My students are the kindest, most determined, hardest working people I know. Many of them face great adversity in their homes and in their daily lives, yet they come to school each day willing to learn and to do their best. I love my students more than I can explain and once they have been in my class, they are forever "my kids."
Because of my love for my students, I'm tough on them, but they rise to each and every challenge set before them.
They are tough, strong-willed, and determined and I'm so lucky to get to spend every day with them!
I primarily teach 10th graders, but I also have a group of advanced freshmen, and I usually teach some upperclassmen as well.
My students are a very diverse group--they live in varied locations, including inside the city and out in the county, they have diverse family situations, and their backgrounds are also diverse--but despite their many differences, they come together to form one of the top ranked high schools in our state!
My Project
My students don't always love to read, but often, it's because they haven't found a book they connect with yet.
One of my aims as an English teacher is to encourage students to love reading, and one way I do that is through independent choice books; I love to find diverse books that represent the diverse people who sit in my classroom.
Diversity in the literature available to students tells them that they are important, they matter, and they aren't alone. Because my classroom is full of wonderfully diverse students, I feel that it's important and necessary for them to read and experience books that mirror themselves. Not only will they see main characters that they can relate to and that reflect their own culture, but this will also help build their self-confidence and their feeling of inclusiveness and belonging.
Books can also be a window by offering a view into someone else's experience. For students who may frequently see themselves in books, these diverse perspectives will allow them to see and to empathize with people who are different from them.
Please help me add to the diversity in my classroom with these new books!
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