In Rooted in Joy: Creating a Classroom Culture of Equity, Belonging, and Care, educational justice advocate and educator Deonna Smith delivers a unique blend of theory, academic frameworks, narrative, and digestible advice on impacting deeply rooted school culture challenges and managing the day-to-day classroom. This research-based book brings a friendly and accessible voice to a complex issue, making the subject matter easy to follow and apply in the real world. In the book, you'll build your toolbox for cultivating a inclusive and joyful classroom culture through humanizing your students and acknowledging the role that culture and race play in the educational system.

3 simultaneous users

Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 When We Know Better, We Do Better -- A Note on Shame -- You Should See Color -- Intent Versus Impact -- The Internal Work -- What Happens in the Teachers' Lounge Stays in the Teachers' Lounge -- Teacher Self Check-In -- Emotion -- Escalation -- Wellness and Wholeness -- Wellness -- Wholeness -- When It's Time to Heal -- Self-Care, Community Care, and Sustainability -- Seeing the Whole Picture -- Chapter 2 What We Need to Know -- Anti-Racism and Asset Pedagogies -- Inequity by Design -- Allowing Yourself to Dream -- On Humanizing Our Students -- What's Already Out There -- Chapter 3 Mindset Bootcamp -- The Humanity of These Little Humans -- Mindset Shift 1: Kids Aren't Little Adults -- Mindset Shift 2: Assume Best Intentions -- Mindset Shift 3: Behavior Is Feedback -- Mindset Shift 4: There's No Magic Wand -- Mindset Shift 5: Understanding the Natural Ebbs and Flows of the Year -- Mindset Shift 6: Being in Community Is a Skill -- Classroom Ecosystems -- Mindset Shift 7: A Healthy School Culture Can Go Far -- Mindset Shift 8: You Set the Tone in the Classroom -- Mindset Shift 9: Proactive over Reactive -- Mindset Shift 10: Kids Don't Need to Earn Joy -- Mindshift 11: Asset Versus Deficit Approach -- Mindset Shift 12: Quiet and Compliant Doesn't Always Mean Productive -- Mindset Shift 13: IEPs Don't Mean Lower Expectations -- Beyond Management and Punishment -- Mindset Shift 14: Safe Communities, Not Controlled Classrooms -- Mindset Shift 15: Classrooms Should Be Managed -- Mindset Shift 16: "Good" Schools Keep Kids Under Control -- Mindset Shift 17: Consequences over Punishments -- Mindset Shift 18: The Myth of "Doing Nothing" -- Mindset Shift 19: The Myth That Restorative Justice "Doesn't Work" -- Mindset Shift 20: Understanding Harm -- Equity/Racism/Social Justice. Mindset Shift 21: Bias and Behavior -- Mindset Shift 22: Big Behaviors Also Need an Asset-Based Lens -- Mindset Shift 23: Classroom Management or the School-to-Prison Pipeline? -- Mindset Shift 24: Understanding White Supremacy Culture -- Mindset Shift 25: If You Treat Kids Like Criminals, They'll Act Like Criminals -- Some Truths About Trauma -- Mindset Shift 26: Our Kids Are More Than Their Trauma -- Mindset Shift 27: Schools Can Be Traumatic, Too -- Mindset Shift 28: Families Are Struggling, Too -- Mindset Shift 29: Teaching After COVID -- Chapter 4 Building a Healthy Ecosystem -- Classrooms Are Ecosystems -- Ecosystems Are Relationships -- An Effective Teacher Is an Authentic Teacher -- Building Relationships -- Creating an Interdependent Ecosystem -- Understanding Challenging Students -- Families and Communities -- The Secret Ingredient is Joy -- Joy in Equity Work -- Chapter 5 Maintaining the Ecosystem -- Starting with You -- Set the Stage for Success -- Building Good Habits -- Edutainment, Engagement, and Investment -- Procedures 101 -- Incorporating and Layering Strategies in the Classroom Ecosystem -- Social Emotional Health (SEL) Curriculums -- Cultivate Belonging -- Have Fun with It! -- Highlighting Star Students -- Peer Mediation -- In the Classroom -- The First 10 Minutes -- Morning Meetings and Circles -- Incorporating Mindfulness -- Whole-Class Incentives -- Individual Incentives -- Points, Tokens, Prizes -- Process Check and Reflection -- Stakeholders Who Support Your Ecosystem -- Communicating with Families -- Make a Plan -- Home Visits -- Make Deposits -- Parents Shadowing Students -- Taking a Hit for the Team -- Practices to Keep Your Ecosystem Healthy -- Hard Reset -- If You Must Ask a Student to Leave the Room -- Redo and Practice -- Avoid Power Struggles -- Talk It Out -- Don't Rush -- Ask Yourself Why. Using Setbacks as Opportunities -- Best Practices in Accountability -- Offer Students Fresh Starts -- Progress over Perfection -- Shoot for a Winning Record -- Troubleshooting When You've Tried Everything -- Conclusion -- Epilogue: Where Are They Now? -- References -- Glossary -- About the Author -- Index -- EULA.