Keywords
English teaching, classroom teaching, classroom inclusivity
Preview
I remember the sound of excitement in Adia’s voice, her face beaming with a smile from ear to ear. “Ms. Crowe, I love the book you gave me. She’s like me!” Adia, a student in my class, turned the cover of the book toward me, displaying a picture of Sonia Sotomayor. This was my “Freedom Writers’’ movie moment as a teacher. I had made a student feel seen by giving her a book with someone who looked like her. It was not until years later that I realized how little thought I had actually given to placing that book in Adia’s hands. I gave it to her simply because Adia was Latina, and Sonia Sotomayor, featured prominently on the cover, was too. Now, with more experience as a teacher, I wish the moment I shared with Adia had been more intentional on my part. I wish that I had deliberately given Adia a mirror text (Bishop, 1990), or one in which she could see herself in the pages of a book.
Recommended Citation
Crowe, Carrie
(2024)
"Windows and Mirrors: A Reflection on Building An Inclusive Classroom Library,"
The Utah English Journal: Vol. 52, Article 10.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/uej/vol52/iss1/10