Diversity In Literature

 Part One - Past Cultural Experience in the Classroom 

    In my experiences in the classroom growing up I did not see much cultural diversity in the

 classroom literature. This is something that has grown in importance over time. Books did not include

 cultural experiences in my elementary classroom literature or in the library time. As I have observed in

 the classroom the past few years I have seen the growth in having cultural literature in the classroom. In

 the past few years books included different holidays and celebrations. Cultural experience in literature the

 students can see and can connect their experiences to what they see in the literature they are reading. 

    In one of my observations for ELAR there was a project presentation that students wrote about their

 December holiday experience. The project included a few paragraphs of the students traditions and a

 book about their culture and experiences. This project stood out to me and how the students learned about

 each other and they were able to share something about themselves. This was a great way to build

 relationships in the classroom and learn about each other. In resources and print outs I have seen the most

 diversity integrated into the lessons and print outs. 

Part Two -  Culturally Responsive in Literacy

    A culturally responsive educator includes several elements. First that students are seen and their

culture is seen . That the classroom environment is a safe place to share and differences are respected..

The issues that need to be addressed would include getting to know your students and invite your

students to teach you. Include the students in planning and adding to the classroom library and read

alouds.

    Some ways I will implement culturally responsive literacy practices includes different spaces in

the classroom to give what their body needs. Quiet spaces for introverts and social spaces for

extroverts. Spaces for movements and pieces in the classroom for individual movement needs. Another way I

would implement is books in the classroom library that students can connect with. The past few years

I have had a few kids I have helped care for for a season. In one of our first training sessions we were

encouraged to add books, shows, and toys of many races and cultures. Some of our favorites this past year

we keep in our home library include

This book is favorite. Zuzu's hair needs to be extra special and after some trouble and

 trying to do her own hair, her dad helps her with a beautiful new hair style. This book includes affirmations and shows how different hair types are all beautiful. 

This book is about loving your hair and how all hair is best. This book shows diversity 

and the beauty of all hair. 

We love this book and how it covers that she is enough just the way she is. 

This book also shows many races and also that everyone faces projects differently. How each piece would also be different but the way each person approaches it although different is not bad if someone does something a different way than you. That thier is beauty in differences. 

This book tells the story of a girl who has a family tradition of making a floral crown straight from her grandmas garden. This book is a great reinforcement of positive affirmations and character traits. That although each crown is different they are beautiful. 

    

Cousin Camp

 During Spring Break each year my Grandma, who everyone calls Nanny would plan a trip and take all her grandkids to the farm. As the day approached for her to pick us up. I would be too excited to sleep and be packed and ready by the door waiting for her to pull in to our driveway. After what felt like hours we would hear the tires come to a stop on the pavement. In her big van she would pick us up with a honk of the horn three times beep beep beep we would hear that and know cousin camp had begun. The hour drive to the farm was filled with fun music and stories she loved to tell about our parents as they were growing up . The scenery would begin to change on Highway 80 going east into big pine trees clumped together with pastures, farm animals, and land as far as we could see. Nanny would honk the horn as she passed each farm to say hello to the animals. We would hear cows mooing and horses hooves move as we flew by the farms with the windows down. We would all laugh and beg her to honk the horn again at the next farm. She would keep us in joyous suspense on when she would honk again. 

The air felt fresher and we knew the farm was getting close as we passed the small downtown of Ben Wheeler Texas that only had a Post Office, church, gas station, small country store, and black smith shop with the door open so we could see the black smith at work and smell the fire wood burning and see the glow as we passed. 

The excitement in the van would build as we would make the turn at the big sign with the eagle on it and faded letters we could barely make out what it said. As we drove down the last stretch of road and into the entrance of the farm the road would turn to dirt and gravel. The van would shake and bump down the long winding drive way. We would feel the ruts in the dirt road and the crunch of the gravel under the tires. We would wave to my great grandparents as we pulled in and came to a stop. As we got out of the van we would smell the fresh biscuits waiting for us that grandpa would make. We would quickly pile out of the van and run inside to stop and grab a warm biscuit with butter and homemade jelly. 

We  would make our way across the yard by the trash burning barrel and old chicken coop while hearing the heard of cows mooing in the distant pastures. We would try to count how many new calfs we would see staying close to their mothers but hoping around clumsily as they were learning to use their long legs only a few days old. Once we had a few minutes to get our energy out it was time to unload the groceries for the week, pick our rooms, and places to sleep. Once settled in and unpacked, my cousins and I would run out and explore what was new on the farm. We would walk through the old barn, past the old patina rusted tractor that hadn't run in years,  through the cattle coral we had to open manually to squeeze through and past the old cars under the trees that included cars my grandparents and great grandparents owned in the 1950's, 1960's , and 1970's. We had freedom to explore the pond, the East Texas fresh spring by the woods that was freezing cold on our feet as we walked through it, and a bit into the woods to see if we could get a peek of a deer. We had the freedom to explore most of the 75 acres of land my grandpa bought, developed and worked hard to create a cattle farm and place for his family to enjoy. We witnessed the spring time birth of cows daily and had stories of how each cow had a personality. We would always get a lecture to stay out of the pond or we would get bit by a snake. 

Each day was a field trip to a new destination of East Texas. Historical markers of Tyler Texas , the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas, and the biggest outing of the week. A dinner out at Pancho's Mexican Buffet and shopping for a new outfit for each of us as we finished out the last days of the school year.  

Each night before bed we would have a sweet treat of Kroger brand ice cream with Big K Soda. My Nanny would read us our favorite story with silly voices titled Morris the Moose. She had a whole collection of these books and as she read would change her voice for each character to enhance the story for us. The voices sounded silly and dopy like Rocky and Bull Winkle. As we heard the sounds coming from the windows that were open to let in a cool spring breeze we would hear the howling of coyotes in the distance, crickets chirping, and the largest grasshoppers hitting the high weeds of the pastures close by. We  would drift off to sleep with the spring night air coming through the windows and taking in every minute of cousin adventures before our spring break was over and we headed home to finish out our school year. 

Our grandpa would send us home with fresh peaches from his tree and jars of jelly. With big hugs and tearful goodbyes we would make our way home. 

Reading Motivation for Fifth Graders - Book Club

In gathering background information on creating an environment that motivated readers. There are many activities and spaces that can be created. These activities connect the reader with the text. Choice of reading for students builds motivation and empowers the reader. Choice also builds respect and rapport with students because it gives them the freedom to choose what interests them to support engagement in their reading journey.

When looking further into what reading motivation looks like, Chat GPT gives many examples of what reading motivation in fifth graders is interest, engagement, confidence, choice, and enjoyment from students. It also gives several pieces of what reading motivation looks like. These include enthusiasm, active discussion, diverse exploration, creative expression, and goal setting. The one example that Chat GPT gave that stood out to me and inspired this blog post was book recommendations. In building a foundation of background knowledge about motivation in 5th graders by introducing the process of creating a fifth grade book club. 

Objective: 

Build a reading community that creates a space to connect and motivates reading for fifth graders.  

Preparation:

    The first step in building a fifth grade book club is to design what you would like it to look like, expectations, and goals. In the article Operation Motivation it states book clubs should remain kid centered. This would involve the club members leading the choices of books covered. The value of a book club is that many engagement pieces of the classroom can be used to discuss and actively engage the group. A book club would also need expectations. To create a safe environment that motivated the group of students to have mutual respect and grow as a group of readers. 

Steps:

- Plan a weekly time to meet and design communication sent out to get the word out in the weekly classroom newsletter, announcements, and print out sent home with the students. The first meeting plan to go over what the weekly book club schedule will look like and the expectations of the group.

- Get feedback from the members and book suggestions to pick for the first book. 

- The second meeting the first book is introduced and the group discusses what they think the book will be about. The timeline of the first book and discussion questions to go over at the next meeting.

- After each book is complete the following week a book celebration with the books theme can take place to celebrate the completion of the book and discuss the next book to read. This continues through the school year until Spring. 

Overview:

Book Clubs have value in connecting students to reading while participating in a group/club activity. Below is a graph showing the frequency and enjoyment of reading and how digital activity has grown in children. Book Clubs offer several advantages for the students involved. Less  digital time, developing a frequency in reading each book and building enjoyment of reading while giving the freedom to choose, ownership, and control to the students involved. Book clubs can be the building blocks to motivate reading with choice and empowerment. 

Resources 

Book Image 

https://k-12readinglist.com/reading-lists-for-elementary-school-children/reading-list-5th-grade-children-age-10-11/

Book Club image 

https://www.twolittlebirdsteaching.com/getting-started-with-book-clubs/

DATA

https://mediaroom.scholastic.com/index.php?q=press-release/new-data-scholastic-kids-family-reading-report-finds-kids-are-reading-less-they-age

Book Club Expectations

https://www.twolittlebirdsteaching.com/getting-started-with-book-clubs/

Where I'm From Poem

I am from Mesquite Texas and time spent on the family farm in East Texas driving dirt roads, pastures, and tractors. 

I am from a family of people I shared moments with. Moments with my parents, two brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. 

I am from scenes of a farm, church, school, singing competitions, musicals.

I am from special moments with cousin camp, traveling with family, driving a tractor, fishing, walks in the country. A yearly trip to the State Fair of Texas.  Special times at church .

I am from smells of fresh air on the farm, chlorine in the pool, aqua net, grandmas house, skin so soft, farm fresh vegetables, cows, and hay. 

I am from the tastes of pot luck, burnt hotdogs, homemade vanilla ice cream, homemade biscuits, tea, and watermelon.

I am from the sounds of fresh spring, cows mooing, splashing at the pool, dogs barking, family talking, mowing, and grandparents praises, Friday night night TGIF. 

I am from family values, church, family time, southern rules , and friends.