Something that I value and emphasize in my teaching philosophy is creating space to bring students’ funds of knowledge into the classroom. One way that I accomplished this was by asking students to create “Hands” stories. After reading, annotating, and participating in a student-led discussion about Sarah Kay’s personal and intimate poem “Hands,” students wrote their own short stories in which they reflected on a meaningful experience or memory. By adopting a central idea from the poem (our experiences shape who we are) and using it as a theme to drive their own stories, we showed students the significance of connecting their lived experiences and identities to literature.
Student Example of "Hands" Story
Student Example of "Hands" Story
Students began the writing process by tracing an outline of their hands on a piece of paper. Above each finger, students labeled the five different senses: touch, smell, sight, taste, and sound. Understanding the role that sensory details play in personal reflections was one of the student skills we emphasized in the unit plan. After tracing, they were asked to fill in each finger with any vivid details they remember from that experience. Their hand silhouettes then served as an outline for writing their stories. By having students reflect on moments in their past, they were prompted to think about how their experiences contribute to the people they are today.
This artifact relates to the classroom environment as it shows my dedication to creating a student-centered classroom that is inclusive of students’ identities, experiences, and perspectives.