Social Justice Educators

Teach Pluralism

Resources, reflections, and classroom ideas for educators committed to pluralism, equity, and social justice.

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pluralism:

a situation in which people of different social classes, religions, races, etc., are together in a society but maintain their different traditions and interests
the belief that people of different social classes, religions, races, etc., should live together in a society

from Merriam-Webster

Recent writing

October 22, 2024 · curriculum

Filipino American History Month

I couldn’t resist writing about Filipino American History Month as I have SO MANY great books to recommend. Before you start reading all of the books, however, don’t forget to look at a map! First, make sure students know where the Philippines are (and clarify the spelling of the Philippines and Filipino), but also look at some maps like this showing where the largest Filipino populations are in the United States. You can also talk about migration generally and ask students what they notice or might theorize from these maps. Make sure you explain what the month actually is or ask students to share what they know or have experienced: Filipino American history month . Some other great videos: Lola's Work - StoryCorps Why Is It Called Filipino American HISTORY Month? Celebrating Filipino American History Month with unique flavors Books!: I am a huge Erin Entrada fan! Gabby and I read Hello

October 14, 2024 · curriculum

Responding to Pushback

Tips and Resources for Responding to Pushback from Families or Administrators We know there is so much you want to discuss with students, but you might have concerns about pushback, resistance, complaints or worse. I realized we give general advice often when writing about a specific topic, but have never written a post about it. So here it is! Hope it is helpful. When I was most recently teaching full time, my go to response to parents who worried that topics were too “scary/political/polarized/controversial etc” was, “We/I totally agree this is a complex topic that must be addressed thoughtfully and with intention. Here is a resource to help you as we work together to keep answering your child/student’s questions. Thanks for your partnership in this important work!” I also noted how rigorous asking and answering critical questions about the world is and how students are practicing

September 27, 2024 · event

Educators & the Election Event

Happy Friday (and almost end of September)! I hope everyone's back to school season is going as smoothly as possible. We are so excited to be hosting an event with Katy Swalwell . Please join us for our first-ever Educator Pitch-In Collective ! We're hosting a Zoom hangout on Tuesday, October 15 from 5:30-6:30 CT for educators to share concerns, ideas, and resources for teaching the 2024 election. We are focusing on elementary as there are so few resources out there, but everyone is welcome! We'll also share a vetted resource pack as a "party favor." Register by 10/8 at www.tinyurl.com/EPIC1election . FREE event, donations appreciated. Please spread the word and share with any educators you know. Also, happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Read more ideas for how to recognize this month (and why it starts on September 15th) in our post from last year

December 15, 2023 · book review

23 Books to read (and gift) in 2023

For the littlest ones (babies/toddlers!): 1. How We Eat by Shuli de la Fuente-Lau - we love food in our families (and together as a duo)! This book nails it for us for the content and especially for the inclusion, the real photos of sweet kiddos and their diverse families enjoying food in so many ways. This one is fantastic for the baby who is enjoying looking at faces AND will be fun and has tons of content to talk about together for years to come. (The 4 year old has this book memorized and went through a phase where he read it almost every day before bed!) 2. Dog’s First Baby / Cat’s First Baby by Natalie Nelson - We were gifted these last holiday season and I love them. POC mamas, cute brown little babies, simple images, simple text that delivers and adorable message. Refreshing from what has been out in the board book market and a great gift for the families you know with pets! 3.

September 28, 2023 · current events

Banned Books Week 2023

From Top 13 most challenged books of 2022 (infographic) – Reader Updated Banned Books Week is next week (October 1-7, 2023). As you can see from the infographic above, censorship continues to increase. I read about new books being banned or challenged almost everyday. Often they are books I love and have used in my classroom. Apart from supporting and celebrating librarians and libraries (as we advocated in our Banned Books Week 2022 post!), it’s hard to know what to do. Penguin Random House shares some resources and ideas for activism and advocacy here. For Banned Books Week in schools, we have some ideas below as well. Attend this free webinar from the Illinois Library Association on October 2nd to learn about their important work and what you can do. Request a Free RIGHT TO READ KIT from Rally for the Right to Read . Participate in Let Freedom Read Day . This year is the first time

September 14, 2023 · Uncategorized

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15- October 15. Read more about why it starts on September 15th and enjoy these helpful resources from the National Museum of the American Latino here . As always, heritage months should only be reminders or extra opportunities to celebrate and recognize a community, because students should see themselves in their learning and what they learn should reflect the diversity of our world every single day. When introducing Hispanic Heritage Month, start by asking or clarifying who is Hispanic? Ask students what they know about the term and what questions they have. Start by looking at a world map, but emphasize that there are many Hispanic Americans as well. If you aren’t sure about distinctions and terminology or just want a refresher before answering lots of students’ questions, these two articles might help: The

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