Teacher Tips : Broadening DEIB
By Julie Lutton and Tiffany Russell
I magine a giraffe and elephant being friends . One day the giraffe asks the elephant over to his home . The elephant is very excited and gladly accepts . However , when the elephant arrives , he can ’ t fit through the front door . The giraffe tells him it ’ s no problem ; he can just go through the garage . Then when the elephant is inside , he notices that the giraffe ’ s home is full of precious furniture and it ’ s all close together , so the elephant ’ s big body has a hard time moving around .
Rosetta Lee shares this analogy in her diversity , equity , and inclusion work with schools . The story of the giraffe and elephant continues to list all the things that the elephant must do to simply be comfortable in the giraffe ’ s house . Like our schools , what must teachers , students , and families do to feel like they truly belong ?
• Consider the physical space of your classroom . If a visitor ( who is totally unconnected to your school ) came to your classroom , what might they conclude about whose voice is prioritized based on the classroom set up ? Whose comfort is prioritized ? You may even test out sitting in different parts of your classroom to observe what various students look at , hear , and feel when they are in their typical seats .
• Reflect on how your ego shows up in the classroom . Like it or not , many of us chose the profession of teaching because we like to be in charge , we like to educate or enlighten others , and — let ’ s face it — we like to hear ourselves talk ! The ego of the teacher can be leveraged in positive and negative ways in the classroom , but it can often get in the way of full belonging for students . Consider who holds the knowledge in your classroom — are students looking to find out what you think and repeat it back to you ? Are they looking to learn from you or learn with you ? Do students have authentic opportunities to teach each other ? You may also consider the power inherent in knowing what comes next — if students are unsure of what to expect when they walk into your classroom ( whether it ’ s content or the structure of the class ), then they are inherently walking in on their heels while you are on your toes .
• Curriculum co-creation can be a powerful tool to cultivate belonging . When students are a part of designing what and how they will learn , they are actively engaged in the learning process in a deeper way . As an example , if students are going to discuss scenarios , consider having students write scenarios that they think are relevant . If students are going to conduct an interview , have the class brainstorm the interview questions together . Curriculum co-creation must be transparent and authentic to be
Page 30 Summer 2022 CSEE Connections