Do Things Accordingly: Teaching Zora. A Year-Long Design Studio.

A flagship partnership to study and teach Zora Neale Hurston.
This Design Studio unfolds across a full academic year, combining professional learning, curriculum design, and ongoing coaching so teachers can study Zora deeply and bring her into their classrooms with confidence and Cultural Intentionality.

Phases of teaching Zora.

Phase 1: Study + Praxis (Semester 1)

Teachers spend a semester studying Zora Neale Hurston and connected texts across genres, exploring her craft, themes, and cultural significance in order to teach her well.

Texts Studied: Their Eyes Were Watching God, “Sweat” (Hurston), “Girl” (Jamaica Kincaid), and Eve’s Bayou (dir. Kasi Lemmons).

Engagements: guided reading prompts, reflection tasks, and protocols.

Format: hybrid model with virtual check-ins and 1–2 in-person intensive days.

Focus: developing teacher praxis by pairing scholarship with strategies for classroom use.

Year-Long Deliverables

  • Semester-long professional learning experience dedicated to studying Zora.

  • A purchased, classroom-ready curriculum package.

  • Presentation decks, Google Classroom, and video library access.

  • Teacher reflection tools and discussion protocols.

  • In-person + virtual coaching to sustain the work.

Phase 2: Implementation + Coaching (Semester 2)

In the second semester, teachers implement the Zora unit in their classrooms, supported by curriculum resources and ongoing coaching.

Purchased Curriculum Package: pacing guide, lesson plans, protocols, and assessments.

Resources: teacher/student presentation decks, Google Classroom access, curated texts, archive-style video lectures.

Coaching: 1 in-person day + 2 virtual sessions during implementation.

Focus: supporting teachers as they translate study into practice and adapt the unit to AP, IB, AfAm Lit, or general ELA courses.

Outcomes

By the end of the year, teachers will:

  • Understand Hurston’s work as canon, not supplement.

  • Build confidence teaching Zora across genres and mediums.

  • Leave with a full Zora-centered unit adaptable to multiple courses.

  • Strengthen their praxis for culturally intentional instruction across the curriculum.