Teaching for Equity and Justice Empowers Educators

One of the reasons our growing network of teachers choose to bring Facing History into their classrooms is because we provide robust support to our educators! We host online, in-person, and hybrid professional development and learning events throughout the year that cover a diverse set of topics and feature conversations with scholars and leaders who are experts in their fields. 

This summer, more than 150 educators attended Facing History’s three-day 2023 Teaching for Equity and Justice (TEJ) Summer Institute. The purpose of this institute is to help teachers explore unconscious bias and work to mitigate the impact of historical racism on educational practices and policies.

Since its national launch in 2019, our TEJ training has taken multiple forms, including two-day workshops, multi-day summer workshops, and year-long learning series delivered to whole faculties over an academic year.

For each of our professional development offerings Facing History’s evaluation team measures the value of the experience for attendees. These evaluations allow us to continually fine-tune and innovate to ensure that we are delivering the best possible experience for educators. This most recent TEJ Summer Institute gave us fantastic insight into the tangible impact our TEJ training has and what excites and inspires our educators.

Here are what some of this year’s attendees had to say:

"I was feeling so burnt out at the end of the school year; I was on the verge of making this upcoming school year my last in education because I feel so defeated by current policies and student behavior. This work reinvigorated my why. I feel so much more motivated to stay in education and even go into leadership to enact the systemic changes we discussed during this institute."

"I found Dr. Hasan Jeffries’s keynote incredibly incisive and cohesive. I began to see the antecedents that led to our current educational inequities in a more clear way."

"The lessons that were particularly powerful were on the history of race, racism, and educational inequity and understanding and mitigating bias. They very logically flowed together and truly caused us to face history and then ourselves. The resources in these two sections led me to a LOT of self-reflection."

BIPOC Affinity Spaces

Our 2023 Teaching for Equity and Justice Summer Institute marked our first professional learning event where we offered BIPOC affinity spaces. BIPOC affinity spaces welcome historically underrepresented or underserved individuals to gather together in a group that allows people to be authentic and vulnerable in a way that feels safe and supportive. We were pleased to see that our affinity spaces launch was well-received. 

Here’s what some of our affinity space participants shared:

“I really appreciated the affinity space. Thank you for offering it.”

“Having the BiPOC affinity space was truly what I needed. We are often one-offs in our school and we need time and space to be with others who understand what we are going through. I didn't know just how much I needed that time.”

“Given the topic, I appreciated having a space where my peers and I could just share and not feel responsible (unintentionally) for explaining or reteaching.”

The Impact of Facing History Professional Learning

Facing History doesn’t work without our teachers. And the over 400,000 educators that use our materials know that they can turn to Facing History for content that will engage their students and challenge them to think critically. With that in mind, our post-event evaluations are incredibly important so that we can truly understand if the professional development we’re supplying is resonating with educators and giving them the lift they need to do vital work in the classroom. 

Here are some of the data points that show the impact of our PD:

From identifying powerful next steps to take in their own schools and districts to connecting with like-minded teachers to gaining individual awareness about personal blindspots, this year’s TEJ Summer Institute left educators refreshed, ready for new challenges, and equipped with tools to help them meet those challenges.  

Learn More

Interested in more information about the impact TEJ has on educators? Visit Facing History’s Teaching for Equity & Justice page to get an overview of how this program can improve equity and justice in your school. 

And you can sign up now for our next Teaching for Equity and Justice Workshop happening Wednesday, October 25 and Thursday, October 26!

This two-day online professional learning experience will connect you with educators across the country and give you access to best-in-class resources and guidance from Facing History. 

Register Today!