Are you a school leader looking for high quality professional development that will respect your staff’s intelligence while pushing everyone towards excellence? Are you struggling to help educators navigate being suddenly thrust into distance learning relationships? Schedule a free 20 minute phone consultation to see how I can help your school.
Are you a parent, worker, or community organizer looking to help the people you work with repair relationships, learn from each other and find wholeness? Schedule a free 20 minute phone consultation to see how I can help your family or organization.
Solidarity pricing is available.
About Iris
I have been teaching High School English in Baltimore City since 2006. In that capacity I have used Restorative Practices, Peer-to-Peer, Arts Integration, and Project-Based Learning to reimagine my classroom into a space where young people feel safe and respected enough to learn.
Selected lectures and presentations:
“Putting language to work in the Elementary classroom.”
Alexandria, VA, February 2020
• Created space for teachers to workshop lesson plans to include concrete strategies for increasing content learning and English learning of Students speaking other languages.
• Helped teachers in a very affluent part of the district understand their responsibility to students bussed in from another part of the district.
• Worked one-on-one with individuals to plan implementation.
“Welcoming home language to foster growth of academic language in the Elementary classroom.” Alexandria, VA, February 2020
• Shared concrete strategies for increasing content learning and English learning of Students speaking other languages.
• Earned respect of teachers deemed a “tough crowd” by Cultural Competence Coordinator for the district, as evidenced by extremely positive response on anonymous evaluation.
• Helped teachers in a very affluent part of the district understand their responsibility to students bussed in from another part of the district.
• Discussed current research on English Language Learning with elementary school teachers.
“Restorative Practices in Activist Organizations”
Alternative Press Center, Baltimore, MD, February 2020
• Described history and usefulness of restorative practices to participants with a wide range of experiences with and understanding of the subject matter.
• Examined conflict scenarios with participants to identify alternatives for problem solving.
• Created course and materials to meet specific needs of groups working for social justice.
“Honoring and Respecting Linguistic Diversity in the Classroom”
City Neighbors Progressive Education Summit, January 2020
• Explained how welcoming home language in to our classrooms can help students learn content and learn more English.
• Shared concrete strategies for increasing content learning and English learning of Students speaking other languages.
• Created content relevant to Pre-K through High School teachers and other professionals.
• Hired on the spot by Cultural Competence Coordinator for Alexandria, VA Public schools to consult on a particularly troubled school in that district.
“Honoring and Respecting Linguistic Diversity in the Classroom”
BTU Quest Conference, October 2019
• Explained how welcoming home language in to our classrooms can help students learn content and learn more English.
• Engaged over 50 participants in two sessions.
• Created content relevant to Pre-K through High School teachers and para-professionals.
“Restorative Practices in the Workplace”
Baltimore Industrial Workers of the World, July 2019
• Explained how Restorative Practices can be used to solve conflicts between workers without involving management.
• Distilled content relative to low-wage workers from content relative in schools.
• Engaged workers, including some who had not been active in the branch for several months to over a year.
“Passing an Enjoyable Summer with your Teen-aged Fellow Workers”
Blue Water Baltimore, June 2018
• Facilitated a cultural competency workshop for a local environmental non-profit before students arrived for summer employment.
• Gently helped eight White, college-educated Crew Leaders appreciate the gifts their young, Black high-school-student workers would bring.
• According to their HR manager, the training was very successful; there were fewer miscommunications and conflicts than there had been in past years.
“Engaging Students in Academic Interactions”
Patterson High School Faculty Meeting, April 2018
• Presented best practices to the staff based on findings of the Professional Learning Community I facilitated throughout the 2017-2018 school year on Student-to-Student Interactions.
“Doing the Heavy-Lifting: Creating and Maintaining Culturally Responsive Classrooms” Envisioning Equity Conference, Towson University, October 2017
• Co-created with Dr. Karsonya Wise Whitehead, professor at Loyola University
• 6-hour interactive session
• Participants engaged deeply with one another, brainstorming ways to create and maintain culturally and socially responsive classrooms for all children.
• Participants developed strategies to help teachers and administrators connect with, support, and engage students of color and created a plan of action to be implemented in their schools.
“Going Public: Teachers Embracing Activist Identities”
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, November 2016
• Described the impact my activism as worker-owner of a collectively run bookstore and events space has had on my teaching.
• Chair, Bess Altwerger, Towson University, MD
• Fellow panelists, Dr. Kimberly Feldman, Erika Chavaria, Nancy Rankie Shelton
“The Unheard”
Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse, April 2016
Introduced and facilitated a panel discussion with four of my students who had just collaborated to write a ‘Zine on the Baltimore Uprising. The event commemorated the first anniversary of the death of Freddie Gray and the ensuing struggle.
Teacher Reading Group
The Baltimore Free School, 2014
Brought together teachers and educators from around the Baltimore area to read and discuss books such as Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error.
Reaching Reluctant Readers
Baltimore Book Festival, 2011
Worked with Shelby Lawrence, a Baltimore City Kindergarten teacher, to create and implement a workshop for more than 50 parents and teachers of school aged children who do not enjoy reading. We focused on the importance of allowing young people to own their reading.
Teacher Roundtable on “Landmark” Contract
Baltimore Free School, October 2010
Brought together many teachers from around Baltimore to discuss proposed contract changes and coordinate our response.
Selected publications:
Ginsberg, D., Feldman, K. and Kirsch, I. (2018) “What Teachers Know about Language” What Teachers Need to Know About Language: 2nd Edition. Multilingual Matters.
Future Imperfect: An Education Report for Tense Times 2012–2013
Biweekly column on issues in education, published in print and online by The Baltimore Indyreader. Included:
- Kirsch, I. (2012) “Baltimore’s School-to-Prison Pipeline and the New Youth Jail.” Nov. 5, 2012.
- Kirsch, I. (2013) “Guns, Fear and Sandy Hook.” Jan. 14 2013.
- Contributed to IndyReader before beginning to write column. Articles included:
- Kirsch, I. (2008). Street Soldiers: Youth Arming Themselves with Education. Baltimore Indyreader. Fall 2008.