We find that working with groups of teachers is most effective when we can incorporate information and resource sharing, practice and reflection. Spreading the collaboration out enables teachers to take their learning back into their classrooms, work and experiment with students, and then come back together to process, reflect and revise. These options below are meant to offer some sequences that we have found to be very helpful. That being said, they are all malleable and can be specialized based on the needs of the group.
ONE
Collaborative planning session with organizer
Optional (and suggested) reading to prepare for first class
Six hours of class (broken into two or three sessions)
Debrief with organizer including making a plan for praxis
Four
Collaborative planning session with organizer
Optional (and suggested) reading to prepare for first class
Eight hours of class (broken into three or four sessions)
Debrief with organizer
Three 2-hour reflection, check in, praxis space 1-2 months after classes end
45 minute 1:1s with each teaching team
Two
Collaborative planning session with organizer
Optional (and suggested) reading to prepare for first class
Six hours of class (broken into two or three sessions)
Debrief with organizer
One 2-hour reflection, check in, praxis space 1-2 months after classes end
Five
Collaborative planning session with organizer
Optional (and suggested) reading to prepare for first class
Eight hours of class (broken into three or four sessions)
Debrief with organizer
Monthly reflection, check in, praxis space 1-2 months after classes end
45 minute 1:1s with each teaching team
Three
Collaborative planning session with organizer
Optional (and suggested) reading to prepare for first class
Eight hours of class (broken into three or four sessions)
Debrief with organizer
Two 2-hour reflection, check in, praxis space 1-2 months after classes end
six
Design your own based off the suggestions here.
This design could bring in other groups mid way (for examples if we start with teachers we could bring in parents). It also could include curriculum writing support and reflection, as well as classes and workshop space focusing on liberation pedagogies and what Carla Shalaby refers to as “abolitionist classroom management.”