Creating a Scholar-Activist Experience

Tch Laureate Geneviève Debose Akinnagbe teaches ELA at Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists (BSSWA) in New York City, a secondary school where teachers refer to their students as “Scholar-Activists.” She’s developed a unit on Scholar Activism for her middle school students so they have a better idea of what that title means and the honor it carries.

In last week's vlog, we learned about the term "scholar-activist," and why it's important to teach our students about scholar activism in the classroom.

Now that we have the why of scholar activism all worked out, let’s get to the how!

How do we co-create a scholar-activist experience with our students and our colleagues?

As teachers, we know we have to plan. Listen to Geneviève describe what it takes to create and plan a scholar-activist experience:

Unit Plan: What Does It Mean To Be A Scholar-Activist?

Unit Plan 1: Three-Week Plan

Unit Plan 2: Nine-Week Plan

____________________________________________________________

Geneviève is an educator, artist, and activist who has taught middle school for over a decade. She is a proud National Board Certified Teacher and U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellow. Geneviève strongly believes that education is a tool for social justice and empowerment, and that learning experiences for children should be culturally relevant, student-centered, and interactive. She started her teaching career as a 1999 Teach for America corps member and currently serves as a commissioner on the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. Geneviève is a seventh grade English Language Arts teacher at Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists in New York City. Connect with Geneviève on Twitter: @GenevieveDeBos.