Asking Big Questions:Using Rich Mentor Texts

to Communicate about Social Justice

Presented by Vera C Teschow

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!

YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS!!!

Don’t Worry…

“Give Me 5!”

“Shoe and Tell”

Before anything else…

AgendaMinds 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-wordLetters 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 TopicsCommunicationBig QuestionsRich Mentor TextsSocial Justice

How do they fit into YOUR teaching context?

TURN AND TALK…

What do they mean?

Which ones are you a little unsure about?

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)

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

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 atthe 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?Karen Hume

What’s YOUR Motive for Teaching Social Justice? First they came for the Jews

and I did not speak outbecause I was not a Jew.Then they came for the Communistsand I did not speak outbecause I was not a Communist.Then they came for the trade unionistsand I did not speak outbecause I was not a trade unionist.Then they came for meand there was no one leftto speak out for me.

Niemöller 1946?

blacks

LGBTQWOMEN

Muslims

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 ClassroomGrade 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; TrainingBig Ideas, or Themes, posted with each cover

Practising – “Inside/Outside Circles” (Partner Talk)

Quiz-Quiz-Trade(PARAPHRASE!)

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.)

YOUR TURN…Enough Yakking from Me!

-“Grand Conversations” Monograph

- With a partner at your table

"Say Something"

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 – MiraVia 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 & McKeown, 2001)

Some Questioning Frameworks(Please refer to pages 7-10

of your handout)

http://www.youtube.com/embed/V_gOZDWQj3Q?rel=0

media

What colour is the flautist’s hat?

Why might they be

having a party?

What colour is the man’s hat?

Is the man’s hatred, or blue?

Is the man’shat 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)

• 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?

Remember to Consider…

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/immigrate05-09.pdf

DEBRIEF & SUMMARYConsolidate/Reflect

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” FightThink 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…

www.verateschow.ca vera.teschow@utoronto.ca

Safe travels home…

Prizes!!! (Lois)