Ensuring Equity and Access in a Changing Climate (Michael Haggen, Dr. Walter Gilliam, Dr. Howard Stevenson, Dionne Grayman)
August 31, 2020The pandemic has laid bare long-standing inequities, including in education. How can educators work to counteract the digital divide and other disparities?
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- 00:00King
- 00:03Good morning from from around the country.
- 00:07Welcome to Day 2,
- 00:09the yell collaborative with scholastic,
- 00:12yell, child study, early child,
- 00:15study center. For those of you who
- 00:18are joining us for the first time,
- 00:22welcome and those who are with
- 00:24us yesterday welcome back.
- 00:26What an incredible day we had.
- 00:28We were able to hear from incredible
- 00:31speakers, starting with Tim Shriver.
- 00:33Anan leading into Linda Mezon,
- 00:36net Kendall and Lauren Torsions,
- 00:38and then finally wanted to
- 00:40strongest parent panels I've heard,
- 00:42and since this pandemic has started.
- 00:45And Speaking of pandemics,
- 00:47this symposium is really about two pandemics.
- 00:51As you know,
- 00:52COVID-19 has impacted our our planet
- 00:56in a way that in our lifetime we
- 01:00haven't seen before and with the
- 01:03brutal murder of George Floyd.
- 01:06An the incredible marches and speeches
- 01:09and protests around the around the
- 01:12world as well for racial equality.
- 01:15And more importantly,
- 01:17how do we talk about Anti racism
- 01:20as sparked changes in this country
- 01:23that we've not seen before?
- 01:26And so this symposium is incredibly
- 01:29important and to talk about what we can
- 01:33do to support our teachers and our educators.
- 01:37Speaker our students are ready.
- 01:40And all that they can.
- 01:42I I normally when we do suppose answer,
- 01:46of course we're all together and
- 01:48were able to see everyone and
- 01:51and properly thank everyone,
- 01:53but unfortunately we weren't able to do that,
- 01:57but I couldn't let this go on without
- 02:01recognizing two incredible women who just.
- 02:04Tirelessly put this together for us all.
- 02:07Karen Baker and Arlene Lawrence with
- 02:10scholastic education and these two
- 02:12women had a vision and they brought
- 02:14all of these speakers together.
- 02:17An presenters in our company we
- 02:19opened yesterday with Linda Mezon,
- 02:22Greg well well,
- 02:23our president scholastic education
- 02:25and they started us off and from
- 02:28there each presentation.
- 02:29Each panel was just powerful so
- 02:32again it's been recorded if you.
- 02:34Didn't see it the first day.
- 02:36Please share it and share it with others
- 02:39and on the same for today it's been recorded.
- 02:42We've had folk on and they asked about will
- 02:45we be able to get recognition for doing this?
- 02:49Yes,
- 02:49we will have certificates for you.
- 02:52We know how that sent out to everyone
- 02:54who participated on the two days,
- 02:56even if it's just a one day,
- 02:58will share that with you as well.
- 03:00But we also would like for you to
- 03:03participate with us if you look on
- 03:05your screens or if you want your phone
- 03:08to however you are watching this.
- 03:10Whatever device there's a question
- 03:12and answer chat box,
- 03:13please feel free to put questions in there.
- 03:16Ask us throughout the symposium
- 03:18and we're actually going to have
- 03:20some time after each presentation,
- 03:22and in particular for this panel as well.
- 03:24So we look forward to supporting
- 03:26you on that today.
- 03:28I'm particularly honored,
- 03:29and by the way,
- 03:30I'm Michael Hagan,
- 03:31chief academic officer for Scholastic
- 03:33Education.
- 03:33I have the honor of working with some of
- 03:36the greatest colleagues in the business.
- 03:39It's just assure joy to come to work
- 03:42and to be at work every single day.
- 03:45Working with this group of people.
- 03:47And now with the partnership
- 03:49to yell child study center,
- 03:51that joy is just expanded.
- 03:53And part of that join that work.
- 03:56I have an honor of hosting this panel
- 03:59today and I'm going to bring with them.
- 04:02You're going to show up on
- 04:04the screen at the moment.
- 04:07I have three panelists starting with Dion
- 04:09Graham and geomesa staff developer with
- 04:11the morning sized Center for teaching
- 04:14social responsibility and Brooklyn.
- 04:16This woman is just an
- 04:18incredible teachers teacher,
- 04:19staff developer and how she supports.
- 04:22As all around bringing joy to schools.
- 04:24And in particular,
- 04:25those marginalized populations.
- 04:26And when I hear someone say This
- 04:29is how you bring joy into school,
- 04:31everything with me within the change
- 04:33with him he changes and comes out.
- 04:36And then we also have joining us.
- 04:38Doctor Walter Gilliam,
- 04:39Doctor Walker Gilliam is a
- 04:41friend in the brother of mine.
- 04:43He's professor of child psychiatry and
- 04:45psychology of the yell child study center,
- 04:47as well as a director of the center in
- 04:50child development for social policy.
- 04:52I first came across water with
- 04:54the work he was doing with.
- 04:56Research on how African American
- 05:00voice or suspended and expelled.
- 05:04Great greater numbers from pre K
- 05:07and kindergarten and that worked for
- 05:09me was just powerful when he how he
- 05:12highlighted it and it changed the
- 05:14practice I did in the districts that
- 05:16I work then and looking at what we
- 05:19were doing and disproportionately
- 05:21suspending those students and then we
- 05:23also have joined us doctor Howard Stevenson.
- 05:26He's a clinical psychologist and
- 05:28professor at the University of
- 05:30Pennsylvania and an incredible author.
- 05:32His insight on how we can confront an
- 05:35encounter racial trauma is just informing,
- 05:38and so we're going to be honored to
- 05:41have him with us this morning as well.
- 05:45So first of all,
- 05:47welcome Gian Walter and Howard.
- 05:49Good morning.
- 05:52Good morning,
- 05:53I wanted to get us right into it
- 05:56because I know we have another
- 05:5950 minutes but so much I want to
- 06:01ask and I would love for you to
- 06:04share with our with our.
- 06:06Participants we've had a very interesting
- 06:10and talked a little earlier this morning,
- 06:15night,
- 06:16second day of the Democratic
- 06:19National Convention.
- 06:20There's history been made for our country,
- 06:25the first African American Southeast Asian
- 06:29women nominated for Vice President nominee,
- 06:33as well as hearing.
- 06:35What's happening with young folk
- 06:37like we've never heard before?
- 06:40I'm sharing how they're feeling and what
- 06:43they would like to see and what they want.
- 06:46I had the I have the pleasure
- 06:48of speaking with students and
- 06:50districts all over the country.
- 06:53And what they want to have in their
- 06:55classrooms when they're coming back,
- 06:57regardless of the pandemic
- 06:59moving forward and moving on.
- 07:01So I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
- 07:03I want to start off by saying,
- 07:06asking you this.
- 07:07What does equity in access mean to
- 07:09you when we talk about equity
- 07:11and we talk about access,
- 07:13what does that mean to you?
- 07:15Angie, on we want to start
- 07:17with you and Walter and Howard.
- 07:18Can you please follow it?
- 07:20That what does equity
- 07:21and access mean to you?
- 07:23Home so. It is in order to
- 07:27be with you all this morning.
- 07:30If I'm a student, equity means having
- 07:34a learning experience that sensors
- 07:36me and my own lived experience,
- 07:39it means that that my learning
- 07:42has been contextualized. Um?
- 07:44Such that I am placed in a position where.
- 07:52My highest learning potential is
- 07:54activated by a teacher who recognizes
- 07:57that their primary responsibility is to
- 08:00facilitate my learning process right?
- 08:03And that and that the fuel that drives
- 08:06that is relationship and that that
- 08:10relationship is based on reciprocity,
- 08:13that it's not 1 sided that it
- 08:16does not driven by power,
- 08:19but that it is fueled by.
- 08:22The The The The desire to see
- 08:26Miss Park and come alive.
- 08:30Anne Anne with with access it's.
- 08:34I think really planning with the
- 08:37least of those in mind to borrow a
- 08:41blip of biblical phrase that it's
- 08:44thinking about not starting at.
- 08:47This student,
- 08:48who has privilege and access to
- 08:52resources it's it's starting with
- 08:55the student who may be second
- 08:59generation immigrant or newly
- 09:01arrived could be a student who has
- 09:05is experiencing housing insecurity.
- 09:07It is thinking about.
- 09:10Really,
- 09:10in planning and beginning with planning,
- 09:12how do we ensure that the least of these
- 09:16can thrive and flourish inside of our system?
- 09:19In our schools.
- 09:22Alright. Hour.
- 09:30Thank you for that and I would
- 09:33also very honored to be here and
- 09:36I appreciate what Dionne just said
- 09:38and I would just add to that.
- 09:40I think of equity as being in a space
- 09:43or in a country or a neighborhood
- 09:46in which you actually get to start
- 09:49at the same line as everybody else.
- 09:51That and if you cannot start at that
- 09:54same line when you're being judged
- 09:56that there should be some accounting
- 09:59of the burdens that you have to.
- 10:01To carry that challenge,
- 10:03your ability to be fully present,
- 10:06whether that's in a classroom or boardroom,
- 10:09in a in a sort of courtroom
- 10:12or an emergency room,
- 10:14we must take some count accounting of
- 10:17the enormous history of burden and
- 10:20challenges to just be in that space,
- 10:23and in many respects our
- 10:26understanding of universality,
- 10:27and sometimes our idealism neglects that,
- 10:30and in many respects and so.
- 10:33How do we from an equitable stands understand
- 10:36that our histories are not equitable?
- 10:39I lived experiences are not equitable,
- 10:41and in many respects we are starting
- 10:44at someone else is starting line
- 10:47where we're using other folks,
- 10:49language and vocabulary.
- 10:50We're using other folks atmosphere an.
- 10:53In that respect,
- 10:54it's hard to have a discussion
- 10:57around equity accesses and my
- 10:59good friend Doctor Danisa Amante,
- 11:01who's part of deep?
- 11:03Which is called the disruptive equity
- 11:05education project.
- 11:06She's a CEO, her work, I think,
- 11:09is fantastic on this notion
- 11:11about the importance of.
- 11:12Sometimes we're still happy
- 11:14to invite people to the party.
- 11:16But we don't give them any
- 11:18decision making whatsoever,
- 11:19and so they can't manage how
- 11:21the part is gonna run.
- 11:22What's going to be served at the party,
- 11:25who's gonna come,
- 11:26and in that sense access
- 11:27is about power and voiced,
- 11:29and I would I would think of
- 11:31that as is important,
- 11:32not just if you're running a party,
- 11:34but if you are teaching in a classroom
- 11:37where if you are a student in that
- 11:39classroom or on a sports team.
- 11:41So those are my thoughts.
- 11:43Thank you, thank you. Water. I
- 11:47like first I want to express my
- 11:49appreciation for my good friends,
- 11:50Dionne and Howard,
- 11:51and and find what they had to say.
- 11:54You know what I think about when I
- 11:56think about access, at least in the
- 11:58work that I've done in education,
- 12:00accesses is about getting in
- 12:01the front door of opportunity.
- 12:02But it's also about making sure you
- 12:04don't get pushed out the back door too.
- 12:06And it's about all the things that happened
- 12:08between the front door in the back door.
- 12:10All of those things working
- 12:12tonight when we think about equity.
- 12:13It's important also to realize that.
- 12:15Every child who comes into our schools.
- 12:17Every family who comes into the
- 12:19programs that we that we create,
- 12:21they come in with their own history.
- 12:24And in some come in with a history
- 12:27of 250 years behind them,
- 12:29of being systematically
- 12:30excluded from education,
- 12:31followed by another 100 years
- 12:33of segregated education.
- 12:34And all of that comes in comes into.
- 12:37And in that context of that
- 12:40relationship we bring ourselves into it,
- 12:42and we bring our bias.
- 12:44Ease into that we bring our
- 12:47own privilege into that.
- 12:49And then when we think about equity,
- 12:51we have to take all of that into account.
- 12:54Because equity is about how we
- 12:56see in view other people an.
- 12:58It's about how we make sure that
- 13:00the opportunities that we afford
- 13:02those people are opportunities based
- 13:04on that individual persons needs,
- 13:06not on the basis of my own biases
- 13:08about them and not skewed by all
- 13:11the systemic racism of the past.
- 13:13I mean,
- 13:14that's a tall order to to to have to fill,
- 13:17but but I think that's that's the challenge.
- 13:19So So
- 13:20what are, what?
- 13:20Would you tell educators?
- 13:22How do you ensure that students with
- 13:23these highest need students with the
- 13:25highest need that they have this access?
- 13:27They have this? Actually,
- 13:28what would you share with educators to do?
- 13:30How do you do that?
- 13:32What does that look like?
- 13:34Gosh, I think at least it.
- 13:36It means that if we're if we're going
- 13:37to be if we're going to be folks
- 13:40that are privileged to serve others,
- 13:42then we need to get to
- 13:43know those others we need.
- 13:45We need to get to know those families
- 13:47we need to be part of that community.
- 13:49We need to understand the
- 13:50background in the history.
- 13:51We need to understand that some of
- 13:53the Times that things that we asked
- 13:55teachers to do is we asked teachers
- 13:57to form relationships with families.
- 13:59And some of these families did not
- 14:00have a good experience with school.
- 14:03They school might not have been
- 14:04a place that met their needs.
- 14:06They didn't maybe enjoy being at school.
- 14:08That wasn't a good place for them.
- 14:09And then we have teachers on the
- 14:11other side of that equation.
- 14:13Teachers for the most part are people
- 14:14who had such a great time in school.
- 14:16They couldn't wait to get back in.
- 14:18Right now we're trying to find
- 14:20some kind of a way to be able to
- 14:22help these people who either see
- 14:24school is the best thing ever,
- 14:25try to relate to people who maybe didn't
- 14:27have a great experience in school.
- 14:29And the only way I think that we're going
- 14:31to be able to get very far in that.
- 14:34Is through sharing our stories and
- 14:35sharing our experiences in getting
- 14:37to be known by by each other.
- 14:38When I was doing a lot of work
- 14:40on children being expelled from
- 14:42preschool like you said before,
- 14:43I heard a lot of stories about
- 14:45children being expelled from everybody.
- 14:47But one story that I just never heard is.
- 14:49I've never heard the story of the child
- 14:51who was expelled when the parent in
- 14:53the teacher knew and liked each other.
- 14:56I just don't hear that you know,
- 14:58and I think I think that's part of
- 15:00the answer right now. Absolutely.
- 15:02John when you talk about bringing joy to
- 15:04school at what would you say to educate?
- 15:07Are it's to make sure that students,
- 15:09students with the highest need
- 15:10students that normally marginalized
- 15:12that they receive access that
- 15:13you're talking about an equity?
- 15:15How would you say to educators?
- 15:18I'm gonna echo what what Walter said
- 15:20that it all begins with relationship.
- 15:22I think that there are a lot of
- 15:25unfortunately that there are many
- 15:27teachers who don't like what they
- 15:29do and don't like their students.
- 15:31And I don't. I don't know how you
- 15:34could be successful in the classroom
- 15:36when when you don't like your students
- 15:39and I think that that that that that
- 15:42that cuts across race and social
- 15:44economic class like with educators.
- 15:46When my my first teaching job was
- 15:49on Rikers Island and I taught.
- 15:51Young men who were in the Castle
- 15:54system who were 1618 years old and
- 15:57I had no experience with with with
- 16:00Jalen and no knowledge of the of
- 16:03of education in the jail system
- 16:05and very painfully realized that in
- 16:08order for me to be affective like
- 16:10I had to build relationships with
- 16:12people that I initially thought I
- 16:16didn't have a lot in common with.
- 16:19But then through being vulnerable and.
- 16:21Being open,
- 16:22I think that created a pathway for
- 16:25my students to also be vulnerable and
- 16:28it can be open and then and then we
- 16:32created Co created this environment
- 16:35inside of this hostile experience
- 16:37that they were having that for five
- 16:40hours of their day was joyful.
- 16:43And I think it just comes with the
- 16:46willingness through see power,
- 16:48a willingness to see, really see and hear.
- 16:52Young people and to be excited and
- 16:54and to be comfortable with what I
- 16:57don't know and to be comfortable with.
- 17:00What I didn't know is an educator.
- 17:03And to allow for the possibility
- 17:05that my students would not even the
- 17:08possibility the reality that they
- 17:10were teaching me things about myself
- 17:12every single day and to really have
- 17:15A to beat like I'm looking back now
- 17:18and like just really using my my
- 17:21my commute home.
- 17:22To Reflekt and unpacked and think
- 17:25about what is it that that went well?
- 17:28What do I need to continue to work
- 17:30on and then what my I need to do to
- 17:34make learning inside of this hostile
- 17:37environment joyous an pleasurable and
- 17:39meaningful and relevant and valid and
- 17:42affirming for five hours of the day?
- 17:45It just it's it's.
- 17:46It's the teacher mindset that that
- 17:49changes everything that happens in
- 17:51the classroom. Absolutely. How?
- 17:53How are 80% of teachers in America
- 17:56and public education or white an as
- 17:59of 2018 fifty 1% of all students
- 18:02in public education are minorities,
- 18:04so the actually the majority.
- 18:06Do you think we have to?
- 18:08Would you share with educators?
- 18:10Why is important to make sure
- 18:12that they have equity and access?
- 18:15Is that important is shared
- 18:17given that data just shared?
- 18:19I think the data is instructive,
- 18:21but it may not be remedial
- 18:23if that makes any sense,
- 18:25so we can get a lot of information
- 18:28but not know what to do with it.
- 18:31And I would argue what Walter and
- 18:33Deanna stayed around. Joy Ann.
- 18:34Story matters not only if we're
- 18:36going to bring equity and access,
- 18:39which are sort of larger scale
- 18:40notions of how systems treat people.
- 18:43The relational notions, I think,
- 18:44relate riford too.
- 18:45You know, when I walk into a
- 18:48classroom when I go into a school,
- 18:50when I go into community.
- 18:52If I'm working with the family,
- 18:54we're looking.
- 18:54Before things like protection,
- 18:56affection,
- 18:56correction and connection and protection
- 18:58is do I walk into a classroom or
- 19:01working with the family in the
- 19:03neighborhood or group of young people?
- 19:06Do I see a sense between the
- 19:08elders and the young people
- 19:10between the teachers and learners?
- 19:12A sense that they're gonna watch
- 19:14out for those children they're gonna
- 19:16look out for them emotionally,
- 19:18physically, and culturally, right?
- 19:20I want to look for affection.
- 19:22Or they gonna firm these folks
- 19:24about who they are emotionally,
- 19:26physically, and culturally.
- 19:27And I look for accountability or correction.
- 19:30Are they going to step two young
- 19:32people when they are not so
- 19:35much wrong or punish them?
- 19:36But if they are not fitting in with the
- 19:39understanding of what we're here about,
- 19:41is the Relational Enterprise,
- 19:43and in some respects people take
- 19:45that as a chance to abuse power and
- 19:48not to sort of hold accountable,
- 19:50Ann,
- 19:50are the are the leaders and the
- 19:52educators also held accountable?
- 19:54Can young people hold them accountable?
- 19:56And then finally,
- 19:57are these leaders connecting?
- 19:58Are young people to other places that
- 20:01are protective affirming and accountable,
- 20:02and in that sense I think we have a
- 20:05lot to do and because in those spaces,
- 20:08if I feel my culture is affirmed,
- 20:10I can look into the teacher's eyes and
- 20:13see that she or he or they get me.
- 20:16That is a safer space.
- 20:18That's where I can develop my voice,
- 20:20and I say that is what leads
- 20:22to equity and access.
- 20:24So, so how are I'm in my classroom?
- 20:26I'm a student. I feel comfortable now.
- 20:29I'm learning from my teacher.
- 20:31She's created this culture that we
- 20:33can share and then I go to select
- 20:36a book from my classroom library.
- 20:38Is it important?
- 20:39Do you think for a child to see
- 20:42themselves in text to see themselves
- 20:45in those both emperor other children
- 20:48to see other cultures another?
- 20:51Another study showed that 75% of the
- 20:54books and classroom libraries in New
- 20:56York City were written by white women.
- 20:59Kamala Harris talked about
- 21:01little girls around the world,
- 21:03seeing her girls of color
- 21:04and celebrating stand.
- 21:06This something was possible for them.
- 21:08Do you think it's important for children
- 21:10to see themselves in other children,
- 21:12see other children in text?
- 21:14Besides that, 75% of book
- 21:16text men written by white women?
- 21:18Absolutely yes. So so back again,
- 21:20to the underground joy and Walter.
- 21:23Around story. So in many respects,
- 21:25I think young people need to see
- 21:27themselves in what they're engaged with.
- 21:29And you know, we have a proverb
- 21:31and I worked at the lion story
- 21:34will never be known unless if the
- 21:36Hunter is the only one to tell it.
- 21:39And so when I when I'm at expected
- 21:41to expand my psychological resources,
- 21:43bring up my family history,
- 21:44talk about the struggles
- 21:46that I've gone through,
- 21:47and then figure out math
- 21:49and science and reading,
- 21:50and I don't see myself when other people
- 21:52can see themselves through every page.
- 21:55You know, when I was in the 4th Grade,
- 21:58I wrote a poem on seahorses and Mrs rust.
- 22:00She sent it to the Sussex
- 22:02County newspaper in Georgetown,
- 22:04DE and it got in print and
- 22:06you couldn't tell me nothing.
- 22:08I owned the I own this the neighborhood
- 22:10I own the school on the classroom
- 22:12and in that sense mind narrative,
- 22:14my story was apart of the pedagogy,
- 22:16not on the periphery,
- 22:18and I think that's why we need
- 22:20to see ourselves in the text.
- 22:23Thank you and water share several
- 22:25thoughts on that. Sure, I
- 22:26mean, of course children need to be able
- 22:29to see themselves and in text and in books.
- 22:32And if we can find room to make sure that
- 22:35oversized red dogs are represented in books,
- 22:37we can certainly find room to make sure
- 22:40everybody else is represented in these books.
- 22:42To you know. But it's not just about books,
- 22:45it's about movies.
- 22:46It's about all the stuff that's
- 22:48going on in that classroom.
- 22:50It's about who is in our elected offices.
- 22:53It's about who gets to sit behind or on
- 22:55top of that big desk in the classroom.
- 22:58And it's not just about the
- 23:00check box of it either.
- 23:02It's not just about you know.
- 23:04Making sure that we have simply.
- 23:06Teaching workforce that looks
- 23:07like the children that we serve,
- 23:09it's beyond that, you know,
- 23:11if we end up with a teaching workforce
- 23:14within buildings that look like the
- 23:16children that are served by by,
- 23:18that's cool,
- 23:19but but the teaching staff interact
- 23:21differently among themselves and that some
- 23:24teachers are given this level of position,
- 23:26and some teachers are given
- 23:28this other level of position.
- 23:30Then all in the end that we will have
- 23:32ever served is to give children an
- 23:35opportunity to see racially defined
- 23:37social hierarchies at an even younger age.
- 23:40It's not just about the the representation,
- 23:43it's about how that representation is
- 23:45made and can we provide opportunities
- 23:48for children to be able to see
- 23:51representations of themselves in positions
- 23:53that are respected in positions that
- 23:56have power in positions that have an
- 23:59equal relationship to other people?
- 24:02That's the goal
- 24:03and watch us interesting.
- 24:05I can't remember the stats on it,
- 24:08but there are more books.
- 24:10With characters than they are with.
- 24:13African Americans,
- 24:15Latino and native and
- 24:18indigenous people combined.
- 24:20So what she said it was just,
- 24:23you know we can put a book
- 24:25about trucks and dogs,
- 24:26why not and nothing against Clifford.
- 24:29I love Clifford. I left paper.
- 24:31My background here.
- 24:32Do you know what do you want to add?
- 24:35Anything to that?
- 24:37Yeah, the same.
- 24:38I was just thinking Howard reminded
- 24:40me when I was in second grade.
- 24:42My favorite teacher, Miss Cohen,
- 24:43who became married and came as it can
- 24:46at the end of the year gave everyone
- 24:48a book and the book that she gave me
- 24:51was was title play with me and she
- 24:53inscribed it and I I still have it.
- 24:56I'm sure I was a voracious reader and
- 24:58getting that book from her was just.
- 25:00It just felt it just made me feel so special.
- 25:03The little girl on the cover
- 25:05of the book was blonde hair and
- 25:07blue eyes so look nothing.
- 25:09Like me at home though my parents
- 25:11made sure that my sister and I had
- 25:14books and toys that looked like us.
- 25:16So like even when the first
- 25:18baby alive doll came out.
- 25:19Not that I'm dating myself but we
- 25:21couldn't have the baby alive doll
- 25:23when she first came out because they
- 25:25didn't have any African American ones,
- 25:28though they weren't enough.
- 25:29So while all of my friends were
- 25:31playing with their baby alive dolls,
- 25:33my sister not had to wait a
- 25:35whole year because my parents
- 25:37just refuse to buy us anything.
- 25:39That did not look like us,
- 25:41and that extended to the books that we read.
- 25:44I grew up on Stephen Stepto
- 25:46visit Stephen or John.
- 25:47I think John is the sun,
- 25:49but the step to books that was so eilish,
- 25:51beautifully illustrated and looked
- 25:53like me and look like my family.
- 25:55And that's a teacher like
- 25:56continuing that practice.
- 25:57So recognizing that the state wanted
- 25:59my students to read Shakespeare.
- 26:01So we read hamlet.
- 26:02But we read Hamlet alongside Malcolm
- 26:04X an manchild in the promised land,
- 26:06right?
- 26:06Like so so you're gonna you know,
- 26:08there might be some.
- 26:10Themes in this text that show
- 26:12up in your life.
- 26:13But then here at people who actually
- 26:15share a life lived experience that that
- 26:17you have that they're talking sound
- 26:20like your mother like your uncle Tommy,
- 26:22right?
- 26:22So you can see yourself in these
- 26:24texts and then pull these themes
- 26:27of life from this other xtext
- 26:29and apply them to your life and
- 26:31like that was actually one of
- 26:33the best lessons that I ever had.
- 26:35When my students read Hamlet alongside
- 26:37Malcolm acts like one of my students said.
- 26:40Like this was if I was going to write a
- 26:43book of teach their quotes like it was.
- 26:46One student said Miss G Hamlet
- 26:47is a thug and want one of my
- 26:50other schools like Hamlet,
- 26:52ain't no Doug and that was
- 26:54like the best conversation.
- 26:55The best debate about Hamlets,
- 26:56thuggery that like that ever
- 26:58happened happened because.
- 27:00I knew that it was important to for my
- 27:02students to be able to see themselves in
- 27:04the text. You know,
- 27:05I always want to be in your class.
- 27:07Always that's brilliant, brilliant.
- 27:09You know the conference we were
- 27:11doing now it's about resilience
- 27:13and so we had incredible speakers
- 27:15yesterday and what I wanted to hear.
- 27:17I'm so happy we're starting off today with
- 27:20the three of you is what is resilience?
- 27:23You know? How do you see resilience?
- 27:26And in particular what does it
- 27:28mean for black and Brown children?
- 27:31So you want to share your thoughts on that?
- 27:35What do we mean by resilience?
- 27:37True.
- 27:41Go. Oh
- 27:44yeah. Well, I think about.
- 27:48Thank you, Dion. You know,
- 27:50as if you define resilience as
- 27:52the capacity to recover quickly
- 27:54from difficulties or challenges
- 27:56and and I think other definitions
- 27:58are the ability to spring back.
- 28:00I think sometimes social emotional
- 28:03learning has taken that to be more of a
- 28:06goal then I think it should be that it
- 28:09is technically stop on in larger journey.
- 28:11I think of thriving and that
- 28:14resilience is around challenges.
- 28:15I think in May respects that we
- 28:18don't often understand that are
- 28:19very different for some people.
- 28:21Right, that is some of us can
- 28:24have challenges and get back up,
- 28:26but if you don't take into consideration
- 28:28what we've been saying around the
- 28:30long history of burden that in many
- 28:32respects some of us are talking,
- 28:34you know,
- 28:35in the SCO World as developmental challenges
- 28:37as part of that sense of resilience.
- 28:39Like can I get through childhood?
- 28:41Can I get through adolescence
- 28:43as particularly not easy times?
- 28:44But if you compound that with its systemic
- 28:47racism and the oppressions that happened,
- 28:49what we're really talking about our
- 28:51challenges will talk about adversaries,
- 28:53will talk about.
- 28:54Enemies there are people and
- 28:56experience is really designed to
- 28:57attack your very being at your
- 28:59very existence and your soul,
- 29:01and in that sense I think you know,
- 29:04by staying on resilience we may be
- 29:07winning the battle and losing the
- 29:09war be cause you know it's more
- 29:11than just getting through childhood
- 29:13that we're talking about that.
- 29:15Some people cannot bounce back
- 29:17from so easily as a statement that
- 29:19you are prepared and ready.
- 29:23I would I would love to hear more
- 29:26about that because I think we should
- 29:28just sharing for me now is adding
- 29:31to what where I'm not ready to.
- 29:34I had experienced been blessed to work in
- 29:37New Orleans after Katrina and reopening
- 29:39the schools and we were expected to be.
- 29:42You know, this New Orleans were
- 29:45resilient and we're going to come
- 29:47back and we were expected and it was
- 29:50so much more difficult than that.
- 29:52The trauma that they encounter
- 29:54an we were confusing social,
- 29:56emotional learning with trauma.
- 29:57And but we were expected to be resilient.
- 30:00And then you're defining that for us and
- 30:03is making me think about what are we
- 30:06expecting our children coming back now.
- 30:08So not just our students, the adults as well.
- 30:10So do you want to add a little
- 30:13more about that?
- 30:14Our expectations?
- 30:15And what should we be thinking about?
- 30:17How can we be
- 30:19supported? Yeah, I would just simply say,
- 30:22you know, I think you're not
- 30:24culture for very good reasons,
- 30:25understandable reasons,
- 30:26but that we are in love with
- 30:28the idea of love, right? We?
- 30:30But actual loving is another ball game
- 30:32we're in love with the idea of democracy,
- 30:35an equitable education.
- 30:36But pulling that off when others
- 30:38have started other places when
- 30:40children are being challenging
- 30:41to us and testing us to see,
- 30:43are we really serious about teaching them?
- 30:45Or we just playing around?
- 30:47That's a kind of resilience to
- 30:49could I interpret my child got
- 30:51my students sassiness An attitude
- 30:52as a statement of resilience,
- 30:54which is different than the regular
- 30:57definition of resilience where you got it.
- 30:59Got your stuff together when we all know
- 31:02nobody has that against prolong depression,
- 31:04I would say you know that's what I
- 31:08would add more of.
- 31:09How do we interpret the the coping
- 31:12behaviors of children who are
- 31:14different as also resilient and
- 31:16then try to remove those other
- 31:18oppressions to allow that resilience to
- 31:20take hold in learning?
- 31:21Gianna, come back to you but what
- 31:23are you and I were talking the other
- 31:25day about what resilience means?
- 31:26Do you have love for you to
- 31:28share with with everyone? Raya
- 31:31You know I'll be up front with it.
- 31:34I have a bit of a conflicted relationship
- 31:36with the term resilience, and I'll
- 31:39tell you a little bit about an an eye.
- 31:42In a way, it's it's.
- 31:43It's similar to my conflicted
- 31:45relationship with the term grid and.
- 31:47So here's here's where my
- 31:49where my confliction comes in.
- 31:51On the one hand,
- 31:52I can appreciate that we want people to
- 31:55be bouncy like Howard was talking about,
- 31:57to be able to.
- 31:58See add versity to be able
- 32:00to bounce back from it.
- 32:02I mean, that's a great attribute for
- 32:04people to have and at the same time it's
- 32:07very easy for us to if we're not careful.
- 32:10Frame that in such a way,
- 32:12and I've heard people say this it's alright.
- 32:14Children are resilient.
- 32:16It's OK.
- 32:17Those people are resilient,
- 32:19you know,
- 32:20and basically can easily become
- 32:21away for those in power within any
- 32:24kind of social hierarchy to absolve
- 32:26themselves of any responsibility for
- 32:28the harmless caused because after all,
- 32:30the victim is resilient.
- 32:32You know,
- 32:33and I think another thing that it does too.
- 32:36Is it?
- 32:37It shifts the narrative away from
- 32:39systemic issues to individual issues,
- 32:41individual issues that are
- 32:42posed specifically within the
- 32:43person who's the most depressed.
- 32:45They are now responsible for being
- 32:47able to overcome all the systemic
- 32:50bias that I have put into that system
- 32:52that's harmed him in the 1st place.
- 32:55And if they can't overcome all of the
- 32:57bias that's been put into that system,
- 33:00then obviously it's their fault
- 33:02for their lack of resilience.
- 33:04Or their lack of grit, you know, and so on.
- 33:07The one hand,
- 33:08I I appreciate the term and I and I
- 33:11and I appreciate the importance of it.
- 33:13At the same time,
- 33:14layout awful lot of that term and
- 33:17how we use that is going to be in
- 33:19the marketing of it in the marketing
- 33:21of it and how we understand that and
- 33:24how that impacts our daily thinking
- 33:26about not only children and individuals,
- 33:28but the systems that
- 33:29were wanting them to be resilient in.
- 33:31Absolutely gian we talked a couple weeks ago.
- 33:34Unfortunately, our sister,
- 33:35Andrea Pinkney, couldn't join us.
- 33:37She was supposed to be with us
- 33:39on this panel as well and we were
- 33:42talking about resilience and you
- 33:44share with us what that meant to you.
- 33:47An something watcher said it sparked my
- 33:50memory of it when you said what we expect
- 33:53for black and Brown children to be.
- 33:55We expect him to be resilient.
- 33:58What does that mean to you and?
- 34:01How does that differ and how
- 34:04our expectations of students?
- 34:06And
- 34:08families. I'm hearing so as in New York
- 34:12School is 2 weeks away and there's still
- 34:17a lot of uncertainty and an an angst
- 34:21over the reopening of schools and this
- 34:25notion that children are resilient,
- 34:28right and will bounce back from having been.
- 34:32In in remote learning in March
- 34:35through June and then possibly
- 34:37returning to to remotely the children,
- 34:40the children are resilient.
- 34:42Children will bounce back the ability
- 34:45to be resilient and your bounced
- 34:48back of ability is easier if your
- 34:51family has been toughing out the
- 34:53pandemics from your second home in
- 34:56the Hamptons or in Massachusetts.
- 34:58If you have been in,
- 35:00I lived in in Brownsville in Brooklyn,
- 35:04which is.
- 35:05A community.
- 35:06We have the distinction of
- 35:09having the highest number of.
- 35:13Public housing residents in the country,
- 35:15so we have the most number of public
- 35:19resident public housing buildings in
- 35:21in the country in in my neighborhood,
- 35:24and so the ability to bounce back from
- 35:27having been in a virtual learning system,
- 35:31possibly without reliable Wi-Fi,
- 35:33possibly without,
- 35:33and it a device, right?
- 35:36'cause a lot of folk in my neighborhood
- 35:39didn't get devices from the New York
- 35:42City Department of Education until May.
- 35:45In school was over in June,
- 35:47right that there is that there is.
- 35:50There's a strong distinction between
- 35:52black children having to be resilient.
- 35:54Black and Brown children have
- 35:56been to be resilient,
- 35:58black,
- 35:58Brown and First Nations children having to
- 36:01be resilient as opposed to white children,
- 36:03and 'cause the burden is greater
- 36:06right on on Black Children.
- 36:08And there was something that that Howard
- 36:11said that sparked a thought in me.
- 36:13And it's it's the when.
- 36:15When behaviors are called out for
- 36:18being acting out behaviors right
- 36:21that that says that attitude,
- 36:23that that that often gets described so to
- 36:27black girls ascribed to black girls, right?
- 36:31I remix that to be resistance, right?
- 36:35So I think that.
- 36:37That that that Joy Ann
- 36:39resistance are side by side,
- 36:41so that if I'm in a classroom and on
- 36:44teaching and I'm bringing joy and
- 36:47I'm making sure that joy is centered,
- 36:49that that in that there's a resistance,
- 36:52there is resistance to
- 36:54this system of oppression.
- 36:55There's this system is resistance of
- 36:57this system of Anti black racism that
- 37:00Anne Anne Anne young children know.
- 37:02It students know it.
- 37:04Children know when adults don't
- 37:06have a favorable view about them.
- 37:08Or don't like them or are not by being
- 37:11with them. Young people know this.
- 37:13I can walk into any school in
- 37:16this city an within 510 minutes.
- 37:18No?
- 37:18The teachers who don't like the
- 37:20students because the students know
- 37:22who those who don't like them.
- 37:24And so there's,
- 37:25I think we we need to remix
- 37:27resilience and for black and Brown
- 37:30students include the ability to
- 37:32be resistant to systems they know
- 37:34are not meant for their good.
- 37:36That don't mean them well,
- 37:38that are just as violent.
- 37:39In their application,
- 37:41as as police brutality is like,
- 37:43there's a violence in the
- 37:46system of Education where black
- 37:48children in this country country
- 37:50literally have needs on their next.
- 37:53Because because the system
- 37:55does not want them to be.
- 37:58And that's a full stop like
- 38:00doesn't want them to be,
- 38:02and so the system is much more
- 38:04comfortable with talking about
- 38:05resilience than resistance to the system.
- 38:08So I think I want to move
- 38:10away from resilience.
- 38:11I really want to celebrate the ability
- 38:13of young people to be resistant.
- 38:16OK, yesterday we had some
- 38:18family leaders on a panel,
- 38:20an one of the parents she
- 38:22talked about having a multi
- 38:23generational home an on one floor.
- 38:26She lived with her children on another floor,
- 38:29mother on another floor,
- 38:30a tenant and they were sharing Wi-Fi
- 38:33an at times it could be difficult and
- 38:36she says in listen we're in middle
- 38:38class family and so we have access
- 38:40to others may not have and so when
- 38:43I think about that and I think about
- 38:46what we're talking about today.
- 38:48How does equity and access look for
- 38:50families who don't have that and
- 38:52we have educators have a couple 100
- 38:54participants right now listening to you.
- 38:57What would you suggest to them?
- 38:59Because as you said,
- 39:00some places school is already started
- 39:03an other places in the largest district
- 39:05in the country in a couple weeks.
- 39:07And what's happening that we're
- 39:09finding out is children have to go
- 39:12back home because of unfortunately
- 39:14been tested positive in classrooms
- 39:16and so they have to go back.
- 39:18What do you say to parents who may
- 39:20not have that middle class support?
- 39:23How do they get access?
- 39:25What do you advise for educators
- 39:26to do and make it to think about
- 39:29when thinking about their students
- 39:31were going back home,
- 39:33or when they're learning remote,
- 39:34or when they coming to them?
- 39:36And I really want to hear from all three
- 39:39of you in particular about access.
- 39:42And what you want to share,
- 39:43do you
- 39:44know? Let's start with you.
- 39:45So I know that I was a random
- 39:48times a few weeks of last week.
- 39:50A few weeks back that families are
- 39:53affluent families are middle class and
- 39:56affluent plan families are planning these.
- 39:59These these group pies so so families
- 40:02will have tutors work with a small
- 40:05group of children that are in the
- 40:08bubble and they will hire tutors right?
- 40:11And so I was thinking I'm talking to
- 40:14my aunt who's the former principle
- 40:17an superintended about like like.
- 40:20This could be a time when we reimagine.
- 40:24School, and so instead of insisting
- 40:27that that that third graders learn or
- 40:298 year olds learning with other eight
- 40:32year olds right in a community like,
- 40:34especially in my neighborhood,
- 40:36most most children attend schools
- 40:37within the community.
- 40:39We could be more creative and
- 40:41thinking about how we ensure access
- 40:43and so it maybe it means that 8
- 40:45year olds are learning alongside.
- 40:4810 year olds are learning alongside Middle
- 40:50School is alerting along side high schoolers.
- 40:53You know, in a in, in, in,
- 40:55in a staples way as possible,
- 40:57so like a lot of the public housing
- 41:00developments in my neighborhood have sensors,
- 41:02so maybe there are five or ten children
- 41:05that are in a center at any given time.
- 41:08If active remote access is a problem,
- 41:10then there's just one teacher
- 41:12that is serving these.
- 41:13These number of children,
- 41:14but they would not.
- 41:16Doing it in the traditional way because
- 41:18we don't have to write like we have
- 41:20this whole opportunity to really
- 41:22rethink and re imagine schooling.
- 41:24And the fact that that that.
- 41:27The powers that be have it really reimagined
- 41:30how we can serve our students with
- 41:33equity and ensure access in different ways,
- 41:36instead of insisting that we return
- 41:38to this way that could be potentially
- 41:42harmful for students and educators,
- 41:44right?
- 41:44Like just rethinking how we can
- 41:47provide educational opportunities
- 41:48within communities and have them
- 41:50housed locally instead of having
- 41:52children return to buildings.
- 41:54However,
- 41:55love to
- 41:55hear from you and I.
- 41:58Also wanted to think about a rural
- 42:00communities I was speaking with
- 42:02administrators in several of our
- 42:05southern states an the lack of access.
- 42:07The students are so far apart and
- 42:10that they don't even have hotspot
- 42:13capabilities and so Howard when
- 42:15you think about that and you
- 42:17think about as Gian just talked
- 42:20about children not having access
- 42:22in housing development process,
- 42:23how do we would you share with
- 42:26educators to consider about?
- 42:28Making sure they have access and equity.
- 42:35I think you might be
- 42:36on this, sorry I said it is
- 42:38quite a different world.
- 42:40I grew up in the country and in the Woods,
- 42:43and so when I said I own the neighborhood,
- 42:46I actually owned the trees in the Woods
- 42:48when I was full of joy from that text,
- 42:51but I honestly think you know we're
- 42:53saying resources matter, right?
- 42:54This is an example of why in a
- 42:57pandemic some people don't get
- 42:59hit hit harder and you know,
- 43:01in a hurricane, and we see who's
- 43:03going to catch more the hell.
- 43:05And that's a function of not having.
- 43:07Resource so resources matter and yet we have
- 43:10had communities like the one I grew up in.
- 43:12You know, my mother paid money
- 43:14just to get encyclopedias, right?
- 43:16World book encyclopedias for us to.
- 43:17My brother and sister and I and
- 43:19she went into debt in order to do
- 43:22that and I think in addition to the
- 43:24recommendations that have been true,
- 43:26we also in communities that have had
- 43:28to use old time kind of resources.
- 43:30Where, you know,
- 43:31I may have to call up people
- 43:34in a world that's, you know,
- 43:35very individualistic and isolated.
- 43:37I'd like to do it on my own.
- 43:39I might have to call up some neighbors
- 43:42and some other parents and use the phone
- 43:45to catch up on what my child did not get,
- 43:48and that's a certain humbling,
- 43:50right?
- 43:50'cause we all like to be able to stay.
- 43:54I provide for mine,
- 43:55right?
- 43:55But these resources are variable and so
- 43:58how do we develop more communities to see
- 44:01that we can still combat these kinds of,
- 44:03you know,
- 44:04resource challenges by coming back
- 44:06to a sort of different definition of
- 44:08community where I need your help.
- 44:11And I depend on you,
- 44:12and so does my children.
- 44:14And that's not a That's an older
- 44:16intergenerational notion of
- 44:17how we think about learning.
- 44:18But I I see that is just one
- 44:21other thing to add to what's
- 44:23already been said. Thank you, launcher. You
- 44:26know so much of what we're
- 44:28talking about right now.
- 44:29It is really about privilege.
- 44:30That's what we're talking about.
- 44:32Were talking about privilege,
- 44:33and we're talking about the fact
- 44:35that privilege itself is mostly the
- 44:37things I have that I take for granted
- 44:39because I take it for granted.
- 44:41I'm going to assume that you have it,
- 44:43too, and if you don't have it,
- 44:46then there's probably something wrong
- 44:47with you, but you don't have it.
- 44:49You know, that's that's that's what
- 44:51we're talking about when we talk about,
- 44:53sort of like the privilege of expecting that.
- 44:56Other children and other families are
- 44:57going to have the same experience.
- 44:59Is that the teacher would have
- 45:01at their own home.
- 45:02I remember hearing about this one,
- 45:04this one teacher who was working
- 45:06with a young group of children.
- 45:08It was at circle time and she was going
- 45:10around and it was after Thanksgiving
- 45:12and she said tell me what you had
- 45:15for Thanksgiving at your family
- 45:17and one child said we had Turkey.
- 45:19Oh that's wonderful as terrific and
- 45:20somebody else that we had cranberry sauce.
- 45:23And oh, that's terrific.
- 45:24That's great. And another child said.
- 45:26We had hot dogs and the teacher said no,
- 45:28you didn't have hotdogs.
- 45:30Tell me what you really have.
- 45:32You know,
- 45:33that's that's privilege an and taking for.
- 45:35Granted that the digital experience
- 45:37that I have at my house is going to
- 45:40be the same as the digital experience
- 45:42that other people have in their homes.
- 45:45You know,
- 45:46that's that's another form of privilege,
- 45:48and at the very least, we can do.
- 45:50At the very least,
- 45:52is to,
- 45:53as educators realize that our
- 45:54children have experiences that
- 45:56may be very different than the
- 45:58experiences that I have at my home,
- 46:00or that the experiences that
- 46:02somebody else has at their home.
- 46:04And that if a child comes
- 46:06to the learning experience.
- 46:08Differently in different
- 46:09prepared that it might not be,
- 46:11it might not be a function
- 46:13of that child's desire.
- 46:15It might be a function more of
- 46:17that child circumstances and the
- 46:19circumstances that are around them
- 46:21and and what I would hope that
- 46:23that does is at the least make us
- 46:26a little bit more understanding
- 46:28at the individual level.
- 46:29But what I would really hope is
- 46:31that that makes us a lot more
- 46:34strategic at the systemic level.
- 46:36To realize that schools
- 46:37are funded collectively,
- 46:38and if we can find schools
- 46:40collectively within a community.
- 46:42We could find hotspots
- 46:43collectively within a community.
- 46:44We could find other ways in which
- 46:46to be able to make information
- 46:48available to children and families
- 46:50other than just the school that
- 46:53there are other ways that communities
- 46:55could pool resources in order
- 46:56to be able to provide a greater
- 46:59blanket of opportunity and not a
- 47:01safety for all of its residents.
- 47:03So
- 47:03water yesterday, one of the
- 47:05questions on us on a question,
- 47:07answer boxes when it participants
- 47:09said could she wanted to have the
- 47:11panel to describe the difference
- 47:13between equity and equality.
- 47:14And so you know, I learned that the
- 47:17hard way in New Orleans I wanted to
- 47:19give all the schools exact same thing,
- 47:22and so that was equality and so equity
- 47:25was based on what the needs were,
- 47:27and so that doesn't mean that you
- 47:29careful just group or the school or
- 47:31the students more than the others.
- 47:33I mean there needs what their needs
- 47:36are based on their needs and so we're
- 47:38having to as a country come together
- 47:41and say we have small rule districts in
- 47:43Mississippi that need to have access.
- 47:45And we have to do a better job of saying,
- 47:49well, we need to put more resources
- 47:51to make sure that those students
- 47:53get those same as those students
- 47:55that live in my community.
- 47:57That may not have access
- 47:58in the housing development.
- 48:00That right behind me.
- 48:01So that was a hard lesson for me to learn,
- 48:05and I'm hoping that we as
- 48:07a country as educators,
- 48:08are doing a better job with making
- 48:10sure that we have access and
- 48:12this equitable for our children,
- 48:14and particularly during this time so.
- 48:16I'm noticing that we have many questions.
- 48:19From our participants.
- 48:21So I'm,
- 48:22I'm ask Karen.
- 48:23But you help me looking at a couple
- 48:26of those questions and so if you all
- 48:29don't mind will love to take some
- 48:32questions now from this from the
- 48:34field. Hi everybody,
- 48:36thank you so much for that rich
- 48:39conversation to all our panelists.
- 48:42I know that each of you conversations
- 48:44and having open dialogue about difficult
- 48:47issues such as the racial justice,
- 48:49movement and equity are at the center of all.
- 48:53Each one of your work.
- 48:55And I know that this conversation
- 48:58has resonated because we've gotten
- 49:00more questions in the chat box
- 49:03during this conversation then for any
- 49:05other panel we've had so far, so.
- 49:08A lot of people are educators
- 49:10who are listening today,
- 49:11have a lot of questions,
- 49:13and want your insights from highly going
- 49:15to highlight a few of the questions.
- 49:18One of them comes from Alina.
- 49:20And she wants to know what advice
- 49:23you would give to educators and
- 49:25parents who have children and
- 49:27students who are experiencing the
- 49:29same thing that the teacher or the
- 49:32parents themselves experienced,
- 49:33such as being bullied or a victim of some
- 49:37sort of racial trauma or other trauma.
- 49:39And so I think the heart of that
- 49:42question is that many of these issues
- 49:44have a multi generational aspect to
- 49:47them or a secondary traumatic stress
- 49:49where these issues can trigger something.
- 49:52In the parents and teachers.
- 49:54So how in your work do you
- 49:56address that issue,
- 49:57and what advice do you have for Lena?
- 50:02Sure.
- 50:11I mean, if I I I think I hear if I
- 50:14hear the question clearly what we've
- 50:16been finding a lot of our research
- 50:19for educators and young people who
- 50:21don't feel that they have a voice
- 50:24and particularly around raises that
- 50:25there is this fear that somehow if
- 50:27I share what I'm really feeling,
- 50:30if I be my true self like I am at home
- 50:33where I where I feel fully comfortable
- 50:35that somehow people will judge me or
- 50:38they will stereotype me in a particular way.
- 50:41Anne, what we've learned over time
- 50:43is that we're trying to challenge
- 50:45people to the the shape shifting
- 50:47of oneself to make other people
- 50:49comfortable is not a healthy thing,
- 50:51and specially in the
- 50:52context of racial politics,
- 50:54where the very mentioning of voice
- 50:56and attitude from a racial lens can
- 50:58trigger violence from other people.
- 51:00Write that when my voice is stronger and I
- 51:03stayed with a little style and attitude,
- 51:06then people could have the
- 51:07right to dehumanize that.
- 51:09And I think we need to practice
- 51:11with people who we care about.
- 51:13Even as educators in adults
- 51:15and for our children,
- 51:16how to share our voice and our style
- 51:18in a way that is is part of our
- 51:21learning experience as opposed to
- 51:23separate and that takes practice.
- 51:25It doesn't happen overnight, but I do.
- 51:28I will say swallowing and trying
- 51:30to shape shift yourself so other
- 51:32people finally get it.
- 51:33It's not gonna work in the long run and
- 51:36that conflict can be a healthy thing
- 51:38when we are ready and prepared for it.
- 51:41So I rather prepare people for how to.
- 51:44Engage about as opposed to hope.
- 51:45A battle ever never ever shows up.
- 51:50Yeah, I think I think along with
- 51:53that Dad as as adults right knowing.
- 51:57Right one what are triggers are and.
- 52:03You know, throughout the throughout
- 52:05the time that we've been home
- 52:07that only have 5 in supporting my
- 52:09children through managing, you know,
- 52:11not being able to be with their friends
- 52:14and and and having to be in the house.
- 52:17We've also had to.
- 52:19Process our our,
- 52:21our our wounds and Anna Heartbreak
- 52:23at the at the murders and the
- 52:27brutalization of black bodies.
- 52:29Since we've been home so.
- 52:32George Floyd,
- 52:33Andreana Taylor Animada bring it
- 52:35just in the middle of a pandemic
- 52:39and so making space to have those
- 52:42conversations in the work that I do,
- 52:45we do those inside of restorative circles.
- 52:49But making space?
- 52:50To have those conversations to process
- 52:53those emotions to answer questions.
- 52:56To to share your own difficulty to share
- 52:59your own anguish, your own anxiety?
- 53:02To share your own fears,
- 53:04I think is really important
- 53:06when right before the pandemic.
- 53:08Um,
- 53:08one of an up and coming rapper in
- 53:12Brooklyn was shot and then right after
- 53:14he was shot and killed Kobe Bryant,
- 53:18we know died in that accident and so
- 53:21I spent a few days in circle with
- 53:24about 16 young black men processing.
- 53:27That experience, and it was.
- 53:29It was a difficult conversation.
- 53:30It was difficult to sit in their pain,
- 53:34but I had to make the space for it.
- 53:37And I think that that's that's
- 53:39the responsibility of adults,
- 53:41even when it's difficult,
- 53:42there is no such thing as safe
- 53:45space as Mickey Scott pages
- 53:47owned reminds us in her poem.
- 53:49Invitation to brave space.
- 53:50So intentional creation of
- 53:52brave spaces to have these
- 53:54conversations to process these
- 53:55emotions to acknowledge triggers,
- 53:57I think are really important tools.
- 53:59That educators can use.
- 54:00Yes,
- 54:01I'm really
- 54:01struck by what Young was saying
- 54:04about sitting in their pain.
- 54:06You know I, I can't believe I'm
- 54:08getting ready to save this number.
- 54:09But 30 years ago I used to be a
- 54:12public school teacher and I taught in
- 54:14the public schools and if you have,
- 54:16if you have a genuine relationships
- 54:18with students who will hear
- 54:19all kinds of stories from,
- 54:21you'll hear stories that'll bewilder you,
- 54:22and you'll hear stories
- 54:24that will make you laugh.
- 54:25And you'll hear stories
- 54:26that will make you cry.
- 54:28You'll never forget it, you know.
- 54:29And and it's because these children have
- 54:31a lot of stories they need to tell,
- 54:34and they'll tell it to anybody
- 54:36they feel like they can relate to.
- 54:38And it's the price you pay for having
- 54:42genuine relationships with children
- 54:43is that sometimes you're gonna cry.
- 54:46And that there's value in the children,
- 54:48seeing that you care enough to listen
- 54:51to their story and cry along with them,
- 54:53you know.
- 54:54But you have to.
- 54:55You have to get inside of the
- 54:57lives of your children that you're
- 54:59serving enough to be able to
- 55:02realize that you're sitting in.
- 55:03Their pain was saying and not.
- 55:06Just see that pain as.
- 55:08Anger or acting out?
- 55:09Or being defiant that it might look like
- 55:12that if you don't understand their feelings.
- 55:15But if you understand
- 55:16where they're coming from,
- 55:17then you realize it's not anger
- 55:19and acting out and being defiant.
- 55:21As their pain.
- 55:22You know,
- 55:23and and there's a price that you'll
- 55:25have to pay.
- 55:25I mean,
- 55:26if you want to be that connected to children,
- 55:28I'm not going to tell you that
- 55:29it's going to come for free.
- 55:30You know you're going to have
- 55:31to pay price and the price is
- 55:33that you're going to feel a
- 55:34little bit about paying yourself.
- 55:36And I think we have time
- 55:37for one more question.
- 55:42OK, thank you I. I would say
- 55:45that just summarizing several
- 55:46questions that have come in
- 55:48have to do with the challenge of
- 55:51addressing these same issues that
- 55:53you're all discussing virtually
- 55:55and what sort of shifts you would
- 55:58recommend to have the same processes.
- 56:00And let's you know,
- 56:02assuming people have the hot spots and
- 56:05Internet connections to to address it,
- 56:07how would you recommend educators
- 56:09work with children and families
- 56:11virtually around these issues?
- 56:13So I have a resource educators adults
- 56:16families can go to Morningside
- 56:19Sensor for teaching responsibility.
- 56:22Our website is rich with resources
- 56:25for how to have these kinds of
- 56:29conversations on tools videos like
- 56:32that's the that's a gift that I can give
- 56:36I'm really proud of the work that we
- 56:40do. Thank you,
- 56:42thank you. I will post that
- 56:44in the chat box in a minute.
- 56:46New email. Right? Walter you
- 56:54have. I'm trying to think.
- 56:58I'll let you go.
- 56:59I'm trying to I'm still forming
- 57:01my thoughts. I mean it's
- 57:02it's such a big question I'm not
- 57:04yeah I'm I'm kind of with you Howard.
- 57:07In terms of like sort of forming the
- 57:09thoughts because there's so much to it.
- 57:11I mean part of what it is is that you
- 57:13know on the one hand it may feel 2
- 57:15dimensional because it is 2 dimensional
- 57:18is not freedom Mitchell anymore.
- 57:19But on the other hand,
- 57:21you're also in many cases getting
- 57:23inside of somebody's home.
- 57:24And you gotta be prepared for that.
- 57:26And you might see all kinds
- 57:28of different things that might
- 57:29be a little surprising to you,
- 57:31and it might be a little surprising in
- 57:33a little offsetting or a little fence
- 57:35building for the child to let you
- 57:38see inside their own home and outside
- 57:40their own private spaces and areas.
- 57:41And two you know.
- 57:42So I think part of the answer in that,
- 57:45too, is to realize that that you
- 57:47might be trading 3 dimensions for a
- 57:49more flat 2 dimensional experience,
- 57:51but at the same time you're also
- 57:52getting into some really private.
- 57:54Areas in spaces with children so
- 57:56tread lightly. Please tread lightly.
- 57:59Yeah
- 58:00I would. I I thank you.
- 58:01Welcome for triggering for me
- 58:03I I think what is important.
- 58:05We just finished a weeklong racial
- 58:07literacy Institute and install
- 58:08virtual and one of the things I
- 58:10was worried about because we like
- 58:12being face to face with folk is
- 58:14that will lose a sense of of you.
- 58:16Know the connections,
- 58:17both distressed but also how to manage
- 58:19the stress in real in real time.
- 58:21But what we've learned is humanity
- 58:23crosses even these spaces.
- 58:24So where Walter was saying this is you
- 58:26are still human in these moments and I
- 58:29don't know if part of the question is.
- 58:31Are you worried that we're
- 58:33not going to be able to?
- 58:34Neck, I found it powerful in many
- 58:37different ways that folks connect and
- 58:39look long for Connection and I would
- 58:41say that's true for young people.
- 58:43So to the point of being,
- 58:45you know,
- 58:46this is holy ground as a sense just as much
- 58:49as if we're in the space and presence.
- 58:52That's a funny thing about the spirituality.
- 58:54I think of humanity.
- 58:57Alright, wonderful point, thank you, thank
- 59:02you, Karen. What are the on Howard
- 59:04I again I'm taking notes as well.
- 59:08I can't begin to thank you for the
- 59:10incredible conversation that we've had
- 59:12and were able to share with everyone.
- 59:14All of the participants I do want to
- 59:17say to everyone that it is recorded
- 59:19and if you want to be able to show
- 59:22it or share with your schools,
- 59:24share with the other teachers.
- 59:26In your colleagues, you're able to do that.
- 59:29I notice that there were many
- 59:31questions around.
- 59:31Could we recommend content?
- 59:33Could we recommend?
- 59:34Books could be wrecking another
- 59:35questions you're asking.
- 59:36We will answer those questions
- 59:38in for those to you in the chat
- 59:40box is so thank you for that.
- 59:42Unfortunately,
- 59:42I wasn't able to answer as many as I
- 59:45would like to add while we were doing this,
- 59:48but I will say.
- 59:49The questions that I saw I
- 59:51would love to also make sure the
- 59:54panel to see those as well,
- 59:56because there's just think
- 59:57they're incredible questions.
- 59:58I want you all.
- 59:59Just in case you want to
- 01:00:01respond back as well.
- 01:00:03Thank you all again for coming on
- 01:00:05this morning and some of you on
- 01:00:08the West Coast very early this
- 01:00:10morning and signing on with us.
- 01:00:12If we can give you all the hands virtually
- 01:00:15I'll do it for everyone to our panel.
- 01:00:19Thank you so much for being apart of this.
- 01:00:22For those of you that are able
- 01:00:24to stay with us this morning,
- 01:00:27we're going to come back to you at
- 01:00:3011:15 on education and anxious child.
- 01:00:32And I'm I'm very.
- 01:00:34I'm looking forward to hearing this
- 01:00:36as well and we wanted to make sure
- 01:00:38that you had a well rounded day.
- 01:00:40So we started today out.
- 01:00:41And if you notice the question
- 01:00:43is we had the panel talk to you
- 01:00:45about what is resilience,
- 01:00:46I think,
- 01:00:47given what we just learned and
- 01:00:49what we've heard,
- 01:00:50we can take that and add to the next session.
- 01:00:53And then we're going to come back at the
- 01:00:55end of the day with coping with Kovit,
- 01:00:58and so there will be another
- 01:00:59panel discussion were here from
- 01:01:01educators from around the country.
- 01:01:02And we're going to welcome you and ask
- 01:01:04you to stay with the rest of the day,
- 01:01:06and we look forward to seeing you.
- 01:01:08And when we come back.
- 01:01:09So again,
- 01:01:10thank you to the panel and
- 01:01:12will talk to you all soon.