Safir says that "to truly transform our schools, leaders must learn to listen" (Safir, 2017). I see this as meaning leaders don't just hear words. They try to understand what people are saying and how they feel. This way of leading is about working together for lasting change, not just quick fixes.

This is important because when ****leaders truly listen, people feel valued and trusted, which helps create a better school environment where everyone feels included. I notice this when it is in effect in my own classroom.

Listening can build trust. For example, Safir points out that when leaders listen carefully and show they care, it builds "relational capital" which means people trust them more (Safir, 2017). This trust is crucial for any real change to happen.

This is important because if people trust their leaders, they're more likely to work together and believe in new ideas. When I build relationship capital with my students in my class, the year is always so much smoother. Especially with high flyers.

One of the most important ideas from Safir is that listening is the main way to make schools truly fair and equal for everyone. She says, "Listening is the gateway to equitable school transformation" (Safir, 2017). In the past, schools often focused on just testing and following rules, which made it hard to hear what parents, students, and staff really needed. "Listening Leadership" offers a different way to lead that opens conversations and helps create a more equitable school environment (Safir, 2017).

This is important because when ****leaders really listen, they can break down old ways of doing things that might be unfair. It allows different voices to be heard, leading to changes that benefit everyone in the school community.

Critical Practices for Anti-Bias Education (CPAE)

Instead of just soaking up information, anti-bias education encourages students to think deeply, share their thoughts, and have discussions, especially about topics like identity, fairness, and bias. The goal is to move beyond what Paulo Freire called "banking education" where "students merely receive information to be passively stored away" (CPAE, p. 3). This helps students connect what they learn in class to real-world issues and inspires them to act for a fairer society.

Some ideas on how we can do this are to ask open-ended questions that make students think, teach them to look at things from different angles, and help them connect what they read to other books, their own lives, and the world around them. Projects where students work together on a task are also great for getting them involved and thinking critically.

Good teaching isn't "one size fits all." It means changing how you teach to match what each student needs, considering their background, skills, talents, and how they learn best. "This approach honors and addresses student diversity by taking into account students' individual knowledge, needs, backgrounds, skill levels, talents, learning profiles and readiness" (CPAE, p. 4). This approach celebrates that everyone is different and helps every student succeed.

We can accomplish this when we offer different ways for students to do the same task, use differentiated teaching methods (like appealing to different "intelligences"), and use technology to personalize learning. This supports diversity and fairness in education. I learned this from my instructional technology master’s program. It can be more than just a babysitter for students.

When students work in small groups, they learn from each other, understand things better, and build stronger relationships, even with people who are different from them. "This approach shifts the emphasis from teacher-centered instruction to peer conversation and student-driven inquiry" (CPAE, p. 5). This makes learning less about the teacher and more about students exploring ideas together. Counties have been making a huge push for this since I started teaching.

In order to accomplish this, we can ensure everyone respects each other, include different viewpoints, and hold both individuals and groups accountable. Give everyone a chance to participate, set common goals, and teach students how to work well in a group. This helps students see differences as strength and work well as a team. I find when I make a point to students that I stick to holding everyone accountable in the class, they all respect the rules a lot more and take ownership of their actions.