Greetings!
Welcome back to school! I hope your summer provided some opportunities for reflection and for rest. I traveled a good bit this summer, with workshops in Houston, Chicago, Austin, Ohio, Mississippi, Montana, and Kentucky. Many of my presentations were on my newest book, Rigor for Students with Special Needs (see below for ordering information).
In mid-October, I'll be presenting for three full days (one each for all teachers, leaders, and for those who work with students with special needs) for the Mississippi Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. There is open registration, so if you are in an adjoining state and want to attend, email me for more information (bcgroup@gmail.com).
This month, we are focusing on the diversity in your classroom. Rather than just being tolerant of different groups, we'll discuss celebrating the different students you teach.
I also have a new publisher. Routledge has purchased Eye on Education. If you'd like to order any of my books, you can use the code IRK95 for a 20% discount. Just head over to www.routledge.com and search for Barbara Blackburn. All my books will come up. Finally, are you scheduling professional development for the year? I do on-site workshops as well as Skype sessions. Please feel free to call me at (609) 474-4677. Barbara |
Getting to Know Each Other
It's important to talk about our similarities and differences. Often, we don't take the time to get to really know each other. On my first day of class, I encourage students to take two minutes to learn something new about someone else in class. I challenge them to find out something unique about the other person.
After giving them several opportunities to do this, I move to one of my favorite activities, creating a physical Venn Diagram using two jump ropes on the floor as in the following example. I pick a student to stand in one circle, then another one in the second circle. I ask students to guess what criteria I'm using to sort the students.
I continue to ask students to stand in one or the other (or in the center overlap if the person fits in both categories) until they can guess my criteria. I start with something simple, such as colors of clothing or type of shoes. Then I use characteristics that aren't as visual (such as common interests). Next, I let them continue the game, sorting people based on what they have learned. Because I give bonus points for coming up with criteria that is different and harder to guess, the students work hard to learn things their classmates have in common.
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Principal's Perspective
One of the challenges related to diversity is that of bullying. Too often, students isolate, tease, or physically intimidate those who are different. It's important to have a strong anti-bullying program in place, and that everyone in the school reinforce that bullying, in any form is not acceptable.
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Tips for Teachers
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We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams. Jimmy Carter
Post quotes about the positive nature of differences around your classroom. Start with the Jimmy Carter quote above.
Have students write autobiographies and create a classroom book.
Ask students to create culture boxes; small boxes that include items specific to their culture; Then, give them an opportunity to share.
Incorporate diversity in the texts available in your classroom and/or the people you discuss in your subject area.
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