A couple of years ago a student approached me after history class. Avoiding eye contact, he trembled a bit before speaking. His voice was shaking. “I am sorry, teacher,” Armando began. “I could not finish my project. My parents were killed a couple days ago.”
We know cliques are common in the middle grades, but don’t forget how prevalent they are in the elementary years. Here’s how one educator helped her young students understand that inclusion isn’t just “nice”—it’s fun, too!
The UCLA Dialogue Across Difference Initiative offers a model to foster a culture of meaningful exchange, empathy and critical thinking in education and communities.
TT Educator Grants support social justice work at the classroom, school and district levels. Grants Manager Jey Ehrenhalt spoke with Emily Conner about her students’ pop-up exhibit of Latinx immigration history and policy in Portland, Oregon.