Respecting Differences
I use strategies and practices that are likely to enable students to demonstrate respect for and affirm their own and other’s differences related to background, identity, language, strengths, and challenges.
Designed lessons in the advanced art classes to encourage students to visually communicate their thoughts and feelings about social and political happenings, including the presidential election.
Participation in the VIEW (Equity) Committee in developing a School Climate Survey
Checked in with and provided feedback to student artists working on the Tenacity Challenge mural, , an annual academic scholarship competition for teams of Latino and African-American students from urban and suburban high schools across Massachusetts, and with the Feminism class in developing their own mural.
For the past few years, served as a judge for the murals competition of the Tenacity Challenge.
Developed an assignment to make the winter display in the town common more universal and inclusive. The idea was discussed with one of our English teachers, also a co-chair of our diversity and inclusion committee, and with the elementary and high school art teachers, before being developed into a lesson plan. My Graphic Design class piloted the project, and it was then introduced to other classes. We shared our resulting images with the art teachers at all the other schools with the intention that they do similar projects themselves so that we would have a wide-ranging selection of work for the town common. I met with the town's Board of Selectmen about the proposal, which was approved.
Collected resources on race for art teachers for use by Burlington art teachers and others.
Oversaw seniors internships for six students creating a mural to welcome students in many languages and visually representative of different races and orientations; and another student working on a more culturally inclusive list of art historical and contemporary artists from around the world, to be shared with art teachers, students, and the school community for various purposes, including a planned-for student-curated school art museum project with student-written museum cards (inspired by the MFA Boston's Black Histories Black Futures exhibition.).
Redesigned curriculum map format for the department to include a column for culturally diverse connections.