At a recent academic seminar, my principal asked us to reflect and share on a success we had experienced. I chose to share about how our student equity team was started.
My idea for a student equity team started after I had attended professional development on racial equity in education. I first attended a racial equity training in our district called Taking It Up. This inspired me to continue to grow and be challenged in this area so I participated in the week-long Coaching for Educational Equity experience. While I was there I made a goal to establish a student equity team at my school. As an adult, I knew I could work to make changes to our system but I wanted our students to be empowered to resist oppression. I was not exactly sure how to start a student equity team, especially in an elementary school. There was not a model for one in our district. I had discussed this idea with my administrator and he agreed that we should try it. I recruited a staff member of color to help me with leading the students. She thankfully agreed to be a part of this experiment. As a white educator, I knew that my primary role for this team would be as a supporter, not a leader. I wanted the students to have a space that was an affinity group and I could not be that person. I was not exactly sure how to recruit students who were ready to lead this work.
As the Title 1 Instructional Coach, one of my responsibilities is supervising the small reading group instruction provided by the Instructional Assistants. One of our 5th-grade groups had some resistant readers. They were not engaged in the reading and at points could be disruptive to the group. I decided that instead of taking a disciplinary approach with these students, I would invite them to start a book club with me. This group consisted of five Latina students. They did not know what a book club was. I explained that it is a group of people who collectively choose a book to read and discuss. They gave me some suggestions for book topics. From their suggestions, I collected some books. One of the books we chose to read was Hush by Jacqueline Woodson. This book centers how a character deals with the consequences of racial injustice and how it impacted her family. I was not sure how the students would respond to discussing this topic. I was extremely impressed by how they handled the discussion and their provoking questions. I realized that I had found the group that would be able to start a Student Equity Team. The Team has expanded to include boys as well as girls. The original members are mentoring younger students to ensure the sustainability of the Team.
My idea for a student equity team started after I had attended professional development on racial equity in education. I first attended a racial equity training in our district called Taking It Up. This inspired me to continue to grow and be challenged in this area so I participated in the week-long Coaching for Educational Equity experience. While I was there I made a goal to establish a student equity team at my school. As an adult, I knew I could work to make changes to our system but I wanted our students to be empowered to resist oppression. I was not exactly sure how to start a student equity team, especially in an elementary school. There was not a model for one in our district. I had discussed this idea with my administrator and he agreed that we should try it. I recruited a staff member of color to help me with leading the students. She thankfully agreed to be a part of this experiment. As a white educator, I knew that my primary role for this team would be as a supporter, not a leader. I wanted the students to have a space that was an affinity group and I could not be that person. I was not exactly sure how to recruit students who were ready to lead this work.
As the Title 1 Instructional Coach, one of my responsibilities is supervising the small reading group instruction provided by the Instructional Assistants. One of our 5th-grade groups had some resistant readers. They were not engaged in the reading and at points could be disruptive to the group. I decided that instead of taking a disciplinary approach with these students, I would invite them to start a book club with me. This group consisted of five Latina students. They did not know what a book club was. I explained that it is a group of people who collectively choose a book to read and discuss. They gave me some suggestions for book topics. From their suggestions, I collected some books. One of the books we chose to read was Hush by Jacqueline Woodson. This book centers how a character deals with the consequences of racial injustice and how it impacted her family. I was not sure how the students would respond to discussing this topic. I was extremely impressed by how they handled the discussion and their provoking questions. I realized that I had found the group that would be able to start a Student Equity Team. The Team has expanded to include boys as well as girls. The original members are mentoring younger students to ensure the sustainability of the Team.
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