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Abstract

Many students, whether in elementary or college classrooms, face overlapping challenges related to disability, trauma, poverty, and systemic inequity, and many teachers feel unprepared to provide meaningful support. A ninth-grade Boston charter area teacher once confided to me, “I am aware that my students require assistance, yet I am at a loss as to how to effectively teach them, particularly in regard to students from diverse backgrounds.” This teacher’s statement was not unusual. In my social work roles in several schools, I observed students’ needs and teachers’ uncertainties about how to meet them, which led to my own dedication to addressing these discrepancies.

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