Urban Education Midterm Presentation Article to be referenced https://www.educationdive.com/news/5-practices-of-highly-effective-urban- educators/264628/ Late assignments will not be accepted Highly Effective Urban Educators Author, Duncan-Andrade labels a highly effective Urban Educator as a “Ridas”: Based off the popular rap expression “Ride or Die,” Ridas are a small portion of urban teachers who are willing to take risks and build deep emotional connections with their students, even if they may be let down in the process. These are the highly-effective urban educators. From his research, he was able to gather qualitative narratives to help build a roadmap for equitable education and identify five pillars found in the classrooms of highly effective urban educators. Critically Conscious Person In all four of the classrooms that Duncan-Andrade observed, the teachers believed that their low-income minority students were destined to be agents of change. The fact that the student body was largely disenfranchised from mainstream systems meant that it had the least to lose and was therefore most likely to stir things up. This thinking gave weight, seriousness, and purpose to the role of the educators who, in turn, treated every moment in the classroom as training time for future leaders and change-makers.Critically Conscious Person In all four of the classrooms that Duncan-Andrade observed, the teachers believed that their low-income minority students were destined to be agents of change. The fact that the student body was largely disenfranchised from mainstream systems meant that it had the least to lose and was therefore most likely to stir things up. This thinking gave weight, seriousness, and purpose to the role of the educators who, in turn, treated every moment in the classroom as training time for future leaders and change-makers. Sense of Duty to the Students and Community Instead of viewing themselves as “leaders in the community”, Ridas viewed themselves as “servants of the community.” This shift in thinking is attributed to humility, where these teachers work not out of empathy, but through solidarity. While not always possible, a key to making this happen naturally is by living in the community one serves. Duncan-Andrade noted that not all of the Ridas lived where they worked, but they all made themselves visible in the community by attending neighborhood events on weekends or staying after school so parents and students could have face time with them. A teacher who is able to show they too have a stake in the game will go far when trying to earn their students’ trust and respect. Preparation While teaching takes a lot of work and preparation in general, Duncan-Andrade found that Ridas took this to new heights. They were constantly reflecting upon and reworking their lesson plans to be better prepared. He attributes this attention to details to pillar No. 2, where teachers feel teaching is not just what they do, but who they are. Many of the teachers would find resources — a book, film, artifact — on their own time and later embed it into their lesson plans. Their classrooms, and what they could do with their students, were constantly on their minds. Socratic Sensibility The term ‘Socratic Sensibility’ was coined by American philosopher and academic Cornel West. It is an amalgamation of Socrates’ belief that “the unexamined life is not worth living” and Malcom X’s statement that “the examined life is painful.” The idea is that we must examine all of life, as painful as it may be, and use the injustice and pain as a strength. Teachers who embody this pillar “understood their duty to connect their pedagogy to the harsh realities of poor, urban communities,” Duncan-Andrade wrote. This also means that the teachers exuded a healthy balance of confidence and reflection when it came to their teaching skills. Trust Trust is probably one of the most critical aspects of teaching in any environment, and it is also something that is earned and not demanded. Duncan-Andrade found that Ridas earned trust with students in two ways. On a macro level, they gained trust through awareness of where they fit into the bigger picture of their students’ education. “These teachers understood that government institutions, such as schools, have a negative history in poor and non-white communities,” he wrote. Being cognizant of their position as school “ambassadors,” these teachers gained students’ trust by fighting against school policies that could be viewed as oppressive. Assignment You are to create a minimum of 15 slides (min. 3 for each pillar) not including the cover page or works cited page. Focus on: What does the research say about each pillar in terms of Urban Education? Qualitative Results? Quantitative Results? Is it being used today in the classroom? In the community? Does it work? How can you present this to the class to convince us to utilize this trait in our Urban Classroom? Each trait must include a minimum of one graphic which includes data/statistics/tables or graphs Minimum of 6 works cited (prefer a minimum of 1 per pillar)Assignment You are to create a minimum of 15 slides (min. 3 for each pillar) not including the cover page or works cited page. Focus on: What does the research say about each pillar in terms of Urban Education? Qualitative Results? Quantitative Results? Is it being used today in the classroom? In the community? Does it work? How can you present this to the class to convince us to utilize this trait in our Urban Classroom? Each trait must include a minimum of one graphic which includes data/statistics/tables or graphs Minimum of 6 works cited (prefer a minimum of 1 per pillar) Requirements Be Creative; Keep my attention; Motivate Me; Make this convincing and how we can utilize that trait to be the best Urban Educator Works Cited (Minimum of 6 scholarly pieces of research) Articles, Movies, Books, etc. Grading You will be graded on the following: Creativity Organization Research (Include Works Cited Page) Data pointsGrading You will be graded on the following: Creativity Organization Research (Include Works Cited Page)
