Introduction
It goes like this:
“Name some authors you’ve read.” I wait patiently. The silence stretches to 15 seconds, 30 seconds, a lifetime. It is, after all, the first day of school, and although many of the students know of me, they do not know me. I am really good at waiting.
Finally, a brave soul raises her hand. “You mean like any books?” I note the look of relief on their faces and know what they are thinking: Now we’re going to get a few minutes reprieve because she’s going to do what every other teacher does. She’s going to launch into a lecture.
“I asked for authors, not titles, but titles will suffice for now.” And I wait. Smiling.
Silence. Finally, I hear barely discernible mumbling. “Shakespeare.” “Catcher in the Rye.” “Romeo and Juliet.” The voices get louder. “All Quiet on the Western Front.” “Lord of the Flies.” “House on Mango Street.” “Like Water For Chocolate.” “Candide. Well, kinda.” “We read that one thing about people eating babies! That was some strange s***t. Sorry!” “Hunger Games.” And this listing continues. I record their answers on the whiteboard. They even throw out titles of children’s books and, much to their surprise, I quickly write those, too. Children’s literature is, after all, a genre all its own. By the time I stop them, the board is covered with titles, and sometimes authors, they have read.
Why do I do this? Because I want them to see that contrary to what they may think, they are a community of readers. However, in all the years I have done this, not one student has ever named a Native American author or a title by a Native American writer. Not one. This is unacceptable. And it is something I hope to change with this unit.
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