Learning to Do Better

I decided I wanted to be a teacher when I was 8 years old.  At the time, I had a wonderful teacher who made me feel special, loved, and excited about learning.  I always enjoyed school, but that year I decided that I wanted to grow up and be just like her.  As I got older, I had other teachers who made strong impressions on me and showed me more reasons why I should pursue that profession and what kind of teacher I wanted to be.  I also had teachers who taught me about what I DIDN'T want to be, of course.  

One such teacher, although great in many other ways, discounted my race because I didn't look "Indian enough."  Because I didn't fit into his stereotypical image of what and Indian should look like, there was no way I could be one.  This completely discounted my family history, my upbringing, my culture, and my spirituality.  He wasn't the first or the only one to say such things to me throughout my life, but I at least knew that when I was on the river with my people, there was no doubt, there was no pressure to be anything but myself.  On the river, people knew me, knew my family, and knew I was one of them.  It always felt like home because I just fit.  

Thankfully, I finally did move to the river when I was in my mid-twenties after all of my schooling and some work in the big city in Oregon.  I get to teach kids whose culture I am a part of.  I get to teach kids who both look like me and some who don't.  I get to include our culture in the classroom and I am very fortunate to be in such a place.  

BUT, not all my kids are Native.  Not all my kids have the same kind of background that I do.  Everyday, I am faced with the fact that there is so much more that needs to be done in our community to raise strong, healthy, and productive members of society.  I also realize that my own outlook has been clouded by the fact that I teach mostly Indian kids on and Indian Reservation.  We are so isolated here, that it is even MORE important that I expose my students to the realities of our Nation's problems.  I need to do a better job of teaching about the systemic racism, not only towards Native people, but towards Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc.  Without teaching about all races on a regular basis in my classroom, many of my students may grow up to enter a world that they know too little about.  They may grow up to think of those "others" as somehow different or inferior because they don't know enough about them.  

Basically, what I am realizing is that I need to do better.  I have been researching a lot of books lately for talking about race with kids and am looking forward to the conversations I can have with my students this next year.  I have made several Book Rooms with links to some of these books on Youtube and book lists to shop from.  If you are interested in checking any of these out, you can use the links below.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bitmoji-Book-Room-to-Facilitate-Conversations-About-Race-and-Racism-5644524

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Strong-African-American-Women-Bitmoji-Book-Room-5648699

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/African-American-Childrens-Stories-Bitmoji-Book-Room-5656864

We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

White Flour by David LaMotte

Soccer Fence by Phil Bildner

Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester

Shining Star by Paul Yoo

Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh

My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera

Viola Desmond Won't be Budged! by Jody Nyasha Warner

When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

I am Not a Number by Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer

Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Gwen Strauss

Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano PhD, Marietta Collins PhD, & Ann Hazzard PhD

Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds

I am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer

Firebird by Misty Copeland

A Dance Like Starlight by Kristy Dempsey and Floyd Cooper

Lily Brown’s Paintings by Angela Johnson

Just like Josh Gibson by Angela Johnson

The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen by Thelma Lynne Godin

The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson

The Princess and the Pea by Rachel Isadora

Happy to be Nappy by Bell Hooks

Mixed Me! by Taye Diggs

Full, Full, Full of Love by Trish Cooke

Ruby Bridges: My True Story by Ruby Bridges

Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Lavine

Light in the Darkness by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper

Princess Hair by Sharee Miller

Let the Children March by Monica Clark Robinson

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes

I Am Enough by Grace Byers

The Big Bed by Bunmi Laditan

Grandma’s Purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema

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Classroom Read Alouds to Facilitate Conversations About Race

Here is a collection of books that will help you facilitate discussions with your children or students around race, discrimination, social injustice, and prejudice.  In order for us to make a change in the way our society has viewed and accepted racism for so long, we need to start teaching our children to recognize it and how to fight against it.  Having open discussions about it is a starting place instead of sweeping it under the rug because the topic makes you feel uncomfortable.  Accepting that horrible things have happened and continue to happen to people due to the color of their skin will help you to see the need for change.  This isn't just a part of our history, it is part of our present.  

Use these books to start a conversation with your children.  They are not stand alone lessons.  Watch and listen to these videos together.  Take time to pause and address questions.  Have an open discussion with your kids afterwards about how these stories relate to what is happening today and what each of us can do to make a change.  If you don't know how to answer a question, be honest.  Grown ups don't always have all the answers, and that is okay.  Do some research and get back to your child.  

Let's teach this next generation to be better.  To be more accepting.  To be less prejudiced.  Let's make our world a better place for people of color because then it will be better for everyone.  

Some of these books have additonal resources in them that you don't get from a Youtube read aloud.  If you are interested in purchasing them, here are the names and links to buy them on Amazon.  I'd also like to encourage you to purchase them from a small and local bookstore if you are able to.

We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

White Flour by David LaMotte

Soccer Fence by Phil Bildner

Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester

Shining Star by Paul Yoo

Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh

My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera

Viola Desmond Won't be Budged! by Jody Nyasha Warner

When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

I am Not a Number by Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer

Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Gwen Strauss

Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano PhD, Marietta Collins PhD, & Ann Hazzard PhD

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Classroom Read Alouds for Distance Learning

I've been having a lot of fun creating Bitmoji rooms for my class to interact with during distance learning.  This one links to Youtube videos of each of the books being read aloud by a variety of people.  Feel free to share it with your own students and children.  

Listen to James and the Giant Peach

I LOVE this recording done by Taika Waititi and other celebrities of James and the Giant Peach.  First of all, I love pretty much any book by Roald Dahl.  I regularly read them to my classes.  They are such fun read alouds with all of the unique and interesting characters whose voices can be so differentiated.  Secondly, this recording is done so well!  I enjoy watching the actors react to each other, play off each other's interpretations, and even their little sidebars are amusing.

I made this little game for my students to find each recording in order so they can listen to a little bit at a time.  

Back to School Modifications

For those of us in education, we have all started to wonder what school is going to look like in the fall when students return (we hope!) to our campuses.  There will certainly be modifications for social distancing, disinfection, and health standards.  There is so much unknown right now about how Covid-19 is going to progress and change our society that it is hard to plan for anything, much less how school will look in August.  For teachers though, planning is one of those things we must do and so it is a hot topic of conversation.  We are all wondering what to prepare for and not getting any answers.  I would like to theorize about some of the changes that we may be looking at.

Best School Supplies for Home Schooling

As a teacher, I have used just about every variety of pencil, marker, scissors, crayons, etc.  Not all are created equal!  I remember in my early days of teaching when I would go and try to purchase supplies for my classroom, I would go for quantity rather than quality because as most teachers do, I was spending my own money.  I quickly realized that it wasn't worth it.  Those cheaper supplies do not last as long, the pencils don't sharpen, the scissors don't cut, and the crayons don't color as smoothly.  Here is a list of my favorite schools supply brands that will work well and last the longest.

1.  Crayola Colored Pencils: Crayola is the best coloring utensil option out there.  These pencils are made of a stronger wood than cheaper brands so when you sharpen them, they actually hold together.  The lead is also stronger so it is less likely to break when you are coloring or when sharpening.  This box has 100 colors so it gives you a nice variety of options.


2.  Scotch Kids Scissors:  These are just the right size for kid hands, they have rubberized padding that make them easier to grip, and the last for a long time.  There are 12 in this pack so keep a few because scissors get lost so easily, and then donate the rest to your child's classroom when the return!  I promise you that their teacher will appreciate it.



3.  Elmer's Glue Sticks:  Kids will go through glue sticks like crazy so a couple will not be enough.  This is a nice pack of 7 that should last you a while.  Kids especially like these ones because the glue is purple but it dries clear.  It makes it easier for them to see where the glue is when they use it and also how much they have used.  I like glue sticks for almost everything because they are way less messy than liqued glue!


4.  Crayola Washable Markers:  I generally buy Crayola for coloring supplies, but with markers it is easier to find other options that work just as well.  I like these specifically because they have the thinner tips for more detailed coloring and they are washable.  If you have kids, then you know how messy they are.  Coloring is not just going to be on their paper, it will get on their hands, on their faces, and perhaps even on furniture or walls.  These markers do not leave permanent stains if you clean them off right away.


5.  Crayola Twistables:  One of my least favorite coloring supplies is crayons because I have too firm of a grip and always break them!  These Twistables help prevent that problem.  The waxy crayon is encased inside a plastic tube and you twist them out as you need them.  These are great and this box comes with 24 colors so you have a nice variety.

6.  Ticondergoa Pencils:  These actually are The World's BEST PENCIL as they claim.  The graphite is smooth and dark, the erasers don't leave marks and actually erase the pencil markings, and they are easy to sharpen without breaking.  Kind of like with colored pencils, not all brands are created equal and these are absolutely top knotch!