Last night was the #KidLit4BlackLives Rally, sponsored by ILA and hosted by Kwame Alexander. And whatever I expected, I got something wholly new. If you haven't watch it, you can watch the whole experience on YouTube. The experience felt like we could put our ideas into practice not just tomorrow, but yesterday. That we, as educations (and adults) have a responsibility to our kids. To be silent, is to spread toxicity. So here are my five biggest takeaways from last night.
Listen to Our Students
Tiffany Jewell, author of This Book is Antiracist, asked, "How often do we invite our students to be part of the discussion? Listen. And Really Listen." As educators, I sometimes find there is an ego-stroke that happens. Somehow, as educators, some of us got the idea that we are paragons of information. We're not. We don't have all the answers. And some of those questions we need to ask needs direction at our students. So this fall, I'm going to sit down with them and ask, "What am I missing?" Now, I teach at a largely white suburban school, so I know I need to reach out to my BSU and ask, "What can I do better." I'm going to listen and take notes because we can all do better.
Avoid Avoidance
Race is sometimes that bubble in the air that isn't addressed. In truth, I think I've only done the bare-minimum. I've done diversity book clubs under the guise of #OwnVoices with titles such as A Long Way Down, The Hate U Give, and Pet. I did a whole unit in my American Protest class with diversity at the forefront including titles like The Underground Railroad and The Journey of Little Charlie. But notice, everything was regulated to book clubs. No whole class discussion necessary. Even when I did whole class books to address issues, they were problematic texts like To Kill a Mockingbird. I tried to breach the subject, but I didn't delve deep. Too worried they might say the wrong thing. Too worried I might say the wrong thing.
The same refrain echoed throughout the night, "We don't have all the answers." And we don't. And as Noni Thomas-Lopez explained, "If you do't talk about [race], you're letting [your students] breath in the toxic air.
We have to stop tip-toeing. That's my commitment. Address it. And talk about it.
Listen to Our Students
Tiffany Jewell, author of This Book is Antiracist, asked, "How often do we invite our students to be part of the discussion? Listen. And Really Listen." As educators, I sometimes find there is an ego-stroke that happens. Somehow, as educators, some of us got the idea that we are paragons of information. We're not. We don't have all the answers. And some of those questions we need to ask needs direction at our students. So this fall, I'm going to sit down with them and ask, "What am I missing?" Now, I teach at a largely white suburban school, so I know I need to reach out to my BSU and ask, "What can I do better." I'm going to listen and take notes because we can all do better.
Avoid Avoidance
Race is sometimes that bubble in the air that isn't addressed. In truth, I think I've only done the bare-minimum. I've done diversity book clubs under the guise of #OwnVoices with titles such as A Long Way Down, The Hate U Give, and Pet. I did a whole unit in my American Protest class with diversity at the forefront including titles like The Underground Railroad and The Journey of Little Charlie. But notice, everything was regulated to book clubs. No whole class discussion necessary. Even when I did whole class books to address issues, they were problematic texts like To Kill a Mockingbird. I tried to breach the subject, but I didn't delve deep. Too worried they might say the wrong thing. Too worried I might say the wrong thing.
The same refrain echoed throughout the night, "We don't have all the answers." And we don't. And as Noni Thomas-Lopez explained, "If you do't talk about [race], you're letting [your students] breath in the toxic air.
We have to stop tip-toeing. That's my commitment. Address it. And talk about it.
Know What Work You Need to Do.
This, for me, is some of the most important work. If you think you have all the answers, there's a problem. During this whole movement, I've seen some teachers say, "I've been doing this for years" or "I already do all this." My answer to that is: you probably don't or it could always use improvement. As an avid reader of diverse and anti-racist texts, I don't think I have all the answers.
Cornelius Minor made it clear what adults need to do.
1. Personal work. Work on ourselves. See our biases and confront them.
2. Interpersonal work. How diverse are your surroundings? Your friends? Your books? Why or why not?
3. Systematic work: What work (legislation, in schools, etc) is actually happening.
Watch our Deficit Language
Pam Allyn spoke about the importance of interrogating ourselves. What can we do better? But it's also about how we use language. She emphasized that "Children are amazing." And I couldn't agree more. So why we do we always put the emphasis on standardized tests or the "struggling" reader? Rethink our systems in place, and put the focus on our students. Raise them. Elevate them. Kids are resilient and inquisitive. We have to listen to them. Which brings me to the most important point of the night (for me).
Be Radically Pro-Kid
"I'm radically pro-kid," Cornelius Minor explained, "It's our job to give kids opportunity." When we try to censor kids from the truth around them, we're doing damage to our society. To be radically pro-kid means to face facts. Over the course of the evening, Tiffany Jewell echoed the sentiments, "Speak the truth... Support young folk into moving into action." We want our students, our kids, to become active citizens. There's an agency here that's essential. Shielding them from the truth only does harm. When Minor said, "You can't read, if you're dead" the resonance was loud and clear. Be pro-kid. Speak the truth.
Daniel Valentin teaches American Dream, British Literature and English 9 at Horace Greeley High School. He is currently reading The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and is listening to Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender. He wants his students to feel empowered through books. Follow him on Twitter @DanielJValentin
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