Help me give my students a classroom set of the book, The Hate You Give, to help me open up a discussion about discrimination and using your voice for change.
At the beginning of each school year, I ask each of my students to write down a goal that they have for this year and a goal they have for the future. A common thread for all my students is often to pass their current year of high school and to either move on to the next grade or graduate from high school. Their goals for the future vary from wanting to attend college or a vocational school or wanting to join the work force or military. Many of my students have shared that they will be the first generation of their family to graduate from high school and to them, that is the most important thing.
No matter the obstacle, each and every one of my students wants to learn and earn the most important thing to them, a high school diploma.
Though they may have both economic and academic struggles, they embrace learning and will try and access and grasp it any way they can! They come to school eager and ready to learn, sharing with us all their struggles, accomplishments and goals. We celebrate each and every one of them daily in my class and school.
My Project
As a teacher I think the biggest thing we can do is support our students and show them how to use their voices to help make a change. Many of my students face discrimination in their lives and this affects who they are as a person. This year I will be teaching 12th graders and by reading The Hate You Give, I hope to not only open up a discussion on how to properly use their voices for change but to also let them talk about in a safe and caring space issues they too have faced and use their experiences to help not just themselves but others in their class.
The Hate You Give, is a modern day story that some of my students may be able to relate to personally or have seen the same events unfold on TV and are grasping with how to deal with it all.
I plan to use this book as a stepping stone toward talking about using their voices for change and what they can do as individuals for both themselves and their community. I have learned over the years of teaching that if you find a text that the students can relate to they are more likely to engage with it and have authentic discussions.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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