Reshaping ELA

Every classroom of my career has held students of more races, cultures, languages, genders, sexualities, religions, social classes, abilities, and backgrounds than I will ever be able to know and understand. Though my teacher preparation courses had elements of multiculturalism in them, I entered my career ignorant of modern theory and woefully unprepared to effectively mentor and appropriately value the diverse populations who sat before me. Love (2019) terms this issue, particularly as it relates to racial differences, the “Teacher Education Gap,” recognizing that teachers who have not studied the cultures of the students they teach are prone to relying on harmful myths and stereotypes (pp. 127-128). As a member of the predominately white female teaching force (Institute of Education Services, 2021) serving a student population with increasing ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity (Howard & Navarro, 2016, p. 254), I began to wonder what a literature curriculum that truly did right by all of my students would look like.

I don't believe this site to be a solution to the problems of teacher preparation or even a definitive answer to my own question; instead, it relays my personal journey as a white, middle class, female educator seeking to improve my practice. The primary purpose of this site, which is a collection of the resources that have guided my thinking and the products I have created in response, is to help me turn what I've learned into practice, but it may prove useful to other teachers on a similar path. Born of my own ignorance and a desire to make my literature classroom a place of relevance and empowerment, the three sections of this site reference materials that help educators serve all of their students, especially those who are racially and linguistically minoritized, by challenging oppressive structures through the inclusion of accurate histories, varied perspectives, and diverse ways of knowing and displaying knowledge. 

Part 1: Theory reflects my understanding of culturally relevant and decolonizing pedagogies. Love (2019) refers to theory as her “North Star” not only because it is a guide, but because it provides the language and knowledge to fight against the world's injustices (p. 132). As such, these theories serve as the foundation of my work. Next, Part 2: Considerations analyzes common arguments about literature curricula, making specific references to my own past choices.  Emdin (as cited in Anderson 2021) expresses the importance of self-work to understand the ideologies and biases that impact your thinking. The analysis expressed here is a part of my larger, longer self-reflection taking place internally and in conversation with others.  Finally, Part 3: Curriculum uses the theory and analysis in the previous sections to envision literature curricula. In addition to explanations of my design and resource selection processes, this section includes original unit proposals, unit plans, and lesson samples.

What I have learned is applicable to all of the classes I have taught and all of the curricula I have written, but my vast experience in advanced literature courses and a history of monoculturalism in these programs has prompted me to include some considerations specific to College Board's Advanced Placement Literature and Composition course.