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For Teachers and Staff

 

1 to 6-hour programs on topics such as…

 

How to Create A Welcoming School – A school climate of kind regard where true learning is possible starts with how the staff works together plus their level of cultural competency. Only when the staff has a clear plan plus the resources and skills to execute their best intentions can they consistently reinforce respectful behavior among their students.

 

Discover what it takes to make each student feel welcomed and create a school where more learning occurs. There are proven ways to make your school even more inclusive. Classrooms can be calmer. Students can be taught how to treat each other with respect. Teachers can feel better about teaching and the “Achievement Gap” can close. 
 

Managing Unconscious Bias – What is bias and how do we work to manage it? Our brains process over 11 million bits of information each second, but only 40 bits of information are processed consciously. That means that most of our thoughts wind up in our subconscious influencing our beliefs and behaviors toward our students and colleagues without our even realizing it! Good intentions are not enough. With increased awareness and practicing the skills of equity and inclusion, we can stop ourselves from unconsciously treating others unfairly.

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Cultural Competence: Focus on Race and Ethnicity – What is race? Why is it important to pay attention to race and ethnicity at your school? How do you benefit from so many cultures coming together in your learning environment and where are the potential places of conflict?

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What to Do If You’re Accused of Racism (and Other Fun Teaching Moments) – What if someone accuses your school or you of being racist? You may want to discuss “difficult” topics but are afraid of causing more division instead of less. Or maybe you’ve already had an ugly incident at your school and found out how ill-prepared you were to respond. There are ways to break free of the legacy of past discrimination and mistrust. Stop feeling guilty, scared, or helpless, and feel confident and empowered instead. 

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Creating and Presenting Culturally Relevant Curriculum – Lesson plans become relevant and engaging to students when their personal interests and learning styles, their family and ethnic cultures, and an understanding of historical and sociopolitical contexts intersect with the core curriculum.

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Valuing Different Religions – Discover what is universal and unique in different faith traditions and the confusion and fears that result when different religions mix. Learn to support your students who are in the minority and increase understanding and goodwill for all.

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Creating a Safe Environment for LGBT and All Students – Topics include setting clear classroom guidelines, defining sexual orientation and gender identity, skills to take stands against bullying and other exclusive behaviors without impinging on student or staff personal beliefs plus the benefits to all with more inclusion.

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Storytelling: Promoting Literacy and Enlivening Your Classroom Presentation – Techniques teachers can use stories in their classrooms to foster language skills and increase their emotional expressiveness and engagement with students.

 

 

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For Students

 

Student Assemblies, Classroom Residencies, and Teen Conferences include themes such as:

 

• Breaking Down Prejudices through Friendship

• Who Is Living Next Door? Stories of Recent Refugees and Immigrants

• Celebrating Our Ethnic Heritages

• How Did My Town Get So Segregated? The History of Housing Segregation in U.S. Cities

• Untold Stories: Examples of People from Different Cultures Working Together Throughout History
   

I also produce several multicultural performances, workshops, and panels with two or more performers/speakers:

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Tribes & Bridges – choose a combination of tellers from different backgrounds: Latino, European, African American, Asian American, First Nations, and so forth. Reflect your students’ background or introduce them to new cultures through the power of sharing stories and bi-lingual conversations.

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More Alike Than Not – interfaith themes dealing with misconceptions and all we have in common: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and others. Bring alive religions’ distinct histories and our common humanity to illuminate the experience of being an American in a time of religious tension and change.

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Willing, ABLE, and Ready – the challenges and contributions of people with different abilities.

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Mothers and Other Wild Women – the gift we’ve received from our own mothers and the women who have come before us.

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How to Survive Cliques – It’s natural to want to spend more time with some people than others.  However, when the halls, cafeteria, or after-school activities get divided into cliques going to school becomes a whole lot less fun and even treacherous for some. Steering clear of bullies – and not acting like one yourself – plus knowing how to handle divisions are skills that students need to do well in school and the wider world.

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Being a Leader in a Global, Multicultural World – Leadership is not about telling people what to do, but inspiring people to come together to create amazing results! Students learn how the global leaders of tomorrow create diverse teams that work together for common goals and realize a much larger definition and appreciation of culture. We are all multi-cultural and the culturally fluent leader knows how to bring out the best in everyone.