“My favorite teachers have been super personal. Real conversations, ask about my weekend. Those teachers make me want to do better. “ Bend-LaPine Student Excellence and Equity 2019 talk session
We all know the pressure to meet the standards and to get all the content taught in the school year. With the pandemic, many of us feel we have to teach more than a year’s content in one year. On top of that, our students are exhibiting outward behaviors that many of us have not seen in our classrooms before. These behaviors stem from a sense of not belonging, hinder the academic performance, and work to increase the learning gaps teachers are trying to close.
In the book Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation by Floyd Cobb and John Krownapple, the authors make the case that schools need to focus on creating a culture of belonging before content is delivered. They define belonging as a sense where one feels appreciated, validated, accepted and treated fairly within an environment. When students feel that they belong, they aren’t worried and distracted about being treated as a stereotype… instead they are confident that they are seen as a human being. Belonging is a basic need.
Cobb and Krownapple explain that belonging and dignity go together. They have a cause-and effect relationship in that we build belonging by honoring dignity. When we understand this dynamic, it becomes clear how the concepts of dignity unlocks the potential of the teacher-student relationship, especially across dimensions of difference such as race, gender, class and culture.(Cobb & Krownapple,2019) Students are not ready to learn until they feel connected and a sense of unconditional of belonging.
This Fall, sixty-three teachers and staff across our district participated in a book study with John Krownapple and the book Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation. The book study, included webinars with John Krownapple, small group discussion and culminating of projects designed to create a sense of belonging among staff and students. Some projected focused creating a culture of belonging among staff. Other projects focused on creating belonging in the classroom.
#ConnectionB4Content is one of the of projects that came out of the book study. You can be part of the #ConnectionsB4Content Project. Visit this link and pick 2 or 3 new strategies you will try. We will check in with you about the strategies you chose and how you feel it affected your classroom culture. The first 30 people to complete the project will receive a t-shirt.
Book Study starting in January 2023!
Join the Central Oregon Regional Educator Network for Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: A Book Study beginning January 2023! Participants will learn how to shift mindsets and develop an understanding of what it takes to address educational disparities by creating the conditions that will help all students and staff members thrive. This series is for school-based teams of 3-8 people! Participants will be compensated with a $700 stipend for their time and engagement and will receive a free copy of Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity by Floyd Cobb and John Krownapple. Please visit this link for more information and to register.
If you would like to add a shout out to a colleague, please do so here.
To Math Teachers at Caldera High School:
The Caldera Math team engaged in their first Math Studio this week. It was a great opportunity for the group to engage in rich conversations about instruction. Extra big thanks to Erin Hoffman for taking the risk to teach a lesson with her peers in attendance.
To Patrick Kilty (SHS):
Pat is always finding ways to bring the outside world to his classroom. He brings outside professionals, lawyers and judges to speak with APGOV class. He works with outside organizations like Classroom Law Project to find opportunities for his students outside of the classroom. Recently he sent a students to the Gubernatorial Debate that was held in Bend.
