Don’t Ignore Emotions In Equity Work

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Don’t ignore emotions in equity work — embrace them

By Jacobē Bell

Categories: Change management, Coaching, Continuous improvement, Data, Evaluation & impact, Reaching all students, Social & emotional learning

Imagine you’re an instructional coach reviewing student perspective data with teachers. As part of a schoolwide survey, students have answered questions about their experiences with their teachers, such as: How respectful is your teacher toward you? How much do you matter to others in this class? How often does this teacher take time to make sure you understand the material? This data affects students and teachers on a personal level — and the results for many of the teachers are upsetting. One teacher is in tears because, despite her hard work, only 38% of her students responded favorably to this question: Overall, how interested are you in this class? Seeing the teacher’s distress — and feeling some of his own — a school administrator soothes

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References

High Tech High Graduate School of Education. (n.d.). Data for equity protocol. hthgse.edu/resources/data-for-equity-protocol/

James Madison University Tutor Resources. (n.d.). Microaggressions. www.jmu.edu/uwc/tutor-resources/microaggressions.pdf

Menakem, R. (2017). My grandmother’s hands: Racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies. Central Recovery Press.

Jacobē Bell

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Dr. Jacobē Bell is a transformative educational leader, currently serving as a Network Director with expertise in culturally responsive school improvement. With over 20 years of experience as a National Board Certified Teacher, Instructional Coach, Network Administrator, and Consultant across public and charter sectors, Jacobē specializes in supporting school transformation, developing impactful instructional coaches, mentoring educators, and helping leaders build strategic, student-centered systems. She is the author of Reclaiming Authenticity: Unearth Your True Self and Build an Equitable Classroom, which empowers educators to create dynamic classrooms where all students flourish.