As teachers, every year comes with changes we don’t choose — a new unit of study, new schedule, possibly a new curriculum provider or school-wide initiative. We roll with these things, do our best to carry them out.
Sometimes the changes we want to see in ourselves, our own professional growth, can seem separated from all that. I don’t know about you, but taking care of Everything Else can often mean my own goals drop to the bottom of the list.
If you’ve been looking for ways to grow your practice around equity, anti-bias, growth mindset, or critical thinking, here are ten tweaks to consider.
A disclaimer: I (clearly) did not invent any of these, but I appreciate all of them for being “right here, right now” changes that you can put into practice as soon as you want to.
level one: no prep, no planning, low to zero intimidation factor
1. Switch out “parents” in writing and in conversation for “families” or “grownups”
Why do it: Not every family has parents as the adult guardians. In emails or newsletters home, saying “Dear Families” helps the adults feel seen and included, rather than being reminded right off the bat if they happen not to fit some idea of “normal” family structure. In front of kids, saying “families” or “grownups” normalizes the idea that not everyone’s guardians are their parents.
There are many, many ways to make a family. In some schools, this is the topic of beautiful units of study somewhere around pre-K, K, or first grade. But awareness of diversity in family structure shouldn’t stop there.
2. Swap out “boys and girls” for a gender-inclusive term
Why do it: There are so many ways to address a group of students that doesn’t reinforce binary (girl/boy or female/male) ideas of gender. Kids of various ages are thinking about gender and gender roles on a regular basis. If someone does happen to be questioning their gender, being addressed or even grouped this way can be stressful and hurtful.
As for what to say instead, working at a Quaker school for a year made me very fond of “friends” as an alternative. If that doesn’t feel quite right for you, you can always go with your class’s group/room/grade designation — 2A, 5-306, Blue Room — however your school does it. Or you can try folks, people, humans (middle school teachers, those might be more your vibe).
3. When applicable, say “all genders” rather than “both genders”
Why do it: It sounds like a tiny thing — we’re talking tweaks, right?! — but the difference it makes conceptually is huge. That one word “all” changes the landscape of gender to be so much more expansive. Like #2, this is one that can alleviate a lot of stress and hurt for humans (students) in your care who may be questioning their gender identity, but that’s not the only benefit. It also models for every student how to think inclusively and expansively about gender.
Note: In a few specific contexts, I have needed to give kids some instructions regarding seating and gender, both to minimize distractions at tables by separating friends of the same gender, or by encouraging kids to socialize outside of their very gender-segregated friendships. In those situations, I might say “at lunch, please sit next to at least one person of a different gender from you”. They get what I mean without having to harp on “no boys next to boys” and the like.
4. Actually, seriously, take some wait time.
Why do it: If you ever feel like you’re always seeing the same four hands in the air… you probably are. They are your future Jeopardy contestants, buzzing in practically before you’ve finished your sentence. Slow down. Wait time gives everyone (including you) a moment to think and process. The “put up a thumb when you have an answer” is a great tactic. Wait until you see that everyone has had time to think. Then, “put up your hand if you’d like to share your answer.”
I think of wait time often when it comes to giving the “right” answer, but it also has huge benefits for deep thinking questions like a class debate or literature discussion. Take the think time. Lean against the board for two breaths. Take a sip of water (you probably need it). Wait time won’t magically make it so you hear from all your students equally, but it can help you make sure no one is exempt from thinking about the topic at hand.
5. Change “does anyone have any questions?” to “What questions do you have?”
Why do it: Frankly, I immediately worry if no one in my class has a question at homework time or after I demonstrate a new math concept. Looking for clarification means students are thinking about what was just said. The phrasing here also shows that you expect questions, so no one groans when a hand does go up and delays the chance to dismiss for snack or lunchtime. Combine this one with wait time, and you will really be getting a better window into students’ needs and understanding.
6. When a student is late to class, respond with a smile or “I’m glad you’re here”
Why do it: As Justin Tarte puts it below, a student coming late to class is frustrating and disruptive. But I’m pretty sure all I’m doing by glaring is starting that kid’s day off on a wrong foot. Especially for elementary students, so much of what happens in the course of a morning is outside of their control. The least I can do is still give them a warm greeting when they enter the room — in fact, those are probably the kids who need that warmth even more.
level two: low-to-medium prep or planning, low intimidation factor
7. Where you might say “he or she,” practice using gender-neutral “they”
This is another easy-to-adopt strategy that opens up space beyond the binary. It might feel new at first, but you can lay your grammatical worries to rest and point any questioners to Merriam-Webster to set them straight. I end up modeling singular they most frequently during math discussions, e.g. when talking about a hypothetical student: “What could you say to a classmate if this was the equation they had set up?” Or when I truly did not know the gender or pronouns of the guide we would have on a trip the next day: “Write down any questions you have, and I’m sure they’ll be happy to answer.” Bottom line, use it when it’s useful!
8. Change “who has the answer?” to “what answers do you have?” and/or “does anyone have a different answer?”
Why do it: As Jo Boaler puts it over at YouCubed, mistakes grow your brain. Which means it’s time to get more than one answer up on the board. When students share their process and justify their thinking, a few things happen: they might uncover their own mistake and revise their thinking out loud, which is a powerful opportunity to support a growth mindset about math. Or, they might share reasoning that clarifies it for another student, who may then pipe up to say “Oh! I changed my answer! I agree with ____.”
We also need to model for students valuing productive disagreement. Asking “does anyone have a different answer?” normalizes having multiple ideas and then working through them. In math, there is usually one answer that is the most reasonable. In most other contexts, it’s the working through that counts. (I learned this strategy from a brilliant math specialist. You can find this one and more in Intentional Talk: How to Structure and Lead Productive Mathematical Discussions by Elham Kazemi and Allison Hintz.)
level three: needs some planning and/or prep, possibly intimidating but worth it
9. Practice critical literacy by asking “whose perspective is this? Whose voice is left out?”
Why do it: No source, whether text, photograph, painting or song, is without bias. Critical literacy means reading actively to consider the author’s position, power, and potential biases that have made it into the story. It helps students with their comprehension, makes them critical consumers of media (no more fake news!), and it absolutely belongs in elementary classrooms. You can apply this strategy to anything from artists’ renderings of the “purchase” of Manhattan to a historic photograph to the lyrics of the national anthem.
This strategy can require some prep because you, the teacher, will need to spend some time considering or learning about bias or erasure in the text/artifact you’re using. Start small by doing this for one text you already use in your curriculum. Teach the question explicitly, and you might find students applying it to other sources on their own!
10. Name it: “As a white teacher…”
Why do it: in American society, systemic racism means that whiteness is seen as the default. (One tiny, tiny example: think about what color Band-Aids come in.) If you are a teacher and you identify as white, this is a small but powerful thing you can do to name whiteness so that it’s no longer the default. Think of this as applying critical literacy to yourself: your identity, including race, informs how you teach. When you don’t name it, that bias goes unexamined.
An example of how to do it: As I read One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia aloud to my class last year, there were moments when the experiences of Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern, who are black and growing up in the 60s, did not match mine, and I said so. “As a white person, I haven’t had to think about what Delphine is thinking about right now, about how her sister’s doll doesn’t look like her.”
A couple of caveats for this one: do some reading and reflecting first. Check out the Twitter hashtags #DisruptTexts and #breakrank. If you have had some professional development around antiracism, white identity development, and the like, I offer this as a small way you can put antiracist principles into practice. (Feel free to comment or message me if you’d like to speak more about this one.)
off you go!
There you have it: ten tweaks for your new year. Let me know what you think, what you try, and how it goes!
necessary mess 