Comprehensible Input isn’t just about language—it’s about equity, access, and giving every student a fair shot at success in your classroom.

🎯 Take our free CI Proficiency Quiz and find out your Comprehensible Input teaching level at https://imim.us/ciquiz.

In this episode of Comprehend THIS! we’re diving into Equity & CI: Why This Matters with two powerhouse guests — Adriana Ramírez and Jackie Deming-Plunk. We explore how comprehension-based instruction breaks down barriers, supports all learners (especially the ones traditional methods leave behind), and helps teachers advocate for equity without burning out. You’ll walk away with practical routines, admin-friendly talking points, and a mindset shift that’ll change how you see your classroom forever.

#ComprehensibleInput, #EquityInEducation, #LanguageTeaching, #WorldLanguageTeacher, #SpanishTeachers, #TeachingStrategies, #CIClassroom, #TeacherPodcast, #ComprehendTHIS, #ImmediateImmersion

Hosts:

• Scott Benedict - https://www.instagram.com/immediateimmersion
• Adriana Ramirez - https://www.instagram.com/@veganadri
• Jackie Deming-Plunk

Resources & Links:

• CI Survival Kit: https://imim.us/kit
• Webinar Club: https://imim.us/club
• Adriana’s YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@learningthroughreading
• Adriana Ramirez - https://www.adrianaramirez.ca/

Join the Conversation:

Got thoughts or your own story? Share it in the comments or tag us @ImmediateImmersion!

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Connect with Scott:

Host: Scott Benedict — Immediate Immersion

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<b>Good morning and welcome this morning.</b>

<b>How is everybody doing this morning?</b>

<b>I know it's early on a Sunday morning.</b>

<b>Can't remember what day it is.</b>

<b>So, if you ever had one of those moments</b>

<b>where you realize, "Oh wait, this isn't</b>

<b>just about language teaching.</b>

<b>It's about giving every</b>

<b>single kid a real shot at success."</b>

<b>Yeah, that's the vibe today.</b>

<b>We're diving headfirst into equity and CI</b>

<b>and before you roll your eyes and say,</b>

<b>"Great, another buzzword. Hold on,</b>

<b>because this one actually matters."</b>

<b>Joining me are two absolute legends who</b>

<b>prove that equity isn't a slogan.</b>

<b>It's a daily practice. First up, Adriana</b>

<b>Ramirez, Colombian author, teacher and</b>

<b>professional heart warmer,</b>

<b>whose passion for her students and her</b>

<b>culture basically radiates</b>

<b>through every story she tells.</b>

<b>Seriously, she could probably make verb</b>

<b>conjugation sound like poetry.</b>

<b>And then there's Jackie Demingplunk</b>

<b>holding it down in West Tennessee,</b>

<b>bringing CI magic to her</b>

<b>students since year one.</b>

<b>She's a teacher who reminds us that this</b>

<b>stuff works, even when your Wi-Fi doesn't</b>

<b>and your principal still thinks input</b>

<b>means an email suggestion box.</b>

<b>We're talking about real equity here, not</b>

<b>the fancy PD Sly version.</b>

<b>How CI helps the kids who usually get</b>

<b>left behind, how to explain it to that</b>

<b>skeptical colleague, and how to keep your</b>

<b>sanity while doing it all.</b>

<b>So grab your coffee or like me, your Diet</b>

<b>Pepsi, or whatever keeps you</b>

<b>alive during grading season,</b>

<b>because this episode is all about</b>

<b>teaching with heart and keeping it real.</b>

<b>We'll be right back</b>

<b>after the short messages.</b>

<b>Ever feel like you're clinging to the</b>

<b>edge of your teacher planner, just hoping</b>

<b>today's lesson magically appears?</b>

<b>Enter the CI Survival Kit, a monthly</b>

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<b>but also love not reinventing</b>

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<b>Each month you get fresh, ready-to-use</b>

<b>lessons, time-saving tools, and just</b>

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<b>Sign up at mm.us.survival and let the</b>

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<b>Welcome to Comprehend This, real talk for</b>

<b>real language teachers.</b>

<b>No drills, no dry theory, just honest</b>

<b>stories, practical ideas, and a reminder</b>

<b>you're not alone in the CI trenches.</b>

<b>Let's dive in.</b>

<b>Good morning, ladies. How</b>

<b>are we doing this morning?</b>

<b>Doing great.</b>

<b>Good. Still like waking up.</b>

<b>Aren't we all? Yeah, it's early Sunday</b>

<b>morning, especially for us on the West</b>

<b>Coast, because it's just eight o'clock</b>

<b>here on the West Coast.</b>

<b>So it is early on a Sunday morning. I</b>

<b>welcome you both here. Jackie's been here</b>

<b>before. It's our first time having</b>

<b>Adriana, and it's a special time, because</b>

<b>as I was talking to her</b>

<b>just before we started,</b>

<b>one of my favorite books I love to read</b>

<b>with my level twos is Me Perdia in</b>

<b>Medellin. I got lost in Medellin, and I</b>

<b>was explaining how great</b>

<b>the culture is and how she explains the</b>

<b>culture through the eyes of, it's a</b>

<b>Canadian, not an American for once,</b>

<b>it's got a Canadian kid and a Colombian</b>

<b>native, and how they explore the city and</b>

<b>the culture as it comes out naturally is</b>

<b>just a really amazing book.</b>

<b>And she's written so many books. And why</b>

<b>I love her and other authors like her is</b>

<b>because she's written the books, exposing</b>

<b>the culture from her own perspective.</b>

<b>So unlike a typical and forgive my lack</b>

<b>of a better term, but from a white</b>

<b>perspective, from a North American</b>

<b>perspective, we're getting a actual</b>

<b>person who's experienced the culture,</b>

<b>writing about their own culture, and it</b>

<b>gives a whole different perspective on</b>

<b>the world and worldviews. I remember the</b>

<b>first time that I was working with</b>

<b>Adriana in one of her courses,</b>

<b>and she had a big idea about ecotourism,</b>

<b>which really hit home for me and made a</b>

<b>lot of sense with me. And we talk about</b>

<b>it in our classes now.</b>

<b>So I guess can't highly recommend. So</b>

<b>it's an honor to have Adriana here with</b>

<b>us. And Jackie, as I said, she's been</b>

<b>here multiple times.</b>

<b>We love her every time she's here. She's</b>

<b>got some great ideas. So</b>

<b>welcome to both of you.</b>

<b>Thank you. Thank you. And nice to meet</b>

<b>you, Jackie. Nice to</b>

<b>meet you too, finally.</b>

<b>So today we're talking about equity and</b>

<b>CI. And I know it's a big deal,</b>

<b>especially with the American</b>

<b>administration that's going on right now.</b>

<b>It's not exactly a nice topic. And what I</b>

<b>love at the school district, one of the</b>

<b>reasons I picked the school district that</b>

<b>I'm working at right now is we have</b>

<b>equity in our slogan.</b>

<b>It's something that is not just spoken</b>

<b>about. It's shown throughout everything</b>

<b>that we do from our superintendent all</b>

<b>the way down to our custodial</b>

<b>staff and our kitchen staff.</b>

<b>We have people of every color, every</b>

<b>race, every nationality, every religion</b>

<b>exposed. Our</b>

<b>superintendent is African-American.</b>

<b>We have so many different cultures</b>

<b>represented. Usually schools boast that</b>

<b>because the student body shows that.</b>

<b>But not only does our student body</b>

<b>reflect that, our teachers and our</b>

<b>custodians and our</b>

<b>administration all show that as well.</b>

<b>So I think it's a really big deal. We</b>

<b>have been taking the stance of equity</b>

<b>long before this term.</b>

<b>But with this term, we've taken a better</b>

<b>stance. We prepare what to do if, you</b>

<b>know, ICE comes into our</b>

<b>classrooms or our schools.</b>

<b>We have safe harbors for parents. We cut</b>

<b>out emails letting them know that if you</b>

<b>have an issue with you or question,</b>

<b>you've got a safe place to come.</b>

<b>And we have, I think we said we have 53</b>

<b>different languages</b>

<b>represented at our schools.</b>

<b>And we translate most of our stuff into</b>

<b>at least the four big common ones.</b>

<b>English, Spanish, Arabic,</b>

<b>Mandarin. I guess there's five.</b>

<b>And Russian. So everything that we get</b>

<b>sent out, every email to parent,</b>

<b>everything. And we have a system in our</b>

<b>school that if we don't speak that</b>

<b>language, we can</b>

<b>submit our work beforehand.</b>

<b>Our lesson plans, our worksheets and</b>

<b>someone will translate them for them into</b>

<b>the language the kid needs.</b>

<b>So it's a really big deal for us. And</b>

<b>that's one of the reasons I like the</b>

<b>district that I'm in, because we are.</b>

<b>So it's not just a word saying equity and</b>

<b>that we treat all kids equally. We</b>

<b>actually put our</b>

<b>actions behind our words.</b>

<b>So I really appreciate that. And right</b>

<b>now, as I said, in America, at least with</b>

<b>the atmosphere that we currently have, it</b>

<b>seems like it's us against them.</b>

<b>And it shouldn't be that way at all,</b>

<b>because, you know, they always said</b>

<b>America was the melting pot and it</b>

<b>doesn't seem like we're that way lately</b>

<b>in the last year and a half or so.</b>

<b>So it is a great. Sorry, it's not even</b>

<b>been a year and a half. That's what's</b>

<b>scary. It's only been a half a year. Oh,</b>

<b>my gosh, that's been terrifying.</b>

<b>So so we're going to try to stay not so</b>

<b>political here, but it's</b>

<b>something that's really important.</b>

<b>I know it's important to me and I know</b>

<b>it's important to</b>

<b>Adriana and Jackie as well.</b>

<b>So let's start off by saying, when did</b>

<b>you first connect those dots that</b>

<b>teaching for</b>

<b>comprehension was really about equity?</b>

<b>Who would like to go first? Are you going</b>

<b>to assign? No, it's</b>

<b>just where I want to start.</b>

<b>I'll let you go first, Adriana.</b>

<b>That is a very hard and interesting</b>

<b>question. I think I cannot pinpoint a</b>

<b>specific date, but it's a journey.</b>

<b>Definitely when I was teaching with more</b>

<b>grammar, traditional approach, it didn't</b>

<b>feel equitable at all,</b>

<b>but I didn't know better.</b>

<b>So that is what I was doing when I knew I</b>

<b>was failing a lot of my students, because</b>

<b>just a few of them would actually acquire</b>

<b>the language or learn the</b>

<b>language if it's that way.</b>

<b>And the joy was not part of the class.</b>

<b>Hope was not part of the class. Success</b>

<b>was not part of the class.</b>

<b>So when I started incorporating my</b>

<b>methodologies into my practice, I started</b>

<b>seeing a switch in the students.</b>

<b>Happiness, hope is what is most important</b>

<b>to me right now, hope of learning.</b>

<b>And that also changed when I changed my</b>

<b>grading system, because first I started</b>

<b>using the methodologies first, but I kept</b>

<b>a traditional grading system with</b>

<b>percentages and average and everything.</b>

<b>So still, even though the methodology,</b>

<b>the approach was more equitable, the</b>

<b>grading system kind of like cut a lot of</b>

<b>the good things that I was doing.</b>

<b>But when I changed my grading system for</b>

<b>a proficiency scale, then I realized, OK,</b>

<b>now I think this is</b>

<b>equitable because it doesn't matter.</b>

<b>I'm not going to punish you for mistakes.</b>

<b>I'm not going to</b>

<b>punish you at an average.</b>

<b>It's not going to ruin your mark. I'm</b>

<b>going to honor the journey</b>

<b>and the end of the journey.</b>

<b>And the end of the journey is going to</b>

<b>reflect your final mark. Unfortunately,</b>

<b>we have to give marks in an ideal world.</b>

<b>I wouldn't have to give a mark. We're</b>

<b>just learning and having fun and enjoying</b>

<b>and getting to know each other.</b>

<b>We have to do it. That's part of what we</b>

<b>do as teachers. So is the hope.</b>

<b>So a lot of kids, I love seeing this</b>

<b>every year. I tell them this. I'm going</b>

<b>to honor your learning and your final</b>

<b>mark is what you show me at the end.</b>

<b>It's the progress of the end. You need to</b>

<b>have bad days. It's OK not to know.</b>

<b>So if you don't know today, you don't</b>

<b>know. Eventually, well, you have to show</b>

<b>me somehow that you know.</b>

<b>So work towards that. So I see a lot of</b>

<b>kids that the</b>

<b>proficiency scale has four points.</b>

<b>So which is emerging, developing,</b>

<b>proficient and extending.</b>

<b>Very simple, very easy to use.</b>

<b>A lot of kids start with developing,</b>

<b>which is fine, but they have hope. And</b>

<b>they ask me, do you think</b>

<b>I can end in a profession?</b>

<b>Of course, Mia, more. Of course you can.</b>

<b>But so they actually do. They actually</b>

<b>end in a profession or some of them even</b>

<b>end in an extending.</b>

<b>And I also realize and I tell them this,</b>

<b>that is a process that is it</b>

<b>takes more than a semester.</b>

<b>I see them a semester every day. We are</b>

<b>in a semester system, not in a year long</b>

<b>system, but semester system.</b>

<b>So it's a process that takes more than a</b>

<b>semester. So you might start with the</b>

<b>developing or even right now and finish</b>

<b>with the developing.</b>

<b>It's fine. But maybe the following year,</b>

<b>because your brain is cooking and you</b>

<b>have to let your brain cook and some of</b>

<b>us cook faster than others.</b>

<b>So when you come back to me the second</b>

<b>year, you actually might be a proficient.</b>

<b>And when you come back to me the third</b>

<b>year, you might be an extending. And I've</b>

<b>seen the journey for the journey for</b>

<b>everyone looks different.</b>

<b>But that is a</b>

<b>possibility. And it gives me hope.</b>

<b>Something that I tell them a lot is the</b>

<b>cooking process. I am neurodivergent. I</b>

<b>am dyslexic. So I am a slow cook.</b>

<b>I cook slow. I cook languages very slow.</b>

<b>I love languages. Give me time.</b>

<b>If you give me my time and respect my</b>

<b>cooking time, brain</b>

<b>cooking time, I will get there.</b>

<b>And I will get there as good as any other</b>

<b>people that is going</b>

<b>through the same process.</b>

<b>So I share that. Don't compare yourselves</b>

<b>with any other person in the class.</b>

<b>No, whatever other people are getting or</b>

<b>the way they're</b>

<b>producing, it doesn't matter.</b>

<b>We could just think of the way you cook</b>

<b>and respect that way. Maybe you're a</b>

<b>microwave microwave brain</b>

<b>like two minutes and boom.</b>

<b>Like you're good for you. And they learn</b>

<b>Spanish to some of them.</b>

<b>So good for you. But</b>

<b>guess what? I am a crockpot.</b>

<b>We're producing food, so it's OK. So I</b>

<b>love saying that because they start</b>

<b>comparing to each other.</b>

<b>Like we just have different brains.</b>

<b>Embrace that. You're here because you</b>

<b>want to learn the Spanish,</b>

<b>learn more about this culture.</b>

<b>We're becoming a family and just diving</b>

<b>through the process.</b>

<b>Absolutely. I love that family.</b>

<b>I love the analogy with cooking. I think</b>

<b>that really is a really important thing</b>

<b>because it is everybody does it.</b>

<b>It is like I always say, it doesn't</b>

<b>matter how you get to the destination,</b>

<b>whether you fly or you</b>

<b>drive or you walk or you run.</b>

<b>We all get there. That's the point is</b>

<b>that we all get there and how we get</b>

<b>there or how fast we get</b>

<b>there doesn't really matter.</b>

<b>The point is that we all get there. And</b>

<b>so I think that's a really</b>

<b>good analogy. I love that.</b>

<b>What about you, Jackie? So I part of why</b>

<b>I got into education in the</b>

<b>first place was because of.</b>

<b>Diversity and equity and social justice.</b>

<b>I remember being in my undergraduate</b>

<b>teaching program and</b>

<b>one of the first days,</b>

<b>I think it was either an intro to</b>

<b>education or intro to special education</b>

<b>foundations, one of the two.</b>

<b>You know, talking about like, OK, well,</b>

<b>what kind of school do</b>

<b>you want to teach in?</b>

<b>And I remember hearing student after</b>

<b>student after student say, oh, I want to</b>

<b>go back and teach in the private school</b>

<b>that I went to or whatever.</b>

<b>And, you know, I want to teach in a</b>

<b>really good school. And then there was me</b>

<b>who went to public school just outside of</b>

<b>a major city and was like,</b>

<b>yeah, I would really like to teach in an</b>

<b>inner city urban kind of difficult</b>

<b>school, probably one with a lot of</b>

<b>academic struggles and stuff like that.</b>

<b>And just the side eyes I got from all of</b>

<b>these 18, 19 year olds</b>

<b>going like, what is she on?</b>

<b>Like, what? Who do you think you are? So</b>

<b>that's kind of always</b>

<b>been a thing for me.</b>

<b>The first school system that I taught in</b>

<b>was not inner city, but</b>

<b>it was a very rural school.</b>

<b>Had a lot of inner city type problems.</b>

<b>This is a school district that back in</b>

<b>the day, a lot of people from Memphis</b>

<b>sent their kids to go live with family</b>

<b>there so that they wouldn't get involved</b>

<b>in gangs in Memphis.</b>

<b>And so there's like many gangs there that</b>

<b>are basically like parallels to Memphis</b>

<b>games at this point.</b>

<b>You know, so it had a lot of those inner</b>

<b>city type of problems, a lot of special</b>

<b>needs, a lot of literacy</b>

<b>issues and stuff like that.</b>

<b>And so part of the reason why I switched</b>

<b>to CI in my first year was because the</b>

<b>traditional method wasn't it wasn't</b>

<b>meeting the needs of my students.</b>

<b>They weren't learning the material and I</b>

<b>it was just frustrating for everyone</b>

<b>because they didn't have the skills in</b>

<b>English with grammar</b>

<b>and they didn't have the foundation they</b>

<b>needed to be successful in</b>

<b>a grammar focused format.</b>

<b>So I was in a district that was very into</b>

<b>promoting equity and, you know, helping</b>

<b>all learners succeed.</b>

<b>So it just kind of made sense. And so I</b>

<b>switched. I found a lot more</b>

<b>success for all of my students,</b>

<b>but particularly for my students who</b>

<b>would not have been successful</b>

<b>that first semester teaching.</b>

<b>Awesome. Yeah, it makes a really big</b>

<b>difference, I think. And let me speak to</b>

<b>it a little bit here.</b>

<b>I've got so I'll say for me, I want to</b>

<b>talk about two things that came up.</b>

<b>My second or maybe it was my third year</b>

<b>of teaching, I was the</b>

<b>only CI teacher going on.</b>

<b>And in fact, I knew it was</b>

<b>called CI. It was only TPRS.</b>

<b>It's all that we had back</b>

<b>there in the early 2000s.</b>

<b>And I started noticing that all of the</b>

<b>special needs students, the 504s and the</b>

<b>IEPs, I was getting more</b>

<b>than the average teacher.</b>

<b>I was getting a lot more of those</b>

<b>students being placed in my classroom,</b>

<b>almost to the point where I</b>

<b>was about to ask for a parapro</b>

<b>because I had so many in a class that it</b>

<b>was really hard to attend</b>

<b>to each one of their needs.</b>

<b>And what one of my what the counselor</b>

<b>told me, I says, why am I</b>

<b>getting so many of these?</b>

<b>I mean, most teachers get maybe one to</b>

<b>two in a class at a time, but</b>

<b>I'm getting six, seven, eight.</b>

<b>I've had 12 in one class out of 30.</b>

<b>Almost half of my class is on the 504 or</b>

<b>IEP, which I didn't have a problem with.</b>

<b>But I was wondering why I was</b>

<b>getting a larger percentage.</b>

<b>And I didn't understand at the time until</b>

<b>the counselor said, well, we're finding</b>

<b>that when we look at these kids and what</b>

<b>their grades in Spanish are,</b>

<b>the kids are successful in your class and</b>

<b>they're not in the other classes.</b>

<b>So we're finding that whatever you're</b>

<b>doing in that classroom is more</b>

<b>successful for the way that they think,</b>

<b>the way that they learn.</b>

<b>And they do better and have less stress</b>

<b>than they do in a traditional classroom.</b>

<b>And I really hadn't</b>

<b>thought about that before.</b>

<b>But then as I started thinking about it,</b>

<b>well, I can see why we</b>

<b>do multi learning style.</b>

<b>We are doing kinesthetic. We are doing</b>

<b>audio. We are doing visual.</b>

<b>We're using images. We're coloring. We're</b>

<b>doing all of these things that are not</b>

<b>just good for IEP or 504 students.</b>

<b>They are good for all students.</b>

<b>And when you teach to your 504s, your</b>

<b>neurodivergence, your IEP students, you</b>

<b>are not just teaching to those students.</b>

<b>You are just being a good teacher for</b>

<b>every student in the classroom.</b>

<b>And so I think that was</b>

<b>one of the big things.</b>

<b>And then another thing that always stuck</b>

<b>with me was, you know,</b>

<b>they say that only 4 percent.</b>

<b>I don't know where they got that number.</b>

<b>It's just been quoted</b>

<b>year after year after year.</b>

<b>Four percent of students can actually</b>

<b>learn from the traditional method.</b>

<b>And that four percent, most of them turn</b>

<b>into language teachers.</b>

<b>They're the ones who just love the</b>

<b>grammar rules and can soak up every</b>

<b>single one of the hundred vocabulary</b>

<b>words that they have</b>

<b>to teach in two weeks,</b>

<b>because we only have a</b>

<b>semester to teach a whole book.</b>

<b>And when I did the math and I'm not a</b>

<b>math person, but I did the math, that's</b>

<b>less than one student in</b>

<b>the classroom out of 30.</b>

<b>When you go four percent,</b>

<b>it's less than one student.</b>

<b>And if a principal or administrator knew</b>

<b>that the methodology that you chose to</b>

<b>instruct your kids only really hits one</b>

<b>kid out of the classroom,</b>

<b>they would tell you, uh-uh, you can't do</b>

<b>that. That's bad teaching that only</b>

<b>addresses the one kid in the classroom.</b>

<b>And so teaching with C.I. is so much more</b>

<b>broad and it hits more kids than a</b>

<b>traditional teaching.</b>

<b>It's because it's how we</b>

<b>actually learn languages.</b>

<b>It's not trying to reframe learning</b>

<b>languages into an academic course, which</b>

<b>is really learning about languages, not</b>

<b>learning the actual language.</b>

<b>And when kids tell me that they can't</b>

<b>learn a language, I</b>

<b>say, no, that's wrong.</b>

<b>You can't learn a language. That's true.</b>

<b>But everybody can acquire a language</b>

<b>unless you have some severe brain damage.</b>

<b>Even, you know, the most mentally</b>

<b>challenged students can</b>

<b>communicate in some way.</b>

<b>They have a way of</b>

<b>communication and acquiring language.</b>

<b>So everybody has that ability.</b>

<b>But learning language, memorization of</b>

<b>grammar rules and memorization of tons of</b>

<b>vocabulary, hasn't worked for nearly</b>

<b>anybody in the history</b>

<b>of doing it that way.</b>

<b>Because if it did, because we've been</b>

<b>requiring languages here in America, two</b>

<b>years of languages in many schools for</b>

<b>decades, and we still have</b>

<b>not created bilingual students.</b>

<b>So what we're doing is wrong.</b>

<b>And so I think it's really important from</b>

<b>what Adriana said and Jackie said about</b>

<b>hitting every student.</b>

<b>It's really, really important.</b>

<b>And my experience, because until I taught</b>

<b>at the school that I'm teaching at now,</b>

<b>mine were all, you know,</b>

<b>mostly suburban schools.</b>

<b>So we didn't have a great mix of</b>

<b>ethnicities, a great mix of religions, a</b>

<b>great mix of educational abilities.</b>

<b>These were generally higher</b>

<b>end middle class students.</b>

<b>And so we didn't have those problems.</b>

<b>The school that I'm in</b>

<b>now, it's not inner city.</b>

<b>It's right next to the city.</b>

<b>But we have a lot of the like Jackie was</b>

<b>talking about a lot of</b>

<b>the inner city problems.</b>

<b>And so I'm now experiencing a lot more of</b>

<b>the issues other than just 504s and IEPs.</b>

<b>I've got behavior issues.</b>

<b>I've got gang members.</b>

<b>I've got kids who've been in and out of</b>

<b>jail or parents have</b>

<b>been in and out of jail.</b>

<b>I've got drunk parents</b>

<b>coming to parent conferences.</b>

<b>We've got all those kinds of issues that</b>

<b>I didn't have before.</b>

<b>And this is the best way that I know how</b>

<b>to address that and make it equal for</b>

<b>everybody, regardless of your background,</b>

<b>regardless of your</b>

<b>economics, all of that stuff.</b>

<b>Does it matter in my classroom?</b>

<b>Because I'm teaching from a perspective</b>

<b>of comprehensible input and everybody has</b>

<b>the ability to understand.</b>

<b>I think that's just so very important.</b>

<b>So that's when I first noticed that</b>

<b>second or third year when that counselor</b>

<b>was telling me that's why they were</b>

<b>putting those kids in my classroom.</b>

<b>Because they were just being more</b>

<b>successful in that type of an atmosphere.</b>

<b>And I really appreciated that.</b>

<b>Never had thought about it before.</b>

<b>And it really wasn't me</b>

<b>doing anything special.</b>

<b>It's just the methodology</b>

<b>that I've chosen to use.</b>

<b>But it really helps all kids learn better</b>

<b>than the traditional method.</b>

<b>So I think for your</b>

<b>perspectives, everybody.</b>

<b>What would you think</b>

<b>would be the benefit?</b>

<b>What do you think is the key thing that</b>

<b>CI gives students that a</b>

<b>textbook only approach doesn't?</b>

<b>Anybody want to go for that one?</b>

<b>I'll go first on this one.</b>

<b>So in the textbooks that I have looked at</b>

<b>and had to work with, one of the</b>

<b>challenges is always,</b>

<b>OK, why does this matter?</b>

<b>Why do I need to know the difference</b>

<b>between "el la los en las"?</b>

<b>Why is that a thing?</b>

<b>Why do I care?</b>

<b>Because it starts off with-- and Scott,</b>

<b>you said this before-- it starts off with</b>

<b>things that are really easy to teach,</b>

<b>but really hard to master.</b>

<b>Kids always want to</b>

<b>know why something matters.</b>

<b>So when we're doing a story in my class,</b>

<b>OK, well, why does this matter?</b>

<b>Well, because I need to know the story</b>

<b>because Profay's going</b>

<b>to test me on it later,</b>

<b>is the very base level of why it matters</b>

<b>to pay attention in my class.</b>

<b>But a lot of the kids, they develop it.</b>

<b>I want to know what happens.</b>

<b>Why is this character doing this?</b>

<b>What's going to happen next?</b>

<b>Where are they going to go?</b>

<b>And so it's more equitable</b>

<b>because it matters to them.</b>

<b>And then they're getting to apply that</b>

<b>language to their own lives and talk</b>

<b>about things that matter to them and</b>

<b>share their opinions.</b>

<b>And so it matters more.</b>

<b>Whereas if we're just talking about poor</b>

<b>and para, they both mean "for."</b>

<b>So why do I care?</b>

<b>This is hard because I have to memorize</b>

<b>stuff and I don't want</b>

<b>to memorize anything.</b>

<b>What about you, Adriana?</b>

<b>I don't think honestly approaching a</b>

<b>language through the lenses of a textbook</b>

<b>is not equitable at all.</b>

<b>A textbook is a cold, soulless thing.</b>

<b>And languages are the</b>

<b>essence of humanity.</b>

<b>This is how we</b>

<b>communicate with each other.</b>

<b>Like we are humans as long as we can</b>

<b>create relationships with others, share</b>

<b>our stories, know how you're doing.</b>

<b>Your relationships, we cannot or we could</b>

<b>not build a</b>

<b>relationship without a language.</b>

<b>Any kind of language, sign language, like</b>

<b>any way of me sharing with you how I'm</b>

<b>feeling, that's what makes me human.</b>

<b>So how am I going to pretend to put that</b>

<b>humanity in a textbook?</b>

<b>The only way to resemble that humanity in</b>

<b>my classroom is exactly doing what we do</b>

<b>when we're learning our native language</b>

<b>and it's building relationship with our</b>

<b>students, connecting with them.</b>

<b>So I already forgot the question, so I</b>

<b>don't know if I'm answering or not, but</b>

<b>the textbook will never ever resemble</b>

<b>anything close to acquiring a language.</b>

<b>I've used it.</b>

<b>I've used the textbook years ago and it</b>

<b>was dry and soulless and I</b>

<b>felt a miserable teacher.</b>

<b>And I was like, I cannot.</b>

<b>When I started, when I used it, it was</b>

<b>like, I don't know, 70 years ago and I</b>

<b>had 70 years ahead of me before retiring</b>

<b>and I cannot picture</b>

<b>myself doing this for years.</b>

<b>This soulless job, what is happening?</b>

<b>And then when I found CI,</b>

<b>I'm like, OK, this is it.</b>

<b>Now I have my people, I</b>

<b>have my family in class.</b>

<b>They are my kids.</b>

<b>I am their Spanish mother.</b>

<b>We get to know each other.</b>

<b>We can manage.</b>

<b>So there is nothing like those teachers</b>

<b>that haven't done the shift or</b>

<b>are afraid of doing the shift.</b>

<b>Just just do it.</b>

<b>Take the plunge is</b>

<b>scary at the beginning.</b>

<b>Very scary.</b>

<b>We all have been there.</b>

<b>I always tell people like I used to wear</b>

<b>black a lot at the beginning because I</b>

<b>would sweat my butt off out of the stress</b>

<b>of standing in front of the students.</b>

<b>Telling a story.</b>

<b>I could really feel me dripping.</b>

<b>But if you wear black,</b>

<b>no one knows who cares.</b>

<b>Wear black for the first</b>

<b>three years that you are doing CI.</b>

<b>And then once you have to do this thing</b>

<b>that you can't wear any other color.</b>

<b>Now I'm impairment of all.</b>

<b>I have to wear black</b>

<b>again because I get really.</b>

<b>So but yeah, no, like the textbook.</b>

<b>No, this is this is languages is humanity</b>

<b>and you cannot put humanity in a textbook</b>

<b>and you cannot reduce humanity to rules.</b>

<b>Just have to connect with the students</b>

<b>and interact with them.</b>

<b>Yes.</b>

<b>See, I have so much fun</b>

<b>and the kids love that.</b>

<b>Like I have so many kids every year who</b>

<b>are like, profane,</b>

<b>your class is my favorite.</b>

<b>We have so much fun in here.</b>

<b>You know, and it's just</b>

<b>because there is that humanity.</b>

<b>Like you're talking about Adriana.</b>

<b>You know, I have so much fun with my kids</b>

<b>and I call them my kids all the time</b>

<b>because that's like, you know, I wouldn't</b>

<b>go so far as to say I'm their Spanish</b>

<b>momma, but I'm</b>

<b>definitely their Spanish auntie.</b>

<b>Like, you know, and it's mainly just</b>

<b>because it's like, I</b>

<b>don't want to be your momma.</b>

<b>Like, I'm not your mom,</b>

<b>but I will be your aunt.</b>

<b>Like, let's let's have some fun, you</b>

<b>know, and then I will send you home to</b>

<b>your real momma, hopefully.</b>

<b>And hopefully she will pick up and have</b>

<b>fun with you as well.</b>

<b>But then they go to like their math</b>

<b>classes and they go to their English</b>

<b>classes and it's just textbook, textbook,</b>

<b>textbook, you know, which they're all on</b>

<b>the Chromebooks now.</b>

<b>But like they just get so bored from it</b>

<b>because, like you said,</b>

<b>there's no life in it.</b>

<b>There's no there's no love.</b>

<b>There's no play in a textbook.</b>

<b>And that's one of the best things about</b>

<b>the eyes that they get to play.</b>

<b>And so a lot of my kids with five of</b>

<b>course and with IEPs who have attention</b>

<b>issues, they get to be silly in my class</b>

<b>and then they get to</b>

<b>and they get to have fun.</b>

<b>And it's and it's honored and it's</b>

<b>rewarded a lot of the time.</b>

<b>And sometimes we have to rein it back in.</b>

<b>But like they get to play</b>

<b>and they get to be themselves.</b>

<b>And that's part of what brings that</b>

<b>equity in, because when they feel seen,</b>

<b>they feel honored, they feel respected.</b>

<b>They're more willing to put forth the</b>

<b>effort when it is hard</b>

<b>because it isn't always easy.</b>

<b>But, you know, they know that they're</b>

<b>supported and cared about.</b>

<b>So then they can have the</b>

<b>motivation to try and succeed.</b>

<b>Absolutely. Absolutely.</b>

<b>And it's funny that you.</b>

<b>I just lost my thought. I</b>

<b>have a thought. I just lost it.</b>

<b>I'll probably come back to it. Let me</b>

<b>just talk about what I wrote some notes</b>

<b>down as you guys are talking and I didn't</b>

<b>write the little note</b>

<b>that I wanted to say about.</b>

<b>But for me, for the textbook, what I see</b>

<b>that is it's already out of date.</b>

<b>By the time it's published, you know, the</b>

<b>references that they make and stuff,</b>

<b>because it takes so long to get from</b>

<b>conception to publishing on a textbook.</b>

<b>It's out of date. I remember when, you</b>

<b>know, the first textbook I</b>

<b>used reference Michael Jackson.</b>

<b>But Michael Jackson was already kind of</b>

<b>passé by that time.</b>

<b>Nobody was really listening to Michael</b>

<b>Jackson. And by the time we got rid of</b>

<b>that book, Michael Jackson</b>

<b>had been dead by three years.</b>

<b>So, you know, it's already passé. And I</b>

<b>like, Adriana says, it's very cold.</b>

<b>There is so much as human beings. One</b>

<b>thing that does not work well for us as</b>

<b>human beings is memorization.</b>

<b>Memorization is like a hamster wheel. And</b>

<b>as long as you keep running and keep</b>

<b>studying it, it will stay in your brain.</b>

<b>But the moment you stop, it</b>

<b>starts to leave your brain.</b>

<b>Very few things actually get stuck into</b>

<b>permanent memory through memorization,</b>

<b>flashcards and that.</b>

<b>And textbooks generally give between 50</b>

<b>and 100 vocab words per chapter.</b>

<b>And I'm like Adriana, we</b>

<b>teach a semester in a year.</b>

<b>So a year worth of Spanish in a semester.</b>

<b>That's a lot to cram down kids brains.</b>

<b>And just because they're in class for 90</b>

<b>minutes, five days a week doesn't mean</b>

<b>you can cover the same thing that you</b>

<b>would cover in an</b>

<b>hour class in two weeks.</b>

<b>And they have to memorize because we have</b>

<b>two weeks to complete a chapter and they</b>

<b>can't memorize all that</b>

<b>vocabulary and make it useful.</b>

<b>And then on top of that, that vocabulary,</b>

<b>most of it is not practical. It's not</b>

<b>high frequency vocabulary.</b>

<b>When is my kid going to be</b>

<b>able to need to know? Paperclip.</b>

<b>Once they graduate from high school,</b>

<b>unless they turn into an office job,</b>

<b>they're probably never going to have to</b>

<b>ever say the word paperclip</b>

<b>for the rest of their lives.</b>

<b>But that's a word that I have to teach.</b>

<b>And so that kind of stuff is in there.</b>

<b>And I always equate the textbook to the</b>

<b>sports. We are not an academic class, not</b>

<b>to put us down by saying</b>

<b>that we are less of a class.</b>

<b>But when I think of an academic class,</b>

<b>you're really studying and you're trying</b>

<b>to get higher in that.</b>

<b>And I think of us more like a performing</b>

<b>art or a sport where we can't you can't</b>

<b>give someone a book and say, read this</b>

<b>book and then you'll be able to play the</b>

<b>violin or read this book and you'll be</b>

<b>able to show up to football</b>

<b>on Friday and win the game.</b>

<b>You can't do that. Can you read? Can you</b>

<b>learn about the rules and</b>

<b>the history of all of that?</b>

<b>You absolutely can from a book, but the</b>

<b>actual doing of it, you</b>

<b>can't learn from a book.</b>

<b>And so I equate it like that. You can't</b>

<b>learn football from a book. And so the</b>

<b>textbook is similar in that way.</b>

<b>And I think where it really hits home</b>

<b>where CI completely kicks the butt of a</b>

<b>textbook is in personalization.</b>

<b>There is nothing personable. It's like,</b>

<b>as I'd rather say, it was</b>

<b>cold. The textbook is cold.</b>

<b>There's nothing</b>

<b>personable about the textbook.</b>

<b>The kids don't look at that textbook and</b>

<b>see themselves in that</b>

<b>in any way, shape or form.</b>

<b>And I adapt my class to it. I know every</b>

<b>week what I have to teach. I know that.</b>

<b>But what I don't know is the stories I'm</b>

<b>going to use to teach that because I have</b>

<b>different kids in</b>

<b>every class every semester.</b>

<b>And so I write stories based on those</b>

<b>kids. And that's the stories</b>

<b>that I use in my classroom.</b>

<b>We have conversations, not about some</b>

<b>generic things. We have conversations</b>

<b>about what mattered to kids.</b>

<b>What did you do over the weekend? What's</b>

<b>your favorite music?</b>

<b>It's not what my favorite music or what</b>

<b>the music in the</b>

<b>textbook is talking about.</b>

<b>I'm asking about your music, your groups,</b>

<b>your TV shows. It's about you.</b>

<b>And I write stories when we do our</b>

<b>readings. We do two readings a week.</b>

<b>And every week I write two new readings</b>

<b>based on stories from my kids</b>

<b>that I make up about my kids.</b>

<b>From something they said that was funny</b>

<b>or something I know that they do.</b>

<b>Like they have a really big hobby. I have</b>

<b>one kid who like to go on Facebook</b>

<b>Marketplace and buy antique</b>

<b>computers and stuff like that.</b>

<b>That's what he like to do. And he told us</b>

<b>a story about he went with his uncle to</b>

<b>this really strange guy's house.</b>

<b>And it was a really uncomfortable</b>

<b>situation. Well, I</b>

<b>wrote a story about that.</b>

<b>And I wrote a story, lots of stories</b>

<b>about him searching for weird things on</b>

<b>Facebook Marketplace.</b>

<b>And one of my students said to me, which</b>

<b>really hit home last year, he was an</b>

<b>average student, probably a</b>

<b>C student in most classes.</b>

<b>He got a B in my class. But he said, he</b>

<b>goes, "Profit, I hate reading. I</b>

<b>absolutely hate reading.</b>

<b>But I come into class on Thursdays and</b>

<b>Fridays and I'm</b>

<b>excited to read our stories."</b>

<b>And I knew what the answer was. And I</b>

<b>said, "Well, why is that?"</b>

<b>And he couldn't figure out why, what the</b>

<b>difference was. And one of their kids</b>

<b>goes, "It's because the</b>

<b>readings are all about us."</b>

<b>And that makes the big difference.</b>

<b>Because I can teach anything through a</b>

<b>reading about one of my students.</b>

<b>It doesn't have to be a boring, cold</b>

<b>reading about, you know,</b>

<b>using, I got to use these verbs.</b>

<b>I got to find some boring reading about</b>

<b>that as that. I can take those verbs and</b>

<b>put them into any story</b>

<b>if they're high frequency.</b>

<b>I don't have to stretch to do that. And I</b>

<b>can make the stories about my kids and</b>

<b>that's what gets them engaged.</b>

<b>And heck, I know they're going to teach</b>

<b>Romeo and Juliet in</b>

<b>ninth grade English class.</b>

<b>That is not an ancient distance story. It</b>

<b>is a real life and it's living and</b>

<b>breathing today, every</b>

<b>single day in our classroom.</b>

<b>We have one kid who is going out with</b>

<b>someone whose parents</b>

<b>don't agree with that.</b>

<b>If you turn Romeo and Juliet into that</b>

<b>story, now it's relatable.</b>

<b>And now they understand it and now they</b>

<b>see the power and potential of reading a</b>

<b>story that's hundreds of years old.</b>

<b>Because it still has</b>

<b>importance today. It has value today.</b>

<b>And so I think that's the thing that the</b>

<b>textbook is never going to be able to do.</b>

<b>Because they can never publish enough of</b>

<b>it and update enough of it for every new</b>

<b>set of kids that we have.</b>

<b>I may have to have a different story for</b>

<b>first and second and third period because</b>

<b>I have different groups that are so</b>

<b>different that I can't use a similar</b>

<b>story to get them involved.</b>

<b>And that's where I think we excel. Even</b>

<b>the textbook that my school officially</b>

<b>uses, we have a physical version and an</b>

<b>online version of it.</b>

<b>But even the online version of the book,</b>

<b>they can't update it fast enough for us</b>

<b>to adapt to all the different kids.</b>

<b>And they still have tons and tons and</b>

<b>tons and tons of vocabulary.</b>

<b>And we just had a training on it a couple</b>

<b>weeks ago for our PD and he was showing</b>

<b>us this culture, which</b>

<b>was really wonderful.</b>

<b>All the cultural resources they have.</b>

<b>They have videos and</b>

<b>newscasts and stuff like that.</b>

<b>But he said, "Okay, here's level one."</b>

<b>And I went and looked at it.</b>

<b>I'm like, "There is no way a level one</b>

<b>kid can understand this."</b>

<b>Could they get the basic idea?</b>

<b>Yeah, I could say, "Okay, we're going to</b>

<b>listen to this." And yeah,</b>

<b>you can tell me the basic idea.</b>

<b>But that's all I can do with that as it</b>

<b>stands because you wrote it way too big.</b>

<b>Why not just limit it down to something a</b>

<b>kid could understand?</b>

<b>So even the textbooks don't really get</b>

<b>the kids that we have in our classroom.</b>

<b>And so I think that's where it really,</b>

<b>really hits home there.</b>

<b>And can I say something that you made me</b>

<b>think of when you were</b>

<b>talking about the textbook also?</b>

<b>I can say most of them, I don't know all</b>

<b>the textbooks, but most of them, the ones</b>

<b>that I know, they are written</b>

<b>with a very wide perspective.</b>

<b>The approach is more a</b>

<b>touristic approach of the culture.</b>

<b>Like as a tourist, you will travel to</b>

<b>these places, mainly Spain, maybe some</b>

<b>Peru, maybe some Mexico.</b>

<b>So because we have to bring the equity</b>

<b>conversation also to the</b>

<b>things that we use in the class.</b>

<b>It's not the relationship, I mean the CI</b>

<b>relationship that we</b>

<b>built with the students.</b>

<b>Of course, it is. We've talked about it.</b>

<b>But also what kind of materials do I</b>

<b>bring to the class at the kids?</b>

<b>Either there are different things.</b>

<b>They see themselves reflected, like we've</b>

<b>heard different times or several times,</b>

<b>there's the mirrors, the</b>

<b>windows and the sliding doors.</b>

<b>So they see themselves reflected in those</b>

<b>stories that we bring</b>

<b>or those situations.</b>

<b>Or authentically, I'm opening a window or</b>

<b>a door so they can actually peek in in</b>

<b>the culture and learn from the culture.</b>

<b>So the textbooks tend to cater to a</b>

<b>tourist audience, assuming those kids</b>

<b>will be able to travel</b>

<b>and go to these places.</b>

<b>But the tourist places, which are, I</b>

<b>mean, we all have been tourists in a</b>

<b>place, are the tip of the iceberg.</b>

<b>But what is the culture behind and below</b>

<b>that iceberg that informs those places</b>

<b>and those traditions?</b>

<b>So also, I don't want to focus on the</b>

<b>touristic approach that tends</b>

<b>to be the textbook approach.</b>

<b>I want to go to the culture.</b>

<b>So it's not about eating</b>

<b>tacos or doing day of the death.</b>

<b>What is the meaning</b>

<b>of death for Mexicans?</b>

<b>Why do they do the day of the death?</b>

<b>This is a deep meaning that when I</b>

<b>learned about it to be able to bring it</b>

<b>into the class deeply, I was like, oh my</b>

<b>God, this is so beautiful and profound.</b>

<b>It's not coloring a Katrina.</b>

<b>It goes beyond that.</b>

<b>Or when we're eating a taco or eating an</b>

<b>arepa, it's not just,</b>

<b>oh, I ate the arepa.</b>

<b>What's the meaning of corn for us?</b>

<b>For arepa made of corn, the meaning of</b>

<b>corn as a staple food for us is a</b>

<b>resistance food that</b>

<b>has survived colonization.</b>

<b>500 years, we still eat</b>

<b>arepa in Colombia and Venezuela.</b>

<b>So I want also to go beyond</b>

<b>from the equity standpoint.</b>

<b>It's not this</b>

<b>superficial approach to culture.</b>

<b>I want to go beyond the culture that I am</b>

<b>teaching and I want my kids to connect</b>

<b>with that culture and also make cultural</b>

<b>comparisons and bring the</b>

<b>interculturality as a</b>

<b>huge piece into the class.</b>

<b>So this is what we do.</b>

<b>What do you do in your culture and show</b>

<b>them that we are different but equal at</b>

<b>the same time because we share things.</b>

<b>So this week I was sharing.</b>

<b>I like with my second year students.</b>

<b>I do picture talk</b>

<b>using pictures of myself.</b>

<b>This is something that I do with my</b>

<b>second year students, not</b>

<b>with my first year students.</b>

<b>I do it a lot to stay in the past tense</b>

<b>in context because I talk</b>

<b>about me when I was little.</b>

<b>I showed the pictures of me</b>

<b>in the 80s in high school.</b>

<b>I showed them pictures of my wedding.</b>

<b>They figured out how old I</b>

<b>am and they're like, what?</b>

<b>What is this?</b>

<b>So I was showing them a tradition in</b>

<b>Columbia for New Year's Eve, which is all</b>

<b>the things that we do.</b>

<b>Like we burn and we run</b>

<b>around the block with a suitcase.</b>

<b>We wear yellow underwear.</b>

<b>So I was sharing with them those</b>

<b>traditions and trying</b>

<b>to make connections.</b>

<b>Okay, so yellow for us.</b>

<b>It's the lucky color.</b>

<b>What is the lucky color for your culture?</b>

<b>So my Chinese students were saying red.</b>

<b>Okay, let's have a discussion.</b>

<b>Why red?</b>

<b>What does it mean red for you?</b>

<b>But this is all in the target language.</b>

<b>Target language coming from me.</b>

<b>And it's another equitable point that I</b>

<b>want to bring to the forefront.</b>

<b>Target language for me.</b>

<b>But I allow translanguaging from them.</b>

<b>So if they can say that in a Spanish</b>

<b>grade and I will prompt</b>

<b>them to say it in Spanish,</b>

<b>but if this is what they</b>

<b>can use is "banglish grade".</b>

<b>And if this teacher wants to participate</b>

<b>and he can say what he</b>

<b>wants to say in English,</b>

<b>go for it.</b>

<b>Because that means any ways you're</b>

<b>proving me that you're engaged, that</b>

<b>you're listening to me.</b>

<b>I am in the target language.</b>

<b>You're understanding what I am saying.</b>

<b>You're not there yet in</b>

<b>the Spanish production.</b>

<b>Fine, say it in English.</b>

<b>So they were complaining about red and</b>

<b>what it means red and when</b>

<b>they use red in their culture.</b>

<b>And then I went back to the</b>

<b>tradition and then I asked them.</b>

<b>So it was pretty neat to</b>

<b>connect with them as well.</b>

<b>So it's not just this superficial</b>

<b>approach to culture.</b>

<b>It's going deep and understanding what</b>

<b>informs these traditions and these</b>

<b>celebrations and these places</b>

<b>and connecting with their cultures.</b>

<b>So their cultures become also as</b>

<b>important as my culture or the target</b>

<b>culture that would be.</b>

<b>Absolutely.</b>

<b>I love that idea of the iceberg that</b>

<b>you're talking about because it's true.</b>

<b>Most of us only cover the</b>

<b>very tip of any culture.</b>

<b>The stuff the kids already have some</b>

<b>familiarity with or</b>

<b>that's going to excite them.</b>

<b>The food, the parties,</b>

<b>those types of things.</b>

<b>I like to focus because before I worked</b>

<b>as a teacher to get</b>

<b>myself through college,</b>

<b>I worked through airlines.</b>

<b>And one of the things we had to learn</b>

<b>about was how to approach</b>

<b>people of different cultures</b>

<b>so not to offend them with our American</b>

<b>ways of doing things.</b>

<b>And I'm a lefty and so I had to learn</b>

<b>that I like people of Muslim faith.</b>

<b>I could not hand them anything with my</b>

<b>left hand because the</b>

<b>left hand is the dirty hand.</b>

<b>Well, I'm left handed.</b>

<b>So my natural thing is always to hand</b>

<b>things with my left hand.</b>

<b>So I used to have to tuck my left hand in</b>

<b>my belt behind my back.</b>

<b>That would remind me</b>

<b>not to use my left hand.</b>

<b>I would be using my right hand so I</b>

<b>wouldn't offend these people.</b>

<b>I wasn't intentionally trying to offend</b>

<b>them but by learning about their culture</b>

<b>and what was important to them,</b>

<b>I'm bringing that humanity.</b>

<b>I'm valuing what they believe in and</b>

<b>making them feel better as human beings</b>

<b>in a culture that's not their own.</b>

<b>And I learned also like with Thai kids,</b>

<b>Americans, we like to pat</b>

<b>little kids on the head.</b>

<b>Well, for Thai kids, that's their</b>

<b>connection with God.</b>

<b>And when you put your hand on their head,</b>

<b>you're breaking that connection.</b>

<b>And so we learned a lot of these cultural</b>

<b>things that I think are much more</b>

<b>valuable than learning</b>

<b>about the Chinese New Year</b>

<b>or that the Chinese eat this food or the</b>

<b>Hispanics eat this food.</b>

<b>I think those kinds of things are much</b>

<b>more authentic to learn it because it's</b>

<b>not just superficial what</b>

<b>you can see from the outside.</b>

<b>And I like to call my feet these.</b>

<b>I like to teach the culture that makes us</b>

<b>look less ignorant as</b>

<b>Americans because Americans,</b>

<b>what you can always pick an American when</b>

<b>you go to a foreign country,</b>

<b>you can always take an American because</b>

<b>they're speaking English or they don't</b>

<b>know enough of the language.</b>

<b>They don't even want to learn like even</b>

<b>the basics like hello.</b>

<b>Thank you in that.</b>

<b>And I'll see the kid</b>

<b>going, I want a chicken.</b>

<b>And they're like they're making the</b>

<b>motions of a chicken to try to get the</b>

<b>restaurant guy to understand that that's</b>

<b>what he wants to order.</b>

<b>I want my students to understand that</b>

<b>there are different ways of doing things</b>

<b>and we want to make</b>

<b>ourselves less conspicuous.</b>

<b>We want to understand where people are</b>

<b>coming from a little bit better.</b>

<b>That's the culture that</b>

<b>I want to teach my kids.</b>

<b>I know like in Colombia</b>

<b>and Venezuela, a lot of them,</b>

<b>they point with their lips</b>

<b>rather than with their fingers.</b>

<b>And so I don't want kids to think that</b>

<b>these are how are mentally challenged</b>

<b>people because they're</b>

<b>pointing with their lips.</b>

<b>I want them to understand where this is</b>

<b>coming from and why</b>

<b>that's important or you know,</b>

<b>we a lot of people will make</b>

<b>it because I'm in California.</b>

<b>So Disneyland is a big thing that a lot</b>

<b>of cultures don't</b>

<b>queue up, don't line up.</b>

<b>They cut line in there and I'm like,</b>

<b>well, you're talking about a lot of times</b>

<b>it's the Asians and no offense to Asians.</b>

<b>But I was explaining, you know how the</b>

<b>Japanese they don't have a</b>

<b>line up culture in Japan.</b>

<b>They have such a small place and so many</b>

<b>people that they just have</b>

<b>to make room for themselves</b>

<b>and they actually have the job and the</b>

<b>kids couldn't believe this.</b>

<b>They have the job.</b>

<b>I don't know what the official name is,</b>

<b>but they're pushers.</b>

<b>They wear white gloves and they stand</b>

<b>outside elevators and train stations and</b>

<b>they are there to push as</b>

<b>many people in to the elevator</b>

<b>and into the train station as possible</b>

<b>because there just isn't enough trains</b>

<b>and elevator space for people to like,</b>

<b>let me get some body room.</b>

<b>I need to have my personal space.</b>

<b>There's none of that.</b>

<b>And I said you now that you understand</b>

<b>that's where they're coming from.</b>

<b>They come into America.</b>

<b>They don't understand that we</b>

<b>line up and that we do a line.</b>

<b>So we want to learn those cultures when</b>

<b>we go to those places when</b>

<b>in Rome do as the Romans.</b>

<b>So when you go to another culture, you</b>

<b>want to assimilate</b>

<b>yourself as much as possible.</b>

<b>So learning those everyday customs really</b>

<b>helps you much better because you</b>

<b>probably aren't going to be in Mexico on</b>

<b>the Day of the Dead.</b>

<b>You're probably not going to be in Mexico</b>

<b>on their Day of Independence.</b>

<b>You're probably not going to be in Mexico</b>

<b>and Spain and the running of the bulls.</b>

<b>So it's nice to know those things.</b>

<b>But what are the everyday cultures that</b>

<b>live and breathe within that culture?</b>

<b>And I think that's going deeper like you</b>

<b>said in that iceberg going deeper in than</b>

<b>just that surface stuff that</b>

<b>textbooks and to be honest,</b>

<b>most of us do because I have to research</b>

<b>when I research the stuff like I want to</b>

<b>go deeper in the Day of the Dead.</b>

<b>So I go and I do research to learn more</b>

<b>about where it comes from</b>

<b>because it's really interesting</b>

<b>that I am the only white person in my</b>

<b>Spanish speaking in</b>

<b>our Spanish department.</b>

<b>Everybody else is a native speaker.</b>

<b>I am not. And most of them are from</b>

<b>Mexico, but they don't even know the</b>

<b>deeper meanings of the day of the dead.</b>

<b>They're celebrating.</b>

<b>They're having the kids do "ofrendas" and</b>

<b>they're having them color the "la</b>

<b>catrinas" and do that to have a</b>

<b>celebration for Hispanic month.</b>

<b>But they're not going</b>

<b>deeper than that either.</b>

<b>And some of them don't know and I try to</b>

<b>go deeper and learn a little bit more</b>

<b>like you have about the significance of</b>

<b>death and where it actually came from</b>

<b>and why it's celebrated when it's</b>

<b>celebrated not just because it's on</b>

<b>November 1st and 2nd.</b>

<b>There's much more to it than that.</b>

<b>And I like I like that idea that iceberg.</b>

<b>I never thought about it that way, but I</b>

<b>like you like to go deeper into why</b>

<b>things are that the way that they are.</b>

<b>I think it's just much more impactful and</b>

<b>it's much more interesting for them to.</b>

<b>it's much more interesting for them to.</b>

<b>And allowing the kids in</b>

<b>the class to teach us as well.</b>

<b>In my class, I have a lot of cultures</b>

<b>like I'm very lucky.</b>

<b>like I'm very lucky.</b>

<b>Lots of cultures in my class, lots of</b>

<b>kids coming from different backgrounds.</b>

<b>So, for example, when I read my "Perdía</b>

<b>Medellín", I pulled out with them the</b>

<b>cultural elements of the story.</b>

<b>How do you say hi to people?</b>

<b>How do you order</b>

<b>something in a restaurant?</b>

<b>So you clearly can see</b>

<b>those cultural elements.</b>

<b>I pull out with them and then I tell them</b>

<b>the final oral presentation.</b>

<b>It's them sharing cultural</b>

<b>elements from their culture.</b>

<b>So very neat in different ways because</b>

<b>first the oral</b>

<b>presentation becomes very personal.</b>

<b>So they're very proud.</b>

<b>It's not like, oh, they want to memorize</b>

<b>these to the class and everyone is</b>

<b>talking about the same stuff.</b>

<b>Boring.</b>

<b>They want to teach the rest of the class</b>

<b>about their culture.</b>

<b>This is how we say hi.</b>

<b>This is what if you come to my house, I</b>

<b>will offer you this to eat and drink.</b>

<b>So you can see the pride of them sharing</b>

<b>about their culture,</b>

<b>which is pretty neat.</b>

<b>And also we are learning from each other.</b>

<b>So I've learned so much.</b>

<b>How do you order food</b>

<b>when you go to China?</b>

<b>How do you order food</b>

<b>when you go to India?</b>

<b>How do you order the bill?</b>

<b>If I go to your house and you're a</b>

<b>Chinese household,</b>

<b>what will you offer me?</b>

<b>This is what I will</b>

<b>offer you if you go to India.</b>

<b>So it's very neat to learn about each</b>

<b>other from the same cultural</b>

<b>elements and respect each other.</b>

<b>Those moments are priceless.</b>

<b>I enjoy it so much.</b>

<b>And even though maybe some of them don't</b>

<b>know why they do this,</b>

<b>it's coming from them.</b>

<b>So it's authentic and respected.</b>

<b>And it's that personalization.</b>

<b>And I think that's so important because I</b>

<b>have like you have a lot of cultures in</b>

<b>my classroom represented.</b>

<b>So I like to have to do those kinds of</b>

<b>things to compare and</b>

<b>contrast along those things.</b>

<b>Like when we talk about, you know, the</b>

<b>how some cultures in Latin America eat</b>

<b>insects, you know, grasshoppers and</b>

<b>crickets and ants and stuff like that.</b>

<b>And then we talk about how if any other</b>

<b>culture does those kinds of things are</b>

<b>why does this one culture think this is</b>

<b>good and not that one?</b>

<b>And so I like a lot of</b>

<b>those comparing in there.</b>

<b>And I like your idea as well because I</b>

<b>follow the same thing about the language</b>

<b>that not every kid can</b>

<b>express it in the target language.</b>

<b>And that's okay because they are showing</b>

<b>that they're</b>

<b>understanding the conversation.</b>

<b>I always say the only</b>

<b>language I can control is my own.</b>

<b>And so I can speak the target language.</b>

<b>But I also use that if the kid does not</b>

<b>have there's usually two reasons why they</b>

<b>can't speak in the target language.</b>

<b>It's either they don't have confidence or</b>

<b>they don't have ability.</b>

<b>But either way, it's an</b>

<b>assessment tool for me.</b>

<b>So if a kid's not trying to speak the</b>

<b>language, that's an informal assessment</b>

<b>for me that they are either lacking</b>

<b>ability or lacking confidence.</b>

<b>And I usually know the difference because</b>

<b>of the other things that they do in</b>

<b>class, whether they have the ability or</b>

<b>it's the confidence.</b>

<b>Like I know they're really strong in</b>

<b>Spanish, but they don't have the</b>

<b>confidence to use the language or they're</b>

<b>embarrassed to use the language or they</b>

<b>don't have that feeling.</b>

<b>They're going to do it</b>

<b>right in the language.</b>

<b>So I like that idea as well with you that</b>

<b>it's another form of equity because we're</b>

<b>not forcing everybody to speak the</b>

<b>language because as you said,</b>

<b>everybody's a different pot.</b>

<b>So they could be a microwave or they</b>

<b>could be a crock pot or</b>

<b>you know, it doesn't matter.</b>

<b>They just aren't where they are.</b>

<b>They are where they are right now and</b>

<b>we're not pushing to be</b>

<b>something that they're not.</b>

<b>And I think that is a big equity.</b>

<b>I want to take a quick pause because</b>

<b>we're almost to the end</b>

<b>and I want to do our trivia.</b>

<b>It's something new</b>

<b>we're going to be adding.</b>

<b>So we're going to try something new here</b>

<b>and we're going to every week.</b>

<b>We're going to start adding a CI trivia</b>

<b>question to the show.</b>

<b>Just a fun way to keep things light, test</b>

<b>your language acquisition knowledge and</b>

<b>maybe stir up a little</b>

<b>friendly competition.</b>

<b>So here's how it works.</b>

<b>To play, you've got to be subscribed</b>

<b>either to the podcast or on YouTube.</b>

<b>And you've got to drop your answer right</b>

<b>there in the chat or the comments.</b>

<b>And then next Sunday,</b>

<b>I'll announce the winner.</b>

<b>And if there's multiple people</b>

<b>who get it right, we'll do it.</b>

<b>I'll just do a little random pick of one</b>

<b>of the people that are from the right</b>

<b>answers and they're going to walk away</b>

<b>with a free one-year</b>

<b>subscription to our CI survival kit.</b>

<b>And we just added Ask a Story slides in</b>

<b>French, German and Spanish.</b>

<b>And as of yesterday, we have now added</b>

<b>level two and level three lessons also in</b>

<b>French, German and Spanish.</b>

<b>So that's what they're going to win.</b>

<b>We'll announce it next Sunday.</b>

<b>So buckle up, grab your Diet Pepsi or</b>

<b>your coffee and get ready.</b>

<b>It's time for a little CI trivia to make</b>

<b>professional development actually fun.</b>

<b>Let's put a little sound effect in there.</b>

<b>So here's our question one.</b>

<b>So let's start easy or</b>

<b>at least crash in easy.</b>

<b>Which of these is not one of crash ins</b>

<b>big five hypotheses?</b>

<b>A the output hypothesis.</b>

<b>B the input hypothesis.</b>

<b>C the natural order hypothesis.</b>

<b>Or D the monitor hypothesis.</b>

<b>So once again, which of these is not one</b>

<b>of crash ins big five hypotheses?</b>

<b>A the output hypothesis.</b>

<b>B the input hypothesis.</b>

<b>Or C natural order hypothesis.</b>

<b>Or D the monitor hypothesis.</b>

<b>So put your answers in the chat or in the</b>

<b>comments either on your favorite podcast</b>

<b>app or right here on YouTube.</b>

<b>And next week I will pick from the</b>

<b>winning answers one person to get one</b>

<b>year's worth of our CI survival kit.</b>

<b>So thank you for that</b>

<b>and we'll get back here.</b>

<b>We're near the end.</b>

<b>So I want to finish</b>

<b>with one powerful thing.</b>

<b>Let's see here.</b>

<b>Which one I want to talk about here.</b>

<b>Let's do this one.</b>

<b>What's one activity that you really enjoy</b>

<b>doing with your kids that really allows</b>

<b>for the most equity?</b>

<b>What's that one activity that is your</b>

<b>go-to activity that includes everybody</b>

<b>regardless of the level or ability that</b>

<b>they're at regardless of the culture the</b>

<b>language of their home language their</b>

<b>religion their socioeconomic status.</b>

<b>What's that one go-to activity who would</b>

<b>like to start with that?</b>

<b>Oh, you got your on me.</b>

<b>I was saying go ahead.</b>

<b>Jackie been talking to me.</b>

<b>Okay, go ahead.</b>

<b>So me.</b>

<b>Yeah.</b>

<b>Yeah.</b>

<b>Okay.</b>

<b>Okay.</b>

<b>My go-to activity personalized questions.</b>

<b>No doubt like that space in my class that</b>

<b>happens every day and happens in</b>

<b>different ways in each year is it's the</b>

<b>one that I know I'm</b>

<b>sharing a little bit about me.</b>

<b>I'm learning a little bit about them.</b>

<b>I am getting to know them moving.</b>

<b>I tried to do some CPR</b>

<b>when we're doing that.</b>

<b>Joke her out a little bit.</b>

<b>Do some she's made</b>

<b>during personalized questions.</b>

<b>So it works throughout the years, but</b>

<b>it's the one that I know everyone is</b>

<b>paying attention and</b>

<b>everyone is hooked to that.</b>

<b>Right now with my second year students.</b>

<b>I'm doing picture talks, but I am the one</b>

<b>sharing my pictures and</b>

<b>within that picture talk.</b>

<b>I am bet the personalized questions and</b>

<b>try to get from them what I am sharing.</b>

<b>So it looks different from year one, but</b>

<b>like I'm learning from them.</b>

<b>Everyone wants to pay attention.</b>

<b>Everyone wants to share they club.</b>

<b>They it's just so fantastic.</b>

<b>So personalized questions embedded</b>

<b>throughout the class or the</b>

<b>activities is my go-to activity.</b>

<b>I want to show something</b>

<b>really quick and then I promise.</b>

<b>Shut up.</b>

<b>This this week this past week and I</b>

<b>recorded I have videos of that.</b>

<b>I was sharing that</b>

<b>with my wedding pictures.</b>

<b>So I told them how I met my husband and</b>

<b>this really good story</b>

<b>like she's made super good.</b>

<b>This kids were with me last year.</b>

<b>So we are very close.</b>

<b>15 minutes 15 minutes in the target</b>

<b>language me talking</b>

<b>about how I met my husband.</b>

<b>These kids were all like this and</b>

<b>throughout the recording you can hear the</b>

<b>like all their emotions.</b>

<b>And at the end when I finished they were</b>

<b>all clapping and I was and then I came</b>

<b>home and I showed my husband the video</b>

<b>and he was laughing so hard because</b>

<b>everyone at the end when I finished.</b>

<b>So so we got married and</b>

<b>then it was so powerful.</b>

<b>So cool.</b>

<b>So but it's again even though it was more</b>

<b>on me in this sense</b>

<b>because I was sharing my picture.</b>

<b>It's still personalized.</b>

<b>I'm say I'm sharing with</b>

<b>them the teacher in a human way.</b>

<b>This is the human that is a standing in</b>

<b>front of you with the funny things that</b>

<b>we are things crazy things.</b>

<b>So yes, that's it.</b>

<b>Awesome.</b>

<b>I love that.</b>

<b>I absolutely love that.</b>

<b>What about you Jackie?</b>

<b>For me, it's somewhat similar.</b>

<b>I do a lot of that with our like every</b>

<b>just about every day.</b>

<b>We either are doing some kind of weekend</b>

<b>chat or we're doing like hey what's going</b>

<b>on in the school like what's going on in</b>

<b>our community and stuff like that and</b>

<b>doing that conversational</b>

<b>getting to know them asking them.</b>

<b>Okay.</b>

<b>Oh you had a game last night.</b>

<b>How did you guys win?</b>

<b>Did you guys lose?</b>

<b>Did you have did you</b>

<b>make a really cool play?</b>

<b>You know like getting them to talk about</b>

<b>what's going on in their lives.</b>

<b>I think is a really big deal for me</b>

<b>because even the really reserved kids,</b>

<b>they're stuck going on for them and you</b>

<b>know in it and it gives</b>

<b>me an idea of like okay.</b>

<b>So like I have one class</b>

<b>where I've got athletes.</b>

<b>I've got one class where I've got more</b>

<b>kids and choir parents on like that.</b>

<b>So like getting to talk to them about</b>

<b>what they're doing and showing interest</b>

<b>in them there and giving them</b>

<b>opportunities to promote what they're</b>

<b>doing like yeah, we've</b>

<b>got a concert coming up.</b>

<b>Okay cool.</b>

<b>Well, you know, what time is the concert?</b>

<b>You know, what song</b>

<b>are you excited to be in?</b>

<b>It's a really good way to get everybody</b>

<b>involved and give everyone</b>

<b>voice and just feel included.</b>

<b>Absolutely.</b>

<b>I love that.</b>

<b>It's very true.</b>

<b>I'll say for me, I'm going to kind of go</b>

<b>on the same thing that you guys were</b>

<b>talking about as well.</b>

<b>For me personalized questions, I call it</b>

<b>conversations because I didn't understand</b>

<b>what PQA was for many years.</b>

<b>I mean, I knew what it meant personalized</b>

<b>questions and</b>

<b>answers, but the heart of it.</b>

<b>I didn't understand it till I realized it</b>

<b>was just a conversation.</b>

<b>And so I like to call it what it is.</b>

<b>That's one of the ways because</b>

<b>everybody's included and we're taught and</b>

<b>they become the subject material and the</b>

<b>language is just the vehicle</b>

<b>that we're using to get there.</b>

<b>So I love that and because everybody's</b>

<b>already talked about that.</b>

<b>I'll talk about the</b>

<b>second thing that I do that.</b>

<b>I just absolutely love and that is where</b>

<b>I write my two stories a week.</b>

<b>I actually write four stories.</b>

<b>I read two listenings and two readings a</b>

<b>week that they do on their own.</b>

<b>It's like classwork for them to do.</b>

<b>It's my equivalent of the textbook</b>

<b>workbook kind of activities.</b>

<b>And I write these four stories based on</b>

<b>the kids in my class</b>

<b>and I have a checklist.</b>

<b>I've got to hit every kid in the semester</b>

<b>at least three times so that they become</b>

<b>the star of that story and they become</b>

<b>the most important thing right now.</b>

<b>They are the lesson and I they don't</b>

<b>realize I'm listening to everything that</b>

<b>they say whether it's saying to me or I</b>

<b>hear them over here over talking with</b>

<b>someone else and I hear a rumor that</b>

<b>they're talking about and I pick up on</b>

<b>these and I love writing these stories.</b>

<b>They're so fun like I'll</b>

<b>just give you a couple examples.</b>

<b>I've I know I've talked about these</b>

<b>before but I love them so much.</b>

<b>We had one kid and it was</b>

<b>about this time last year.</b>

<b>They're talking about homecoming and</b>

<b>homecoming is in the gym and</b>

<b>they can't wear high heels.</b>

<b>And so I was we're</b>

<b>doing a now since I go.</b>

<b>Okay.</b>

<b>The dance is this front of this Saturday.</b>

<b>Remember it's in the gym.</b>

<b>So no high heels and one of the boys says</b>

<b>dang I was going to wear</b>

<b>my red high heels that day.</b>

<b>And so I heard that and so I wrote a</b>

<b>story about him going to the dance in a</b>

<b>red dress and red high heels.</b>

<b>But since he introduced it it wasn't</b>

<b>making fun of the kid in any kind of way.</b>

<b>He was just and he was like that is so</b>

<b>funny and he's a football player.</b>

<b>So he really doesn't wear</b>

<b>heels or anything like that.</b>

<b>It was just a funny thing that he said</b>

<b>and he's like proffer you heard me when I</b>

<b>say I heard it and I</b>

<b>made the whole story.</b>

<b>About it and then I had another kid whose</b>

<b>language was level 2 but our level 2 is</b>

<b>because most of them come from textbook.</b>

<b>Aren't as strong as the</b>

<b>level 2 is I'm used to.</b>

<b>So when I asked him what do you want to</b>

<b>be said I want to be a chef and he goes I</b>

<b>want to open my restaurant.</b>

<b>I said well what kind of restaurant did</b>

<b>you want to open and he said I want to</b>

<b>open a an elegant restaurant and I said</b>

<b>what do you want to serve.</b>

<b>Well he didn't know the word for steak.</b>

<b>He wanted to have a steak restaurant but</b>

<b>he knew the word for cow.</b>

<b>So he said baka.</b>

<b>Well I knew what he was saying that</b>

<b>circumlocution I understood that he meant</b>

<b>he was going to be serving steak but my</b>

<b>twisted CI brain said I am going to write</b>

<b>a story that he opens an elegant</b>

<b>restaurant that serves cows as customers</b>

<b>and all of the food is</b>

<b>going to be cow type food.</b>

<b>They were going to have grass pizza and</b>

<b>oat whatever you know they were going to</b>

<b>do all of that and I twisted it and it</b>

<b>made it really really funny based off a</b>

<b>little full pod that he said and we had</b>

<b>one other killers tell one other one I</b>

<b>don't think I've told this one</b>

<b>before he was wearing a ring.</b>

<b>It was a boy who's in the class and he</b>

<b>always thought he was all of this to</b>

<b>girls know that he was</b>

<b>the best looking thing.</b>

<b>You know he was the Brad print of his age</b>

<b>group and he had a ring on and his ring</b>

<b>was on the ring the wedding ring finger</b>

<b>and I don't even know if he noticed it</b>

<b>was on the wedding ring but I noticed and</b>

<b>I said I just interrupted in class one</b>

<b>day I'm like class everybody look at</b>

<b>Junior everybody look at Junior and</b>

<b>they're all looking at you is like what</b>

<b>what and they're like</b>

<b>Junior's married and he's like what.</b>

<b>I'm like look he's got a ring on his</b>

<b>wedding ring finger he's married and so</b>

<b>that became a class joke the rest of the</b>

<b>semester and we kept making stories about</b>

<b>guessing who his wife was and it was just</b>

<b>kind of a funny little thing we kept</b>

<b>doing multiple stories but these are the</b>

<b>ways that I can highlight</b>

<b>kids and their cultures.</b>

<b>I have a girl soda who came who is a</b>

<b>refugee from Afghanistan so I made a</b>

<b>story about her escaping Afghanistan in a</b>

<b>very polite way and respectful way and</b>

<b>she's very religious and it's very</b>

<b>important to her that she keeps her</b>

<b>culture going so I write stories about</b>

<b>that they're not as funny with her</b>

<b>stories because she's not as funny of a</b>

<b>person but she's an interesting person an</b>

<b>amazing person has got so much to offer</b>

<b>this world and that needs to be shared.</b>

<b>And so those kinds of things is where I</b>

<b>get the equity in those two the</b>

<b>personalized questions and answers which</b>

<b>I call conversations and these stories</b>

<b>that I write about the kids and it's the</b>

<b>hardest part of my job because every year</b>

<b>I'm writing four stories a week.</b>

<b>Because I've got different kids in my</b>

<b>classroom so I've got to write different</b>

<b>stories for every time so I can't reuse</b>

<b>the stories I save every single story</b>

<b>because I might be able to find a way to</b>

<b>bring it in like I have don't have a</b>

<b>story let's remember I had this student a</b>

<b>few years ago let's read the story about</b>

<b>them but most of the time it's just a new</b>

<b>story every time but allows me to be</b>

<b>personalized with each and every one of</b>

<b>them and highlight them and</b>

<b>make them the star of the day.</b>

<b>So that they become important and valued</b>

<b>for who they are what they like and what</b>

<b>makes them interesting and I really</b>

<b>appreciate that that this allows me to do</b>

<b>that where the textbook did not give me</b>

<b>that allowance to be able to do that kind</b>

<b>of stuff you have to teach all those</b>

<b>little activities that are there is not</b>

<b>enough time to teach everything from a</b>

<b>textbook in the time that I have in this</b>

<b>I can teach me to teach.</b>

<b>And make it interesting and relevant to</b>

<b>the kids in front of me and celebrate who</b>

<b>they are as individuals and I think</b>

<b>that's what's really</b>

<b>important so that's my go to activity.</b>

<b>Any final words because we're about 10</b>

<b>minutes over any final</b>

<b>words that anybody has.</b>

<b>It does require some vulnerability.</b>

<b>Absolutely.</b>

<b>You know, it, because it is so important,</b>

<b>and it is easy to mess up. It is easy to</b>

<b>think that you are being inclusive and it</b>

<b>turns out that you do something that over</b>

<b>steps, or that you missed the mark and</b>

<b>that can feel really like it.</b>

<b>I think it's a lot easier for us to be</b>

<b>hard on ourselves, and to be overly hard</b>

<b>on ourselves, and we don't get things</b>

<b>right because it is important and it does</b>

<b>matter and it is kind of</b>

<b>high stakes in certain ways.</b>

<b>But it's a process, it's a journey. It is</b>

<b>not, you are going to master equity and</b>

<b>then you're done for the rest of your</b>

<b>life you are a master of equitable, like</b>

<b>you're all, it's always going to be</b>

<b>developing and you're always going to be</b>

<b>learning new things.</b>

<b>So, you know, you do have to kind of be</b>

<b>willing to be vulnerable and show grace</b>

<b>and still hold yourself accountable.</b>

<b>But, you know, it's just, the</b>

<b>vulnerability is very important.</b>

<b>Absolutely, and just to point out</b>

<b>something you said, it's a great teaching</b>

<b>moment because if you do make a mistake,</b>

<b>we're all humans, we make mistakes, and</b>

<b>the kids rarely hear it from adults,</b>

<b>especially teachers, but apologize, make</b>

<b>it a public apology if you actually hurt</b>

<b>someone's feelings inadvertently,</b>

<b>and that's something that was, you know,</b>

<b>like I didn't realize I used to use red</b>

<b>pen to highlight things on my board and</b>

<b>stuff. And then some Muslim students told</b>

<b>me that red is a really bad color and I</b>

<b>shouldn't be using it as much because</b>

<b>it's a really harsh color for them.</b>

<b>So I said, I am sorry, I didn't know that</b>

<b>I and I showed genuine regret for having</b>

<b>done something and being ignorant about</b>

<b>their culture. But whenever I make a faux</b>

<b>pas or I say something and that turned</b>

<b>out, it came out wrong or something.</b>

<b>I always apologize because they don't</b>

<b>expect it from a teacher to apologize or</b>

<b>to admit that we were wrong. Like</b>

<b>yesterday, I said something and I didn't</b>

<b>realize it came out this way, but a kid</b>

<b>came up and told me that they were really</b>

<b>upset by what I said.</b>

<b>So I want to apologize to that student</b>

<b>and I want to apologize to the class for</b>

<b>anybody else that I may have offended or</b>

<b>something because they don't expect that</b>

<b>from adults because adults always say,</b>

<b>I'm right, do what I do, do</b>

<b>what I say, not what I do.</b>

<b>And I think showing them it's a teaching</b>

<b>moment that everybody can make mistakes</b>

<b>and it's okay to make mistakes, but then</b>

<b>we have to own up to those mistakes. I</b>

<b>think that's what's</b>

<b>important there. So I agree.</b>

<b>And equity is hard because we have so</b>

<b>many cultures and so many diverse people</b>

<b>in our classrooms that it's hard to not</b>

<b>offend somebody with something that you</b>

<b>say it's really difficult nowadays.</b>

<b>And so in America is very sensitive.</b>

<b>We've gone, I think sometimes to the</b>

<b>overboard of sensitivity where we can't</b>

<b>even make fun of ourselves anymore. I</b>

<b>always bring the culture of Hispanics</b>

<b>where they'll take the worst thing about</b>

<b>you and make that your nickname.</b>

<b>So if you are a little chunky, they call</b>

<b>you Gordita, or if you have a big nose,</b>

<b>then they name you big nose and that's</b>

<b>not offensive in America. We're like, we</b>

<b>would never do something like that. That</b>

<b>is so horrible. That is</b>

<b>bullying when it's not.</b>

<b>It's a whole different perspective about</b>

<b>that. And so sometimes I think Americans,</b>

<b>we go way overboard to the extreme on</b>

<b>that. Try not to offend anybody, but then</b>

<b>you become like white bread. You have no</b>

<b>flavor anymore. You have nothing there.</b>

<b>I mean, and it's one thing to make a</b>

<b>comment or say something about a culture</b>

<b>or yourself as long as it's not</b>

<b>derogatory. There's different, like I use</b>

<b>the joke. I'll say, I have a thing that</b>

<b>says taco emergency call nine Juan Juan.</b>

<b>That's what it says. So and the kids go,</b>

<b>that's racist. I go, that's not racist.</b>

<b>That's not derogatory. That's a pun on</b>

<b>words. And there's nothing negative about</b>

<b>that about the Hispanic culture calling</b>

<b>it nine Juan Juan. It's</b>

<b>a it's a pun on on words.</b>

<b>It's different than if you make a joke</b>

<b>about them crossing the Rio Grande or</b>

<b>they are undocumented workers or doing</b>

<b>something like that. That's not the same</b>

<b>thing. It's not a fun on words. It's it's</b>

<b>a very different type of thing. So we</b>

<b>talk about those types of things. And I</b>