We just got back from the most amazing vacation. You can see pics over on instagram. I have had some questions about where we went, without getting too off topic, we had a great opportunity to sail in a catamaran around the BVI. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Because this was a trip that we knew we could never do on our own (a friend is a licensed boat captain) we knew we couldn't pass up the opportunity. However, our 3 year old daughter is pretty young to go on such a long trip. We have lots of family in town (so lucky, right?) but I worried about how she would handle us being gone. 

It was a hit! She did great while we were gone and I felt much better that she was getting little moments of love to fill her bucket while we were away. Yeah, that was sappy. Moving on now...

Here's the joke page in case you'd like to use it. Might be a fun icebreaker for groups and lunch bunches too. You can even share with parents who may be going on vacation during the school year!

I had the privilege to attend my district's Academic Symposium upon returning from vacation this week (more on that later). You can check out some awesome social media engagement through the hashtag #wcpssdesign. I'm not gonna lie, coming back from vacation is tough but I was so compelled and engaged by what I learned, I just couldn't wait to share it with you!

We began with a keynote from Dr. Rodney Trice, our assistant superintendent of equity affairs. He focused on the 3 pillars of a culturally responsive curriculum that is creative, inclusive & truthful, and effort based. Creative lessons have multiple access points and the opportunity to show mastery in different ways. He challenged us with this quote from 
Dr. Asa Hilliard: 

Lessons that are inclusive and truthful are planned with thought around who has access to this material? Whose story is being told? Dr. Trice had a great activity where we turned and discussed what we knew about Rosa Parks. We then learned so much more about her activism and lifelong civil rights work. So then, how is the lesson changed when Rosa Parks goes from a tired seamstress to a strategic thinker? This was so powerful to me. One small adjustment in the presentation, and the whole story changes. 

Learning happens when effort takes place. Not just teacher effort- effort by the student. Have you seen the work of Sugata Mutra? He installed computers in the slums of India and left them there. It's amazing what the kids learned and how they engaged with each other while learning this new skills. Check it out here:

I also attended a session on Courageous Listening by Jamie Almanzan. Can I say WOW? It was engaging and challenging and pushed my perspective, all in 90 minutes. We were challenged to think about an opportunity gap rather than an academic gap. If we believe all educators want all children to have the opportunity to learn (I do!) then there must be a gap between out intention and the actions we take and the conditions we provide. 

So what is equity? "Remove the predictability of success and failure that currently correlates with any social or cultural factor and interrupt inequitable practices, challenge biases, and create an inclusive environment for all." Who wouldn't sign up for that? 

All that might seem overwhelming, but we can begin the change within ourselves by countering our implicit racial bias, and focus on active listening and create a comfortable environment for all students. In the end, we want to create space for people to share their experiences, create trust across differences, and support change through practice. 

The ultimate question then is are you reaching your students in the way that you would want to be taught or do you start with their schema to help them to change and grow?

Finally, I want to share this fun video with you. You might remember it from our Mix It Up lessons back in the day. Leaves you with a smile on your face but, even better, gets you thinking about how you can help you and your students to connect with people who are different.

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Follow me on Instagram to see some vacation photos. 

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I'll miss you while I'm gone. This vacation is bound to be epic, can't wait to share when I get back! In the meantime, see you on Instagram...