than requiring busy educators to read copious amounts of research and theory first, Practical Strategies for Managing a Diverse Classroom flips the script, providing the answers and tools you need up-front so you can implement them immediately. Inside, you'll find: Powerful vignettes and common scenarios found in any inclusive classroom Concrete strategies for each classroom scenario Research and evidence for each strategy, explaining how and why it works An exploration of cutting-edge topics such as co-teaching, cooperative learning, applied behavior analysis, SEL, and more Additional resources, applications, and activities for book studies or for educators who want to go deeper into the topics that appeal to them the most Written by a team of experienced educators with varied backgrounds, Practical Strategies for Managing a Diverse Classroom offers practical strategies for effective teaching and learning, better classroom management, and strengthened student engagement.
Proven practices to rescue struggling education initiatives... or prevent a crisis before it starts. Insufficient planning, unclear outcomes, missing data--for leaders overseeing education initiatives, it can often seem like there's a crisis around every corner. Drawing on decades of experience in assessment, evaluation, and data-driven decision-making, author and Professor of Educational Leadership James Marshall offers a combination of evidence-based practices and real-life experiences that provide practical solutions to the diverse challenges school leaders encounter as they implement new initiatives. Exploring oft-encountered challenges such as poor outcomes, waning interest or support from leadership, public relations issues, scaling and sustainability roadblocks, and other implementation-related obstacles--the book identifies six types of crises confronted by education leaders and offers valuable insights and solutions for each. Features include: Guidance to recognize the six types of education initiative crises and strategies for resolution tailored to each type 24 unique tools to positively impact challenges, such as the "Triage Tool" to prioritize crisis intervention and the "Don't Swamp the Boat" tool to explore the complement of initiatives in your school Two case studies and real world examples illustrating the application of selected tools across a range of crisis types Whether you're an education leader dealing with a program or initiative in crisis or proactively looking to prevent a crisis, Fixing Education Initiatives in Crisis provides practical solutions to navigate troubled initiatives and guidance for the design and implementation of healthy initiatives that yield predictable results.
Six Steps to Improving Outcomes for Every Student When gaps keep ambitious instruction and engaging learning experiences out of reach of every student, including students with disabilities, those learning English, and others who tend to be left out of school improvement plans, it's time for radical excellence! Radically Excellent School Improvement presents a model for ambitious improvement and tireless focus that ensures every student grows, thrives, and achieves to their fullest potential. It provides district and school leaders with a bold blueprint for designing, implementing, and monitoring a comprehensive school improvement process for radical excellence. Inside, you'll find: A six-step school improvement process that ensures all students have access to high-quality instruction Ways for districts and schools to ensure they meet legal and ethical standards Figures, examples, case studies, end-of-chapter summaries, and appendices Written by a transformational leader with years of experience leading districts and states toward equitable, integrated, and inclusive services for all, this resource is a must-read for education leaders who aspire to create a learning environment focused on providing every student the opportunity to achieve.
Place mental health at the heart of schooling Our students have always needed our support, but recent events have brought to the forefront the challenges K-12 schools face in supporting their mental health. Now is the time to transform schools into safe and healthy places that enable students not only to learn but thrive. Based on decades of research and proven examples from education professionals and the authors, experts in school leadership and social work, The Schools We Need Now highlights the importance of placing mental health at the heart of schooling and shares a vision for schools that prioritizes student well-being. Inside you'll discover: Practical ways to improve school climate and mitigate the effects of students' stress, trauma, depression, and anxiety Preventive activities, school transition and crisis response plans, and community collaboration strategies How to create a comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan that is grounded your school's culture and climate Examples of schools, classrooms, and organizations that are on the leading edge of creating the schools we need now For every educator who wants to ensure a healthy and equitable school environment for all students, The Schools We Need Now shows you how to create a safe place that protects and supports their academic, social, emotional, and physical growth.
Foster responsibility, empathy, and self-regulation in every learner. Hundreds of schools across North America are embracing Larry Thompson's Responsibility-Centered Discipline (RCD) - a groundbreaking approach that supports students in developing intrinsic motivation and growing as conscientious and active members of their school communities. Emphasizing responsibility, empathy, and self-regulation, RCD offers a transformative whole-school method to create a thriving school climate and responsible students. In this clear and explicit guide, Thompson presents an overview of RCD and its foundations, the six exits students commonly use to avoid responsibility, a structured conversation to return students to a path of responsibility, and a process educators can implement to create a solutions space. Additional features include: Success stories from the field Research highlights Coaching conversations Questions to help readers apply the information to their own contexts A must-read for teachers and education leaders seeking to reimagine discipline for a healthier and more supportive educational environment, Responsibility-Centered Discipline provides research-based actions to build skills such as responsibility, perseverance, empathy, and self-regulation in every learner from preK through high school.
Your journey to becoming a social justice mathematics educator begins here. Every journey has a beginning-a starting point-where you take a moment to set your sights on your next destination carefully. Teaching mathematics for social justice (TMSJ) means reimagining your mathematics classroom in a way that serves more children better-as a place that lifts mathematics up as a tool for students to analyze and understand the worlds around them, celebrate their unique identities and their communities, and become agents of change. For any K-12 educator who values these goals Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice, Grades: A Guide for Moving from Mindset to Action can be the start of a transformational journey. Guiding you in planning, implementing, assessing, and showcasing social justice mathematics lessons and helping children apply their learning beyond the classroom, this book: Encourages self-reflection on the "why" of your teaching and examines your own mindset about mathematics Provides a step-by-step action plan for creating equitable and socially just mathematics classrooms that focus on rich and collaborative mathematics learning Incorporates interactive reflection prompts, self-assessments, and activities throughout the journey Describes culturally responsive teaching practices to better respond to the instructional needs of the diverse individuals in your classroom Offers activities to identify what current events and social issues are important to children and their families Inspires you to remain steadfast in their journey of growth toward becoming a social justice mathematics educator Complete with sample lessons, online resources, and practical tools, this guide will empower you to better understand the children in your classroom, leverage their strengths, and make mathematics learning relevant and useful as they use mathematics to address the issues they care about. Start your journey towards becoming a social justice mathematics educator today.
How School Leaders Can Unlock Deeper Collaboration and Drive Results
Deepen your connections with students, staff, and your larger community. Behind every thriving school or district are deeply interconnected teams that consistently engage in a reciprocal transfer of learning. Leading With Intention aims to make this process visible by helping leaders and teachers understand how their thinking impacts their decision-making and the overall well-being of their learning communities. Through five highly practical chapters, authors DeWitt and Nelson explore self-awareness, nurturing human interconnectedness, collective inquiry, establishing a learning network, and crafting a personal learning environment. Filled with research, stories, and places to process information, this timely book is focused on how educators think, the choices they make, and how they develop deeper academic and social-emotional connections. Other features include: Success criteria to help readers identify personal goals Suggested activities to apply knowledge Reflection sheets with guiding questions In-depth examples to illustrate content School-leaders will come away with a deeper understanding of the importance of self-awareness in leadership and the pedagogical knowledge required to focus initiatives on student learning. Leading with Intention helps education leaders go from being merely 'on task' to deeply engaged and reconnected with why they entered the education profession in the first place.
