Today marks day ☝🏽 of Black History Month. I challenge you to honor Black History month that tells the true history of Black people AND honor the excellence. Honor the existence in before slavery. Honor the existence in spite of racism. Honor the excellence in spite of lack of recognition. Honor the history in spite of the bans, the erasure and the fictitiousness embedded within. This month is for all Black folks living, breathing, in their joyful, resilient, in spite of ways. This month is for our ancestors who paved the way in big and small, but mighty in spite of ways. It’s day ☝🏽 of Black History Month. Are you up for the challenge? 🖤🫶🏽
Starting Black History Month with studying Born on the Water is the move! This book is written and illustrated by @nikolehannahjones @nikkolas_smith and Renee Watson! The words in this book are not only so powerful, but the illustrations are so lovely and just as powerful as well.
It is just what is needed to continue the learning of Black History. Check out 1619books.com to get educator guides for grades K-8, 9-12 and for leaders of buildings/districts as well!
Check it out and the new documentary on @hulu as well! 🔥🖤 #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #blacklivesmatter #bookds #bookstagram #booksforkids #booksforlearning #reader #read #reading
Data talks can be a place where stress heightens. At least I know it was for me as a teacher. I hated them. I would rather look at my data myself—until I had a dream team that collaborated, discussed, shared strategies and talked data together! It changed the game for me! Here are some tips on how to make these talks less anxiety driven.
How to make Data Talks less stressful:
📊 Made sure folks feel comfortable enough to have talk data by naming that folks may feel uncomfortable but we are here to collaborate and celebrate the GROWTH of our students.
📊 Make it interactive. Have teachers not just look at their student data, but interact with it, talk about it, think through the why or why not of growth and not just surface level. If teachers know what changed the game to make growth, then they will likely do that again! If they know what was different—what didn’t work. They are more willing to change that up too!
📊 Make it a collaborative space. Maybe Teacher A is really digging into some things that work for their students and their students are making huge gains—maybe that teacher shares and maybe that might work for Teacher B! Collaborating is where the magic happens✨
📊 Remember and remind that numbers are numbers. These are human beings in front of us that each have a story. The teachers have a story. The students have a story. The families of the students have a story.
📊 Make talking about data a fun time. 🎉 A time of celebration and wins! Make space to share those wins and make space for nexts steps that provide hope!
Get your data talks on!! 🌟 You can use this form to help you!