After finishing each swirl of her curly hair, Camila circled her paintbrush around and around, forming eyes. For many children, the self-portrait stops here, at the outline. I kneeled next to the young… Continue reading
A move to a school in my Brooklyn neighborhood has me questioning my role as a white teacher of young, Black writers — and what my former role was as a white teacher of white students.
Two Writing Teachers is growing. We hope you’ll join us as we learn, share, and write.
Whether students choose to express themselves in the form of writing prose, poetry or creating a video, the choice belongs to the writer.
As we think about our implicit biases, maybe the most important thing is that we increase our awareness and act from a place of humility and reflection– with a willingness to take a look at parts of our belief systems and behaviors that are uncomfortable, at best. When we know better, we do better. And isn’t that the goal?
Throughout our posts this week, you may read the refrain, “When we know better, we do better.” We are on the continuum of growing our own understandings and practices around the importance of social justice, cultural awareness, empathy, and inclusion. We hope you join the conversation. Please comment. Please share your own experiences and resources. Please begin conversations within your own environments and practices.
I’ve attended 14 TCRWP summer institutes since I began my teaching career. I’ve learned countless things about becoming a better teacher of writers. Through the years, I’ve also learned which afternoon choice sessions… Continue reading
While we have to ask ourselves questions about where books fit into our curriculum and how books support mindsets, now, more than ever, we should be asking how the books we use promote social justice and cultural awareness. These questions do not apply only to the books we offer students to read, but also the books we use to teach students to write.
Today is the annual Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10, hosted by Cathy Mere from Reflect and Refine, Mandy Robek of Enjoy and Embrace Learning, and Julie Balen of Write at the Edge.… Continue reading
