Listening, caring, building trust, and knowing each student individually. These are among the pillars of “culturally responsive teaching.” In this piece, we take you inside a classroom at O’Keeffe Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin, to see how these strategies, and more, are helping students break through to become independent learners, prepared to succeed and defy the achievement gap.
***
Credits:
Intro/Outro music by MicroSchool students Cheviest and Montevious.
Other music by Ryan Aranda.
Thank you to 8th grade teacher Tracy Warnecke.
Resources:
Zaretta Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain
***
Transcript:
(musical intro with mash-up of different voices)
my main passion is robotics engineering. I kind of feel like we're on the radio. This has been my dream like forever. It makes you want to be a better student inside the classroom. I want to be a astronaut go outerspace. Try to understand where I fit in a society that doesn't always cherish my presence.
(end of musical intro)
0:00:43.219,0:00:47.460 hello and welcome back to the MMSD voices
0:00:45.930,0:00:48.960 podcast where we will go into our
0:00:47.460,0:00:50.520 public school community in Madison
0:00:48.960,0:00:52.199 Wisconsin and hear directly from the
0:00:50.520,0:00:53.610 voices of our students staff and
0:00:52.199,0:00:56.100 families I'm Ryan
0:00:53.610,0:00:57.539 a Memorial High School 2009 graduate now
0:00:56.100,0:00:58.890 I work for the School District I
0:00:57.539,0:01:00.780 graduated from as a bilingual
0:00:58.890,0:01:02.609 communication specialist at our central
0:01:00.780,0:01:04.019 office I'm here to introduce today's
0:01:02.609,0:01:05.670 episode we're heading to Georgia
0:01:04.019,0:01:07.530 O'Keeffe middle school to hear from a
0:01:05.670,0:01:09.479 teacher known for being great at getting
0:01:07.530,0:01:11.310 kids to push themselves academically and
0:01:09.479,0:01:12.920 achieve a high levels by relating to
0:01:11.310,0:01:15.090 them connecting to their lives
0:01:12.920,0:01:15.540 understanding them and gaining their
0:01:15.090,0:01:17.460 trust
0:01:15.540,0:01:19.110 it's a story on culturally responsive
0:01:17.460,0:01:21.659 teaching we'll hear from eighth grade
0:01:19.110,0:01:23.610 teacher Tracey Warneke and we slice up a
0:01:21.659,0:01:26.820 few clips former students to sharing
0:01:23.610,0:01:29.549 their insights we hope you enjoy it is
0:01:26.820,0:01:33.030 my 21st year being a public head teacher
0:01:29.549,0:01:35.369 so it's the journey to get to this point
0:01:33.030,0:01:38.700 and it's a journey by making a thousand
0:01:35.369,0:01:40.770 mistakes first and just constantly
0:01:38.700,0:01:44.220 reflecting upon my practice and knowing
0:01:40.770,0:01:47.970 what I can do better the next day I have
0:01:44.220,0:01:51.420 no control over the kids reaction to me
0:01:47.970,0:01:53.850 I have control over me and my reaction
0:01:51.420,0:01:56.719 to them I have control over my
0:01:53.850,0:01:59.640 curriculum and how I present it to them
0:01:56.719,0:02:01.890 it's also through thousands of hours of
0:01:59.640,0:02:04.079 grad school and professional development
0:02:01.890,0:02:06.630 that I just take what I learn and I
0:02:04.079,0:02:09.780 apply it here in the classroom I play
0:02:06.630,0:02:11.560 some days it goes well some days it
0:02:09.780,0:02:15.160 completely bombs
0:02:11.560,0:02:16.750 I reflect on that I ask students for a
0:02:15.160,0:02:19.930 reflection what can we do to make it
0:02:16.750,0:02:22.030 better so with that what I've learned
0:02:19.930,0:02:24.510 over the years is behavior comes first
0:02:22.030,0:02:28.030 academics comes second and I think as
0:02:24.510,0:02:29.920 teachers we get that especially math
0:02:28.030,0:02:32.440 teachers where they have that crunch of
0:02:29.920,0:02:35.500 they have to cover certain chapters by
0:02:32.440,0:02:38.410 certain dates and you know you have to
0:02:35.500,0:02:40.930 reach certain goals in the curriculum by
0:02:38.410,0:02:45.519 a certain time we flip that in our head
0:02:40.930,0:02:48.010 and so I spend the first week of school
0:02:45.519,0:02:49.959 doing nothing but behavior teaching my
0:02:48.010,0:02:52.239 expectations teaching my classroom
0:02:49.959,0:02:54.670 routines teaching and building community
0:02:52.239,0:02:58.000 and I teach absolutely everything and
0:02:54.670,0:03:01.810 assume nothing so we agree every morning
0:02:58.000,0:03:02.310 and I teach them why and the purpose and
0:03:01.810,0:03:04.540 all of that
0:03:02.310,0:03:05.950 all right ladies during our greeting to
0:03:04.540,0:03:22.720 our mindfulness meditation get this day
0:03:05.950,0:03:25.450 started are you done
0:03:22.720,0:03:27.190 you are amazing human beings thank you
0:03:25.450,0:03:29.829 so very very much would you guys like a
0:03:27.190,0:03:33.150 piece of gum for helping me out or just
0:03:29.829,0:03:33.150 like a piece of candy for helping me out
0:03:39.720,0:03:45.700 one thing I live on was 20 live she's
0:03:42.579,0:03:49.150 very open about herself and like she's
0:03:45.700,0:03:52.030 like she is not afraid to tell people
0:03:49.150,0:03:53.020 who she is like she openly told us that
0:03:52.030,0:03:55.630 she was
0:03:53.020,0:03:58.180 okay and I actually really liked that
0:03:55.630,0:03:59.980 because when this morning he was telling
0:03:58.180,0:04:01.450 us all about her I got to know her
0:03:59.980,0:04:04.930 better and like know what kind to
0:04:01.450,0:04:07.810 specialize in she showed me that like I
0:04:04.930,0:04:10.660 shouldn't be afraid to like show who I
0:04:07.810,0:04:12.190 really am she's a really cool teacher
0:04:10.660,0:04:15.220 and I feel like I can just trust her
0:04:12.190,0:04:18.250 with anything like earlier today when I
0:04:15.220,0:04:19.959 was mad and I was I did not want to get
0:04:18.250,0:04:21.610 in trouble with my other teacher because
0:04:19.959,0:04:23.800 I did not want to do anything stupid I
0:04:21.610,0:04:25.810 just went to her classroom and she gave
0:04:23.800,0:04:29.100 me a piece of gum and let me draw in her
0:04:25.810,0:04:31.480 classroom calm down and it really helped
0:04:29.100,0:04:35.080 she's good in that way and she
0:04:31.480,0:04:37.240 understands us you know my name is Lily
0:04:35.080,0:04:40.030 I'm in this morning he's morning class
0:04:37.240,0:04:41.830 for homeroom class and I've just always
0:04:40.030,0:04:43.900 noticed since the beginning of the year
0:04:41.830,0:04:45.850 that she always tells her students that
0:04:43.900,0:04:48.280 they're smart and that they shouldn't
0:04:45.850,0:04:50.290 like cut corners and that they're better
0:04:48.280,0:04:52.300 than what they think that they are and
0:04:50.290,0:04:54.370 that they are smart and stuff like that
0:04:52.300,0:04:56.740 and I think it's really helped a lot of
0:04:54.370,0:04:58.510 the students in our class know that they
0:04:56.740,0:05:00.760 can trust her and I know that I can
0:04:58.510,0:05:04.360 trust her and I really enjoy being in
0:05:00.760,0:05:06.190 her classroom and I think I my ground
0:05:04.360,0:05:08.020 students in the purpose of why that we
0:05:06.190,0:05:09.280 do the things that we do and I really
0:05:08.020,0:05:09.970 establish by the fact that this is a
0:05:09.280,0:05:12.190 public school
0:05:09.970,0:05:14.740 we service the public that means
0:05:12.190,0:05:17.230 everybody from the public is here people
0:05:14.740,0:05:18.970 that we might not necessarily spend time
0:05:17.230,0:05:20.950 with in our normal everyday lives are
0:05:18.970,0:05:22.570 here in this classroom so I have the big
0:05:20.950,0:05:25.240 rule that we do not have to like each
0:05:22.570,0:05:26.310 other I have 26 kids in my morning 30 in
0:05:25.240,0:05:29.020 my afternoon block
0:05:26.310,0:05:31.210 we're not the expectation that we're all
0:05:29.020,0:05:33.100 going to be friends is ridiculous but we
0:05:31.210,0:05:35.020 will respect each other as colleagues
0:05:33.100,0:05:37.030 and then I spent a significant amount of
0:05:35.020,0:05:38.410 time talking about code-switching what's
0:05:37.030,0:05:40.450 the purpose of this class I was the
0:05:38.410,0:05:42.270 purpose of coming to school who are we
0:05:40.450,0:05:44.290 as a student who are we as a learner
0:05:42.270,0:05:46.600 were the difference between those two
0:05:44.290,0:05:48.280 things and why are we here who are we
0:05:46.600,0:05:50.410 going to be when we're in this room
0:05:48.280,0:05:51.160 because who we are in this room is not
0:05:50.410,0:05:55.410 who we are
0:05:51.160,0:05:57.760 hey buddy you tap out okay you all right
0:05:55.410,0:06:01.090 do you need to talk to me you just wanna
0:05:57.760,0:06:03.010 take a break okay who we are in this
0:06:01.090,0:06:04.300 room is not who we are would we're hold
0:06:03.010,0:06:06.110 their parents or hanging out or
0:06:04.300,0:06:08.480 grandparents or cousins or our
0:06:06.110,0:06:10.600 at the park so we do a lot of work on
0:06:08.480,0:06:15.470 identity in the beginning as
0:06:10.600,0:06:17.930 eighth-grade staff teaching American
0:06:15.470,0:06:19.790 history as our curriculum we kick it
0:06:17.930,0:06:20.480 also by diving into privilege and what
0:06:19.790,0:06:22.580 does that mean
0:06:20.480,0:06:25.040 and we put all the kids on a privilege
0:06:22.580,0:06:27.100 walk so the entire eighth grade in the
0:06:25.040,0:06:29.480 morning block and afternoon so it's half
0:06:27.100,0:06:30.890 hour standing on the blacktop and we do
0:06:29.480,0:06:32.450 a privilege walk we built to that we
0:06:30.890,0:06:34.970 don't just watch but by the third day of
0:06:32.450,0:06:38.030 school we did that activity you did a
0:06:34.970,0:06:39.380 privilege walk where we all lined up and
0:06:38.030,0:06:42.680 then took steps forwards or backwards
0:06:39.380,0:06:44.120 depending on if this applied to you to
0:06:42.680,0:06:47.750 show like the different versions of
0:06:44.120,0:06:50.900 privilege it was like have you ever
0:06:47.750,0:06:53.050 taken a family vacation and then people
0:06:50.900,0:06:56.090 who have done that took a step forward
0:06:53.050,0:06:59.810 do you feel like safe expressing
0:06:56.090,0:07:01.730 yourself in public like you do that and
0:06:59.810,0:07:05.420 then you could see where people say in
0:07:01.730,0:07:07.370 the line of the spectrum like with how
0:07:05.420,0:07:10.250 they feel and the privilege that they
0:07:07.370,0:07:12.230 have not because they earned it by just
0:07:10.250,0:07:15.620 like their race their gender their
0:07:12.230,0:07:18.440 sexual orientation stuff like that no
0:07:15.620,0:07:21.380 this was new to me and I think everybody
0:07:18.440,0:07:24.710 in there we weren't really used to like
0:07:21.380,0:07:28.460 talking about it like that it was but it
0:07:24.710,0:07:30.260 was good yeah we had like a whole unit
0:07:28.460,0:07:32.390 on privilege so for that we did a lot of
0:07:30.260,0:07:35.000 talking about privilege and the
0:07:32.390,0:07:39.200 different types of privilege so we made
0:07:35.000,0:07:44.270 posters there's gender there's racial
0:07:39.200,0:07:46.280 there's aesthetics social and it's
0:07:44.270,0:07:48.110 always such a great eye opener kind of
0:07:46.280,0:07:49.730 breaks down those barriers of assumption
0:07:48.110,0:07:53.750 that people make about one another based
0:07:49.730,0:07:54.980 off of skin tone or hair texture a lot
0:07:53.750,0:07:56.120 of times it's the kids who are in the
0:07:54.980,0:07:57.470 back that we don't expect
0:07:56.120,0:07:58.850 and it's the kids in the front who we
0:07:57.470,0:08:01.160 don't expect so it's a great way to
0:07:58.850,0:08:03.230 start that dialogue of diving into who
0:08:01.160,0:08:04.970 where we are as a community and really
0:08:03.230,0:08:08.170 working on that sense of identity of
0:08:04.970,0:08:10.340 ourselves in a classroom with that I
0:08:08.170,0:08:11.720 most of my anchor charts have had to
0:08:10.340,0:08:13.460 come down because we don't need them up
0:08:11.720,0:08:14.810 anymore but I really build a lot of
0:08:13.460,0:08:16.820 anchor charts that Bruce and our
0:08:14.810,0:08:19.919 behaviors ruin our routines reserve our
0:08:16.820,0:08:22.860 expectations through all of that work
0:08:19.919,0:08:24.900 and listening because I run my classroom
0:08:22.860,0:08:27.960 on a circle was it sort of like a
0:08:24.900,0:08:29.849 lopsided circle but in the first week we
0:08:27.960,0:08:31.830 actually had tables against walls and a
0:08:29.849,0:08:33.180 circle where everything was kind of it
0:08:31.830,0:08:35.820 you know like a restorative such a
0:08:33.180,0:08:38.399 circle the kids to start to share you
0:08:35.820,0:08:40.229 just start to pay attention and you just
0:08:38.399,0:08:41.430 start to just ask you know you just get
0:08:40.229,0:08:43.440 to know you know you just start to
0:08:41.430,0:08:45.750 listen to who are your kids and how do
0:08:43.440,0:08:47.220 they react I greet my kids every morning
0:08:45.750,0:08:49.380 I mean I might not always be at the door
0:08:47.220,0:08:50.670 but if I mean here we're like good
0:08:49.380,0:08:52.529 morning good morning good morning how we
0:08:50.670,0:08:54.029 doin you read their body language I mean
0:08:52.529,0:08:55.589 the great thing about middle schoolers
0:08:54.029,0:08:56.160 is they wear their emotions on their
0:08:55.589,0:08:58.320 sleeves
0:08:56.160,0:09:00.690 they're full of hyperbole and they're
0:08:58.320,0:09:02.670 they just want to be said but like all
0:09:00.690,0:09:05.220 kids they want the structure they want
0:09:02.670,0:09:06.690 to know what they're supposed to do and
0:09:05.220,0:09:08.250 how they're supposed to do I think
0:09:06.690,0:09:10.740 that's just people I think people like
0:09:08.250,0:09:13.490 structure and so I do that I'm very very
0:09:10.740,0:09:19.019 clear on my expectations and I I
0:09:13.490,0:09:20.550 remember two of my morning students came
0:09:19.019,0:09:21.810 to me the first week of school said this
0:09:20.550,0:09:23.820 Marty you're a really really good
0:09:21.810,0:09:26.339 teacher thanks guys I really appreciate
0:09:23.820,0:09:28.260 that and kind of blew it off like no you
0:09:26.339,0:09:30.390 get kids who are normally pushed out of
0:09:28.260,0:09:34.589 the classroom and you keep them in the
0:09:30.390,0:09:37.380 room and I think that's the key is kids
0:09:34.589,0:09:38.670 blip in a classroom for a reason they're
0:09:37.380,0:09:40.680 not you know there's no such thing as a
0:09:38.670,0:09:42.959 bad kid there are kids who make bad
0:09:40.680,0:09:45.300 choices there are kids in bad situations
0:09:42.959,0:09:48.839 but there's no such thing as a bad kid
0:09:45.300,0:09:51.420 so community and I stress with both of
0:09:48.839,0:09:52.800 my classes that we are a community and
0:09:51.420,0:09:54.420 when the community is not doing well
0:09:52.800,0:09:56.339 when certain individuals are not doing
0:09:54.420,0:09:59.100 well in the community we're all in it
0:09:56.339,0:10:00.930 together I also start the year off by
0:09:59.100,0:10:02.820 telling them that I'm the dictator I'm a
0:10:00.930,0:10:05.850 nice dictator I'm a compassionate
0:10:02.820,0:10:07.800 dictator I will listen to you dictator
0:10:05.850,0:10:09.149 but the end of the day I'm the teacher
0:10:07.800,0:10:10.769 you're the student you have to do what I
0:10:09.149,0:10:13.560 say because I'm the teacher a student
0:10:10.769,0:10:17.010 that's why power works which fits really
0:10:13.560,0:10:18.779 nicely into privilege um I go I hate my
0:10:17.010,0:10:20.910 dictators mr. Droog ah I have to tell it
0:10:18.779,0:10:22.980 you know I listen to what he tells me
0:10:20.910,0:10:24.930 right I can't say no and blow him off
0:10:22.980,0:10:27.300 he's my principal I have to do what he
0:10:24.930,0:10:29.490 tells me to do but he's a nice dictator
0:10:27.300,0:10:30.390 right I'm a nice tech Tator but the end
0:10:29.490,0:10:32.130 of the day and there's
0:10:30.390,0:10:35.490 times I look at they can be like
0:10:32.130,0:10:37.350 teacher-student all right you know but
0:10:35.490,0:10:38.940 again they just want to know like they
0:10:37.350,0:10:40.260 wouldn't know their limits you want to
0:10:38.940,0:10:42.780 know what they can and cannot do and
0:10:40.260,0:10:44.550 then once I get all that established
0:10:42.780,0:10:46.710 then when it comes to work
0:10:44.550,0:10:48.180 it's the gradual release lots of things
0:10:46.710,0:10:50.790 that districts are teaching us it's the
0:10:48.180,0:10:52.470 you know model first you know show them
0:10:50.790,0:10:55.020 what you're supposed to do do it whole
0:10:52.470,0:10:56.490 group do it together do it in small
0:10:55.020,0:10:58.640 group and then kind of look like that
0:10:56.490,0:11:03.030 all those PD's that we're getting from
0:10:58.640,0:11:04.590 our experts downtown it's just going to
0:11:03.030,0:11:06.900 be really really mindful in it just
0:11:04.590,0:11:09.570 takes a lot of time just one step at a
0:11:06.900,0:11:11.310 time and just slowly but surely by
0:11:09.570,0:11:12.780 fourth quarter I don't need a model how
0:11:11.310,0:11:14.370 to put your assignments in the area when
0:11:12.780,0:11:16.110 you know how to do that but everyday
0:11:14.370,0:11:17.930 right now it's everybody do is it
0:11:16.110,0:11:20.310 together cuz we're not quite ready I
0:11:17.930,0:11:21.930 also feel really sweet group of kids
0:11:20.310,0:11:24.420 this year and they help each other which
0:11:21.930,0:11:26.670 is awesome it is not easy to be a warm
0:11:24.420,0:11:29.790 demander it is not easy to put on that
0:11:26.670,0:11:31.200 academic press because that's constantly
0:11:29.790,0:11:33.540 something that you're juggling that line
0:11:31.200,0:11:35.490 in that line is not always clear and so
0:11:33.540,0:11:37.800 it's never good to make assumptions
0:11:35.490,0:11:41.160 about that line so it's really important
0:11:37.800,0:11:42.930 to get to know who your kids are and by
0:11:41.160,0:11:44.640 shutting up and listening I think that's
0:11:42.930,0:11:46.440 the key is finding the gifts that they
0:11:44.640,0:11:50.850 bring to the classroom finding the good
0:11:46.440,0:11:53.160 in all kids and recognizing that the
0:11:50.850,0:11:56.760 front that they give you is not who they
0:11:53.160,0:12:00.630 are middle schoolers do not like to be
0:11:56.760,0:12:02.490 uncomfortable and so if the learning pit
0:12:00.630,0:12:05.130 right the falling into that pit that's
0:12:02.490,0:12:06.840 savoring the struggle where they want to
0:12:05.130,0:12:08.280 mislead you they start talking we'll put
0:12:06.840,0:12:09.660 a boop boop boop and they were like get
0:12:08.280,0:12:12.480 the answers from their friends or they
0:12:09.660,0:12:13.890 want me so badly to define exactly what
0:12:12.480,0:12:15.960 they should be doing or they will
0:12:13.890,0:12:17.190 exactly want me to give them the answers
0:12:15.960,0:12:19.440 that they're supposed to write down on
0:12:17.190,0:12:21.180 their paper so the to be a slave ABC
0:12:19.440,0:12:23.100 book right every kid picks a random
0:12:21.180,0:12:24.690 letter they to take that letter and
0:12:23.100,0:12:28.740 connect it to a concept they learned in
0:12:24.690,0:12:31.710 slavery so like S is for slavery W is
0:12:28.740,0:12:34.710 for whippings J is for jumping the broom
0:12:31.710,0:12:36.930 you know whatever that concept that
0:12:34.710,0:12:38.820 resonated with them and then they have
0:12:36.930,0:12:41.040 to do a Melancon paragraph so they have
0:12:38.820,0:12:42.300 to you know find textual evidence they
0:12:41.040,0:12:45.330 have to
0:12:42.300,0:12:50.160 I do the content at least sexual others
0:12:45.330,0:12:51.930 provide the link that's hard that's some
0:12:50.160,0:12:54.450 seriously high level writing and
0:12:51.930,0:12:57.270 thinking about a really difficult topic
0:12:54.450,0:12:58.950 and so when we first wrote you know I we
0:12:57.270,0:13:01.140 of course we model we do things together
0:12:58.950,0:13:02.610 we do things in small group we talk
0:13:01.140,0:13:03.690 about it we have lots of discussions but
0:13:02.610,0:13:05.100 when it comes to the rubber hand the
0:13:03.690,0:13:08.820 room where they they're like I have my
0:13:05.100,0:13:10.230 my my graphic organizer and my notes and
0:13:08.820,0:13:14.550 this book and I gotta put it all
0:13:10.230,0:13:16.890 together now they all blow just like and
0:13:14.550,0:13:18.450 so it's just constantly just a lot of
0:13:16.890,0:13:22.350 reassurance for that it's like you've
0:13:18.450,0:13:24.750 got this you have this the expectation
0:13:22.350,0:13:26.370 still is no talking I want your brain
0:13:24.750,0:13:30.090 not your brain in your neighbors brain
0:13:26.370,0:13:33.390 what do you know and they just sir just
0:13:30.090,0:13:36.900 allowing them to be uncomfortable and
0:13:33.390,0:13:38.490 not to save them from their internal
0:13:36.900,0:13:40.470 insecurities or there and there is
0:13:38.490,0:13:42.090 especially this happens a lot with my
0:13:40.470,0:13:43.950 high-flyer learners right that a lot of
0:13:42.090,0:13:46.710 my perfectionist want to be put in the
0:13:43.950,0:13:50.070 box and well how many pages does it need
0:13:46.710,0:13:52.050 to be it doesn't and they're like what
0:13:50.070,0:13:54.720 I'm like you have to have all of the
0:13:52.050,0:13:57.750 skills or that I'm asking you to
0:13:54.720,0:13:59.580 demonstrate but you can demonstrate that
0:13:57.750,0:14:03.180 in a page maybe it takes you five pages
0:13:59.580,0:14:06.780 demonstrate that I don't know so I push
0:14:03.180,0:14:08.250 them out so my rubrics and my assignment
0:14:06.780,0:14:09.480 description if it's not on those two
0:14:08.250,0:14:12.030 things you have carte blanche to do
0:14:09.480,0:14:13.230 whatever you want so that's that's
0:14:12.030,0:14:15.330 always going to start to see them
0:14:13.230,0:14:20.270 grapple with that but I think the big
0:14:15.330,0:14:20.270 also heated ideas I do a lot of student
0:14:21.200,0:14:28.140 interesting curriculum like I connect
0:14:25.020,0:14:30.930 history to current events so when we
0:14:28.140,0:14:32.290 were studying a lot about slavery miss
0:14:30.930,0:14:36.129 Warneke showed us a video
0:14:32.290,0:14:38.649 of Beyonce I think it was her recent
0:14:36.129,0:14:40.509 like showing it the award show I don't
0:14:38.649,0:14:42.910 remember which one it was but it was
0:14:40.509,0:14:43.929 really awesome because it showed exactly
0:14:42.910,0:14:46.600 what we were learning about in class
0:14:43.929,0:14:47.739 like how we represented slavery and it
0:14:46.600,0:14:49.959 was really interesting to see how she
0:14:47.739,0:14:53.169 brought that into the classroom first
0:14:49.959,0:14:54.789 for ela they get to choose what they
0:14:53.169,0:14:57.129 read they get to choose what they write
0:14:54.789,0:15:03.279 about as long as it fits under my
0:14:57.129,0:15:06.519 umbrella of standards they get to do it
0:15:03.279,0:15:08.049 so I believe a big big thing about
0:15:06.519,0:15:09.519 student choice over the narrative
0:15:08.049,0:15:12.609 writing project they could choose to
0:15:09.519,0:15:14.079 write a traditional short story they
0:15:12.609,0:15:17.829 could have chosen to write a humans of
0:15:14.079,0:15:19.779 New York or peoples of Madison blog or
0:15:17.829,0:15:21.789 they could have chosen to write this I
0:15:19.779,0:15:22.929 believe and we laid it all out over the
0:15:21.789,0:15:24.609 different choices and what those three
0:15:22.929,0:15:26.049 different choices would mean and then I
0:15:24.609,0:15:27.910 got to see all the expectations
0:15:26.049,0:15:30.759 everybody has the same running target
0:15:27.910,0:15:31.869 areas the same rubric but just you know
0:15:30.759,0:15:33.999 what do you want to write an imaginary
0:15:31.869,0:15:37.689 story a memoir or something about a
0:15:33.999,0:15:39.009 lesson of values that you have most of
0:15:37.689,0:15:40.600 them choice is a short story which is
0:15:39.009,0:15:42.489 always interesting because my humans of
0:15:40.600,0:15:44.019 Madison kids are like this is so easy I
0:15:42.489,0:15:46.419 don't have to make anything up it's all
0:15:44.019,0:15:48.279 in my head I'm like that's what I think
0:15:46.419,0:15:50.919 but you know some kids want to take on
0:15:48.279,0:15:52.929 the challenge and so that having that
0:15:50.919,0:15:55.989 power of choice and knowing that I have
0:15:52.929,0:15:59.230 a voice and what I get to do it makes
0:15:55.989,0:16:01.600 the engagement so much higher make
0:15:59.230,0:16:03.910 sagacious and then if they are blipping
0:16:01.600,0:16:05.470 well why are they blipping and it's
0:16:03.910,0:16:07.329 flipping because either can't be it you
0:16:05.470,0:16:08.199 know competent or autonomous or have
0:16:07.329,0:16:09.579 really they don't have a relationship
0:16:08.199,0:16:11.679 with me where they're not having any fun
0:16:09.579,0:16:12.819 and as much as I try to make learning
0:16:11.679,0:16:14.079 fun in here there are certain days where
0:16:12.819,0:16:15.939 like guys this is one of those days
0:16:14.079,0:16:17.980 where we just have to learn it's not
0:16:15.939,0:16:19.389 gonna be great but there's gonna be lots
0:16:17.980,0:16:21.309 of things in your life that you have to
0:16:19.389,0:16:25.480 sit through that are not great and this
0:16:21.309,0:16:27.789 is not a rarity for us and I think it's
0:16:25.480,0:16:33.059 I've gotten the feedback from kids that
0:16:27.789,0:16:35.319 they enjoy the topics that we do and
0:16:33.059,0:16:36.850 bringing it like they enjoyed they found
0:16:35.319,0:16:38.289 the privilege work really interesting
0:16:36.850,0:16:41.259 they're ready to be done with slavery
0:16:38.289,0:16:43.480 and I don't blame them it's hard I mean
0:16:41.259,0:16:44.600 I it's raw we read the to be a slave for
0:16:43.480,0:16:47.000 the slave narratives we watched
0:16:44.600,0:16:49.850 Unchained memories it's hard stuff to
0:16:47.000,0:16:53.209 hear and that and we do the same thing
0:16:49.850,0:16:54.800 with Columbus and Zen they get there
0:16:53.209,0:16:57.649 like man america's got a lot of bad
0:16:54.800,0:16:59.990 stuff it's like yeah well how did we get
0:16:57.649,0:17:01.819 here like because they are they're
0:16:59.990,0:17:03.170 opening to the world they're going out
0:17:01.819,0:17:04.640 in the world they have these phones
0:17:03.170,0:17:07.760 where they're getting this sound bytes
0:17:04.640,0:17:08.689 and these little pictures and means that
0:17:07.760,0:17:10.010 you know if you don't have the
0:17:08.689,0:17:12.770 background knowledge you're not going to
0:17:10.010,0:17:15.500 understand let me teach you what that
0:17:12.770,0:17:18.709 means let me teach you why that's
0:17:15.500,0:17:20.270 important let me teach you about our
0:17:18.709,0:17:21.919 government and how it's supposed to
0:17:20.270,0:17:24.559 function so you can be an informed voter
0:17:21.919,0:17:26.270 when you're 18 or you can understand
0:17:24.559,0:17:28.490 then you can make choices that will
0:17:26.270,0:17:30.320 benefit our country because you I don't
0:17:28.490,0:17:32.030 want you to be an ignorant voter I want
0:17:30.320,0:17:33.919 you to understand how our government
0:17:32.030,0:17:36.490 works so that when you can have that
0:17:33.919,0:17:39.530 opportunity you can do that so a lot of
0:17:36.490,0:17:42.470 relating the purpose of why and bring in
0:17:39.530,0:17:44.360 making it personal for that but really
0:17:42.470,0:17:47.929 enhances the curriculum and then they're
0:17:44.360,0:17:49.429 more likely to do the work right that
0:17:47.929,0:17:51.890 one demand or sort of goes away because
0:17:49.429,0:17:55.490 like oh I get to research my status
0:17:51.890,0:17:57.770 student research um he was really into
0:17:55.490,0:18:00.289 gangs and we were doing our research but
0:17:57.770,0:18:02.750 okay so what is some gang prevention and
0:18:00.289,0:18:05.360 he was from Chicago and he like way into
0:18:02.750,0:18:07.100 understanding like and I got like
0:18:05.360,0:18:09.080 community community centers can really
0:18:07.100,0:18:10.490 help keep kids off the street in gangs
0:18:09.080,0:18:12.950 but then he's like but wait community
0:18:10.490,0:18:14.840 centers close at six thirty you know and
0:18:12.950,0:18:16.250 like so he got it so we got to really
0:18:14.840,0:18:19.190 understand like what was going on in his
0:18:16.250,0:18:21.770 neighborhood what was happening and like
0:18:19.190,0:18:23.539 he was way into that work in that
0:18:21.770,0:18:25.100 research because it was a topic he was
0:18:23.539,0:18:28.280 interested in so I didn't have to fight
0:18:25.100,0:18:30.500 him on learning and then I gave him the
0:18:28.280,0:18:32.150 scaffolds and the organizers and you
0:18:30.500,0:18:33.919 know the stuff that can get them you
0:18:32.150,0:18:35.870 know the cop give them to the autonomy
0:18:33.919,0:18:38.630 to do that work by themselves because
0:18:35.870,0:18:42.470 again I have high class numbers so I
0:18:38.630,0:18:44.059 can't sit one-on-one with each kid and
0:18:42.470,0:18:47.390 also then at the same time meet my high
0:18:44.059,0:18:50.179 fliers needs and keep them moving
0:18:47.390,0:18:52.340 forward and going deeper in their box
0:18:50.179,0:18:54.350 when you know ioki if we have some just
0:18:52.340,0:18:56.549 naturally really just smart intellectual
0:18:54.350,0:19:00.929 kids we have smart intellectual families
0:18:56.549,0:19:02.759 add fun you know you got a laugh you got
0:19:00.929,0:19:09.149 a laugh and have some fun play some
0:19:02.759,0:19:10.499 games enjoy each other thanks for
0:19:09.149,0:19:12.029 listening I hope you enjoyed this
0:19:10.499,0:19:13.529 episode if you want to hear more about
0:19:12.029,0:19:14.999 the topics we discussed today in today's
0:19:13.529,0:19:16.919 podcasts check out
0:19:14.999,0:19:18.690 zarayda Hammond's book culturally
0:19:16.919,0:19:20.549 responsive teaching in the brain you can
0:19:18.690,0:19:26.459 also dig into the story a bit more on
0:19:20.549,0:19:28.109 medium.com /at sign mm SD you can find
0:19:26.459,0:19:28.499 these and other resources in the show
0:19:28.109,0:19:40.799 notes
0:19:28.499,0:19:43.559 see you next time black excellence is
0:19:40.799,0:19:45.959 the district's unapologetic stand in
0:19:43.559,0:19:48.479 support of our african-american students
0:19:45.959,0:19:50.359 our first strategic framework helped us put our
0:19:48.479,0:19:53.099 school district on an upward trajectory
0:19:50.359,0:19:54.959 but more important laid the foundation so
0:19:53.099,0:19:57.299 that we can make even more progress in
0:19:54.959,0:20:02.570 the future it starts with believing in
0:19:57.299,0:20:02.570 the potential of each and every student
0:20:03.890,0:20:12.039 [Music]
0:20:16.130,0:20:19.339 [Music]
0:20:22.510,0:20:25.990 [Applause]
0:20:22.840,0:20:25.990 [Music]
0:20:28.810,0:20:32.060 [Music]
0:20:33.200,0:20:35.260 you
0:20:45.420,0:20:47.480 you
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