Equitable Teaching Practices - What Does That Mean?

 I have been applying to jobs lately for a couple of reasons. Mainly, being an independent education consultant is really difficult in a pandemic, since most of that work involves travel to schools, conferences, or different states to support teacher professional learning initiatives and basically, most of that has dried up. Another reason, which almost seems the opposite reason, is remote positions are more prevalent now, so previous full-time jobs that required specific locations and hours are now going remote. I've been working remotely since 2007, and it's such a consistent part of my life, and important to my lifestyle, especially having to support and help care for my mother with dementia, and now there are more opportunities. 

What I am finding as I fill out applications (all online) is the following:

1. It's hard to have a 1-2 page resume/CV when you have been working for over 31 years in education, so I've given up on that!
2. I am 'perfect' for quite a few jobs out there BUT I think my 31 years is working against me....i.e. I might be beyond the salary range the market is willing to pay due to my experience
3. Not everyone wants a cover letter, where you can 'outline' the specific qualities you have that match their job description. It's often hard to 'sell' yourself - they just want a few quick questions and a resume/CV upload
4. You don't hear back.
•  Sometimes there's a confirmation email, but most of them say "we will only contact you after we have reviewed your information and you pass the screening". Basically, if you don't hear from us, we don't want you, game over.  So how long do you wait before you give up? 
• It's sort of demoralizing, especially when line-by-line they are describing you in the job, so you have to wonder what's wrong with me?  Which brings me back to #2 - i.e. too old, too expensive, too much experience, too female.....(it may be none of these or all...this is the unknown!!)  
5. It's hard to describe why you are good for a job in 200 words or less. Online applications seem to have a lot of limitations - "Write 2 - 3 sentences about what experience you've had with teaching online", for example.   
6. Your social media presence is DEFINITELY being looked at!!  From LinkedIn, to Facebook, to Google/Gmail, to Twitter, Instagram, etc. - they are all fair game, and sometimes links to your social media and blogs/YouTube channels, etc. are asked to be provided. 
7. The questions asked are super interesting and reflect the politics of our time. These two have come up a couple times, in different formats /wording, which leads me to my posts main topic:
•  How does your experience show commitment to racial equity?
• Explain how you use equitable teaching practices to make sure anti-racism is centered in your work

These are NOT easy questions to address in a short amount of space. They are not easy questions to answer being I am a white woman educator, so I can't guarantee my experiences and teaching practices have in fact always demonstrated racial equity and that anti-racism has been centered in my work. I think it has, and definitely has more and more over the past 20 years as I learned and grew in my profession....but it comes down to, what does it mean to have equitable teaching practices and anti-racism centered in your work? This is what I want to explore in this post, via finding and sharing resources, which is what I have been doing to really think about these questions.

Equity in Education - A Definition

There are a lot of definitions out there and explanations for what it means to have educational equity. I am going to share what I interpret this to mean, since this then connects to how I respond to the questions asked on the application. The image below is one I am sure many of you have seen in some form or another, but it's a nice visualization that shows how the same thing for all students in education (same teaching methods, same resources, etc.) is NOT equity, but equality, and does NOT serve all students - it still leaves many students lacking and behind, many of which are students of poverty, of color, and/or of special needs. Hopefully the definition of equity that I am using below clarifies this a bit more.

Equity in education means that the all students are getting what they NEED to learn and achieve their learning potential. It's not about the SAME resources for every student (which would be 'education equality'), but instead they have the supports, funding, resources, standards, teachers, modifications, that will help them reach the SAME high standards set for all students. They are NOT hampered by lack of resources, not restricted in what they learn (standards) or resources because of their background, race, gender, etc. What one student might need to succeed is different than what another might need, and both students are receiving those supports so they can both reach the academic standards.  It's about getting all students to succeed, and some need different resources and supports that, if education is equitable, they are receiving. 

Equitable Teaching Practices

Now I come to answer the questions that are posed in the applications, where I am asked to describe how my experiences and practices demonstrate equity in education and anti-racism teaching. Using the definition from above, here is what I consider equitable teaching practices:

1. Providing multiple tools and approaches when teaching topics. As a math teacher, this means to me showing and teaching with concrete tools, visual tools, text, etc. 
2. Connecting the content I am teaching to something students are familiar with - i.e. bringing in their community, their culture, their world experiences. If I am teaching about slope and talk about mountains to a group of students who have never been to the mountains, I am not being equitable. Instead, talk about slope and connect it to hilly streets, or skateboard ramps, or railings on the steps, etc.
3. Asking for and listening to student voice. Creating a classroom where talking is expected and respected. Where collaboration is a daily part of learning - we learn better together. Where their experiences, understandings, questions are valued, shared, and more importantly, listened to and used.
4. Not assuming they know or don't know something, but instead providing opportunities for them to share what they know and using that knowledge to provide the supports and tools each student might need to get everyone to the same place. So often as teachers, following the prescribed curriculum and pacing, we just plug on through, assuming students are at a certain level of understanding, which means we are leaving those who are not there even further behind, and those that are past that stagnating. 
5. Allowing students to explain, show, and share their understanding in multiple ways and accepting multiple approaches and solutions to problems. A student who is verbal might on paper look like they don't know something, but if you ask them to explain in words, you realize, wow....they do know a lot. So being willing and able to allow for students to learn and explain their learning in ways that make sense to them. Which is really different in our education system that expects 'one right answer in one specific format (think standardized tests). So this is a tough one as you often gets you bucking up against an educational system that is NOT equitable.

So - if I look at what I believe and have tried to practice and promote in my own teaching and in the professional learning experiences I provide to teachers, I think my practices strive to be equitable and anti-racist. I am attempting to allow all students a voice in the learning. I am attempting to provide different supports/resources for the differing students/teachers I interact with. And I am attempting to create a collaborative, safe environment for all learners (whether students or teachers). Was I always doing this? I like to think so, but I know I have continually improved over my career, especially after getting my masters and doctorates, that focused on these types of equitable practices. I know I still have a LONG way to go and am still improving. And learning from others. I will share some amazing webinars and podcasts episodes that have opened my own eyes to additional strategies and resources and perspectives on how to be equitable and anti-racist. 

Some Resources Around Equitable Teaching Practices

1. The Mo(ve)ment to Prioritize Antiracist Mathematics (TODOS Position Paper)
2. Equity Considerations for Access, Design, and Use of Technology for Teaching Mathematics (TODOS Position Paper)
3. Equitable Classroom Practices Observation Checklist
4. Equitable Instructional Practices to Engage Leaners (NCTE)
5. 4 Practices to Promote Equity in the Classroom
6. Best Practices in Educational Equality
7. What Anti-racism Really Means for Educators
8. How to be An AntiRacist Educator
9. How to Be an Antiracists Educator: An Interview with Ibram X. Kendi
10. Becoming an Anti-Racist Educator

There are obviously many more resources out there....so search, read, listen.

Here are a few webinars that TODOS Math for All and Benjamin Banneker did in partnership with Casio specifically around equity in math education. I was facilitating all of these webinars and learned so much from each educator that I know as informed my own practice even more. And while these are math-content focused, the strategies and frameworks shared could apply to any content area.

1. Equity in Education: Black, Indigenous and Latinex Parents as Intellectual Resources
2. Equity in Education: Rehumanizing Schools - Rights of the Learners (highly recommend this one)
3. Equity in Education : ICUCARE: Making Equity a Reality in Your Math Classroom
4. Equity in Education: Examining the Trajectories of Black Mathematicians
5. Equity in Education: Do Mathematical Practices Put Black Learners At Risk?
6. Equity in Education: Free Your Math and Justice Will Follow
7. Equity in Education: Creating Equitable Classrooms via Culturally Inclusive Teaching
8. There are more - so to see the entire list of on-demand webinars (many around equity, access, distance learning) go here.

As noted in previous postings, I host a webinar with my friend Tim Pope.  We have interviewed a few folks so far that talk about equity and equitable teaching practices, so thought I'd share those here as well:

1. S2 Ep3: Being Culturally Responsive in Education with Ken Shelton
2. S2 Ep5: Rights of the Learner - Rehumanizing Classrooms with Olga Torres
3. S2 Ep6: Creating Equitable Mathematics Achievement with Dr. Pamela Seda
4. S1 Ep8: Tracking in Education with Lizzie Hull-Barnes

I hope some of this has enlightened you on what everyone means by equitable teaching practices. There is much to learn, much to practice, and it is a slow, continuous process to make change and practice equitable teaching. I will continue learning, as I hope you all will too. 

And if you know of a remote educational/professional learning job, let me know!!