Words of Wisdom

Another compelling speaker at this year’s conference was David Johns, the Executive Director for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. During Mr. John’s presentation, he shared a number of things he was able to accomplish during his four years working with President Obama. While he was hopeful that his work would continue after the election, I left the room feeling uplifted and inspired because like David, I believe intersectionality matters in our work with children.

While many of the points from his talk seem intuitive to what we do every day in our schools, they are good reminders for those moments when we are ruled by schedules, activities, and programs. Here are a few reminders from his talk that have informed my work and will even more in the future:

Look for unlikely partnerships
Students sometimes exist in spaces that cause trauma and distress
Students need to feel safe, supported, engaged
Creating spaces where kids can get what they need is essential to teaching and learning
We must actively identify obstacles that impede our ability to fully support the needs of all children
Fair isn’t always equal

What are some other things to consider in order to support the needs of our students? tlb

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