The Need for Multicultural Literature in the Classroom
The writing below sums up my thoughts on culturally responsive teaching and explains why I built this website. It offers a conceptual background and my story of its discovery. If you you'd rather dig right into the activities and lesson plans, simply use the tabs at the top to navigate through the website.
My story: Making a push for multicultural literature is not a new thing nor is it a relatively new term. Since I became a teacher in 2010, I have heard about it and have seen it used as a buzzword in all kinds of contexts. I never questioned the idea behind using multicultural literature because it seems so obvious. I mean, even in a classroom of predominantly white students, shouldn’t I make it a point to show them what it’s like to live as a non white person? Of course I should. Shouldn’t my students of diversity feel included? Of course they should. It’s a curious paradox, however, that when things seem obvious we don’t feel the need to learn about them. It’s said that “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing”: in our classroom practice it leads to a half-hearted approach that defeats the very purpose of what we’re trying to achieve. And so I’ve realized that I have failed to acknowledge why this need exists. I’ve also overlooked how profoundly students’ understanding can be transformed through exposure to multicultural literature and concepts. This light-bulb moment inspired me to dig deeper at how to bring social issues and understandings of the power of culture to the forefront of students’ minds. The following is a synthesis of my research into these matters translated into the core premise behind my creation of this website and materials.
The writing above is only the introduction to my thoughts. To download my entire essay, click the button below.