Summer Reading for Teachers
Donation protected
Baltimore is a city with a deep cultural divide. A city in need of all people having difficult conversations about race, equality, quality education, and socioeconomic division. The Baltimore Uprising of 2015 lit a fire in the hearts of its citizens and we are still searching for ways to uplift and authentically serve the youth of our city.
In Baltimore, as well as across the nation, teachers are beginning to deeply reflect on their personal education experience, current teaching practices, and the needs of black and brown students moving forward. Teachers, of all cultural backgrounds, have the schema and experience of “pedagogies of the traditional school system” where the “needs of black and brown students” were secondary (Emdin, viii). There must be a focused effort to challenge the normalized and white-centric practices and expectations that permeate traditional school systems. Southwest Baltimore Charter School (SBCS) is dedicated to exploring these relevant and significant topics in order to build Cultural Competency and make a direct impact upon the students in our community.
SBCS is a small school with a big heart on a mission “to create extraordinary learning experiences that inspire the thoughtful, courageous, compassionate citizen in every child.” In order to meet this lofty goal our teachers must know their students and families. In the next school year we aim to build cultural competency through professional learning communities called “Adult Crew”. A structure which mirrors the small group setting our students are involved in every day. Cultural competence is a key factor in enabling educators to be effective with students from cultures other than their own. Building Cultural Competency amongst our staff will create an environment that allows our staff to be effective across cultural situations and provide positive learning experiences for our students.
During Adult Crew and professional development sessions we plan to study the book “For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood… and the Rest of Y’all Too – Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education” by Christopher Emdin. In this text Emdin challenges teachers to “embrace and respect each student’s culture and to reimagine the classroom as a site where roles are reversed and students become the experts of their own learning.”
Please consider donating to ensure every teacher and adult in our school, who works closely with students, has access to this book and tools to meet the needs of our diverse learners.
In Baltimore, as well as across the nation, teachers are beginning to deeply reflect on their personal education experience, current teaching practices, and the needs of black and brown students moving forward. Teachers, of all cultural backgrounds, have the schema and experience of “pedagogies of the traditional school system” where the “needs of black and brown students” were secondary (Emdin, viii). There must be a focused effort to challenge the normalized and white-centric practices and expectations that permeate traditional school systems. Southwest Baltimore Charter School (SBCS) is dedicated to exploring these relevant and significant topics in order to build Cultural Competency and make a direct impact upon the students in our community.
SBCS is a small school with a big heart on a mission “to create extraordinary learning experiences that inspire the thoughtful, courageous, compassionate citizen in every child.” In order to meet this lofty goal our teachers must know their students and families. In the next school year we aim to build cultural competency through professional learning communities called “Adult Crew”. A structure which mirrors the small group setting our students are involved in every day. Cultural competence is a key factor in enabling educators to be effective with students from cultures other than their own. Building Cultural Competency amongst our staff will create an environment that allows our staff to be effective across cultural situations and provide positive learning experiences for our students.
During Adult Crew and professional development sessions we plan to study the book “For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood… and the Rest of Y’all Too – Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education” by Christopher Emdin. In this text Emdin challenges teachers to “embrace and respect each student’s culture and to reimagine the classroom as a site where roles are reversed and students become the experts of their own learning.”
Please consider donating to ensure every teacher and adult in our school, who works closely with students, has access to this book and tools to meet the needs of our diverse learners.
Organizer
Gena Proctor
Organizer
Baltimore, MD
