Demonstrably False and Pedagogically Classist

The documentary, I Am Not Your Negro , which is focused on James Baldwin's unfinished novel of the same name, is probably one of the most influential pieces of anti-racist media I've come across. Baldwin and the documentary are discussed in Robin DiAngelo's book White Fragility . In terms of specifically anti-racist teaching, Baldwin thinks we, as white people, should re-examine how people of colour are depicted in media and popular culture, "Because Uncle tom refused ... movies were simply a reflection," (15:25). This also challenged my current view of people of colour in the media and popular culture I consume, particularly their portrayals in media made by white people. For potential English teachers, this could mean one of two things. Either one, they can teach new material that isn't racist and is actively anti-racist, or with the same racist material that came from a white dominated society and use that material to have discussions on how we can ultimate...

Objective:   Students will be able to better understand  Martin Espada's poem, "Jorge The Church Janitor Finally Quits" by reflecting on times in their lives when they felt invisible.  CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. Activities:   1. Students will do a quick-write about a time they felt isolated, alone, or invisible. They will then be invited to share out.  2. Students will listen to the poem while jotting down their thoughts on a printed out copy of the poem. 3. Teacher will read the poem out loud, stopping intermittently to allow students voices to be heard by letting them share their opinion, whether it be "up" or "down." 4. After the re-read is done, students will have a chance to share out on their opinions of the poem and h...

 Culturally responsive teaching (CRT), is something to really keep in mind when teaching ELA. While Hammond's book, Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain , could be applied to any class, I intend on focusing CRT in ELA with proper diversity and community building. I Intend on building trust with my students by letting them help set the classroom expectations and room decorations to what makes them feel comfortable. I'd also like to tailor my teaching best I can so that I can appeal to my students' different learning methods. As a queer person and a minority, I would love to shape the curriculum to include literary works that each of my students can see themselves in and can relate to.

Swansea, Massachusetts is a suburban town near Fall River, Massachusetts. Swansea was known, at one point, to have been a great summer destination. Even Lizzie Borden had a summer home in my neighbourhood. However, all of that changed when the factory boom hit in the early 1940s for the war effort. During the WWII economic boom, more blue collar workers moved into the summer home neighbourhood os Swansea due to its close proximity to Fall River. These workers, mostly Portuguese, had moved into affordable homes and had a steady source of income. However, after the decline of factories in the late 1960s, many workers were left without employment and the Ocean Grove neighbourhood declined. Despite the lower to middle income, the neighbourhood was well off enough due to being white and of Portuguese descent. The town has since charged entry to the beach during the summer and attempted to vote on a future for the old roller rink building at the beach. They wound up deciding to tear it down ...