Plans Turning into Action: D.C. Area Educators Prepare for BLM at School Week of Action
A Week of Action. A Year of Purpose. A Lifetime Commitment.
And all of this can start with just a few hours of planning.
Our format is simple. We know that educators need and want the space to dream and to breathe into their curriculum for that one class or the entire school year. Creativity abuzz, incredible things happen!
On Saturday, January 7th, all DCAESJ working groups joined together and invited fellow D.C. area educators to share advice, build on resources, begin planning their BLM at School Week of Action, and continue to participate in the Year of Purpose.
During the brief welcome, DCAESJ program manager Vanessa Williams expressed thanks to the DCAESJ team, ASL interpretors Klijah Mitchell and Yalanda Anderson, and the Riverseed School, a community partner and the site where the meeting took place.
Raphael Bonhomme (elementary working group teacher facilitator) introduced trivia based on the 13 Guiding Principles and national demands of BLM at School, and winners of the team trivia were able to select a second book of their choosing from publisher-donated titles. Afterward, Hannah Halpern (elementary working group teacher facilitator) guided attendees in a group share to reflect on past plans, lessons, events, activities, and resources educators have turned to during the Weeks of Action.
After lunch, educators split into two groups to dive deep into lessons and activities Hannah and Raphael developed. Educators who wanted a more involved, week-long series of lessons and activities to engage with throughout the Week of Action spent time with a template Hannah designed and used as inspiration for their own schools and classrooms.
Some educators wanted to spend their time focused on one lesson and incorporate it into their class during the Week or beyond. Raphael guided them through a math lesson he designed, analyzing lack of diversity within the NFL.
We know that educators are engaging with BLM at School at many different entry points, and like many of our curriculum fairs or public events, all attendees left with a YA or picture book reflecting the 13 Guiding Principles of BLM at School. Check out these and other resources to encourage your classroom in uplifting the 13 Principles and National Demands of BLM at School.
D.C. area social justice educators are invited to apply to be a working group member. Read more about the anti-bias early childhood education, upper elementary, and secondary working groups.