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#SmallBitesEquity Is More Than an InitiativeAs the opposition to educational change grows, especially when talking about issues like learning gaps, teacher retention and inclusive environments, it's left to teachers in the trenches to help shape our future. That burden is immense, as seen in the droves of teachers experiencing burn-out and leaving the profession in years 1-5. The sector's lack of healthy, well supported and experienced teachers especially impacts our most vulnerable students, who often lack access to tenured, experienced teachers in the classroom.
Equity initiatives have pushed the thinking on what it means to create safe, inclusive spaces in schools. However...2023-10-0906 min
#SmallBitesMore 'PIE' with AIRemember the old adage, "what you see is what you get"? Well, that phrase is officially from a bygone era. Now what you see may be what you get, but what you're getting may not be real. With AI tools becoming less expensive and more accessible, deepfakes are increasingly finding their way into our media feeds.
Consider the recent Donald Trump deepfake arrest video. According to a March 24th Atlantic article, it has been viewed over 5 million times. How many of those 5 million people thought it was real? How many of those people even know to be...2023-04-0305 min
#SmallBitesMarching Band Musings (Representation Matters)When is the last time you saw a student with trisomy 21 on the field playing drums? When you grew up, were gender non-conforming, male presenting students allowed to be a part of color guard or dance team? Were Afrocentric hairstyles represented on the field—even gracing the heads of Eurocentric students? Were girls even drum majors?
Bands of America Represent!
This week, I got a needed rest from the toil of fighting to elevate the voices of all students. This week, I went to the Bands of America Super Regionals and unexpectedly got to bask in...2022-11-0706 min#SmallBitesBias Helped Jeffrey Dahmer KillCould bias have been responsible for the Jeffrey Dahmer murders? If you think that sounds a bit like a way out there conspiracy theory, let me help you follow the logic.
Glenda Cleveland was a woman in the neighborhood who, along with her daughters, followed up several times with the police because of suspicious activity surrounding Jeffrey Dahmer’s movements. Without going full blown spoiler alert, I’ll simply say that in one instance, had the police believed her and not Jeffrey Dahmer, the victim would not have met his death.
All-American Kid
Jeffr...2022-10-3106 min#SmallBitesData Driven EquityOften, when we think of moving the equity needle on our campuses, we talk in terms of implicit bias, diverse representation and personal responsibility. We don't often connect it to data. Data tells you which teachers are having discipline referral problems within certain populations. Data tells you which teachers are closing gaps for Black and Brown students more quickly. Data tells you which apps are positively impacting intervention and extension for special populations. For example, because ST math is a game based program that requires no language based skills, it works well for ELs and students who are reading...2022-10-2406 min#SmallBitesCultural Appropriation and HalloweenBecause it's time to don costumes and have some fun, I thought it would be a good time to send this friendly public service reminder: culture ≠ costume.
Borrowing the sari, the skull or the sombrero is not the same as wearing a secret service agent suit, a superhero cape or a celebrity gown. Those are examples of cultural appropriation.
Having a cultural day at school in which students wear culturally inspired clothing in addition to presenting an oral essay and expressing understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures can also be a good thing. That's cultural app...2022-10-1705 min#SmallBitesSmallBites at Sunset Live on location: The Confederacy, Civil Rights and Student SafetyHappy fall break!! Head over to @Hedreich on Instagram for this week's live episode. And for context: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/13/hiking-african-american-racism-nature
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/why-people-color-often-feel-unsafe-outdoors by @amandaemachado0
www.voxmagazine.com/tncms/asset/editorial/11e7709e-74cd-11eb-83b2-8f13b43d6648
And by Emma veidt
https://outdoorafro.com/
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/support2022-10-1101 min#SmallBitesAt The Intersection of Columbus Day and Hispanic Heritage MonthListening to a wonderful teacher read the legend of La Llorona to her class on Mexican Independence Day eve, I began to ponder the intersection of Columbus Day and Latinx Heritage Month. There is irony in the fact that we celebrate an explorer who opened the floodgates of Spanish colonization, which essentially meant the downfall of the original inhabitants of the Americas and the Caribbean, the descendents of whom we celebrate this month.
Armed with that truth, it is fitting that we highlight the societies that were growing and thriving before European contact, especially on holidays when w...2022-10-0306 min#SmallBitesFive Ways To Elevate Your Practice This School YearSometimes, it's the little things. And as you know, SmallBites is always about the high impact little things. Below are 5 ways you can elevate your practice this year.
Know your state and district laws. "ban crt" and "don't say gay" type legislations are in over 500 jurisdictions in the country. UCLA's interactive map and corresponding resources will help you keep abreast of the latest laws that may directly influence what you can and cannot include in the teaching and learning loop on your campus. Knowing the laws, as well as your district's stance can help you navigate the complexities...2022-09-2607 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Hispanic Heritage(s) Month(s)As you know, if you've listened often, I am not a big fan of relegating cultural literacy to certain months of the year. However, since most campuses are highlighting Latinx communities this month, I do hope you'll represent the diversity of the cultures on your campuses. This week, please refer to my most recent Edutopia article for great information on how to respectfully give voice to diverse Hispanic communities throughout the month, throughout the year.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/h...2022-09-1906 min#SmallBitesBTS Edition: Losses, Gatekeeping and SelfcareAs I thought about the pomp and circumstance surrounding the death of the Queen, the national remembrance of 9/11 and how we, as a country, grieve, it occurred to me that our losses are ranked. And those rankings reinforce our caste system, our gatekeeping. Why, for example, are flags lowered for government officials and foreign dignitaries? Are those losses more profound than the losses suffered by "regular" citizens?
If we accept grief rankings, where else might we be reinforcing structures that do not honor and value people equitably? How do those systems and structures subtly influence the way...2022-09-1206 min
#SmallBitesSmallBites: Responding to Mass Atrocity Harm with Sarah Federman Pt. 3In this final installation of the conversation on responding to mass atrocity harm with Sarah Federman, we talk about practical ways we can acknowledge and help diverse stakeholders, both those who suffer fallout and those who are perhaps unwittingly complicit. We also talk about how those who research and work with difficult topics like mass atrocities, social justice issues, genocide, etc., can circumvent burnout.
Listen to part 1 here.
Listen to part 2 here.
Buy Sarah's award winning title, Last Train to Auschwitz: Grounded in history and case law, Last Train to Auschwitz traces the S...2022-07-0326 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Summer Edition: Understanding and Responding to Mass Atrocity Harm with Sarah Federman Pt. 2Yes, it's summer. But I'm back anyway!
This is part 2 of a conversation with Sarah Federman on enslavement within the context of mass atrocity 'reckoning'. (Listen to part 1 here.) Highlights in this conversations include suggestions and recommendations for impactful apologies and ways to acknowledge ties to harms that still impact communities in the present. The Baltimore Sun provides an exemplary template for what needs to be said--in government, in corporations, in organizations--in order for us to heal and move forward as a nation. This episode begins to explore ways to talk about present day ties to mass...2022-06-2717 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Summer Edition: Understanding and Responding to Mass Atrocity Harm with Sarah Federman Pt. 1When we celebrate Juneteenth, we celebrate the freedoms given by the 13th amendment that only came to Texas 2 and a half years after the original proclamation. Upon closer inspection, this freedom was not only late in coming, but it also marked the beginning of mass illness and death, Jim Crow laws, segregation and gaps in wealth and education that still prevail even in the face of ever evolving laws and social programming designed to repair harm that we have yet, as a nation, to formally acknowledge.
Thinking about this celebration, beyond BBQ, led me to a Marketwatch i...2022-06-1915 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Hello SummerThis summer comes after the most trying time in education since the era of bussing and integration. I don't have any stats on that, but having lived between most of those two Big Educational Events, I can't remember anything harder than the last two years. Educators are exhausted and leaving the profession in droves.
If you are leaving, go, be brilliant, you'll be fine.
If you are staying, rest, then go, be brilliant, you'll be fine.
If the above statements don't feel true, please get whatever support you need to get healthy and...2022-06-0603 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Three Strategies for an Inclusive Class Culture (Restorative Practice Pt. 3)Restorative practice is a big undertaking and is best done school or district wide. So if you are a classroom teacher, where can you start?
At the beginning of the year, build a strong, inclusive foundation. Building an inclusive classroom is not about what's in the books or on the walls, it's about building community. Establishing and imparting a vision for an inclusive, supportive learning community can be done on every grade level. We've all seen the posters; "In this classroom we are kind, honest, respectful, etc." But in a world where people are so often everything...2022-05-2306 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Mass Shootings and BelongingNo matter what you think about the most recent mass shootings, two things are true:
1. The shooter felt like an outsider.
2. In his despair, he began to blame others for his misery and took action against them.
This goes deeper than hate or racism.
How do people walk among us and feel such misery, the kind that inspires acts of rage against random, unsuspecting people? I don't have a study to cite, but I believe that we all contribute. The question is what?
I am not saying the blame for a...2022-05-1605 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Against Exclusionary Discipline but For ??? (Restorative Practice Pt. 1)Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Across the country teachers are being squeezed between data deep dives on one side and recurrent student behavioral issues on the other. The caught- in-the-middle pressure is putting a squeeze on teachers that is sending them out of the educational sector in droves. While the academic disparities are real, doubling down on looking at data and more testing will not make an impact with our most vulnerable students as long as teachers struggle with repetitive classroom disruptions with little or no strategic support from admin. I say strategic support because...2022-05-0206 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Teaching Truth about Columbus and ConquestsDid you ever stop to think that Christopher is an anglified name? An Italian explorer would have been named Cristoforo Colombo, in Spanish he would have been called Cristóbal Colón. That’s the funny thing about the truth. Depending on your perspective, it might be different. Not more or less true, just different. Europeans called this side of the Atlantic the “New World”. But in fact, when looking at a timeline of civilization, Europe itself was once the new world.
As I lay on the beach on the island Columbus named Hispaniola, when his ship sunk, I l...2022-04-2507 min#SmallBites#SmallBites Will Be Back Next Week!SmallBites is taking a short break this week and will return next week. Meanwhile, as you celebrate your faith, if you do, reflect over whether or not you may be judging others for being different in their expression of faith or identity. Let's make faith count!
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/support2022-04-1701 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Meets Cult of PedagogyIf you have not yet found your way to Jennifer Gonzales' Cult of Pedagogy, please use this as your gateway. In this small bite of our interview, you'll hear one of the 8 questions below that you can use to challenge yourself on your way to becoming a more empathetic, inclusive educator. For the entire podcast and show notes, please visit https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/blindspots/. While you're there, click around. I know you'll find resources you can use to better your practice. For additional resources, pr to get your copy of FInding Your Blind Spots, please visit Hedreich.com.2022-04-1107 min#SmallBitesFrom Church and 'Colored People' to People of ColorThis week’s SmallBites is a round table with Jonathan Reidenouer, Hal Roberts and Emily Witt, three people shaped by the fundamentalist Christian community who have come to embrace the need for representation and cultural literacy.
Why is it so hard for people from the Evangelical movement to embrace what some in the community call “woke” ideologies? Why do some church organizations draw a line when it comes to having uncomfortable conversations on topics like race, gender and American History as learned in schools, even as they ensured that all students are seen and represented?
In thi...2022-04-0448 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: SCOTUS Nominations and the Danger of TropesSeeing the highlight clips of the Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmation Hearings morph into full blown defamation and attacks from pundits on the right made me wonder if indeed, Judge Jackson was singled out. This was, of course, due to the popular assertion that “we” think everything revolves around race. The “we” happens to be any Black or Brown person that made a statement about the fact that much of the questioning bore little resemblance to that of previous nominees. Do "we" still think that this hearing showed that we have to be twice as good to get half as much, li...2022-03-2806 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Talking to you Students About the Russian-Ukrainian WarI don’t know about you, but I don’t understand war. 'Let’s just all point guns at each others heads so you won’t get more than I have' seems frightfully ineffective. Oh, and actually, 'let’s send my kids to fight your kids to solve the disputes of wealthy, power hungry regimes' makes even more sense. If this doesn’t make sense to you, it may be hard to answer questions about a war in a far off land, especially when you’re a couple of your students say they missed school yesterday because momma couldn’t afford to put...2022-03-2009 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Just Why DO We Need to Highlight Women?Many who think of gender equality think of Women's Suffrage and perhaps yesteryear's fight for equal pay. One little known fact is that gender equality in the workplace is still an issue, with women earning, in some cases just over half of what White males earn.
As we highlight diverse stories for Women's History Month, it's important to discuss with your students why we have the need for a Women's History month at all. It is also important to highlight not only the strides women have made, but also the gains still needed, particularly economic and career g...2022-03-1404 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Was Macht Hedreich?? A conversation in English and "Schweizerdeutsch"This week, I got to speak with educators in my second home and was reminded that people are interested to know what I do now. So I'm interrupting the regularly scheduled programming to have a conversation with 3 friends and educators about my work as a writer and consultant. The podcast is in two languages and describes my work as a consultant and author seeking to give every student a voice and create change one small bite at a time.
In case you don't know, SmallBites is important because it gives educators a context for the devisiveness around i...2022-03-0708 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Black History and White DiversityBlack History Month is over, but the need to elevate the stories and achievements of Black Americans to their rightful place in American history books and curricula is still in its infancy. In actuality, history has been dominated by the achievements of White Males to the exclusion of many other important voices, stories and heroes. Remember the old adage, know better, do better? When I found out butter was better than margarine and olive oil was better than both, I began to use my oils in different settings, but all have a place in my cupboard. Likewise, now that...2022-02-2805 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: I Babysat Bryan Williams the Math PhDIf I babysat a math PhD who married a Math PhD, one of 4 Black Math PhD graduates from University of Mississippi, I will do well on the GRE when it's time to get my own PhD, right?
Probably not. But am I honored to know young math movers and shakers who can be role models for my students? AB SO LUTELY.
A lot of the Black History resources I have shared this month point us not so much to a sepia past, but a bright and colorful future, with more young people from the Black...2022-02-2105 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Black History's Ida B. WellsI actually planned to talk about entertainer extraordinaire, Cab Calloway, but a little thing like my low-key childhood shero got in the way.
I remembered the name of the first Black female writer, Ida B. Wells from my childhood. I decidedly did not remember that she was so much more than just a journalist! She was a teacher, an advocate, a fierce leader who refused to be content with the status quo. I think of women like Patrisse Cullors, Sara Parker Remond and others like them; women who at great personal cost have advocated for civil rights o...2022-02-1406 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Chicago's BronzevilleThis week is part two of the SmallBites Black History series. It could aptly called "Beyond the Struggle". When I think of June and Pride celebrations, there is so much joy. Yes, there is talk of Stonewall and the fight for human rights, but there is a joy that we are missing in February. I believe that comes from the focus on our civil struggle and a lack of knowledge about the many achievements of people from the African diaspora in America.
I invite everyone to take time, this month especially, to celebrate all that Black Americans...2022-02-0605 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: Black History Kickoff - Dr. Tai-Danae BradleyWith book bans sweeping the country, I felt the need to record some of the words I've written, just in case. Cherry Lake publishing has released a phenomenal Black Achievement series, designed by Kelissa Wing, just in time for Black History Month. I am honored to have written 3 titles, one of which I'll preview here.
In this episode, you'll hear about Dr. Tai-Danae Bradley who looks more like a girl-next-door Instagram model than any mathematician I was ever introduced to in school. Reading her blog and watching her Youtube videos was actually interesting for me--a confirmed anti-mather! T...2022-01-3105 min#SmallBitesI'm a Teacher, You're a Teacher...Over the past few weeks, I have awakened daily to the news of new humans in the classroom. Now, if you've taught a while, you'll remember when "new humans in the classroom" meant meeting a fresh-faced new group in August or September of each year. Now, it means new humans teaching in the classrooms. Well, teaching is relative. As long as the children are attended, we're good. Hey Rick Grimes, got a few minutes??
You see, when free public education was conceived centuries ago, it was designed to cement a unified version of American pride and way...2022-01-2405 min#SmallBitesSmallBites: The MLK Day '22 EditionIt was not so very long ago that Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina led the charge against this MLK holiday that we now celebrate. Today, that congressional fight has largely faded from memory as we celebrate the powerful words Dr. King spoke. In Selma. In Detroit. In Washington. From the many great speeches: I have a dream...; Now is time to make real the promise of democracy... so many great words flood our social media threads on this day. We remember the greatness but forget what he fought for. Dr. King's marches began because of segregation and voting...2022-01-1705 min#SmallBitesInvisible for ChristmasThis episode is dedicated to Sidney Poitier, the first actor I remember seeing who looked like me, may he rest in peace.
I don't remember when it happened, but somewhere along my journey, I lost my taste for 'classic' movies. As much as I loved curling up together with my grandmom to watch old Hollywood movies, and as much as those memories warm me, the movies themselves no longer hold the same enchantment. Without using Google, the only big stars I remember who looked like me in mainstream movies were Butterfly McQueen, Lena Horne and Sidney Poitier...2022-01-1007 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: See You Next Year!Hello all, Smallbites is taking a short winter break and will be back on January 10th with SmallBites Lagniappe as the Flagship SmallBites production!
Take care, happy new year and 'see you' in 2022!
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/support2021-12-2700 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Teaching from a Neutral SpaceWith states enacting legal bans on what people and politicians call CRT, which is a catch all for most anything to do with race and identity, teachers are coming under scrutiny for 'indoctrination' if they flaut any of the very non-specific rules in these state bills and laws. Since the rules of these laws are broadly written, teaching history and talking about the Trail of Tears vs. Westward expansion or Sally Hemings alongside Thomas Jefferson could could put a teacher in hot water with parents, admin or even senators in other states.
While there is no such t...2021-12-2006 min#SmallBitesWest Side Story and WhitenessWatching the big Hollywood musicals as a child with my family was always my happy place. We were a musical family and as the years passed, I learned the lyrics and sang them along with my mom and the characters on TV. West Side Story was no different. I dimly remember talk about Natalie Wood, the original Maria, being White, but it didn't really make sense to me, she was pretty and she could sing.
Now, it makes even less sense to me. I wonder, not why Natalie Wood, a woman born to two Russian Immigrants, was...2021-12-1307 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Finding Your Blind Spots RecapIn case you missed it, Finding Your Blind Spots launched officially on Friday night with much fun and fanfare. You can see the festivities here. But if you'd like a deeper look at the book, order your copy here and scroll to the bottom of the page to get the free reproducibles. The thing that I am most excited about is that, beyond CRT bans, beyond arguments on discussions on race and representations, Finding Your Blind Spots gives every educator the chance to become a better practitioner through introspection and SEL practices. If I could reduce the book to...2021-12-0608 min#SmallBites#NoNegativity ChallengeLast week after an exceptional conversation about education, bias and divisive rhetoric on the Tom Schimmer podcast, I reflected on a question he asked me. He wanted to know what we could do about all the negative rhetoric on social media, as well as face to face. It was a real idk moment, and I don't have a lot of those. The question made me feel small and helpless because not being mean seems like such an easy thing to do. Why are humans so mean to each other and why do we feed on others being mean to...2021-11-2906 min#SmallBitesRittenhouse and the Race CardThe social media fights always get me down. I rarely venture from Edutwitter out into what some educators call "gen pop", but when I do, it's a cruel world. 'Kyle Rittenhouse is White so why is this about race', right?
The overrepresentation of people of color in our jails and the harsher punitive measures taken are glaring indictments of our 'liberty and justice for all'. Seeing Rittenhouse go free, it was impossible not to think that, had it been a Black man killing two White men at a Proud Boys rally--even if there was some altercation, he'd...2021-11-2208 min#SmallBitesOne Student at a TimeOne of the resources I share in Finding Your Blind Spots is a list of people and accounts to follow on Social Media. If you are an educator who has not tapped in to micro and macro social media platform PDs, here are a few to get you started.
History and first-person information on Indigenous American, LGBTQ+, Arabic, and Black communities:
@arabicmclovin (Tiktok)
@Antiracistcalendar (Instagram)
@lgbt_history (Instagram)
#Nativetiktok (Tiktok)
#LGBTHM (Twitter)
Authors, educators, organizations and hashtags providing information and resources to support teaching diverse populations:
@DrIbram-Ibram X. Kendi (Twitter)
@Blairimani-Blair Amadeus Imani (Twitter)
...2021-11-1506 min#SmallBitesTeaching My Babies to Love Your BabiesWho would have thought that a picture of a mug could encapsulate everything I do?
"I promise to teach my babies to love your babies".
There it was, on a white ceramic mug with little hearts in shades from beige to brown, with a little rainbow heart on the end. I'd planned to talk about the Archbishop's judgy, loveless rant about the gaps in today's religions being filled by those who show they care through social justice movements (full transparency, 'judgy rant' is biased language and this sentence is my fixed version of what he...2021-11-0805 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Banned Books (Including Mine)I never thought I’d be on a banned book list.
I remember reading Fahrenheit 451 back in high school in SE Texas. I remember being incredulous that literature and Great Works were being burned, and that a select few were governing the thoughts of the many.
Now I am wondering if I should be worried about my own books being slated for a burning, Texas legislator's list circulates with my name on it. Further, should I be worried about my personal safety?
For people to latch on and use the titles as rallying cri...2021-11-0105 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: SohCahToa and THAT TeacherOh so NOW you’re mad? You want to try, judge and jail a teacher for being 'racist'? You want to say with surety she did all that stuff we saw in the video with malicious intent?
Was it bad? Yes. Was it an offensive and insensitive display mocking the sacred traditions of a community this country has already taken from over and over again? Yes. But before we go casting stones:
Have you ever watched a Western?
Did you watch Pocahontas without having conversations about the real daughter of chief Wahunsenacawh?
Ha...2021-10-2505 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Going Up The MiddleFor those who watch football, imagine; Pats are deep in their own territory and they run the ball every play, straight up the middle. Now, for those who don’t watch football, just know, that's a pretty ridiculous strategy, even though it's called football not throw ball. Fact is, different strategies and plays will have varying chances of success depending on a variety of factors. Adapting for those factors makes the difference between being 5-1 or 2-4 going into next week's game.
Now, imagine going into every school, every corporate event, every school board meeting and saying, "yo...2021-10-1806 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Indigenous Peoples Day vs. Columbus DayWho are our heroes? What do we celebrate? Why do we celebrate them? And if it's still Hispanic Heritage month, do we have to deal with it at all? So many questions. I have no answers. Except, decide to look beyond the surface.
It seems Columbus day was not all about Columbus. The holiday was always embroiled in turmoil. Now, this day means "see me" to Native American tribes. An acknowledgement of the decimation, genocide, sexual abuse and other crimes committed against indigenous peoples is what the day is about. As a start. So, let's start. Read u...2021-10-1106 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Redlining, Redistricting and Learning LossIf 'no man is an island, no man stands alone', then the same is probably true of schools. A school is not an island, separate from the community it supports. As we look for ways to close 'learning gaps' and combat 'learning loss', let's first remember that until the 70s, this country was still legally legally non-White student access to the same education it provided White students. That means that 50-something Gen Xers--especially in the south-- were just beginning to go to integrated schools. It also means that many teachers had to teach children they grew up believing were...2021-10-0405 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: The Emotional Labor of TeachingAfter experiencing the exhaustion of so many educators as seen through their stories on social media throughout this first 6 weeks, I am on heightened alert. How do we fight off the demoralization and feelings of futility that I talked about in Friday's YouTube episode?
In her "Seven Strategies for Embracing the Emotional Labor of Teaching", Colorado State's Dr. Ashley Harvey explores strategies for not only reframing beliefs in students but also some to help us re-evaluate where we are in our practice. How much do you have to pretend happiness and calm in your classroom? Twenty percent o...2021-09-2706 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: "Are We Asking Schools to Do Too Much?"This week's episode continues to explore "learning loss" through an Education Week article by Mark Lieberman in which he cites instances of all the wraparound services provided, often as mandates without funding. He writes, “All the while, we’re asking schools to accomplish more than what their funding allows and their employees to do far more than they’ve been trained to do. And we’ve been doing it for a long time."
Truer words have never been spoken.
How do we advocate for ourselves, our students and our schools in order to get what we need...2021-09-2006 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Interrupted (Again) LearningThe thing about interrupted learning, is that we are treating it like this is the first time learning has been interrupted. Oh, we acknowledge the summer slide and consider year 'round school but we don't consider the many systemic interruptions that have brought us to the place where we just can't get the learning gaps to close.
Our educational system is like a woman trying to get into a dress she bought because she intended to lose weight. It didn't fit when she bought it. It didn't fit after the first big fad diet. It didn't fit a...2021-09-1307 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Do Ask, Don't TellAs Texas is praised for/comes under scrutiny after its recent landmark #abortionban, I am reminded of a conversation between students talking about reproductive rights. They were on opposite sides of the abortion issue and yet, they acknowledged the validity of all arguments presented. They also agreed that it was wrong that men who fathered children were not held accountable, and that men should not be responsible for making laws about body parts they don't have. I was a fly on the wall. I asked for clarification here and there, but mostly, I just listened and let them know...2021-09-0606 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Afghanistan and ActivismToday we'll be flying the last plane out of Afghanistan, ending our longest war ever. To those who've lost family in Afghanistan, thank you for your sacrifice. I'll never understand loss of life on foreign soil, my condolences are with you.
To those who made the decision to spend 300 million a day every day for the last 20 years, I am afraid my sympathies don't run so deep. As an educator, a parent, an advocate, I can't help but look at the Brown University Cost of War numbers and wonder kind of impact a daily 300 million dollar domestic i...2021-08-3007 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: One Small Ask...My mom said that when I was a little girl I once came in crying. When she asked what was wrong, my reply was that the kids were fighting, and I wanted to play, not fight.
I know that sometimes conflict is necessary, but why we're having conflict over doing our best to protect people--our teachers, our nurses, the frail among us--I'm not sure. This week, I don't have many strategies, only this from the CDC:
Due to the circulating and highly contagious Delta variant, CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and o...2021-08-2304 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Engage All Learners (Back to School Edition '21)It's that time of the year, folks! While you're on your Dollar Tree/Target, run listen to my Babyface concert story, I had a ball. Oh, and special for August, I mention a few activities you can use to build community in your class. This year may be different because of what kids learned and may not have learned last year; because of what you may or may not be able to talk about in your class; or even because the last 18 months have shaken you to your core and changed your priorities as an educator. One thing that...2021-08-1609 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Bias and My Son's Traffic StopWhen my son finally made it to me at the airport to pick me up after a wonderful week with the Jefferson County Public School educators, he hugged me hard and whispered these terrifying words into my neck; "Mom, I got pulled over."
Still shaken, he recounted the terror going through his brain ('just act normal, don't get shot') the menacing words of the officers ('cooperate with us, we'll cooperate with you'--why wouldn't he cooperate?) and the humiliation of standing in the high grass getting bit by Texas mosquitoes as they searched his car.
I wo...2021-08-0908 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Shackles of a Myth called Learning LossI've always been one for a dramatic title, this week is no different. And yet, the drama adequately reflects what I see as the biggest challenge to learning in the coming years. Operating out of fear is always a bad idea and we have allowed the learning loss data to morph into an evil mythical creature of epic proportions. How will we slay the dragons, keep our funding and keep from going insane in the process? There is only one way. High quality teaching, one small bite at a time. Yes, there may be a few tweaks, but hopefully...2021-08-0206 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Critical Race Theory-The Conversation, with Sheldon Eakins (Pt. 2)What happens when 2 educators get news of a post describing 21 JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) terms as Critical Race Theory terms being used to indoctrinate students in K-12 classrooms?
In part 2 of this podcast, Dr. Sheldon Eakins of the Leading Equity Center helps explain the tenuous, almost mythical connection between culturally responsive teaching (CRT) and critical race theory (CRT). Spoiler alert: Only the initialism is the same.
Once again (for the people in the back), critical race theory is:
"a framework that offers researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers a race-conscious approach to understanding...2021-07-2625 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Critical Race Theory-The Conversation, with Sheldon Eakins (Pt. 1)What happens when 2 educators get news of a post describing 21 JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) terms as Critical Race Theory terms being used to indoctrinate students in K-12 classrooms?
In this podcast, Dr. Sheldon Eakins of the Leading Equity Center helps explain the tenuous, almost mythical connection between culturally responsive teaching (CRT) and critical race theory (CRT). Spoiler alert: Only the initialism is the same.
Once again (for the people in the back), critical race theory is:
"a framework that offers researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers a race-conscious approach to understanding educational inequality a...2021-07-1925 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Grey's Anatomy (Not Critical Race Theory)Although I am a writer and a researcher, I also enjoy using pop culture references to bring home points about academic topics. This episode uses Grey's Anatomy's S11E4 to take an allegorical look at just how bad a problem can get when its ignored. In the episode, there is a happy ending, but not before a girl with a mass the size of a soccer ball almost dies. Her mother is undocumented and said, because of her fear of the outcomes, she hoped, prayed her daughter would be ok. Pretty soon no longer saw the mass when she...2021-07-1109 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: I Am A PatriotThis episode is less a resource and more an admonition. While I pride myself on not telling folks what to do, I am certain of this one thing: If we do not stand for liberty, justice and democracy, not only do we flaut the ideals of our founding fathers, we are heading in a direction that may lead to more devastation than we can imagine.
Read our constitution. Read the preamble. Decide whether the rights of any one party or candidate are more important than the ideals that have made this nation great.
When I sa...2021-06-2805 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Much Ado About NothingI didn't mean to talk about Critical Race Theory, but with Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday, people have been ranting about how we can't teach the truth about Juneteenth and enslavement because of all the bans. Well, like most trending social media rants, this one is not based in fact.
As I have stated, you aren't teaching critical race theory when you teach critical aspects about race and racism. Since your job as an educator is to teach your students to think critically about the world around them; since you want to teach them to be good p...2021-06-2106 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Loving DayThis episode was sponsored by Bonnie Nieves author of the newly released Be Awesome On Purpose. If you want time to dedicate to creating more equitable spaces, start with student led, student centered and gradeless (yes gradeless!) practices to streamline your administrative task list and give your students more choice and voice. Get your copy today!
Pride month usually focuses our attention on the right love who we love. That struggle historically does not only belong to the LG community.
Miscegenation was illegal in all but 9 states at some point in our history. This country m...2021-06-1406 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Lessons From SegregationAs I did research for an upcoming book on Black wealthy communities, I found myself getting a different view of segregation. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy sitting where I sit in the theater, eating out wherever I choose and having my pick of seats on trains and planes. However, seeing the heyday of Black societies created by Black entrepreneurs showed me a few positives I have only heretofore considered in passing:
There was respite from racism in a tightly knit community.
There was support for doing it ourselves. When White lenders wouldn't insure us...2021-06-0705 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Critical Race Theory and Your StudentsWe can have the big conversations about the big bans. Finally, if you are not a legal scholar, you probably are in the dark about what CRT really is. Check the last 2 episodes of the podcast and the vlog for help here. But the big takeaway is this:
Get very clear WRITTEN directions from legal on what is and is not allowed.
Stay away from partisanship in the classroom.
Teaching is political, you cannot get away from current events, mask protocols and a million other things that influence class campus and community. You can, however, keep your op...2021-05-3109 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Ms. McCall's Musings and CRTWhile out in Twitter Gen Pop (code for out of the protected learning spaces of Edutwitter) I found a new friend. Ms. McCall. She doesn’t know me, but I have claimed her. We think alike, at least when it comes to CRT. Critical Race Theory and the legislation being put forth against it is legislation that wants to ban talk of race, racism, identity politics and for sure anything that smacks of the lack of historical empathy that we suffer from in our country. That means we want to indoctrinate our kids, just not in any new ways th...2021-05-2406 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Critical Race Theory - The BasicsBuilding on last week's intro, this episode explores three of the basic tenets of Critical Race Theory, taken from Derrick Bell's original work. Be sure to watch #SmallBites e47 to keep up with the series as we explore what Critical Race Theory is and isn't and how components of CRT can help us to be better educators and citizens.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/support2021-05-1715 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Critical Race Theory and SELThis past week, my students gave me the highest compliments any student can pay a teacher. They mentioned, over and over, that I care, that I create a safe space and that they feel seen and validated. Some even mentioned learning, which is also a good thing. But at the end of the day, if my students know that our classroom is a safe space for discussion; if they know they will not be judged and that all discussions will have room for dissenting opinions and mutual respect (which are not mutually exclusive), I have done the most important...2021-05-1007 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Not Hating is Not EnoughI'm a big Shonda Rhimes fan, having watched and rewatched countless Grey's Anatomy episodes. This season, both Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 are using primetime TV to allow us to watch some of the horror of what has been American life play out on screen. This week, Station 19 S4E12 caught my attention. It showed the complexities of people reacting to the George Floyd murder: the shock, the rage, the helplessness, the disbelief, the discomfort, the self-preservation, the complex mixture of any and all of those. I hope you'll watch it, there are many lessons to be gleaned.
...2021-05-0305 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Why the Violence?America is a world leader, an economic force to be reckoned with. America is a world leader, in gun violence. We kill each other more than in many developed nations and even more than in most sub-Saharan nations, considered to be the poorest in the world. As we wind down this school year, how about asking your students why they think that is? Ask them why such a great nation should be so violent. Ask them why the adults who teach them to use their words don't. And ask them what they think we need to do differently.
2021-04-2604 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: As Long As You Are In The WorldEnjoy the 5AM show a few hours early:
Last week I was determined to hope fast to hope. Then Toledo got shot. And the people in Indianapolis. And the people in Austin Tx. Driving down the street, I asked my son who the flag was flying half mast for. His answer? This country. The weight of this world on top of the global pandemic is crushing and I could do a "how to talk to your students about..." multiple times weekly. How do I talk to them about the number of violent incidents that we keep brushing...2021-04-1903 min#SmallBitesComply or Die Is Not a ThingAnother Black man is dead. His name is Daunte Wright. Daunte had the audacity to have an expired plate and a warrant. My guess is, a 20 year old father was juggling finances and didn't have it all together. I know I didn't at that age. We don't learn much about credit and finances in school. He probably didn't have rich parents or a support system who could help him navigate the real expense of auto ownership or parenthood. I don't know his story, but I know the media is going to probably hang him out to dry and tell...2021-04-1304 min#SmallBitesHope Is Value SizedMy momma used to say that there are only two motivations, love and fear. And when reduced to those two motivations, you find arguments and counter arguments for everything. Fear is, without a doubt, the more powerful motivating force of the two. Where hope burns like the warm, steady heat of a good smoker fire, fear rages out of control like toxic chemical fires that can scarcely be contained. Hope keeps you warm, feeds your soul; fear, eventually consumes and destroys.
This weekend's White Lives Matter rallies have been using fear as the cornerstone for their speeches. T...2021-04-1202 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Talking to Students about the Derek Chauvin TrialI am Black. I am a Black woman. I am a Black mother. I am a Black mother of a 17 year old. I am a Black mother of a Black man just shy of manhood. This. Trial. Is. Exhausting.
If you teach Black students or work with Black coworkers, realize, it's traumatizing for many of us, watching this latest in a long string of deaths that happen too quickly and often go unpunished. The sons and daughters of the Black community seem to always live closer to death at the hands of authorities called to serve and p...2021-04-0603 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: One Question with Charles WilliamsHow are Black Educators accepted? Are they accepted because they are assimilated, a kind of 'Black lite'? Are they given privilege and access when their speech mimics the comforting tone of a midwestern newscaster; or judged when their voices carry a 'southern twang' or an 'urban lilt'--whatever that is? Is it different when there is a John or Anna in the space than it is when there is a Daquan or Nylah? In the back of your mind, do you question the quality of a degree earned at an HBCU? Do you feel most comfortable when Black educators--or any...2021-04-0207 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Lead With LoveIf the religion and the whole Christian thing ain't yours, feel free to skip this episode, cause I'm 'bout to talk about Easter and the resurrection. If, however, you trust my voice, whether you espouse the Judeo-Christian traditions or not, there are nuggets of wisdom for all. Two things:
"Greater love has no man than he lay down his life for a friend" and "Be a doer of the law and not a judge."
Pulled from the Bible, these two verses should guide our teaching. Our interactions. Our lives. If you can look forward to c...2021-04-0103 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Woke Shaming-Let's Just Not How many roads must a man walk down...ok, those are Dylan's words, but let me borrow them and give an answer: as many as he needs to.
Sometimes our journeys go straight from A to B in a timely, orderly fashion; sometimes we don't even know there is a road and; well, sometimes we traverse in every imaginable way between. The fact is that learning about implicit bias, working on your own perspective, accepting some ugly truths about life experienced through the lens of others and translating that knowledge into educational practices that impact students is a...2021-03-2503 min#SmallBitesBIPOC--Monolith Or Unifier?Often diverse people of color feel like our identities are being smushed into one big vat of BIPOC, or 'Blacks and Browns'. Sometimes, it's important to refer to us in as much specificity as possible. Sometimes, however, like when we are dealing with a system of racism that can affect us all, the terms help us to unite in solidarity. We experience the hyphen American syndrome, the ___American, the person with a color or cultural descriptor forever before our names. It's good to know that we can support each other, and I hope we can remember that we are...2021-03-2212 min#SmallBitesStop Asian HateI wonder if we weren't reading "massage parlors" would the outcry be bigger? I wonder if 8 girls from Harvard had been gunned down, if the headlines would evoke more empathy? I wonder, if it was 8 senators, if the flags would be lowered? Since when do we rate the value of lives lost? Since forever, and that's the problem. Middle passage? Not worthy of remembering. Trail of tears? What's that? Half a million lives lost in a pandemic? Not gonna lower a flag for that. Young women shot? Let's blame them for working in a massage parlor. Think it's not...2021-03-1804 min#SmallBitesSmallBites E39: A Bunch of Blondes and a Black Chick--Celebrating WomenBoy, what a title, eh? What could "bunch of blondes" and "Black chick" have to do with education? Well, I bet if you look at your class or campus full of students, you see people who remind you of yourself--the parts you like, yourself--the parts you don't like, or people you either have an affinity for or dislike of. Some educators may not make the connections to how they feel, they may stuff their preferences down, or at least they may think they do. It's a bad plan. Students know. And truth will out. So listen to my own...2021-03-1505 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe/Spring Break PSA: Find Your Off ButtonNo, I do not have a litany of cool resources you need to check out. No, I am not presenting some revelation that will allow you to up your CRT game. Well, maybe I am: Chill. Lock your school computer away and take some needed time off. If you think you can use Spring Break to catch up on school tasks and household tasks and personal project chores AND be rejuvenated for the last 3 months or so of school you are mistaken. And if you think that what you do to and for yourself does not directly impact what...2021-03-1402 min#SmallBitesSmallBites E38: Rubrics, Randomizers and Tricks of the Trade.Almost half of the educators I polled on Twitter this weekend said they don't use randomizers. A randomizer is a name picker. Teachers use it to call on students, randomly put together project and discussion groups or even to assign class jobs. What about rubrics? How consistent are you in using a written rubric All. The. Time? Chances are, if these two practices are not your norms, your favoritism is adversely affecting your students. We all play favorites: There is that one student you send on errands because you know she can get the job done. There is the...2021-03-0805 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Back to Basics: Media LiteracyAs an edtech/design teacher in an IB MYP setting, I anchor my year with strong digital citizen and media literacy lessons. Those are my gifts to the world. When students know how to be good citizens online, when they understand that it's necessary to use critical thinking to sort through the various sources of information and not just 'eat whatever is served', they become better citizens. This year, there's COVID, trauma, shortened instructional time, needed intervention, blah blah blah. "What had happened was..." right? Yes, there are many, many things happening that have influenced this unprecedented year. None...2021-03-0804 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: You Don't Have to Let it GoWith all the talk of Dr. Seuss and cancel culture, we are in a quandary about what we book under tradition and what is too inappropriate to keep. Who decides? Based on what criteria? How to we decide? And how do we make the hard decisions when our precious memories all seem to be tainted with some kind of -ism or offense to someone? Those very personal decisions should tie you to your humanity and the humanity of those you teach, interact with, even those you love. It is not easy, but it is a journey we all have...2021-03-0305 min#SmallBitesSmallBites E37: I Like You So I Believe in You#SmallBites episode 37 explains the pitfalls of the halo effect. If you've ever been guilty of pretty prejudice or giving the student you like a slight edge, you've experienced the halo effect. If you thought Obama could do no wrong and Trump could do no right, or vice versa, that's the halo effect. So how do you get around it? How do you teach your students and even personal kids to circumvent it to become more just and fair humans? Listen and find out.
Visit Hedreich.com for resources mentioned in the podcast and more vignettes and educational...2021-02-2205 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: HumanityThis episode is a reminder that all the isms, phobes and phobia accusations cannot win over supporters. If you want to do the best for your campus, classroom and community, remember the one thing that connects us all, humanity. As we do our best for our students, our own families and the communities around us, we need to reduce all of the concepts to one no one can disagree with--humanity.
Teach citizenship, teach respect, teach empathy, model humanity.
Visit Hedreich.com for resources mentioned in the podcast and more vignettes and educational strategies.
2021-02-1702 min#SmallBitesSmallBites E35: Civil Disagreement in the Classroom Pt. 2This episode dives into the connection of communication and civics standards to every K-12 grade level and content area. We can't be afraid to teach respect, empathy and citizenship because we might get push back. Good citizenship is based on humanity and respect. Behaviors that do not exemplify those tenets can be discussed so that our students can be better. We cannot teach our students that bad behavior is ok if it comes from someone we like. We can't villainize those we don't like.
Teach citizenship, teach respect, teach empathy, model humanity.
From Part 1:
2021-02-1711 min#SmallBitesSmallBites E34: Civil Disagreement in the ClassroomAs educators, teaching the next generation of citizens is a big part of what we do. We give students mottos and mission statement like be ready, responsible and respectful. We give schools mottos like Pro Scientia Atque Sapientia (for knowledge and wisdom) and Empowering all Students, Celebrating our Community, Inspiring Lifelong Growth and yet, when it's time to teach civic responsibility, we allow ourselves to be bullied into not teaching our students the art of civil disagreement. If you want a better world, be the change and help your students to do the same. This episode provides scaffolded resources...2021-02-0805 min
#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: White People ShoesThey say you cannot judge a man unless you've walked a mile in his shoes. Well, I would like to know what it's like to send my son out without having him come home and say he was followed around the store. I would like to drive to Arkansas and not have to explain to my child why there is a cross burning on the land next to the highway. I would like to not have to pretend that I am fine while I choke down the terror; I haven't driven that stretch since. While I would not like...2021-02-0705 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: The Impeachment Trial Is Coming!How will you keep your ideologically mixed classes from emotional arguments grounded in hearsay and conjecture? This prequel to Friday's episode will give you an overview. Visit Hedreich.com for resources.
Proud member of the Teach Better Podcast Network.
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/support2021-02-0503 min#SmallBitesBias and BuzzwordsIs Bias a real thing or do people just like to throw around terms like White fragility and racist? Does offense at one negate the other? Listen, learn and share.
Visit Hedreich.com for more vignettes and educational strategies.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/support2021-02-0105 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: An Open Appeal to Campus and District LeadersThis year is exceptionally hard on us all and Administrators, I would not want to be in your spot. I understand that often you find yourself between a proverbial state or district level rock and teaching staff hard place. So it is not without much gratitude and appreciation that I make this appeal.
One teacher I know suffered 4 losses in one week, while she herself, a teacher with underlying health issues, was waiting on test results.
Another lost her mother while teaching. She came to school the next day. And the next.
One teacher, 35 weeks pregnant mother of...2021-01-3103 min
#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Why Last Week Mattered (Hint, It's Not the Inauguration)Two little Black girls grew up in the 70s, a time when the Jim Crow south still cast a shadow over more of the country than we'd like to believe. Those two girls went on to stand on an international stage and I, another little 70's Black girl watched in awe, knowing. The fact that there were THREE (!) Black women on the stage; Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama and Amanda Gorman, was a Big Thing for little girls who look like me, for girls everywhere, and for everyone who loves girls anywhere.
That feat combined with the APA's...2021-01-2602 min#SmallBitesBelonging, Beliefs and Belittling (The Post Inaugural Edition)In this episode, #SmallBites reminds educators that students cannot get the sense of belonging they need to be successful if we belittle them for their beliefs. Our feelings are not more important than their success.
Links to this week's strategies at Hedreich.com, Easier Said Than Done.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/support2021-01-2505 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: To Administrators and District Leaders on the Eve of the InaugurationMany educators as well as campus leaders are fearful about discussions going off the rails or parental backlash if they watch tomorrow's inauguration. There is no need for either. If we say the pledge in our buildings, "One Nation, under God Indivisible...", then we can find a way to watch history in unity. Listen to the end for a simple strategy that will support your campus in "forging our common destiny" (President Donald J. Trump).
Visit Hedreich.com for more educational strategies.
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...2021-01-2004 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: Ode to MartinIntegrating quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King in celebration of his birthday, this SmallBites is a spoken word tribute to Dr. King applying his quotes to our time, particularly to this week's transition of power.
Consider visiting The King Center and/or reading Dr. King's works in their entirety.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/support2021-01-1804 min#SmallBitesSmallBites E31I wanted to be able to tell my kids that they are safe, that what happened on Capitol Hill did not happen in their homes or neighborhoods. But then that same ugliness invaded my neighborhood and ruined what should have been a peaceful morning run for my son. All the kids are not OK.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/support2021-01-1805 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: In Good and Bad Times, We RiseNot sure what to tell the students? Play them "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman:
I am not a stranger to the dark
Hide away, they say
'Cause we don't want your broken parts
I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars
Run away, they say
No one'll love you as you are
If America were to sing that, we'd tell he we love her, even when she does not live up to our ideals. That's what patriotism is. Then tell them...well, listen to find out.
...2021-01-1705 min
#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: #StopTheSteal#StopTheSteal opens with a personal story about my relationship to the Confederate flag as a Texas born and bred Black kid. It goes from there to explore the words "stop the steal" from the perspective of those who've experienced gaslighting in classrooms throughout our nation's history (spoiler alert, that's all of us).
Want to create more equitable and inclusive classrooms, campuses and communities, but not sure how? Join me as we explore 5 strategies each week to provide you with a "start here" game plan to help you build better relationships with each of your students, especially the...2021-01-1003 min#SmallBitesSmallBites Lagniappe: What's in a Name (E27)What's in a Name discusses the importance and historical context of just getting your students' names right. "A rose by any other name" may be just as sweet, but roll over and call your partner any other name in bed. Let me know how it works out for ya.
Want to create more equitable and inclusive classrooms, campuses and communities, but not sure how? Join me as we explore 5 strategies each week to provide you with a "start here" game plan to help you build better relationships with each of your students, especially the ones who may...2021-01-0310 min#SmallBitesSmall Bites: COMING SOON!Want to create more equitable and inclusive classrooms, campuses and communities, but not sure how? Join me as we explore 5 strategies each week to provide you with a "start here" game plan to help you build better relationships with each of your students, especially the ones who may look, think or opine differently than you do. BEGINNING JANUARY 18TH.
Get the links to the strategies at hedreich.com and join me on YouTube Friday nights at 7 central to get a jump on Monday's content. Also, connect with me throughout the week on Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook.2021-01-0300 min