The Benefits Of Introducing Equity Professional Development For Teachers In Your School District
Most teachers and other professionals in your school district will tell you that they treat all of the students equally, regardless of the student's race, gender, or other identifying characteristics. This is likely true, at least within the teacher's mind. But achieving true equality or equity within your school district can be harder than just deciding to do it. Equity professional development training for teachers can teach your educators about how their own backgrounds or upbringings may cause them to react to different students in different ways, even if they are not actively making a choice in their mind to treat someone differently. Here's how sending every teacher to equity training can benefit your teachers, your students, and your school district.
Help Your Teachers Recognize Their Own Natural Biases and Make Adjustments Where Needed
Equity professional development training will give real-world examples of how a student of a certain gender, race, or other identity-based characteristics may be treated differently than other students by the adults in the room. It could be the way a teacher decides to discipline a student when they misbehave or the specific word choices the teacher makes when giving feedback for an assignment. This training from a professional consultant will make the teacher more aware of the little things they may not even know they are doing or saying every day that might need to change if they want to help the school create a more inclusive culture.
Build A Culture of Inclusiveness That Will Benefit Every Student
The difference that a culture focused around equity within your school may be subtle at first, but the long-term effect is that every student of every background will feel more comfortable and welcome in your school, and that may help everyone of every gender or race as they move forward in life. Students that otherwise might feel like they are on the outside may feel more willing to speak up in class and remain engaged with each lesson.
Protect Your School District's Reputation By Maintaining An Environment Where Everyone Can Succeed
Equity professional development training for every teacher can benefit your school district as a whole because your district will gain a reputation as being progressive and on the cutting edge of the latest trends in education. It could help protect your school from a liability standpoint because it will make it clear the district has done everything it can to create an inclusive culture throughout each building.