Culturize Action Guide

This Action Guide is a tool to accompany Culturize: Every Student. Every Day. Whatever It Takes. by Jimmy Casas. A practical book to help all educators understand what it takes to cultivate a community of learners who embody human traits such as kindness, compassion, and honesty, Culturize begins with the premise that by cultivating a collective professional mindset that centers on championing for all students, expecting excellence in all that we do, carrying the banner for our students, our school, and each other, and serving as merchants of hope for our students and each other, educators can shift schools away from a culture that runs on compliance, blame, and fear to a culture based on investment and caring. Jimmy shares inspiration, stories, and strategies to help overcome the negative undercurrents that exist in school cultures today and explains how educators in all roles can reach students who seem "unreachable," connect with students who are disengaged and at risk of dropping out, ensure that students feel cared for and empowered, and create environments in which all students are challenged and inspired to be their very best. His insights into navigating the complexities of working in schools is an invaluable resource for all educators who desire to make a difference in the lives of the students and parents they serve as well as the colleagues with whom they serve. This Action Guide is a road map to taking action steps based on the ideas found in Culturize so that our schools can best serve the students of today. If you are conducting a book study group, seminar, class, or professional development event based on Culturize, this Action Guide will serve as a resource to help you organize your sessions and work with your group. It provides assistance to staff developers, superintendents, principals, team leaders, college professors, and other educational leaders who are working with teachers to develop their professional skills. Each part of this Action Guide corresponds to the six chapters from Culturize. To help you plan and organize your study sessions, the Action Guide is divided into the following six sections: Reflections: These are short thoughts on key sections of the chapter. Critical Concepts: These are simply bullet-point summaries of the main ideas from each section of the book and are presented here to help you review and focus your thoughts. Questions to Consider: These questions are designed to reinforce your understanding of critical concepts and will promote constructive conversation among those participating in the study group, workshop, or class. Writing to Reflect: These reflective journal prompts help you consider what you have read as well as discussions in which you have engaged to independently work through essential issues, recording what you have learned and what you are thinking about in writing. Team Activities: These activities allow you to further explore concepts and ideas found in Live Your Excellence by interacting with others in your study group, workshop, or course. Putting It to Work: This section provides specific actions for applying what you have learned through your reading as well as work undertaken in the book study back in your own classroom, school, or district.