Asking Big Questions Using Rich Mentor Texts to

Asking Big Questions: Using Rich Mentor Texts to Communicate about Social Justice

Objectives • To provide a safe and engaging forum for exploring ideas, questions and concerns about social justice work • To share a variety of relevant literacy resources for use in the classroom • To offer the opportunity to co-create some questions to use with classroom materials And… to summarize 3 days of CONTACT!

Don’t Worry… YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS!!!

“Give Me 5!”

“Shoe and Tell”

Before anything else…

Agenda Minds On: • Welcome & Introductions, Objectives • Shoe and tell • Purpose & Definitions: Communication, Big Questions, Rich Mentor Texts, Social Justice • Who’s in the Room? • Approaches to Social Justice template • A Few Tales from Ms. Teschow’s Classroom: How I Discovered “Grand Conversations” Mr Lincoln’s Way and the N-word Letters to Ms. Teschow Action: • “Say Something” – Grand Conversations Monograph • Encounter book - questioning handouts; develop rich questions and/or anticipation guide to use with this or another favourite book Consolidate/Debrief: • “One stay the rest stray”, come back and share • Snowball • The Last Word (from a former student)

Defining the Topics Communication Big Questions Rich Mentor Texts Social Justice ØWhat do they mean? ØHow do they fit into YOUR teaching context? ØWhich ones are you a little unsure about? TURN AND TALK…

Communication: Top of Page 4 of your Handout (Can we adopt these here for this session, too? ) “Most of us teachers seem to want to believe that if we have a ‘golden gut’ and a ‘heart for the kids’ that they will collaborate skilfully (and magically) with each other in small groups. Oh so wrong…” (Daniels, 2006)

Positioning yourself within the Social Framework WHO’S IN THE ROOM?

Consider each of the following for yourself… • • • age ancestry citizenship/nationality colour creed/faith/religion (or not) (dis)ability ethnicity/culture/ linguistic origin family status gender/sex • • • gender identity marital status place of origin race sexual orientation socio-economic status • same-sex partnership status

Now Look Around the Room… • • • age ancestry citizenship/nationality colour creed/faith/religion (or not) (dis)ability ethnicity/culture/ linguistic origin family status gender identity sex • • gender identity marital status place of origin race sexual orientation socio-economic status same-sex partnership status Where do YOU fit in? Majority? Minority? Both? Now, consider the students you teach.

Teacher Bias… Be Aware! • 2013: A study commissioned by the UK Department for Education, found that staff allow “bias” and “personal feelings” to influence their marking http: //www. telegraph. co. uk/news/9782323/Teacher-bias-gives-better-marks-to-favourite-pupils-research-reveals. html How do YOU react in your gut when you: • See a group of boys in the hall at lunch? Girls? Students from a particular cultural or ethnic group? • Read through the names on your class list at the beginning of the year? • Have a student in your class who is the brother or sister of a “notorious” family in the community?

What’s YOUR Motive for Teaching Social Justice?

What’s YOUR Motive for Teaching Social Justice? First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. s k c a l b LGBTQ Niemöller 1946? s m i l Mus

Cultural Proficiency • • “selfish” motivation moral compass/”the right thing to do” curriculum says I have to preparing our students to be able to successfully navigate a GLOBAL economy • other motivating factors?

“Approaches to Social Justice” template activity

Answer Key… • On your table (11 x 17) • Work out of the TDSB • Where are you/your school now? Where do you want to be? (And how can you get there? )

A Few Tales from Ms. Teschow’s Classroom Grade 3, 2012/2013, Mississauga, Ontario

Rich Mentor Texts (page 5 of handout)

Julia, Karen, Sexism and the Talking Stick

High Challenge/Low Threat “[Students] are more eager to cooperate when they feel comfortable in their classroom and connected to their teacher and classmates. They are willing to take risks as learners when they feel safe in their learning environment”. (Charney, 1993)

From September to June… Big Ideas, or Themes, posted with each cover

Class Norms; Training Big Ideas, or Themes, posted with each cover

Practising – “Inside/Outside Circles” (Partner Talk) (PARAPHRASE!) Quiz-Trade

And then, suddenly, they could talk!!! • Racism • Classism • Sexism… (Caution: “Messy” Teaching!)

Disagreeing Agreeably, or, “Lin Hau pays Attention”!

Letters to Ms. Teschow Person “F”

A Job for Person “D”… Please tidy up and return my letters! (Thanks. )

Enough Yakking from Me! YOUR TURN…

"Say Something" -“Grand Conversations” Monograph - With a partner at your table

Say Something • Choose a partner (A-B, C-D, E-F? ) • Read silently to the first stopping point • When each partner is ready, stop and “Say Something” * * a key point, or personal connection, a question, a brief summary, an interesting idea • Continue the process until you have completed the selection Modified from Groups at Work Laura Lipton and Bruce Wellman – Mira. Via LLC

Rich Questioning “Because student talk will not necessarily lead to building meaning, strategic prompts that turn the thinking back to the group are pivotal in assuring that meaning is being built. ” (Beck & Mc. Keown, 2001)

Some Questioning Frameworks (Please refer to pages 7 -10 of your handout) http: //www. youtube. com/embed/V_g. OZDWQj 3 Q? rel=0 a i d e m

What colour is the flautist’s hat? e b y e h t t h g i m y h W ? y t r a p having a

What colour is the man’s hat? Is the man’s hat red, or blue? Is the man’s hat red?

Share your favourite book… …or have a look at the ones on your table. What are some of the “Big Ideas” represented in these books? What grade levels might these books be appropriate for? Why do you think so?

What could you do… Before you read the book? While reading the book? After reading? (eg. s on next slide…)

For Example…

With your Table Group… Develop rich questions and/or anticipation guide to use with one of the books on your table. (10 mins) A “Mentor Text” needn’t be a picture book. It could be a set of stats and numbers… http: //www. gov. pe. ca/photos/original/immigrate 05 -09. pdf Remember to Consider… • What cross-curricular themes can you connect to? • How can you address some of the “higher” approaches to Social Justice (from template)? • Grand Conversations monographs: What work will you need to do with your class to prepare them for this sort of dialogue?

Consolidate/Reflect DEBRIEF & SUMMARY

Let’s Share our Work! “One (C) stay the rest stray”, come back & share w your group –> 4 + 4 mins

The Second-Last Word… With respect to being a "White Woman" saying the word in your class to teach. . . ask yourself. . . if not you, who else? Those are YOUR kids. . . They are in YOUR care. . . You are the one that cares enough to educate them BEYOND THE MINIMUM. . . YOU -- with all that you are. . . and all that you are not.

“Snowball” Fight Think back over your three days at CONTACT… “The more things change…” On the white paper provided, write your ONE word or phrase to summarize your experiences, then crumple it up and stand in a circle around the perimeter of the room.

Thank you for your participation! Have fun teaching… Safe travels home… Prizes!!! (Lois) www. verateschow. ca vera. teschow@utoronto. ca