cultural competence

What I Love About José Vilson’s “This Is Not a Test”

by Jennifer Gonzalez

Technology has allowed us to connect with other like-minded teachers, people whose ideas and convictions help bolster and refine our own, who put the thoughts we can’t quite explain into words that are powerful, honest and brave. People like José Vilson.

How We Pronounce Student Names, and Why it Matters

by Jennifer Gonzalez

Mutilating someone’s name is a tiny act of bigotry. Whether you intend to or not, what you’re communicating is this: Your name is different. Foreign. Weird. It’s not worth my time to get it right.

Race in the Classroom: There’s a Manual for That

by Jennifer Gonzalez

83 percent of U.S. teachers are white. Nearly half our students are not. However uncomfortable it may be to talk about, this makes a difference. The good news is, a set of best practices is starting to emerge.

Interview with an ESL Teacher

by Jennifer Gonzalez

Kim talks about the complexities of teaching English-language learners and the well-intended mistake so many teachers make when working with this population.