246: How to Keep Teaching Well When DEI is Under Attack
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Mar 6, 2025
Recent political pressures have put Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in jeopardy. Educators discuss how to navigate these changes while maintaining effective teaching methods. Strategies that foster empathy and critical thinking are explored, along with brain-based techniques like mnemonics to enhance learning. The importance of Universal Design for Learning is emphasized, alongside innovative ways to involve families in the educational process. Despite challenges, core inclusive practices remain vital for creating welcoming learning environments.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Superintendent Defies DEI Crackdown
Michael Richards, superintendent of Harrisonburg, Virginia, publicly rejected the federal policies labeling their school’s culture of respect an indoctrination.
He vowed not to be intimidated and to maintain a welcoming environment for all students.
insights INSIGHT
Most DEI Practices Still Allowed
Many DEI teaching practices won't be flagged by restrictive policies, allowing teachers to continue their work with minimal changes.
This challenges the perception that all equity-focused strategies are under threat and encourages focusing on unflagged methods.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Deep Listening Techniques
Practice deep listening by conducting empathy interviews and cogenerative dialogues with students to understand their experiences.
Focus on hearing voices of marginalized students to make classrooms more equitable.
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This book, now in its third edition, defines culturally responsive teaching as 'using the cultural characteristics, experiences, and perspectives of ethnically diverse students as conduits for teaching them more effectively.' It outlines six key practices of culturally responsive teaching, including having high expectations for all students, engaging students' cultural knowledges and experiences, bridging gaps between home and school practices, and critically questioning normative schooling practices. The book provides extensive research and practical strategies for implementing culturally responsive pedagogy, aiming to increase student engagement and academic success by aligning educational practices with students' cultural backgrounds[1][3][4].
Nourishing Caregiver Collaborations
Nourishing Caregiver Collaborations
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Naval Karuni
Cultivating Genius
Cultivating Genius
An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy
Goldie Muhammad
Goldie Muhammad's "Cultivating Genius" presents an equity framework for culturally and historically responsive literacy. The book challenges traditional approaches to education by prioritizing the identities and experiences of students, particularly Black students. Muhammad argues that centering the experiences of historically marginalized groups can lead to more effective and equitable learning for all. The framework emphasizes the importance of identity, skills, intellect, and criticality, with identity placed as the foundational element. The book offers practical strategies and examples for educators to implement this framework in their classrooms.
Recent executive orders have launched an attack on teaching for diversity, equity, and inclusion. How do you teach at this precarious time in history when so much work has been done to weave these values into so many of our materials and practices? The more I think about it, the more I think you may not have to change as much as it might seem. When I look over the years of articles and podcast episodes I have done in the service of supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion, so many of the practices I've had the privilege to share would never get flagged by these directives. I thought it might be helpful for me to curate some of the most important teaching recommendations that have come through my platform for addressing inequities in schools.
The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast 