Welcome to today’s engaging session on distance learning with Common Sense! I’m Merv La Voz, Vice President of Common Sense Education and National Partnerships. I’m thrilled to introduce Tony Weber Jr., a colleague and friend. Tony, could you tell us a bit about yourself and what you hope participants will gain from our discussion today?
Thank you, Merv! I’m excited to be part of this important conversation. I am the Executive Director of Weird Enough Productions, where we harness the power of superheroes and comic books to promote literacy, social-emotional learning, and digital citizenship. Our original comic series, “The Young Comets,” follows a group of reluctant heroes who must save each other to save the world. Since its launch, we’ve reached about 200,000 readers, and our educational platform, which combines our comics with curricula, is used in around 40,000 households and schools across 14 states. Our mission is to help young people discover the hero within themselves through the medium of comics.
Reflecting on the current state of our country, I realized the need for change, which feels all too familiar. I founded Weird Enough during my junior year at Elon University in North Carolina, following the events in Ferguson and the situation with Michael Brown. I recognized that media representation significantly influences how people interact daily. While volunteering at an elementary school, I mentored a fourth-grade student, one of the few Black students in his class. Despite his dreams, he could only envision dressing up as a video game character for Halloween. This resonated with me, as I faced my own challenges with self-image and mental health during middle school. I wanted to use media representation to deconstruct biases and promote positive narratives, which led to the creation of Weird Enough.
As we prepare for the new school year, educators must consider the diverse narratives students bring, especially concerning race and social justice. My mother, a former math teacher and now a superintendent, instilled in me a deep respect for educators. I share my observations, not as prescriptive advice, but as insights to consider.
Returning to school, we must acknowledge that the “normal” we left behind was not truly normal. The pandemic has separated young people from their friends and support systems, impacting their mental health. Many students have lost valuable learning time and will return to school in a different mental state. Additionally, concerns about safety and health protocols will weigh heavily on their minds.
We must also recognize that not all students have equal access to technology or safe learning environments. Constant exposure to distressing news can further complicate their ability to focus on learning. We need to approach their return to school with empathy and understanding.
While SEL has become a buzzword, its implementation may not effectively serve all students. We need to critically examine SEL frameworks to ensure they meet the diverse needs of our students. Current SEL strategies often place the burden of adaptation on students rather than addressing systemic issues.
For instance, resilience and mindfulness are emphasized, but these concepts can sometimes be misinterpreted as expectations for students to simply cope with a system that may not value them. Instead, we should focus on creating environments where students feel safe, supported, and validated in their experiences and emotions.
The “talk” that many students of color receive from their families about navigating the world is crucial. It’s not just about resilience; it’s about survival in a potentially hostile system. We need to recognize these conversations as rooted in a desire for safety and humanity, informing how we approach education and support for all students.
As we conclude, I encourage everyone to engage in honest conversations about social-emotional learning in their schools. We must move beyond buzzwords and one-time workshops to develop comprehensive policies that genuinely support our students.
Thank you, Tony, for sharing your insights and experiences. We hope this discussion has been valuable and thought-provoking for everyone involved.
Engage in reflective journaling to explore your personal experiences and biases related to race and social-emotional learning. Write about how these experiences shape your understanding and approach to SEL. Consider how media representation has influenced your perceptions and interactions.
Analyze a case study involving a school implementing anti-racism in its SEL curriculum. Identify the challenges faced and the strategies used to address them. Discuss how these strategies align with the concepts discussed in the article and propose additional measures that could enhance the effectiveness of SEL in diverse classrooms.
Participate in role-playing scenarios where you assume the roles of students, educators, and administrators dealing with issues of race and social-emotional learning. This activity will help you empathize with different perspectives and develop strategies to create inclusive and supportive learning environments.
Conduct a media critique workshop where you analyze various forms of media for representation and bias. Discuss how these representations impact social-emotional learning and student perceptions. Develop a plan to incorporate positive media narratives into your educational practices.
Work in groups to develop a comprehensive SEL policy that addresses systemic issues and supports diverse student needs. Present your policy to the class, highlighting how it moves beyond traditional SEL frameworks to create a more equitable and inclusive educational environment.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Welcome, everyone! Thank you for joining today’s distance learning session with Common Sense. My name is Merv La Voz, and I am the Vice President of Common Sense Education and National Partnerships. I am excited to be here today. I want to introduce my colleague and friend, Tony Weber Jr. Tony, could you share a bit about yourself and what you hope participants will take away from our discussion today?
Absolutely! I’m thrilled to be here and to engage in such an important conversation with Common Sense. I am the Executive Director of Weird Enough Productions, where we use superheroes and comic books for literacy, social-emotional learning, and digital citizenship. We developed an original comic series called “The Young Comets,” which tells the story of a group of hesitant heroes who must save each other to save the world. Since launching the comic, we’ve reached about 200,000 readers, and our educational platform combines our comic with curricula that we’ve rolled out in approximately 40,000 households and schools across 14 states. Our mission is to help young people understand that there is a hero in all of them, using comics as a conduit for that discovery.
That’s fantastic! When we initially discussed how you started Weird Enough, could you share what prompted you to create an organization that amplifies this type of voice?
Certainly! The current state of our country makes me acutely aware that there is much work to be done, as it feels all too familiar. I started Weird Enough as a junior in college at Elon University in North Carolina, in the aftermath of the events in Ferguson and the situation with Michael Brown. I believed that media representation plays a significant role in how people treat each other daily. While volunteering at an elementary school, I mentored a fourth-grade student who was one of the only Black students in his class. Despite his aspirations, when Halloween came around, he could only think of dressing up as a character from a video game. This resonated with me because I faced my own struggles with self-image and mental health during middle school. I realized that this was a widespread issue, and I wanted to leverage media representation as a tool for good, to help deconstruct biases and promote positive narratives. That realization led me to start Weird Enough.
Thank you for sharing that. As you mentioned, we are currently inundated with various narratives, especially regarding issues of race and social justice. Students are coming into schools with these ideas and questions. As we prepare for the upcoming school year, what should educators critically consider regarding these issues?
Before I respond, I want to express my appreciation for educators. My mother was a math teacher and is now a superintendent in a school district. I have immense respect for teachers and librarians, and I consider myself an educator as well. That said, I want to emphasize that what I share comes from a place of observation rather than prescriptive advice.
As we return to school, we must recognize that the “normal” we left behind was not truly normal, and we cannot expect to return to it. Young people have been separated from their friends and support systems due to the pandemic, which has a profound impact on their mental health. Many students have lost significant learning time, and when they return to school, they will be in a different place mentally. Additionally, concerns about safety and health protocols will weigh heavily on their minds.
Moreover, we must acknowledge that not all students have equal access to technology or safe learning environments. The constant exposure to distressing news and events can further complicate their ability to focus on learning. We need to be aware that students are processing a lot, and we must approach their return to school with empathy and understanding.
As we think about frameworks for supporting students, especially regarding social-emotional learning (SEL), it’s essential to recognize that while SEL has become a buzzword, its implementation may not effectively serve all students. There are specific characteristics within SEL that need to be critically examined to ensure they meet the diverse needs of our students.
I agree. Social-emotional learning is crucial, and it should be approached in a way that genuinely supports students. However, many current SEL strategies fall short because they often place the burden of adaptation on students rather than addressing systemic issues.
For example, resilience and mindfulness are often emphasized, but these concepts can sometimes be misinterpreted as expectations for students to simply cope with a system that may not value them. Instead, we should focus on creating an environment where students feel safe and supported, and where their experiences and emotions are validated.
The “talk” that many students of color receive from their families about navigating the world is a critical aspect of this conversation. It’s not just about being resilient; it’s about survival in a system that can be hostile. We need to recognize that these conversations are rooted in a desire for safety and humanity, and they should inform how we approach education and support for all students.
As we conclude, I encourage everyone to engage in honest conversations about social-emotional learning in their schools. We need to move beyond buzzwords and one-time workshops and develop comprehensive policies that genuinely support our students.
Thank you, Tony, for your insights and for sharing your experiences. We hope everyone found this discussion valuable and thought-provoking.
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This version maintains the essence of the original conversation while removing any potentially sensitive or inappropriate content.
Anti-racism – The active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies, practices, and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably. – The school implemented an anti-racism curriculum to educate students about the importance of diversity and inclusion.
Social-emotional – Relating to the development of social skills and emotional intelligence, which are essential for personal and professional success. – Social-emotional learning programs in schools help students develop empathy and effective communication skills.
Learning – The process of acquiring knowledge or skills through study, experience, or teaching. – Continuous learning is crucial for educators to stay updated with the latest teaching methodologies and educational technologies.
Educators – Individuals who provide instruction or education; teachers, professors, or instructors. – Educators play a vital role in shaping the character and future of their students by fostering a positive learning environment.
Narratives – Stories or accounts of events or experiences, whether true or fictitious, that are used to convey a particular message or lesson. – The narratives shared by community leaders helped students understand the historical context of social justice movements.
Mental health – A person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. – Schools are increasingly focusing on mental health resources to support students facing stress and anxiety.
Empathy – The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. – Developing empathy in students is essential for creating a supportive and inclusive school culture.
Resilience – The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. – Building resilience in students helps them cope with challenges and setbacks in both academic and personal life.
Safety – The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury. – Ensuring the safety of students is a top priority for schools, requiring comprehensive policies and procedures.
