Better late than never, right? Well, the Summer Institute is over and I’m already in Week 2 of my internship. It’s taken me some to reflect on the Summer Institute experience, but in comparison to other professional development opportunities, it was definitely one of the best.
One thing that stood out the most to me was the reflections from prior Kenan Fellows. Everyone reflected on this being such a profound experience for them – and I hope that I’ll reach the same apex after the conclusion of my own experience! I truly felt connected to a network of like-minded and impassioned educators throughout the week.
There were quite a few “fun” activities that I want to bring back to my classroom. I had such an amazing time on the GooseChase scavenger hunt, and I can see myself using this as a social-emotional bonding activity with my new crew students, especially if we start the year in some sort of virtual format. Overall, I saw lots of good digital learning practices being modeled during the Summer Institute and I think I walked away with some tools that I can use myself.
The most challenging but inspiring material from the Summer Institute was the work and discussions around equity and diversity in education. These are not issues that a few days of PD can solve, but they were certainly steps in the right direction. Our discussions really got me thinking about my own privilege and experiences as a white-passing Latinx person and as a person who has struggled with mental health and anxiety. I walked away with a deeper understanding of how I can use my own diversity of experiences to reach out to and stand up for my Latinx students of color and students with mental health concerns and help them be seen and represented both in and beyond the classroom. I really need to make sure I am stepping up and speaking out for equity when I can, and especially for my students of color, and I also understand that there is lots of room for me to grow and learn in regards to increasing equity and diversity in my classroom.
The following are a few resources I’ve enjoyed delving into regarding equity and diversity in the classroom:
Standards-based assessment: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/52813/how-teachers-are-changing-grading-practices-with-an-eye-on-equity
#DisruptTexts movement: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/55039/how-the-disrupttexts-movement-can-help-english-teachers-be-more-inclusive?fbclid=IwAR1qrOp3ltVJtmaMJ7inPMJNz_WZmV_LjejC3yxLUCmRwMKV7hyvzYVsYmU
Rita Pierson – ‘Every Kid Needs A Champion’: https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion
Rosemarie Allen – ‘School Suspensions are an Adult Behavior’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8nkcRMZKV4
Overall, the Summer Institute was some of the best PD that I’ve experienced, which leads me looking forward to the Fall and Spring Institutes as well as the year-long support I hope to receive from the Kenan Fellows Program.