I love this: "Through metacognitive talk and scaffolded practice, students learn not just what to do, but how to think about what they’re doing. They are given the secret code to unlock a longstanding tradition in learning and they become valid members of a community of thinkers."
There's an interesting complexity here: we want all learners to bring their own identities into the classroom, and feel that those identities are welcome in this space. AND each child's identity will inevitably be shaped and changed during their authentic engagement with new ideas, with learning new skills and even new ways to see the world. The dance with identity and belonging in the classroom is such a complex one! We want to affirm where you came from while simultaneously offering you a new identity as a scientist, as a reader, as a mathematician, etc.
I think I definitely view inclusion more as helping a child navigate who they are becoming rather than just accepting who they are. Don’t get me wrong - obviously I ‘accept’ who they are (no prejudice!) I just mean that I see them as people in a state of great transition. It’s our job to create a huge array of opportunities for them to find their place and where they fit. You’re right - they will not be brought in wholesale to that new community, but shaped by it and contributing to it simultaneously.
I love this: "Through metacognitive talk and scaffolded practice, students learn not just what to do, but how to think about what they’re doing. They are given the secret code to unlock a longstanding tradition in learning and they become valid members of a community of thinkers."
There's an interesting complexity here: we want all learners to bring their own identities into the classroom, and feel that those identities are welcome in this space. AND each child's identity will inevitably be shaped and changed during their authentic engagement with new ideas, with learning new skills and even new ways to see the world. The dance with identity and belonging in the classroom is such a complex one! We want to affirm where you came from while simultaneously offering you a new identity as a scientist, as a reader, as a mathematician, etc.
Thank you for reading 🙏
I think I definitely view inclusion more as helping a child navigate who they are becoming rather than just accepting who they are. Don’t get me wrong - obviously I ‘accept’ who they are (no prejudice!) I just mean that I see them as people in a state of great transition. It’s our job to create a huge array of opportunities for them to find their place and where they fit. You’re right - they will not be brought in wholesale to that new community, but shaped by it and contributing to it simultaneously.