Joy and Justice
Joy and Justice: Teaching Reading and Writing I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. Being able to make a difference in a child’s life brings me joy, and encouraging students to work for social justice, both in and out of the classroom is exciting and challenging. Linda Christensen, in the introductory chapter of her book Teaching for Joy and Justice, explains a few key steps towards promoting a classroom that is geared towards both joy and justice. 1. Create a curriculum with authors and characters who represent all students and provide a window to the world. This key point reminds me of an article I read on how literature should provide opportunities for windows and mirrors to their lives. Windows allow students to look into the lives of people that are different from them, while mirrors allow them to look into their own lives and relate to the characters that they are reading about. Not only does this theory apply to reading literature, but also to wr...