Resources for Topic 3: Cues of Belonging

Below are some of our favorite resources on cues of belonging from around the web. Please let us know if we're missing any that should be included here!

Warmly Greeting Students/Making Eye Contact/Using Students’ Names

• [Video] Building Community in the Classroom, via the Teaching Channel
  Watch a elementary school teacher warmly greet and make eye contact with the young students in her classroom.
• [Video] Build Relationships: Teach more than just ‘Math,’ via the Teaching Channel
  Watch a middle school teacher warmly greet her students, use their names, and make eye contact with them.
• [Video] Building Culture: Strategies for Starting, via the Teaching Channel
  Watch a high school teacher warmly interact with and make eye contact with her students.

Name Pronunciation

• Gonzalez, J. (2015, April 4). How We Pronounce Student Names, and Why it Matters. Cult of Pedagogy
  Short article on the importance of pronouncing students’ names correctly and strategies for getting it right.
• My Name, My Identity
  A campaign created by the Santa Clara County Office of Education to build a culture of respect in school communities by acknowledging, respecting, and correctly pronouncing students’ names. Includes resources for teachers.

Representing All Students in Your Classroom

• Creating Inclusive College Classrooms, via University of Michigan
  This post outlines strategies to increase representation of all students in your classroom.
• Lynch, M. (2012, March 7) Promoting Respect for Cultural Diversity in the Classroom. The Huffington Post
  Brief article on the importance of creating culturally inclusive classrooms and strategies for doing so.
• [Video] Why I Hate Black History Month
  In this video, a woman talks about her experience being one of the few Black students in the classroom during Black History Month. This video highlights two common issues that can impede students’ sense of belonging:
  1. Many students are put in the position of being a “spokesperson” for their race, gender, culture, religion, sexuality etc., which can make students feel isolated, put upon, and frustrated, as they cannot possibly represent an entire group of people.
  2. In many classrooms, everyday curricula does not reflect a diverse range of history or experiences, and instead favors White students’ history and experiences.