Thank you for sharing your connections and hopes as you read through this book. Like you mentioned in your vignette's, even after decades of teaching I am still left with many moments when I know my words and knowledge fall short. I have also wondered how we can move beyond the calendar reminders that nudge us to take up equity. As I read and jotted my thoughts in response to this book, the idea of identity also spoke to me and was a beacon that kept drawing my curiosity back to reread portions of the book and think back to my own experiences.
Our school has been learning a lot about trauma-informed practices (TIP) and therapeutic crisis intervention over the past three years. We have learned our first step is to check in with ourselves before we can support others. Muhammad suggests when taking up Historically Responsive Literacy (HRL), this theory/model also "calls for teachers to first unpack and make sense of their own histories and identities, which includes the ways they have used language and literacy practices in their own lives" (p. 50). For me, this means continually looking closely at my own lived experiences, bringing forward more questions than answers.
I admit, I grew up thinking Canada was this great country where all citizens were equal. It is only in my adult years that I have been able to see the outright lies I learned in my childhood. It has been a hard and uncomfortable truth to walk through. I am hopeful that that my own children will have a criticality I never had in my own youth, as I learn alongside them in my adult years.
This is why I so appreciate opportunities such as this book study. We get to 'see' into each other's lives as we explore Muhammad's Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework For Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, and as a community we can know and do better.
I absolutely love how you started your post with vignette's. I find it easier to engage in the text when personal stories are embedded. The vignette's reminded me of a student I had a few years back that was biracial. She was thumbing through one of my "Our Wisconsin" magazines and happened upon a page that made her take pause. She was literally beaming as she brought the magazine to me and said, "This person looks just like me!" This one instance totally verified for me the importance of representation in my classroom library.
Recently on FB, I saw a post where someone was joyful about a sale on crayons that were labeled, "Colors of the World." I am conflicted about this... On the one hand, I am happy that there are colors being marketed that are more inclusive. And it's great they are being celebrated. On the other hand...shouldn't those colors just be part of one of those big ol' 64 crayons packs. You know, part of the norm, inclusive, expected.
I appreciated that you are working on moving beyond black history month to celebrate black joy and the positive contributions of people of color all year long. I too am on this journey. I feel a great sense of urgency to ensure the books and texts that represent my classroom library, my read alouds, and our discussions, are more inclusive. Living in a small, rural community with very little diversity makes this sense of urgency all the more present. I don't want the first experience my students have with color, race, gender, etc... to happen when they go off to college.
Thank you for your honest reflections and well written post.
Rhonda, this was such a terrific post to start our book study, because you surfaced what we needed to be aware of from the beginning: race. Awareness is the first step to change. Thank you for your courage and honesty as grow together through this collaborative study.
Thank you for sharing your connections and hopes as you read through this book. Like you mentioned in your vignette's, even after decades of teaching I am still left with many moments when I know my words and knowledge fall short. I have also wondered how we can move beyond the calendar reminders that nudge us to take up equity. As I read and jotted my thoughts in response to this book, the idea of identity also spoke to me and was a beacon that kept drawing my curiosity back to reread portions of the book and think back to my own experiences.
Our school has been learning a lot about trauma-informed practices (TIP) and therapeutic crisis intervention over the past three years. We have learned our first step is to check in with ourselves before we can support others. Muhammad suggests when taking up Historically Responsive Literacy (HRL), this theory/model also "calls for teachers to first unpack and make sense of their own histories and identities, which includes the ways they have used language and literacy practices in their own lives" (p. 50). For me, this means continually looking closely at my own lived experiences, bringing forward more questions than answers.
I admit, I grew up thinking Canada was this great country where all citizens were equal. It is only in my adult years that I have been able to see the outright lies I learned in my childhood. It has been a hard and uncomfortable truth to walk through. I am hopeful that that my own children will have a criticality I never had in my own youth, as I learn alongside them in my adult years.
This is why I so appreciate opportunities such as this book study. We get to 'see' into each other's lives as we explore Muhammad's Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework For Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, and as a community we can know and do better.
Thanks for sharing with us all Rhonda!
Rhonda,
I absolutely love how you started your post with vignette's. I find it easier to engage in the text when personal stories are embedded. The vignette's reminded me of a student I had a few years back that was biracial. She was thumbing through one of my "Our Wisconsin" magazines and happened upon a page that made her take pause. She was literally beaming as she brought the magazine to me and said, "This person looks just like me!" This one instance totally verified for me the importance of representation in my classroom library.
Recently on FB, I saw a post where someone was joyful about a sale on crayons that were labeled, "Colors of the World." I am conflicted about this... On the one hand, I am happy that there are colors being marketed that are more inclusive. And it's great they are being celebrated. On the other hand...shouldn't those colors just be part of one of those big ol' 64 crayons packs. You know, part of the norm, inclusive, expected.
I appreciated that you are working on moving beyond black history month to celebrate black joy and the positive contributions of people of color all year long. I too am on this journey. I feel a great sense of urgency to ensure the books and texts that represent my classroom library, my read alouds, and our discussions, are more inclusive. Living in a small, rural community with very little diversity makes this sense of urgency all the more present. I don't want the first experience my students have with color, race, gender, etc... to happen when they go off to college.
Thank you for your honest reflections and well written post.
Blessing,
Ryanne
Rhonda, this was such a terrific post to start our book study, because you surfaced what we needed to be aware of from the beginning: race. Awareness is the first step to change. Thank you for your courage and honesty as grow together through this collaborative study.