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USM Teacher Education Department
Equity Framework For Teacher Educators and Intern Teachers
Definition
Equity means that
- All students are sufficiently supported, as needed, in their paths to success
- No student is denied educational opportunities based on assumptions about his or her race, cultural and ethnic heritages, gender, class, abilities, or other aspects of diversity
- Teachers develop a climate of mutual understanding, celebration, and positive response inclusive of all individuals and worldviews
Understandings
In order to realize equity, we must understand that
- Each person has cultural identities and intelligences that are multi-dimensional and dynamic
- Each person brings valuable learning strengths and experiences to the classroom and these, rather than perceived deficits, are the best source for further learning
- Motivation and academic success depend upon feeling safe and cared for, and having a sense of belonging
- Empathetic relationships with others is a necessary foundation for healthy learning communities
- There are inequities and power differences in our society that are often mirrored in the norms and practices of our schools and classrooms
Practices
Based on these understandings, we seek to engage our students by
- Understanding ourselves as cultural beings so that we can understand others in the same way
- Knowing our students well, identifying and celebrating their identities, cultural backgrounds, intelligence strengths, preferred learning modalities, and aspirations
- Assessing students' knowledge, skills, and dispositions in order to be responsive to learners' needs and give formative feedback
- Providing challenging work for all students with levels of support as needed
- Fostering classroom environments where all students feel safe, cared for, and a sense of belonging
- Contextualizing lessons and units using student interests and strengths and the experiences and skills they bring from home and community
- Applying the principles of universal design for learning and strategies for differentiated learning in our planning and instruction
- Modeling the behaviors that we expect of our students
- Inquiring into our own practices and reflecting upon equity implications for our students
- Examining and addressing the structures and codes of power in our schools and classrooms
- Advocating for the fair and equitable treatment of our students
- Collaborating with partner schools to focus attention on issues of equity
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