Congratulations on taking the first step of your journey to become an educator! You are about to embark on an innovative adventure. This text will help you learn how to establish equitable learning opportunities for all students. However, this is more than just a book. It is an interactive experience. As you read, or listen, you will be prompted to participate in digital activities. You will also notice we intentionally include the terms he, she, they, and Latinx to acknowledge all gender identities.
We hope this text helps you reflect on professional and personal decisions about the kind of teacher you want to become, what types of materials you select to teach, and how you want to interact with your students and their parents/guardians. After reading and interacting with each chapter you will contribute to your own E-Portfolio that will showcase how you can establish equitable learning opportunities for all students!
Author Bio Dr. Stacy A. Griffin:
Dr. Stacy A. Griffin is an educator, literacy consultant, and author. As an educator, Dr. Griffin has been an elementary school teacher, literacy coach, literacy specialist, curriculum and instructional specialist, online course developer, adjunct professor, affiliate professor, and student teacher supervisor. She is currently an adjunct professor at California State University, Long Beach in the Department of Teacher Education, the Liberal Studies Department, the Reading Authorization Program, and the Dual Language Development Master’s Program.
Additionally, Dr. Griffin is an independent literacy consultant and an Instructional Leader at Project Social Justice through Language, Literacy, and Leadership at UCLA Center X. She provides interactive professional development workshops for educators and administrators to deepen their understanding of best practices in literacy, integrate cognitive and social constructivism with digital learning, and differentiate instruction for diverse learners. As an author, Dr. Griffin has written language arts and history/social science texts for preservice teachers. She has been the book reviewer for The California Reader since 2014. Furthermore, Dr. Griffin has been a speaker at the California Reading Association Annual Conference and has presented research at the local, state, and national levels. Her work and service have been recognized by the educational community.
Author Bio Dr. Rita Suh:
Dr. Rita Suh is an educator in Southern California. As an educator, she has held many roles: classroom teacher, intervention teacher, literacy coach, special projects TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) and an educational therapist for students with learning disabilities. She is currently an adjunct professor at CSU Long Beach in the Department of Teacher Education and Department of Advanced Studies in Education and Counseling.
In addition to teaching at CSULB, she is the Lead Coach in the Culture and Equity Project at UCLA Center X and an Instructional Leader at Project Social Justice through Language, Literacy and Leadership at UCLA Center X. She provides professional development trainings to expand educators’ knowledge of how to empower their students and use students’ cultural and linguistic capital as an asset in the classroom. She works with educators to critique dominant beliefs and norms so that their classrooms and schools are places where the culture of those who are typically underserved are sustained and centered.
As a result of her many roles, she has garnered expertise in training educators, building professional relationships, increasing engagement, and helping educators use culturally and linguistically responsive approaches to ultimately increase student achievement. She has been a reviewer for American Educational Research Association (AERA) for several years and has presented research and professional development for districts, universities, and research and teaching conferences.
Chapter 1: Qualities of Effective Teachers in Diverse Classrooms
Chapter 2: Classroom Ecology
Chapter 3: Supporting Social and Emotional Well-Being
Chapter 4: Historical Structural and Institutional Racism
Chapter 5: Conscious and Unconscious Bias
Chapter 6: Instructional Approaches for Cultural and Linguistic Differences
Chapter 7: Instructional Approaches for English Language Learners
Chapter 8: Instructional Approaches for Students Who Have Learning and/or Physical Differences
Chapter 9: Instructional Approaches for Students who are Academically Advanced
Chapter 10: Inclusive Approaches for Students with Gender Differences or Students Who Identify as LGBTG+
Chapter 11: Assessing and Communicating Student Progress