Inside every classroom are stories we don’t always hear — stories of children navigating identity, trauma, and systems that were never designed with them in mind.
In my latest episode of The Cultural Curriculum Chat™ Podcast, I sat down with Dr. Barbara “Bobbi” Sherrod, a contributor to Identity-Based Mass Violence in Urban Contexts: Uncovered, to talk about what happens when students like Kelly are misunderstood instead of supported.
Kelly was a student in Baltimore City Public Schools whose struggles were labeled as “behavior” rather than recognized as trauma. Her story reveals how identity-based harm doesn’t always look like physical violence — sometimes it looks like silence, neglect, and unmet needs.
Dr. Sherrod explains how race, poverty, and institutional blind spots combine to create environments where children are pushed out instead of pulled in. For educators, this is a call to rethink discipline, engagement, and how we interpret student behavior.
If we want safer schools, we must first create seen schools — places where children are understood, not erased.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1495555/episodes/18708585
And explore culturally responsive classroom tools at our Lesson Plan Store
