educators who share their students’ backgrounds, interests, and identities can better meet the needs of their students and help their colleagues do the same.

lessons that personalize learning give students the opportunity to explore their interests. this can mean having choice in the topics students research, the books they read, and the form in which they demonstrate mastery. in order to truly leverage those interests, teachers need to deeply understand their students and their own connection to a student’s identity and background. it is impossible for every teacher to share the backgrounds, interests, and identities of every student. however, a school that has teachers with diverse backgrounds and identities, who have differing interests, can collectively share ideas and advice with one another. the diversity of the group better positions individual teachers to support all students.

consider a student who loves being in the school’s marching band. having a teacher who was also in a marching band creates an opportunity to further develop that student’s interests. that teacher can point them to resources and create learning experiences that are more meaningful than a teacher who has no background knowledge about marching bands. understanding that student’s background is critical if teachers are to appreciate why this interest exists. maybe the student loves the marching band because their sibling is also in a marching band at a historically black college or university (hbcu). if no teacher has ever heard of the term hbcu before, much less attended one, then the ability to truly personalize that student’s learning experience is limited.

self reflection prompt i:

what are your backgrounds, interests, and identities?

understanding yourself is critical when connecting with students.

self reflection prompt ii:

which teachers did you connect with the most in school? what did you two have in common?

self reflection prompt iii:

what do you have in common with students you connected well with? what about students you’ve had a difficult time connecting with; do they have anything in common?

in summary:

to clarify: connecting with students goes deeper than understanding them. building a connection with students is a demonstration of mutual trust and respect. any teacher may understand that a student is upset, but a teacher who connects with them can realize the varied reasons why that student is upset and can support them through those challenges.

student ownership of learning is tied to self-actualization. students are better able to self-actualize when they see a part of themselves reflected in their teachers.

a critical piece of personalized learning is building each student’s ownership of their learning. in order to build ownership, students must have some understanding of themselves. students need to know who they are, what interests them, who they look up to, and what they stand for. some level of self-actualization is a prerequisite for owning the learning that further develops one's identity, and self-actualization is aided by role models. every student deserves to see a part of themselves reflected in their teachers. schools with a staff that reflects the diversity of the community they serve can ensure that every student has multiple role models they can look to as they seek to better understand themselves.

try this:

talk with your students: ask them who their role models are; the ones they know personally and the ones they know of. what do they admire most about these role models? this may help you understand the qualities, values, and accomplishments they seek to build in themselves.

andre perry. “the educational value of a black teacher” the hechinger report
kevin mahnken. “why diversity matters: five things we know about how black students benefit from having black teachers” the 74

educators who personalize learning must unpack their biases if they are to truly honor all of their students.

when teachers personalize learning, they have a greater opportunity to honor the cultural capital of every student and create the space for individual self-actualization. however, the potential of this opportunity will never be fully realized if educators do not take the time to unpack their biases. we cannot personalize learning for students if we do not address the biases that impact the assumptions we make about their cultures, perspectives, and identities.

bias is a part of being human. everyone develops biases that shape the way we view the world. unpacking and addressing our biases is a journey that takes time, support, and intentionality. this journey sheds light on the negative assumptions we unconsciously make and requires us to exist in spaces that are uncomfortable. and it is absolutely a journey worth taking.

the teachers who leave the greatest lasting impact on their students are the ones who see them for who they are, often before the students even see themselves. these teachers uplift their students by developing their interests, celebrating their uniqueness, and challenging their assumptions about the world and themselves. it is not uncommon to hear a teacher say, “i see a part of myself in you.” until we unpack our biases, that full impact will only ever be felt by the small segment of students who are lucky to be similar enough to us to be seen

glossary

assumption: a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.

bias: prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. a bias is one form of negative assumptions.

unpacking biases: a personal reflection process, meant to uncover the biases that are impacting how we see and interact with the wider world

cultural capital: the symbols, ideas, tastes, and preferences that signify value in a culture.

starting this journey:

find a friend who also wants to go on this journey. there should be mutual trust and respect, because you will be each others’ sounding board and confidant. explore your biases, the moments when they recognize them, the habits that can address them, and the issues you want to focus on. if the first friend you think of is a person of color; pause, and ask yourself - did i think of them because they know me or because i think they know something that i don’t. if it is the latter, remember that the responsibility to unpack your biases is a personal one and it is not fair to seek out a person of color to help shoulder that responsibility, primarily because of their racial identity.

noah dougherty, “why unpacking biases is critical when personalizing learning” 瑞士vs喀麦隆亚盘赔率
pirette mckamey, “what anti-racist teachers do differently” the atlantic

diversity & personalized learning

diverse educator backgrounds, interests, and identities help ensure that every student’s needs and interests are met.

educators who share their students' backgrounds, interests, and identities can

better meet the needs

of their students and help their colleagues do the same.

student ownership of learning is tied to

self-actualization

students are better able to self-actualize when they see a part of themselves reflected in their teachers.

educators who personalize learning must

unpack their biases

if they are to truly honor all of their students.

educators who share their students’ backgrounds, interests, and identities can better meet the needs of their students and help their colleagues do the same.

what are your backgrounds, interests, and identities?

which teachers did you connect with the most in school? what did you two have in common?

what do you have in common with students you connected well with? what about students you’ve had a difficult time connecting with; do they have anything in common?