TL;DR: Black History Month sparks crucial conversations on social justice, empowering K-12 students to challenge inequities and advocate for a fairer society. By highlighting African American achievements, the month promotes empowerment, instills pride, and helps students embrace their heritage, fostering resilience and confidence. Beyond celebrating accomplishments, Black History Month enhances cultural appreciation, fostering empathy and respect, and creating a more … Read More
Important Lessons from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
TL;DR: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. offers us insights that are applicable to our practice as teachers. His teachings can act as entry points into our own lives by calling on us to have the courage to do difficult work for and with our students. “In a real sense, all life is interrelated. All people are caught in an inescapable … Read More
If You Teach ELA, Prepare to Also Teach History
TL;DR: To effectively teach English, it is important that educators also teach history. Language arts gives us the opportunity to add dimension to our students’ understanding of a specific event, idea, or person. Use historical texts to create experiences. Our students’ futures are contingent on events happening now. They can use the skills they’ve built upon as readers and writers, … Read More
Black Literature is American Literature: Don’t Isolate, Integrate
TL;DR: Begin the year by designing multi-ethnic units and teach them year round, not only during Black History month. Build a more inclusive and diverse literature classroom to develop a greater appreciation for it. Take time to locate literature that reveals the joy and beauty of the Black experience in this country and abroad and not only share stories about … Read More
Black History Is American History
TL;DR: We need to push for the continued recognition and celebration of Black contributions to culture, science, history, math, the arts, and more. Black history is American history; we need to move along Bloom’s taxonomy from “identify” to “create,” and do more than just recognize systemic racism. Reframe your mindset from being “called out” to being “called in.” View this … Read More