We as teachers, and also schools have so much to learn from our students. They bring a wealth of expert knowledge to the classroom and we need to celebrate it, not silence it.

This documentary was very eye opening. The students in the film were incredibly engaged in their learning and it just emphasized the importance and need for kids to learn about their own backgrounds in school, instead of just the dominant narratives we regularly get in school. We live in such a diverse society, and this should spill over into our education more and with intent.

There is a great organization in Chicago called the Urban Growers Collective that is focused on the South Side and is a "Black- and women-led non profit...working to build a just and equitable local food system." I thought about them as I was reading this piece. https://urbangrowerscollective.org/

I found this very interesting, as I had just read the chapter on Folktales and Folklore in "The Bloomsbury Introduction to Children's and Young Adult Literature" by Karen Coats. The chapter spoke to the ideologies surrounding what folktales are and who "decides" . This part of Reese's article really stood out to me, because I never really realized that most books/stories written by/about Native people are only considered as "folktales" when in reality these stories are also creation stories (for example). It has made me want to take some time to really look into the ideologies surrounding what constitutes as a folktale and what doesn't and why European literature is often afforded different "titles" then those of other groups of people.

This is a beautiful and powerful project that the students were able to create! I think these kinds of interdisciplinary projects are fantastic opportunities for students to actually make a difference in their communities, while also participating in academic activities, such as literacy and math.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdabgOGEm8s&feature=youtu.be

The Marginal Syllabus conversation with the authors was very eye opening. One thing that was really stressed in the conversation was the fact that students (specifically young black girls) come to school with stories to tell, and we really need to tap into those stories.

While this article is mostly geared towards literacy in adolescents, I feel that there is a lot to learn from it for those of us who are elementary teachers. Having books in our classrooms that students can see their own lived experiences in is important.I think we can all take an active role as teachers in growing our classroom libraries (and our mentor texts) to represent a much broader variety of people.

I love the idea of starting these lessons with a motivational quote and also a motivational question. I think both are great tools to engage students in an inquiry mindset when doing critical literacy work.

Seeing yourself as a writer- you would think would be intrinsic, however I do not think it always is. This guiding principle brought me back to one of my first years of teaching when we had a Writers Workshop PD (in elementary), and we had to brainstorm ideas that we could use as "seeds" for modeling in the classroom. I remember it being really difficult, but once I got in the swing of it, it actually made my teaching better- because I was using MY stories, and not just the example story that was in the book. I think we need to constantly be pushing ourselves to remember we are all writers.

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.

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.

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.