Building an Inclusive English Curriculum
Building an Inclusive English Curriculum
Sarah Miller
Sarah Miller
Embedded Files
About Me:
About Me:
My name is Sarah Miller. I am a rising Junior at The College of New Jersey and I am studying English Secondary Urban Education. My whole life, my English teachers have been the people that have made the most impact on me. They have always cared more than anyone else about me both academically and emotionally. My goal is to give back some of what I have been given and be that teacher for my future students. I am passionate about social justice, and this will certainly play into my teaching style.
It is no secret that English class is hard for a lot of students. Whether they are bored, feel that they do not fit in, or just do not see themselves in the books they are told to read, Language Arts can be tough. Ultimately, I want to change that. Join me as I examine ways to create an inclusive learning environment in an English classroom.
Inclusive Education
Inclusive Education
Preparing Teachers for Inclusive Education
This article talks about the importance of teacher education when it comes to inclusive education. They offer many strategies such as working with specialist teachers to further professional development and pushing back against "ability labeling."
Ability labeling refers to the process of labeling students as disabled or special needs early in their education, hence separating them from their peers and mainstream education.
Ted Talk
Ted Talk
The Power of inclusive education
When it comes to literature, representation is incredibly important. At all levels (early childhood through adolescence) children need to see themselves in the books they read. It is also important that children read and learn about experiences different from their own.
An inclusive curriculum would foster these two goals.
The Importance of Representation
The Importance of Representation
The Western Canon
The Western Canon
The western canon refers to what most of us know to be "the classics." Think George Orwell, Shakespeare, Hemingway, etc.
Reflecting upon the canon, it is clear that the majority of the authors of these "classics" are white, and most of them are white men.
While reading these books is valuable, an inclusive curriculum would feature authors that fall outside of this category.
Featuring authors of color and women authors provides a broader perspective for learners.
This text discusses a study of public-school teachers and their comfort levels with incorporating LGBT texts in their classrooms.
The author states the importance of each student feeling at home in a classroom. Including LGBT texts and providing resources is a great way to do that.
LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in English
LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in English
Care in Education
Care in Education
Noddings (2005) talks about the importance of care in education. It is crucial that teachers find the perfect balance between being caring and teaching the material.
Students who do not feel cared for in the classroom are significantly less likely to learn.
In my future classroom, I will strive to change the way students feel about English class. I will work with my colleagues to create a curriculum that is both inclusive and geared toward student success. My students will know I care about them.
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