Advancing Equity in the Classroom

Simple strategies for imagining an equitable education that benefits all students.

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DR. SHERRISH HOLLOMAN
 
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Equity in schools, or a lack thereof, was a problem long before the pandemic began. However, the challenges caused by school closures and remote learning exacerbated the lack of support for minority, special needs, and low-income students, as well as language learners. As we imagine a more holistic, equitable approach to education, we must consider a version of education that addresses students’ academic, social, and emotional needs.

Equity is crucial, especially in times of crisis. 

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Promising practices for promoting equity

Too often, the terms equity and equality are used interchangeably. While equality means treating every student the same, equity means making sure every student has the support they need to be successful. Simply put, equity in education requires putting systems in place to ensure that every child has an equal chance for success. As President Obama said in his inaugural address, "We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else."

We have an opportunity and an obligation to provide equitable systems that foster success for all, not just success for some. To assist and explain the process, the University of Southern California (USC) School of Education proposes seven effective ways to promote equity in education. Let’s examine what these suggestions can look like in practice.

Promising strategy	What does this look like in practice?
Reflect on your own beliefs	​All of us can be subject to preconceived ideas and assumptions. Consider consuming media that will help you broaden your perspective, or join or form a book club with fellow educators, which can create opportunities to examine, challenge, and refine some of your beliefs. A few suggested resources include: •  We Want to do More than Survive, Bettina Love •  Can We Talk About Race?, Beverly Daniel Tatum •  Letting Go of Literary Whiteness, Carlin Borsheim-Black and Sophia Tatiana Sarigianides  •  How to Be an Anti-Racist, Ibram X. Kendi •  So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo •  Other People's Children, Lisa Delpit •  Advancing Racial Literacy in Teacher Education, with Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz & Detra Price-Dennis
Reduce race and gender barriers to learning	Recognize that all students are unique and arrive in your classroom with unique experiences; all black and brown children are not the same, and neither are all white children. Re-examine your curriculum and insert content from women and other minorities where possible. This doesn’t mean changing what you’re teaching but rather, how and what resources are you using.
Establish an inclusive environment early	With students, establish classroom norms with a particular emphasis on tolerance for different views and zero tolerance for name calling or hate speech in any form. Teach students that they can disagree without being disagreeable.
Be dynamic with classroom space	Recognize the impact that classroom space has on interactions among students. Let your space work with you, not against you. If you can’t rearrange your classroom space, consider where you position yourself. Are you usually standing in front of the room or do you move around?
Accommodate learning styles and disabilities	This means more than accommodating students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) — it means committing to teaching methods that appeal to different kinds of learners.  For example, with a culminating project or assignment, consider giving students options for how they can demonstrate their learning and understanding. Allow them to submit written or visual evidence of their learning, employing technology, creativity, and flexibility throughout the process.
Be mindful of how you use technology	Like it or not, technology is an integral part of teaching and learning.. How can you strategically use technology moving forward? Perhaps you want to consider taping some mini lessons to allow you to monitor student comprehension by moving around the room. This can also be a resource for students who are absent or need additional help with understanding.  Consider holding on to things that worked well during your experience of remote teaching and learning throughout the pandemic — whether that's the use of Padlet, break out rooms, Google Docs, etc.
Be aware of religious holidays	Most of us are not experts on all the religious holidays and/or their meanings — and that’s okay!  Invite students to share their holidays with you and create opportunities, where possible, for them to educate others.  Remember to be flexible with assignments during these times as well. ​

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In addition to the strategies offered above, we can promote equity in our classrooms by recognizing that all learning is a social and emotional experience. We have all endured collective trauma over the past few years, in addition to the personal losses we’ve experienced. Many students (and teachers) are still finding their way back to their learning. 

We may not yet have all the answers for how to address students’ academic and emotional needs in an equitable way, even as we return to the familiar environment of our classrooms. But we do have the opportunity to do more, better!

EQUITY & ASSESSMENT

CREATING SPACE FOR RACE

DEVELOP INCLUSIVE CURRICULUM