In August 2018, I was blessed to conduct four hours of professional development for school leaders, teachers, and staff of the Lewis Center for Educational Research (LCER). The LCER oversees two charter schools: Norton Science and Language Academy in San Bernardino, California, and the Academy for Academic Excellence (AAE) in Apple Valley, California. During the … Continue reading “Just Don’t Give Up!”: Advice from an Air Force Colonel to Schools & Educators
In July 2018, I faced a dilemma that countless African Americans throughout history have faced: become an anti-White racist or resist the overwhelming urge to do so. A series of race-related recent events and news stories had pushed me to this crucial point. One incident pertained to a White teacher who put her foot on … Continue reading Why I Chose Not to Become a Racist
One week before the 2016-17 school year ended, I conducted a professional development workshop at a public elementary school in California. This predominantly Latino school was located in the school district’s lowest-income neighborhood. At the beginning of the workshop, I asked the 26 teachers to tell me their names, how long they’d taught at the … Continue reading Equity, Mindsets & Transformational Teaching
Presented by Dr. Gail Thompson – Transcription Below Introduction Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Illuminate Whiteboard Series. I’m Dr. Gail Thompson. And I am the equity and professional development expert at Illuminate Education. I’m also an author and researcher. Classroom Management Today, I’d like to talk to you about classroom management. During my travels conducting … Continue reading Classroom Management Tips and Tricks
Presented by Dr. Gail Thompson – Transcription Below Introduction Hello everyone. Welcome to the Illuminate Whiteboard Series. I’m Dr. Gail Thompson, Professional Development and Equity Expert at Illuminate Education. I’m also an author and researcher. Today, I want to talk about parent engagement because educators know that parent involvement is important and it’s correlated to … Continue reading Effective Ways to Engage Underserved Students
In recent years, “equity” has become a buzz word and popular topic in K-12 schools, higher education, businesses, and even in religious organizations. A common definition is that whereas “equality” results in giving everyone the same thing, “equity” equates to giving individuals what they need. In schools, equity results in treating all children fairly and … Continue reading Equity: A Practical Guide for Educators
This article was co-authored with Katya Mocalis. For more resources or if you have any questions, please contact her at kmocalis@illuminateed.com or Dr. Gail Thompson at gthompson@illuminateed.com. ***** A high school teacher in Southern California was shocked one day to learn that one of her students had used a permanent marker to draw a swastika on … Continue reading What You Can Do When the Swastika Appears in Your Classroom
During my travels conducting professional development workshops at conferences and in schools throughout the U.S., one of the main complaints that I hear from teachers and school leaders pertains to “student misbehavior.” Although they start their careers with high hopes and a desire to help students succeed, as a result of student misbehavior, many educators—especially those … Continue reading Transform Your Classroom with a Culturally Responsive Curriculum
Victor Villaseñor is a bestselling author of numerous novels and memoirs, including Rain of Gold; Burro Genius: A Memoir; Wild Steps of Heaven; Thirteen Senses: A Memoir; and Macho! Some of his books have been nominated for awards, and at least one is scheduled to be made into a television mini-series. Today, Victor lives … Continue reading An Overlooked Genius: How to Empower Students with Disabilities
Although President Donald Trump has promised to “make America great again,” the truth is that America has never reached its potential to be a great nation for many U.S. residents. This is especially true for its “stepchildren”—students who have been historically underserved by the U.S. public school system. Test scores, graduation rates, dropout rates, grade-level … Continue reading Becoming Fearless, Serious & Strategic About Equity in Schools