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Form a partnership with a teacher in another district. You will ask your students to assemble a portfolio documenting the facilities at their school (through lists, narratives or photos); your partner teacher will ask her/his students to do the same. Classes can exchange portfolios. Each class can use the insights from the exchange to draft their own Student Bill of Rights. 

Come together to allow students to share observations. Ask students how they think children’s book authors might contribute to the construction of gender, and challenge students to question whether this is fair.

When we allow students to write and share their work with the world, suddenly their work becomes more valuable. Students will always do their worst writing when they know the only person who will ultimately view it is their teacher. How many assignments in classrooms are completed solely for teacher as a requirement of the curriculum?

Within the past few years, this idea of branding our schools/classrooms has become extremely valuable, as it promotes transparency by painting an accurate, live picture of what is taking place. Yet, in reality, the majority of the time the educators are the ones telling these stories. While this certainly has its place, ultimately what matters most is how students feel about their experiences. Social media has allowed my students to share our classroom happenings through their eyes. It has allowed my students the opportunity to both establish and share the culture of our classroom and our school, and ultimately create our “brand”.

Social media is happening—with or without you. The lessons my students learn by taking ownership of social media ends up enhancing all of their work, both in and out of school. And let’s be honest… wouldn’t you prefer to have your students write the story of your classroom, rather than someone else?

While many individuals may immediately think of race when speaking about diversity, there are numerous aspects that actually play into diversity, especially in a classroom setting. Religion, gender, economic background and even learning styles are all notable factors, and it is crucial to remember each one when promoting diversity in schools. Incorporating lesson plans that account for all forms of diversity is key.

A recent study in the journal “Child Development” illustrated that students feel safer in school and in life when they are educated in a diverse setting. Students are able to learn about different cultures and backgrounds, allowing them to feel a greater sense of comfort with these differences. That in turn makes them more comfortable with themselves, leading to a deeper sense of safety.

Promoting diversity in schools is more than just encouraging students of different backgrounds to attend certain schools. It requires administrators to think critically about the ways diversity impacts education. A school administration degree readies graduates for promoting and teaching diversity as a means of accepting it. Educators and administrative leaders can help students better understand that while everyone is different, in the most fundamental ways, everyone is the same and should be treated with respect. This will go far in helping students accept diversity and promote it in their daily lives.

The pedagogy popularised by E.D.Hirsch, and recently promoted by the likes of Civitas, reduces teaching into nothing more than a bleak transmission model of learning.

"cultural literacy".

But Hirsch's "cultural literacy" is a hegemonic vision produced for and by the white middle class to help maintain the social and economic status quo.