Congratulations to the 2025 Illinois Teacher of the Year, VΓctor GΓ³mez! Your passion and impact inspire us all. We also celebrate the full ISTOY cohortβan extraordinary group of changemakers representing the very best of Illinois education. Thank you for all you do! π§΅
Bloomington residents discover the one event Dan Brady won't show up to.
For the last 8 years.
Right back at you! I learned a lot tonight!
Do it with intention.
A7. Make it more than a month. Make celebrating black innovation & inspiration (past, present, & future) part of your classroom culture throughout the whole school year. #T2Tchat #EduSky
I love this! Esports really is the perfect avenue for students to see their worth, and I love that higher ed is embracing it too!
A7: You are entering a very politicized profession right now, but you are prepared for the fight! Build authentic, diverse voices into your curricula all year, and do it with intention. If this is your norm, you are less likely to get pushback during BHM. Youβve got this! #T2Tchat
THIS! It is not our job to help them reach OUR dreams β which often center on grades and graduation; it is our job to nurture theirs! The grades will fall into place once you do that!
A6: I believe them. If they tell me their dreams, I believe them. Itβs that simple. I used to approach this so incorrectly. I thought showing my degrees would inspire them, when really it drove a wedge between some of them. Find the thing that makes them sprout, and water it. #T2Tchat
We have a Dream Journal! They reflect on the shared sentiment towards the American Dream felt by Americans at the end of each decade, and then there is a section where they reflect on how diverse perspectives align or deviate from that sentiment!
A5: I think an emoji would work better: π«£
Admittedly, this is an area of growth. While my intention is collaboration when communicating home, the impact isnβt actually yielding meaningful collaboration. I think itβs super important to poll families on HOW theyβd like to stay involved! #T2Tchat
One of the most powerful videos Iβve watched recently is Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience. I posted about it recently. Itβs outstanding and inspiring. www.pbs.org/video/forgin...
Yes! Iβve been leaning into the significance behind Black entertainers. We often donβt picture them when thinking about βpop culture,β but every viral phrase was coined by a Black person. Whether itβs the Grammys, the Super Bowl, or TikTok dances, we are a living history! #T2Tchat
A4: I think Black students are hyper aware of how society views them. Schools must affirm that we view them as more than a month, more than a costume, and more than a lesson. Black voices should be apart of the decision-making, curriculum, and student advocacy/leadership of the school. #T2Tchat
This level of prep will help ensure that you know which sites students are using rather than sending them on a time-wasting hunt for info. Please donβt send students to search Google willy-nilly; itβs not wise or safe. Here's a few resources to support your work: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Itβs not too late to join us!
I turn to my colleagues in the history department. Theyβve done such a wonderful job of incorporating Black experiences throughout their curriculum. Honestly, they helped me realize I could do the same. #T2Tchat
It really is in the design! That shows the intentionality!
A2: One way I make sure students see themselves represented in my classroom year-round is making sure the texts truly sees them as THEY feel seen. While our struggles may be similar, itβs unfair for me (and authors) to assume our lived experiences are! #T2Tchat
A2. One way I make sure students see themselves represented in my classroom year-round is through the literature I incorporate in my curriculum. It is so powerful for my students to see themselves reflected in the books available to them in my room and taught in my class. #t2tchat #EduSky
YES! I love this push for representation. I loved the literary cannon growing up, but my brother did not, and he still doesnβt enjoy reading. I wonder how different that wouldβve been had he felt seen. Thanks for joining us! #T2Tchat
A2: One way I make sure students see themselves represented in my classroom year-round is making sure the texts truly sees them as THEY feel seen. While our struggles may be similar, itβs unfair for me (and authors) to assume our lived experiences are! #T2Tchat
I LOVE the idea of connecting youth to HBCUs!
A1: I teach special education junior lit/comp! In Lit, weβve been exploring the American Dream. Rather than focus on the 1920s/Gatsby, Iβve had students track the pursuit of the Dream over the last century from different diverse perspectives! #T2Tchat
Students will explore films, poems, memoirs, and informational texts that highlight the Black experience. Far too often, the Black voice is left out of the picture unless the convo is on trauma or civil rights. We are more than our trauma, and we are more than just a month. #T2Tchat