UNDERSTANDING, RESPECTING, and CONNECTING
With Black Girls
Educators, parents, guardians, community members, and anyone who want to see Black Girls succeed in school and elsewhere should read this book and keep it handy--even if you can't do the book study.
"Teaching Beautiful, Brilliant, Black Girls" appeals to my pedagogy, the "Inquiry Process." The Inquiry Process emphasizes "Critical Thinking Skills." The book includes numerous contributing authors, all of whom have expertise in their fields. They are "Primary Sources" for educators and other readers to examine. The Inquiry Process doesn't call for indoctrination but rather to view all information with a critical eye and determine for oneself the validity and reliability of a source of information: then determine how best to use the information, if at all. Those are the some reasons I recommend this book.
In addition to its usefulness in terms of the inquiry process, another major reason is Dr. Eddie Moore Junior's framework, "Understanding, Respecting, and Connecting" brings all the authors' separate writings together focusing on how to be successful working with and supporting the success of Black Girls--another one of the most underserved populations not only in schools but in communities as well. His framework can be applied to other cultural groups. The book is a precious resource for anyone who wants to Understand, Respect, and Connect with Black girls--not just educators. We would appreciate feedback on this self-paced, pilot book study.
Understanding, Respecting, and Connecting
Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. developed the framework relative to Understanding, Respecting, and Connecting, into which many authors contributed their narratives and expertise in the book used for this course, "Teaching Beautiful Brilliant Black Girls." Quoting from the introduction to the book is a synopsis of how Dr. Moore and the co-authors describe each of the three tenets in the framework.
Understanding
Understanding
“The first tenet of the book is dedicated to Understanding African American Girls, with the sole conviction that they are Black, beautiful, brilliant, bold, and courageous. Our publication focus is unapologetically rooted in the strength-and-asst perspective about Black Girls. Understanding is built upon centering, affirming, honoring, legitimizing, and embracing the lived experiences of Black Girls. It is rooted in their herstories—past, present, experiences, intersectionality of identities, and ways of knowing and learning. . . “
Respecting
Respecting
“The second tenet of the book is respecting African American Girls. This tenet challenges educators to acknowledge, validate, honor, affirm, and respect the intersectional identities that Black girls bring to their spaces. Black Girls are beautiful, brilliant, and more. In this tenet it means respecting the richness and intersections of gender identity, expressions, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, spirituality, socioeconomic status, body shape, family unit, geographic area, sexual orientation, height, abilities, gifts, talents, and many more identities that Black Girls have. The intersection, combination, and interlocking of these identities result in the varying forms, layers, degrees of experience, and lived realities of Black Girls, and influences the identities that educators may perceive in the classroom.. . . ."
Connecting
Connecting
“The Connecting tenet is about holding a space for good teaching and providing teachers and educators with strategies and resources that will support Black Girls both inside the classroom and beyond. This section offers pedagogical strategies for educators to authentically engage and connect with Black Girls in the classroom. A lack of authentic connection could result in cultural mismatch, incompatibility, discontinuity or desynchronization (Ladson – Billings, 1995), thus affecting the cognitive, social, and emotional engagement with Black Girls. All teachers and educators can connect with Black Girls through using pedagogical approaches that are culturally relevant, responsive, and rationally symbiotic to the myriad of identities that Black Girls bring into the learning environment. The point of the Connecting tenet is to share pedagogical practices, which are a bridge to engaging teachers in connecting with Black Girls so that they can also see what we see—Black Girl thrive, Black Girl excellence . . . “
Important Preview Information and sample Curriculum
Click on the "Preview" buttons below, for a Flyer; Course Compliance; Syllabus; Clock Hours and Credit; Book Prices/Ordering (There are many sources from which to purchase the book, in addition to the ones below); and Bios. Click on the "Enroll" button to enroll in the book study. The course start date begins on the day of enrollment and ends on the date 10 weeks after enrollment. After 10 weeks access to the course will no longer be available. Certificates of completion will be emailed when the course is completed. Enjoy the learning.
- Section 1: Understanding pdf Reading Assignment pdf
- Quiz: Understanding Pt I: Ch 1-3
- Quiz: Understanding Pt II: Ch 4-6
- Quiz: Understanding Pt III: Ch 7-9
- Quiz: Understanding Pt IV: Ch 10-13
- Quiz: Understanding Pt V: Ch 14-18
- Quiz: Understanding Pt VI: Ch 19
- Video 1: Recognizing, Embracing, and Understanding the Richness in Black Girls 12:20
- Video 2: Parents and Families 10:33
- Video 3: Bursting Stereotypes While Being the Only 7:37
- Video 4: What Spirit Murder Looks Like 6:43
- Video 5: White Teachers Reflect 5:38
- Video 6: No More Self Doubt 13:01
- Short Answer Questions: Understanding
- Test
- Section summary
- New Lesson
- Section 2: Respecting: Reading Assignments pdf
- Quiz: Respecting Pt I Ch 20-23
- Quiz: Respecting Pt II: Ch 24-25
- Quiz: Respecting Pt III: Ch 26-27
- Quiz: Respecting Pt IV: Ch 28
- Quiz: Respecting Pt V: Ch 29-30
- Quiz: Respecting Pt VI: Ch 31
- Video 7: Comfort and Isolation 5:41
- Video 8: Supporting Gender Non-Conforming Black Youth: The Time Is Now 11:14
- Video 9: Relationships with White Peers 4:32
- Video 10: Preparing Black Girls to Rock This World 4:43
- Video 11: It's Not Magic, It's Hard Work and Determination 7:18
- Video 12: It's My Crown, Don't Touch My Hair 8:37
- Short Answer Questions: Respecting
- Sectio 3: Connecting: Reading Assignments pdf
- Quiz: Connecting Pt I: Ch 32-33
- Quiz: Connecting Pt II: Ch 34-36
- Quiz: Connecting Pt III: Ch 37-42
- Quiz: Connecting Part IV: 43-47
- Video 13: Affinity 19:12
- Video 14: Mentorship 8:29
- Video 15: Dear Teacher 7:16
- Video 16: Advice for Teachers 10:49
- Video 17: See Yourself, Black Girl… Then See Yourself Again 5:36
- Short Answer Questions: Connecting
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