Identity safe classrooms : places to belong and learn / Dorothy M. Steele, EdD, Becki Cohn-Vargas, EdD ; foreword by Linda Darling-Hammond, EdD.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Steele, Dorothy M., author.

Cohn-Vargas, Becki, author.

Contributor:

James Hosmer Penniman Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Educational sociology.

Classroom environment.

Multicultural education.

Physical Description:

xx, 208 pages ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Thousand Oaks, California : Corwin, [2013]

Summary:

Identity Safe Classrooms focuses on a set or strategies that-have a positive effect on student learning and attachment to schooling, in spite of real and powerful social inequalities. This evidence-based book is drawn from research showing that students from all backgrounds in identity safe classrooms learn better and like school more than their peers in other classrooms. In identity safe classrooms, teachers strive to ensure that students feel their identity is an asset rather than a barrier to success at school. Elementary teachers will learn the importance or teaching prosocial skills and cooperative learning in the context of high expectations and challenging curriculum. Use these strategies, rooted in social psychology research and child-centered teaching practices, to build communities of learners in diverse classrooms. Invaluable teacher vignettes, reflective exercise, and practical advice make this comprehensive guide a must for creating an inclusive, academically challenging classroom where students come to understand the empowering message that who they are and what they think matters. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part I Getting Started 1

Chapter 1 Welcome to Readers 3

Introduction of Identity Safe Teaching Practices 4

Research Basis of Identity Safety 6

What's Wrong With Being Colorblind? 8

From Theory, to Research, to Transforming Practice 9

Identity Safety Brings Together Best Practices 10

Chapter 2 How to Use This Book 13

How the Book Is Organized 14

Part I References 17

Part II Child-Centered Teaching 19

What Do We Mean by Child-Centered Teaching? 19

Chapter 3 Listening for Students' Voices 23

Why Focus on Listening for Students' Voices? 23

Listening for Students' Voices: How to Do It 24

Build Confidence to Participate 24

Evaluate Their Work Together 26

Promote Student Creativity and Initiative 26

Challenges and Dilemmas 28

Assign Classroom Roles 28

Listen for the Voices of Students Who Have Difficulty Self-Regulating 28

Putting Listening for Students' Voices Into Practice 31

Chapter 4 Teaching for Understanding 33

Why Teaching for Understanding? 33

Teaching for Understanding: How to Do It 35

Prepare Students for New Activities 35

Make Instructions Clear 36

Monitor Students and Teach Them to Reflect on Their Learning 37

Provide Equal Opportunity to Access Learning 37

Introduction and Closure of Lessons 37

Challenges and Dilemmas 38

How Do You Know if the Students Understand? 38

Putting Teaching for Understanding Into Practice 39

Chapter 5 Focus on Cooperation 41

Why Focus on Cooperation? 41

Focus on Cooperation: How to Do It 42

Work With a Partner 42

Class Teamwork 45

Focus on Social Understanding 45

Encourage Spontaneous Helping and Caring 46

Challenges and Dilemmas 47

Getting Started: Knowing How 47

Putting Focus on Cooperation Into Practice 49

Chapter 6 Classroom Autonomy 51

Why Promote Classroom Autonomy? 51

Classroom Autonomy: How to Do It 53

Offer Choices 53

Build Self-Awareness and Self-Monitoring 54

Foster Students' Responsibility for Their Behavior 55

Foster Students' Responsibility for Their Learning 56

Teach Students to Think for Themselves 56

Challenges and Dilemmas 57

How Much Autonomy Is Enough? 58

How to Sustain Students' Efforts to Act Autonomously 58

Ensure Students Can Manage Themselves With Their Newfound Autonomy 59

Putting Classroom Autonomy Into Practice 61

Part II Summary 63

Part II References 66

Part III Cultivating Diversity as a Resource 67

What Do We Mean by Cultivating Diversity as a Resource? 67

Chapter 7 Using Diversity as a Resource for Teaching 71

Why Use Diversity as a Resource for Teaching? 71

Building on Important Research in Multicultural Education and Intergroup Relations 73

Using Diversity as a Resource for Teaching: How to Do It 74

Cultivate an Equity Lens 74

Create an Environment of Acceptance and Equal Status 76

Encourage Cooperative Interdependence 77

Help Students Get to Know One Another 79

Expose Students to New Cultural Knowledge 79

Address the Hard Conversation About Race and Culture in Curriculum 81

Address and Intervene in Incidents of Stereotyping, Stereotype Threat, and Racism 84

Support Students With Two Same-Gender Parents 85

Challenges and Dilemmas 87

Reframing the Way We Think About Classroom Diversity 87

Consider When It Is Appropriate to Address Race in the Classroom 87

Accept the Fact That It Seems Like an Overwhelming Topic 88

We Are Teaching About Race and Diversity, Whether We Intend to or Not 88

Putting Diversity as a Resource for Teaching Into Practice 89

Chapter 8 High Expectations and Academic Rigor 91

Why High Expectations and Academic Rigor? 91

High Expectations and Academic Rigor: How to Do It 92

Hold High Expectations for All Students 92

Integrate Bloom's Taxonomy Into Curriculum on a Daily Basis 93

Work Toward Mastery 94

Scaffold Student Learning 94

Scaffold English Learners 96

Begin College and Career Readiness in Kindergarten 96

Challenges and Dilemmas 97

Supporting Students Who Are Below Grade Level 97

Undoing the Damage of Low Expectations 98

Countering Low Expectations and Negative Messages About Competence 99

Putting High Expectations and Academic Rigor Into Practice 101

Chapter 9 Challenging Curriculum 103

Why Challenging Curriculum? 103

Challenging Curriculum: How to Do It 104

Create an Air of Intellectual Excitement 104

Provide an Appropriate Level of Challenge and Encourage Students to Ask for Help 106

Make Classrooms Safe Places for Thinking 107

Differentiate Instruction to Offer Higher Level Thinking for All Students 108

Challenges and Dilemmas 109

Getting Started With Meaningful Differentiation 110

Higher Level Thinking for Students at All Performance Levels 111

Breaking the Cycle of Failure 111

Putting Challenging-Curriculum Into Practice 113

Part III Summary 114

Part III References 116

Part IV Classroom Retationships 119

What Do We Mean by Classroom Relationships? 119

Chapter 10 Teacher Warmth and Availability to Support Learning 121

Why Teacher Warmth and Availability to Support Learning? 121

Teacher Warmth and Availability to Support Learning: How to Do It 122

Connect With Each Student Daily 122

Provide Support by Staying Close 123

Use Words Thoughtfully: They Are Powerful 124

Monitor and Support Engagement 124

Challenges and Dilemmas 125

Nobody Is Unlovable 125

Praise and Feedback 126

Supporting Students Who Have Experienced Repeated Failures 127

Putting Teacher Warmth and Availability to Support Learning Into Practice 129

Chapter 11 Positive Student Relationships 131

Why Focus on Positive Student Relationships? 131

Positive Student Relationships: How to Do It 132

Structure the Environment to Promote Positive Relationships 132

Provide Opportunities for Intergroup Friendships 133

Monitor Interactions on the Schoolyard 133

Promote Students' Sense of Belonging 134

Resolve Problems and Conflicts 135

Respond to Bullying 136

Challenges and Dilemmas 138

Determining When to Intervene 138

What to Do When a Disability Affects a Student's Capacity to Be Empathetic 139

Determine When to Protect Student Peelings 140

The Hazards of Circle Time Focused on Student Compliments 140

Putting Positive Student Relationships Into Practice 142

Part IV Summary 144

Part IV References 145

Part V Caring Classrooms 147

What Do We Mean by Caring Classrooms? 147

Chapter 12 Teacher Skill 149

Why Teacher Skill? 149

Teacher Skill: How to Do It 150

The Science and Art of Teaching 150

Set Up the Environment for Success 151

Define Clear and Reasonable Expectations and Procedures 151

Engage Every Child at Least Once Every 10 Minutes 152

Solving Problems 153

Intervening 154

Use Consequences That Teach Rather Than Punish 155

Restorative Justice, a Consequence That Restores Dignity 156

Challenges and Dilemmas 157

Finding Time to Resolve an Issue 158

Responding With Authority Without Humiliating Students 160

Use Intrinsic, Not Extrinsic, Motivators 160

Putting Teacher Skill Into Practice 162

Chapter 13 Emotional and Physical Comfort 165

Why Emotional and Physical Comfort? 165

Emotional and Physical Comfort: How to Do It 166

The Teacher's Attitude Sets the Stage 166

Provide a Personal Physical Place for Each Student 167

"I See Myself Reflected on the Walls" 167

Equal, but Different 168

Pay Attention to Student Status and Cliques 169

Teacher Fairness 170

Expressing Feelings 171

Self-Affirmation as Protection Against Stereotype Threat 171

Positive Presuppositions: Our Words Can Counter Stereotype Threat 173

Humor, a Two-Edged Sword 174

Time for Slowing the Pace 175

Supportive learning Strategies 175

Challenges and Dilemmas 176

When Some Students Have More Than Others 176

How to Balance the Needs of Special-Needs Students With the Needs of the Rest of the Class 176

Putting Emotional and Physical Comfort Into

Practice 178

Chapter 14 Attention to Prosocial Development 181

Why Attention to Prosocial Development? 181

Attention to Prosocial Development: How to Do It 182

Class Meetings 182

Teach Empathy, Mutual Respect, and Intergroup Understanding 184

Respecting Different Points of View 186

Integrating Prosocial Teaching Into the Academic Curriculum 186

Parents as Partners for Prosocial Learning 189

Challenges and Dilemmas 190

Putting Attention to Prosocial Development Into Practice 192

Part V Summary 193

Part V References 194.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the James Hosmer Penniman Book Fund.

ISBN:

1452230900

OCLC:

829744184

Publisher Number:

99956636046