As the largest high school in Oregon, our students come from the most diverse backgrounds and situations. With that in mind, my goal in my classroom is to create a safe space for them to feel like they can be themselves and have ownership of their experience and voice in here. In this classroom, I have had the opportunity to see students broadening their perspectives by sharing their own experiences with each other. I, too, learn so much about the world through the stories of my students, without ever leaving this room. This unique space and time have great potential to improve our world!
I want to be able to share stories that reflect their backgrounds and lives.
It's been so wonderful and eye-opening, that I am inspired to bring in more examples of their experiences through the pieces we read.
Right now, our reading options are primarily the traditional canon of white authors and Eurocentric stories. That needs to change. Bringing in acclaimed texts that our diverse learners can relate to will provide material to further instill the belief that their voices matter.
My Project
By reading about people and experiences like their own, my hope is that my students will see their stories and their lives represented and validated in education.
When a teacher brings these books into the classroom, it shows that their reality is important.
Refugee is a collection of short stories, chosen as a Global Read Aloud selection for 2018, from many perspectives of refugees in world history. Many of my students are first or second generation immigrants who have first-hand or second-hand experiences like these.
The Hate U Give is a novel that is quickly reaching critical acclaim, based on the Black Lives Matter movement and incidents of police brutality on people of color. All of my students have experience of code-switching, and this text helps examine that concept.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Wood and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.