Books Written in Blood

Sherman Alexie wrote a short essay entitled "Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood" and it discusses important points teachers should consider when they're debating whether or not to read a book in class which discusses adult topics, such as sex or rape. Alexie delves into why it is sometimes necessary for Young Adult (YA) books, such as his own The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, to include dark, adult themes because they are preteens and teens reading these books who have dealt with similar experiences in their lives. As he says in the essay a teen mother wouldn't be traumatized by a novel about sex and someone who has been damaged by murder/rape won't be alarmed by a novel depicting the two. That's an important point to make because every person, especially adolescents, want to find characters that relate to them or media, i.e. books, movies, television shows, that relate to their lives. YA books such as Alexie's and Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, along with countless others, exist because there are young adults out there who face/have faced the problems these novels depict. Even if your class is, or seems, privileged and innocent, there could still be a victim of sexual assault or someone who's had a pregnancy scare or someone who is the black sheep among their school and family. Regardless of your class, you should never eliminate a YA novel because you think the theme is too adult for your students. If it has the distinction YA, it was meant to be read by teenagers and sometimes even younger crowds. I read Speak when I was in middle school. Books can often times be more than just words written on paper and, as an English teacher, you probably already know that. Books are used as an escape, but as Alexie said they can also be used as weapons, helping people to arm themselves against their demons as well as the demons of society. As Doctor Who once said "You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!" Sometimes the books that get through to teenagers the most are the ones that are dangerous and help them stand up to the dangers in their own lives because unfortunately children aren't always as protected as they should be and they need novels that will help them, rather than protect them. Having your students read this essay and then bringing in a book, or something similar, a c.d., a movie, that they believe is written in their blood and explain why will help you better understand your students and maybe their lives as well.



"I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed."-Sherman Alexie 

Funds of Knowledge

In 1992 a group of education experts wrote about "funds of knowledge". In this essay entitled "Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms" researchers are paired with classroom teachers in an effort to help teachers learn how to do research about their students. The research involved the researcher and the educator to go to the households of some of the teachers students in order to learn more about the students and their families. The ultimate goal of this is for the teacher to learn what kinds of knowledge her students have from their homes, culture, and families that is stored in their funds of knowledge. The teacher was then able to base a week-long unit based on information gathered from the households. The topic they choose: candy. The teachers in the study found candy was a popular thing among their Mexican students' families. The unit involved many normal classroom activities such as brainstorming, KWL's (Know, want to know, learned), using the scientiific method, etc. At the end of the unit a parent in the class came in and taught the class how to make a kind of Mexican candy called pipitoria. This essay sets a great example for teachers about including their students different funds of knowledge in their classroom and including the community in the teaching of their students.

Though every teacher may not go out and interview the families of a few of their students, it is still important that they get to know their students on a more personal level. To teach students you see five days a week for perhaps several hours a day you need to get to know them to know what will work in the classroom and what kind of lessons to do. Obviously you should always be professional as a teacher but that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn a bit about your students personal lives. Especially since the best way to incorporate your students different funds of knowledge is to know what they are in the first place. I know I've brought up that term quite often, "funds of knowledge", while all it really means are the different kinds of knowledge your students possess.  It's similar to having different kinds of literacy, but this knowledge comes from separate places.When a student walks into the classroom they are filled with the knowledge they have gotten from their families and culture, their friends, and all the knowledge they've received up to this point in their schooling. They know about topics that aren't always covered in the classroom and finding out about those topics your students have learned from outside school, either because they've been exposed to the knowledge or they've learned it on their own time, will allow you to better connect with your students and validate their funds of knowledge.

To get a better idea of funds of knowledge, check out this video:



I think the video describes the concept well, but it's unfortunately Australian, so here's one which is American and includes some of the essay as well:

National Council of Teachers of English

As an emerging English teacher, or even a seasoned one, you should look into the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Councils for teachers exist in different states as well, but there are benefits to joing the national chapter. If nothing else, it will give you connections to other English teachers around the country, which may not seem important if you plan to stick to one state, but if you ever have to move out of state it will help the transition to have contacts through the NCTE in that state. The NCTE isn't just for secondary education either, it is dedicated to language arts at all levels of education and incorporates primary education and higher education as well.

Joining the NCTE is also a good way to get and stay connected to other professionals who teach English. A network of English teachers allows you to have a large grouop of people who may have faced the same classroom problems and conflicts and can help you to get through it. It can also be a good way to get ideas for new lessons and activities to do in your classroom. Not only can you learn from others in your field, but if you're a member of the NCTE you get access to their journals, newsletters, and monthly magazine. They also have a career oppurtunities site, which is why it's a good idea to join even if you're still in undergrad. Another thing to look for in undergrad is if your college has a students affiliate to the NCTE. I'm on the eboard of the NCTE-SA at Michigan State University. Even now it's a great way to make friends, build connections, and even attend some NCTE conventions. It can also give you an idea of whether or not the NCTE is for you and if you want to be a part of the council in the future. I'm just highlighting some facts and putting a spotlight on the NCTE, but you should definetely check it out for yourself.

Re-conceptualizing your notions of text and literacy

In the average English classroom students are taught how to write essays and analyze texts, but there's more to literacy than that. As I discussed in my first post, literacy can take a variety of different forms. Analyzing texts is an important part of any English class but text can go beyond just novels and essays. You can analyze lyrics, poems, spoken word performances, movies, art, advertisements, graphics, the list goes on and on. It's important to have this open, all-encompassing view of text and literacy so you can go beyond the stereotype that reading and writing are the only things that apply to literacy. A person could be literate across all kinds of disciplines/topics. Your students could be literate digitally, whether it be with video, social media, editing software, etc. or they could understand how to read music or they could be a painter who might understand images more than words. That's why you should try to give student's creative options when assigning projects. Obviously every assignment can't be done through every medium, but there's more wiggle room in an English classroom usually than there would be in other disciplines classrooms. English teachers should be able to think about texts and literacy in creative ways and then be able to channel your students creative sides by re-conceptualizing their ideas of literacy and text as well.

One of my favorite literacy types is digital literacy. This video talks about literacy and focuses on digital literacy:

Using Graphic Novels in the Classroom

Today teachers are constantly trying to incorporate multicultural lessons and texts into their classrooms. Though there are several books capable of relating to multicultural students I suggest using a graphic novel in your classroom. Not only can graphic novels be more engaging because students have a visual aid but they can also teach students about the differnt types of literature that exist and show students they can be an active reader without having to read 400 page novels. Some of your students may already be interested in reading graphic novels, manga, or comics. I've often heard students would prefer to be consulted about their learning and teachers agree students should give some insight into what they want to learn about. There are always ways to cater to your students while still allowing them to have a learning experience. And if you're a square and don't know any good graphic novels to use, or don't think there are any, here's a list:

V for Vendetta

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughn & Niko Henrichon

This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki 

Stuck in the Middle edited by Ariel Schrag

Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse

Maus by Art Spiegelman 

Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White by Lila Quintero Weaver

And if you need more suggestions, I suggest using the great resource of your local library! These are some graphic novels I found on display at the East Lansing Library: 

Incorporating local, independent bookstores into your curriculum

Similar to libraries, local bookstores can also act as a resource for teachers. These bookstores may even be a part of your students' "funds of knowledge". In "A Different World: Black Bookstores as Literacy Counterpublics" Marc Lamont Hill discusses a black bookstore in Philadelphia, Rasul's, and shows it as a counterpublic space, or a space that deviates from dominant society. In this bookstore all age ranges of mostly African-American people come to buy books. Often the books Rasul's sells aren't sold in mainstream bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, despite being bestsellers.

In this essay Hill discusses some African-American students who come to the store. In some cases the students try to supplement their education with this bookstore because they aren't exposed enough to their own culture at their school, but mostly students come here to replace their education because they believe they are being taught lies at school. Despite the fact that Beloved  or Their Eyes Were Watching God were used in the students' curriculum, they still weren't relating to the books. One student said she never considered herself a writer until reading Rasul's books because those books matched her style of writing, whereas the African-American authors she read in class didn't.

Though students in this essay often replaced their education with Rasul's, I would encourage you to use such independent bookstores to supplement your students learning. You might have to track it down, but there is likely a bookstore like this somewhere in your community, especially if you teach in an urban setting. In East Lansing we have The Curious Book Shop, where you can often find good books for cheaper than at a chain bookstore. Asking your students where they go to read or get their books from could give you a lot of insight into their lives as readers and if there happens to be a well-attended bookstore among your students, definitely check it out, see what it has to offer. Nothing should be more important than engaging your students in their own learning process and using an independent bookstore can be a good resource for you as well as your students.

Get to Know Your Local Library

In today's world of educational funding cuts teachers sometimes have to look for alternate ways to get the materials needed to properly educate and engage their classrooms. A great resource that many teachers often overlook is the local library, either in their own community or in the community they teach in. Libraries are not only a great resource for teachers, but learning about what the library in your school's community has to offer can also help benefit your students. Libraries often have programs for younger children as well as teens and they may even have a teen section. My local East Lansing library has quiet study spaces which could be great for kids who might not be able to concentrate at home, a teen section, a section with books for sale, which are often cheaper than students will find at other bookstores, and literature kits. What are literature kits you ask? Take a gander:

 The East Lansing Public Library has a whole section of Literature Kits. To the right is pictured some of the Lit Kit books. As you can see there are several copies of these books and you can check the kits out and have enough for your class. With a large class you could check out 2 or 3 and have different reading groups in your class.

Besides multiple copies of the book lit kits also have activities and discussion questions for your students, as pictured to the top and right, that you can check out with the books.

Aside from the library itself, librarians can be helpful as well. They can recommend books or tell you about all the features of the library that you may not notice at first glance (for example mine has a 3D printer). They can also tell you about events the library might have or resources such as tutoring programs, after-school programs, etc. If you want to do more for your students with limited financial means, don't hesitate to check out your local library. 

Here's a site to help you find your local library: https://www.worldcat.org/libraries

Social Justice: Part 2

As a teacher for social justice a good book to refer to is Paulo Freire's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed". As a teacher, you should definitely read it and consider sharing it with your students as well. The text is rather advanced, so it would depend on your classroom. If you think it might be a bit much for your students, there are still useful passages/lessons to draw from the book. The book would also likely resonate more with oppressed students.

Freire discusses the banking method and its limitations, saying students shouldn't be treated as banks in which we, as teachers, deposit information into. Rather students should be taught how to think critically and take meaning from what they are learning, rather than just learning straight facts and definitions. By teaching students how to critically think about what they see and what they learn you are giving them the tools to advance in life, not only in a traditional, societal way, but also by allowing them to see the faults and wrongs within society and helping them realize not to give into the stereotype.

Freire is adamant in this book that society must become classless to truly become free and for that to happen people  in the middle and upper classes must give themselves over to the plight of the lower, poor classes, sometimes refereed to as the "peasant class" by Freire. I am not saying Freire's method to improve society is necessarily right, but the book is certainly full of possibilities and theories to improve society worth knowing and thinking about, especially since you are teaching  society's future generation.

Teaching As a Venue for Social Justice

As an educator, especially if you have a multicultural, diverse, or marginalized classroom, you have to go above and beyond teaching your "subject area" and teach your students about the world around them. This blog will likely contain more posts and examples for how to teach social justice in your classroom, so we'll call this an introduction. Introducing multicultural readings into your classroom can be tailoring your lessons to your students, or it can be introducing your all-white class to different viewpoints. Regardless of how privileged or marginalized your class is, you can still teach for social justice and encourage your class to question society and critically think about how society treats people based on race, language, nationality, sexuality, and gender. It's valuable to bring up controversial and sensitive topics such as abortion, police brutality, LGBT rights, racism,etc. However, simply handing out a reading and discussing it may not necessarily engage your students, so try analyzing the following songs in the classroom and relating them back to mainstream society. You could even have your students write their own songs as an assignment. After all, music is sometimes just poetry with a good beat added.

Link to Social Justice Songs:
http://www.sojust.net/songs.html

My recommendations:

Working Class Hero, John Lennon



Fortunate Son, Creedence Clearwater Revival


Keep Ya Head Up, Tupac


Everyday People, Sly & The Family Stone


Dear Mr. President, P!nk


Fight the Power, Public Enemy


Black Man, Stevie Wonder

What is Literacy?

Literacy is anything and everything. Literacy is all around us and it comes in multiple, varying forms. People like to push literacy into a box and claim it applies to only reading and writing, but literacy encompasses so much more. It is language and culture and technology and this blog will delve into the different forms of literacy and show examples of literacy as well as how teachers can utilize all the forms of literacy.