There are more than 500 federally recognized tribal nations in the United States today, each with distinct systems of governance, languages, locations, material cultures, religions, and, of course, stories!
this is incredible. We need to be way better about bringing and honoring these tribal nations in schools!
English language arts provides a space for Black women and girls to express themselves or to find solace in the shared lived experiences of Black women and girls. However, this is impossible if the texts used to ed-ucate Black women and girls are void of their lived experiences, beliefs, and cultural norms.
Educators need to be intentional about providing that space and providing opportunity in literature to give these women and girls texts that share their lived experience. Curriculum needs to be reevaluated and the texts and stories as well.
Black women writ-ers and poets, including Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Toni Morrison’s Be-loved,provide Black female students a purview into the narratives of pain, restoration, and Black suffer-ing from the voices of Black women.
I believe these author's need to be elevated we need more diversity in author's, books, poetry and literature in the classroom that reflects the students in front of us.
Testimony, Witness, and Trauma as a Lens on Healing
I am reminded of the book "The Vulnerable Heart of Literacy" by Dutro as well. Where testimony and witness are practiced to reframe what we know about trauma.
more than simply passing up a missed pedagogical opportunity. Rather, not discussing the social fallout after the election is an act of denying the full humanity of students in schools.
I think this happens a lot because teachers at times feel ill equipped to do this.
was characterized by some of his teachers as a disengaged learner and a “struggling” writer, created and maintained three websites and blogs each day. From his bedroom to his neighborhood streets, he wrote and composed music lyrics, uploaded audio files, and directed music videos.
This to me shows the danger of labeling students. There could be many underlying reasons why the student was disengaged. Instead of focusing on the deficits perhaps focusing on the strengths of this student's blog, and music lyrics could be harnessed to empower his/her writing.
Becoming the kind of teacher I wanted to become meant banging my head against the wall of the wrong choices I continued to make about teaching literature and writing.
I think as teachers we need to be reflective and understand that we are lifelong learners as well. In order to best serve the kids in front of us we need to reflect on our practice constantly.
My error—and the error of the department that hired me—was to see these students as “disadvantaged” instead of seeing their brilliance.
Many students have so many stories and experiences to share. I think it is dangerous to focus on the label of "disadvantage" instead of looking at the whole child
The closest we came to real reading was giving them books, then reading out loud to them. They rebelled. They hated the class. They didn’t come or they acted up when they attended. They didn’t do the work. I said things like, “These kids just don’t want to learn” and “These kids don’t care about their education.”
I think this is very common among students today. I believe many students do this because many curriculums and units do not reflect them. They aren't invested, they don't have buy in because these lesson/books were not chosen or implemented with them in mind. This is the idea of "window and mirror" texts. Many texts are merely windows for the students they are not mirrors that reflect themselves.
Voices from the Middle■ volume 24■ number 3■ march 201716Critical Literacy and Our Students’ LivesLinda ChristensenIreceived the US West Outstanding Teacher of the Western United States award in 1990. I treasured the award, not because I was the best teacher, but because after fifteen years in the classroom with two children at home, I was tired. The award came with a sabbatical. But it also came with humiliation and outrage. First, the award itself was boastful. I was a good teacher, but the best? No way. I wasn’t even the best in my school much less the entire western United States. But I was the one who had applied, pulled together a résumé with the help of my colleagues, and apparently answered their questions in the right way No one who gave me the award even watched me teach. So I felt pompous and overreaching with the title. But the worst part came later when my photo appeared in the local paper stating that I taught “disadvantaged” students.
What does this term mean "disadvantaged students". Are we creating a harsh label or acknowledging there are students that have circumstances beyond their control. What do we as teachers do with this label? Do we get hung up on a label?