Page 8 | Spring 2022
transform schools and societies . [ see K . Kumashira ’ s anti-oppressive model ]. We can make sure that kids don ’ t go through what I went through when I was younger .” Keilyn summarizes with a quote by Ivan Fitzwater , saying , “ The future of the world is in my classroom today .”
Keilyn ’ s Recommendations for Safe , Inclusive Classrooms
A foundation of belonging . Creating a classoom climate where kids feel safe and have a sense of belonging is important for them to learn . Keilyn says , “ I ’ m intentional about making sure they all see themselves in the classroom . Even little things like this board on wall ( see photo above .) My students love it . It builds that community .” This sense of belonging is fostered by several aspects in Keilyn ’ s teaching :
Conversations guided by great literature . Having a great selection of books with diverse topics and characters is Keilyn ’ s top teaching best practice suggestion . She says , “ I don ’ t use a lot of pencils and papers , or worksheets . I teach through conversations , started with high quality literature . We have amazing conversations . Books are so important . I aim for three read alouds every day . I look for a books that match what I want to achieve . I don ’ t just read the book and move on . We talk about it . I ask them ‘ What are your questions ?’ which is more inviting than ‘ Are there any questions ?’ I am honest when I don ’ t know the answer to their question and we research it together .”
Responsive teaching . Part of creating a sense of belonging is being guided by the interests of students and their identities . Keilyn says , “ I try to be culturally responsive . I use that globe all of the time because we are always talking about who we are as people and how we are all connected on this beautiful land . If I get a new student , we pull out the globe and look at where they come from and what languages they speak . If they are comfortable , they tell us about that , and we learn some of their language . It ’ s really important to me to let the kids be leaders and to introduce them to as many viewpoints as possible .”
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