Hannah was invited to share a read aloud with a class. She reached for the only picture book representing gender inclusivity from a display of books in the coaches’ office, but then she hesitated. She hadn’t paused before when selecting books to read aloud, despite the fact that the collection itself included wide representation. Hannah turned to her coaching partner for confirmation: Was it okay to read this book? Would this selection be questioned by the classroom teacher? A family member? Would she be prepared to facilitate the conversation that could accompany the book?
Asking ourselves these questions made us aware of what we were missing when thinking about equity and representation. We noticed that when we are asked to share titles, we tend to reach for the books that represent cultural diversity. Which communities were we not as comfortable sharing in our classrooms? How often were we sharing books that include incidental representation and/or address topics of LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, immigration, or poverty? Were there other communities that we weren’t including? We know that students from these communities are part of our classrooms, yet there is hesitation. Why were we allowing our fear of being questioned to dictate our choices?
We acknowledge that there are going to be topics we aren’t as comfortable with, but we know it is our responsibility to provide a safe and welcoming space for all students. The staggering statistics around the safety and wellness of marginalized students cannot be ignored. We know better. We’ve seen children light up when seeing themselves in a book. Our elementary students, as young as kindergarten, are speaking up about name preferences and exploring their identity. We need to keep this “why” in the forefront.
We had work to do! We want all of our students to be seen, heard, and represented. It was time to reexamine our bookshelves, our thinking, and our curriculum.
These are some of the ways we are using to help us be more inclusive in our choices.
- Self-reflection. Everything we have read when learning to be more culturally informed has asked us, the reader, to start with self-examination of who we are and what we believe, and honestly reflecting on our biases. Recognizing where we are on this journey and identifying next steps will allow us to continue in our learning and growth. We are always working toward creating a community where all members feel safe and welcome.
- Find a partner. We have been able to experiment with difficult conversations together, be honest with each other, and help one another move forward in our journey in examining biases. We all need a safe place to share our vulnerability.
- Start with a learning standard, then find inclusive books that support that standard. Knowing our standards and our “why” prepared us for any difficult conversations that could arise. For example, when working with narrative writing standards, select books that serve as mentors for strong beginnings, descriptive language, and character response to situations. Ensure that your collection is representative of a variety of identities and would encourage students to write in their own authentic voices.
- Know your authors. Take time to learn about authors to ensure that texts we are sharing are historically and culturally accurate. Following authors on social media and learning about their personal stories can help us when sharing with students. Students are interested in learning about the history behind stories, and this brings the story to a personal level.
- Practice read alouds. Take the time to look up and listen to proper pronunciation of unfamiliar words, then practice reading the book aloud. Another possibility is inviting a colleague or family member who has experience with this language to read.
- Finding a community. Finding educators and authors who are writing and sharing on blogs and social media posts has helped us broaden our thinking. We need to reexamine not only our classroom libraries that we are sharing with our students but also what we are reading personally and professionally. Do we need to expand the voices and topics of our professional books?
We realized through this experience that when we are thinking about topics or decisions that may feel uncomfortable, we need to examine ourselves and our “why.” Also, we need to remember to lean on one another for support and wisdom, give ourselves and those around us grace, and keep sight of the importance of this work.
