• Civic involvement
• Methodology
• Connecting constructivism and citizenship
• Teaching challenges
• Building consensus and closure
• Student challenges
• Informal assessment
• Getting started
• Forming groups
• Students' presentations
• Lessons learned
• Advice to other teachers
• Newark mayoral campaign
• Remaining neutral
• His background

Jose Velazquez: You have to begin with being able to take a risk of giving up total control and playing a different role in the learning process. Step back from the lectern and say I want to be a student myself. I don’t want to be the person giving out all the information. I want to receive information. Students can take responsibility for their own learning. You don’t always have to be in control. You’re not the vessel of all information. Students have information of their own that they bring into the learning process and you have to let it flow and not be afraid to facilitate the process, as opposed to being the only person giving the process. I think if a teacher can start with that step, then everything else is planning.

Starting tomorrow, [decide] the goal of the lesson, [select] five aspects of the lesson, begin breaking the students into groups, and assign some tasks per group. That immediately takes the role away from a teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered classroom. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all of a sudden now, a teacher says, “Okay, you are in groups, go to work.” It requires planning and organization. It requires playing the role of conductor in an orchestra. You still have to know where you are going. You have to have very specific tasks for these groups to accomplish.