One of the best learning frameworks I heard about from @Ready4rigor Zaretta Hammond. A few questions to consider (thread)

What level was present in your classroom today?

Do you see different students engaging at different levels? Why is that? Are you blaming the students, the curriculum, or yourself?

What level do we expect in public schools? What level do we settle for? How does our expectation change for privileged kids? Suburbs? “Honors”?

What do we expect of Black children? Why?

How does your task or learning objective influence the level of engagement?

If you centered students of color, would their engagement change?

What do we reward with PBIS school dollars and incentives?

Do our pacing guides allow for deeper learning and higher levels of engagement?

What was your schooling experience like and what did your teachers expect, encourage, or give you feedback on?

If you’re a sage on the stage, can you ever have high levels of engagement?

When marginalized and oppressed students rebel, do you apply deficit lens and racist analysis to the rebellion? How do you try to engage them?

Do we really want a quiet classroom? Who benefits?

How does this mirror society and our expectations of a good citizen or good American?

If we were to grade students on their engagement what would that look like?

Are the students who are receiving A’s, just good at school? Are they compliant or are they authentically engaged?

Would engagement change if you used project-based learning, culturally responsive teaching, ethnic studies, outdoor education, internships, or inquiry-based learning?

What is truly holding you back from these changes? Compliance?

How do these levels of engagement show up our staff meetings?

Have you told yourself, “I am not racist?”

You probably are racist. We all are.

What are you willing to do to be anti-racist and push students to higher levels of engagement, deeper learning, and critical thinking?

What’s holding you back?