explaining the difference in her writing experiences in and for school versus outside of school and in her personal life.
We need to open up the conversation about "what counts" when it comes to student's writing and sharing. We should be nurturing their needs and stories in bringing their outside worlds into the classroom through their writing and other mediums.
Uriah wrote about her “home” in the dance studio, and Desi wrote about how a blank canvas represents both home and possibility to her. But most students wrote about their homes being disrupted—
This quote made me think of the book "The Vulnerable Heart of Literacy: Centering Trauma as Powerful Pedagogy" by Elizabeth Dutro.In the book Dutro speaks of teachers inviting students to participate (in sharing their traumas), but it is never a requirement. Therefore, I think it is important to note that Uriah and Desi decided to not tell stories of when their homes were disrupted, and that is absolutely okay.
started paying attention to the larger themes that brought the world into our classroom, my students (mostly) stopped rebelling
I think it is important to do this in your classroom, regardless of grade level. Inviting students to feel comfortable to bring their lived experiences into the classroom can only create a stronger interest and connection to what you are doing in class.