The first step in building an equitable classroom is to examine your own biases, said Fiorentino. No one is immune to bias, and your biases influence many parts of your life, including your interactions at school. Ask yourself: What is familiar to you? What is unfamiliar to you? How does that change your thinking?

Perform an equity audit of your school. What are the demographics of your students? Do they match the demographics of the faculty? Are differences acknowledged and celebrated? Do all the members of your school community feel safe, seen, and heard? These questions help you explore what the school experience might be like for marginalized students in your district.

Students can’t meet expectations equally when teachers use a ‘one size fits all’ approach. To address this, consider adopting the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in your lesson planning, said Fiorentino. UDL helps teachers identify multiple options for engagement, representation and expression, that will still meet all curriculum goals. “If kids can’t do it the way you want, maybe they can do it differently, and still end up at the same point,” explained Fiorentino.

Consider implementing restorative practices in your classroom to build trust and foster cooperation, said Fiorentino. Establishing these practices in your classroom can be as simple as making “affective statements,” which communicate people’s feelings to the class, or asking “affective questions,” which help students consider how their actions affect others. Restorative practices can also be more extensive, like hosting a regular discussion group.

Sometimes teachers are so focused on the content they’re teaching that they forget the students that are right in front of them. “It’s not just about covering all the material; it’s about giving students what they need,” said Fiorentino.