Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors

Where do I start?

When there is information everywhere, it is hard to focus on a few tasks that will make the most impact. 

1. Find, Borrow, Fundraise for, or Buy diverse books. This tasks seems obvious because it is. You actually have to get the books. They have to be available to you and your students. 

• Some places to buy books: 
• First Book  You will need to create an account with your school email address. There are two primary ways to buy reduced priced books. They have the Book Bank that you can purchase from and only pay shipping. These books come in lots of 12, 24, etc. They also have the regular marketplace that you can buy from. These books are single. First Book does a great job of categorizing books to help you find them based on your specific needs. 
• Scholastic Book  Again, you will need to create a profile with your school email address. These books are not nearly as cheap as First Book. However, they do run pretty good deals. For instance, right now they have a lot of 50 books for $50. There is more variety on Scholastic, but again, the prices are usually more than First Book. 
• Some places to Fundraise for Books:
• Amazon: You can create a wishlist and post it to Facebook, Instagram, etc. You can also email the link to people you know. 
• Donors Choose: You can now have your funded projects sent to your home. I have had two projects funded, and one earlier this year. My latest project was almost entirely books. If you feel like people will not donate, I would say just take the time to make a profile and try! Under Armour donated around $1500 to mine. 

2. Replace old curriculum with new representations. (These are specifically aimed at adding Black voices to the classroom.)

• The Kindergarten Wit and Wisdom Module 3 is entitled America: Then and Now. What a perfect unit to incorporate titles like Juneteenth.
• If you teach Wit and Wisdom, 3-5 grades have a read aloud for Module 0 called Thank You, Mr. Falker. You can easily substitute any book in its place. My personal favorite is The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson. Here it is on Amazon, and here it is from a Black-owned bookstore in Maryland called Loyalty Books. Instead of the white-centered narrative that is present in Mr. Falker, students are able to see a diverse set of characters in The Day You Begin. 
• If you are in Middle school, think about retiring To Kill a Mockingbird and replacing it with Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy young adult version. Both of these books tell the story of the wrongfully convicted. However, To Kill a Mockingbird centers itself in the white savior mentality.
• In high school, lay off the Shakespeare for a year. Teach Raisin in the Sun as a substitute for reading drama. 
• In science, read Hidden Figures that you can find almost anywhere. Or teach about the numerous Black scientists. Or, when teaching genetics, cover the Nazi's studies of racial science and their contribution to Rwandan Genocide.

3. You made the changes, you bought the books, now Encourage Readers:

• This obvious point is the most difficult to actually do. Here are some things that work in my classroom:
• Read the books you get before you give them to students. Although the practice is time consuming, you will better be prepared to recommend books (after you foster relationships). 
• Have students write a short review about what they liked in the book. Students can and should hear from their peers. You could even have them write on a sticky note and place it in the book. 
• If they don't like a book (for independent reading), let them pick another. As adults, we only do what we find valuable. Extend this same courtesy to students. Eventually, one will stick. 
• Download this free Reading Is My Superpower poster. There are 63 books on the shelf. All of them would be great additions to any library!