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Students won’t succeed until they believe they can.

Exploring our differences does not divide us; it highlights our identities and reveals our shared humanity.

Teachers can increase student engagement by consulting with small groups of students about their classroom experience. When students see their ideas being put into action, they become more invested in their education.

Class discussions about To Kill a Mockingbird typically focus on the book’s white protagonists. This brand-new TT lesson turns the lens by focusing on the perspective of one of the book’s African American characters.

Even young students notice when their cultures are relevant only during heritage months.

After a colleague told her, “I’m not coming back next year,” this teacher reflected on what makes her an effective anti-bias educator.

“We don’t participate in class because we’re not as smart as the white kids.” See how this Latina educator responded when Latina students expressed this negative self-perception.

The whine of the projector subsides. Someone clicks on the lights. As the professor asks for commentary, the rapid raising of hands signifies an eagerness to respond. I remain still. Listening to my peer’s criticism of the Appalachian people featured in the made-for-TV special, I am humiliated.

My third-period students rushed in at the start of class, wide-eyed and excited. Something had happened. “Quentin hit Ms. Combs!” Helen Combs was my friend. She taught language arts. “He knocked her down,” one student reported. “They took her to the hospital, and the police took him away in handcuffs!”

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.”