Diverse Literature: Mirrors & Windows

As I stated in the beginning, I am focused on diverse literature. As noted, it’s an uphill battle. Finding quality is difficult. Finding quality diverse literature is a monumental task.

In my day-to-day conversations, in my daily social media feeds and conversations, in my personal interactions, I have been confronted with confusion, defensiveness, and dismissal.

People are confused. They tell me that children’s books are good–fine as they are, good enough, and mostly feature animals anyway. People are defensive. They have attachments to their own upbringing, their own learning, or just their routine. Re-evaluating their classroom experiences or their teaching practices requires acknowledging a deficit, challenging the status quo, and expanding their worldview. These are emotional endeavors. All of this leads to dismissal. The passion behind the task, the commitment to diversity is relegated to my individual soapbox rather than a collective project for every teacher.

It is easy to be discouraged. It is easy to feel alone. In my research, however, I found my words–my words of rebuttal and my words of personal encouragement: mirrors & windows.

Children are provided a lens in their learning, this lens can either be a mirror or a window. The mirrors are just as important as the windows. Mirrors allow them to be seen and heard, to realize their potential and reaffirm their value. Windows allow them to see others, to realize the potential and reaffirm the value of every person they encounter–whether that is now or in the future, in the classroom or somewhere else.

So, if you need a little encouragement or a reminder on why diverse literature is critical or important; remember, every child needs mirrors and windows, everyone benefits from being seen and seeing others.

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The language of mirrors and windows comes from my original post, the image had a caption that led to researching the concept and finding several articles on it, including one on We are Teachers.

books, diversity, featured, literacy, literature

January 24, 2023: Quote of the Day

“Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.”

– Chinese Proverb

2023: Resolutions

The 2022 calendar year sort of ran away from me in terms of my educational profile and work.

I continued to expand my resume, learning, and teaching outside of the traditional classroom (webinars/professional development, DEI/DEIB advocacy through my social media platform).

I reignited my love and passion for writing and editing. I wrote on a variety of platforms for pleasure and practice. I provided editing services and/or coached students through the writing process–mainly the writing process for admission essays and dissertations; yes, opposite ends of the university experience!

I entered a new educational space (city/community programming), which challenged my pre-existing notion of learning, and planning for learning.

Life continued as planned. Life sent me to old goals and passions. Life provided me with new ideas and passions. It was a good mix, but it was a lot of change and flux that took me out of this space specifically . . .

Given this mix, a mix I have finally learned how to navigate and balance more appropriately, I am taking the opportunity afforded to us all at the start of the calendar year, and the midpoint of the academic year to all educators, to write a few goals tied to my 2022 experience.

This 2023 I plan to:

Make a schedule, and stick to it, for writing here on C is for Camacho
Renew all education licenses
- Already renewed one at the end of 2022!
Attend an educational conference
- Any suggestions?
Take one class or training on a subject, methodology, or technology tool that has interested me the past year
- Any platform recommendations?
Continue to expand educational profile/resume

And so begins the 2023 calendar year, the rest of my school year . . . with reflection, with a little bit of the old and the new, with focused energy on continued growth and development.

Welcome Back!

It’s the start of a new calendar year, so it’s a fresh start for a number of us — it’s a midyear start or a semester start for many of us in schools.

As we begin anew, let us begin with renewed energy . . . I’ll begin: Welcome back, it is so good to be back writing, learning, and discussing all things education 🤗

End of the School Year . . .

Photo by Isabella and Zsa Fischer on Unsplash

There are some school years that make being an educator easy, exciting, fulfilling. The classroom and all its requirements, and all the personality in it, fall into place. As a teacher, as an educator, the craft goes through exponential growth as all the cogs in procedural, administrative, and professional development work seamlessly together, as so much of the support necessary to succeed is present and powerful. It’s just that good of a year–that year when undoubtedly made for learning, for growth, for teaching.

And then there are other years . . . where it feels like all you can do is stay afloat, and hope to make it to the end.

This year fell more into the latter. It’s been a whirlwind year–multiple detours, multiple junctures, multiple opportunities, all of which that didn’t lead me where I needed to be, where I wanted to be, where I could be the best version of me. But I made it.

As the school year comes to a close for so many of us, whether it was the best year, or the worst year, I want to congratulate everyone on making it another. As for next year, let’s take a break before we start planning and thinking about what comes next, okay? 😉

Publication!

As previously shared, I enjoy writing, and I write–from time to time–on Medium. I have been included on Educate before, a publication on Medium, and I am thrilled to share I have been featured again!

In this short article, I discuss the possibility of a calendar change to accommodate and/or respond to our changing times. Let me know what you think!