Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1512793
" Being able to see yourself in a positive way is one of the most powerful things we can give our students." — Skye Tooley, UTLA Skye Tooley in their classroom. Showing Everyone They Belong Create learning environments where all students feel welcome By Julian Peeples TIP: Galapon says special months for recognizing different backgrounds and identities is great, but it shouldn't be the only time students are celebrated in their classrooms. Think about who is honored in the room, she says, whether in posters on the wall or discussions in class. A S A Y O U N G S T U D E N T , Alma Galapon doesn't remember ever seeing herself or her Filipino culture in her classrooms. A young Skye Tooley never once saw anything queer in their school — even growing up in Northern California. Both chan- nel these experiences today as educators, working to build inclusive classrooms where every student feels welcome and knows they belong. "If I had representation, I would've had language for all the things inside me," says Tooley, a fifth-grade teacher and United Teachers Los Angeles member. "Being able to see yourself in a positive way is one of the most powerful things we can give our students." Galapon says creating equitable spaces begins with the class librar y. For her fourth-grade classroom , Galapon works to include all voices, as well as authors of color and characters of all backgrounds — it's important to know your community, she says. " We all know that books are windows and mirrors, and we want both in our library," says Galapon, a member of Elk Grove Education Association. " There's no comparison to being seen. Because when it really comes down to it, there have been many marginalized groups that have been excluded from our curriculum for so long." "A classroom should look like it belongs to the children — it shouldn't look like it belongs to the teacher at all," 23 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 24 Feature