Literacy Practices as Tools for Becoming: Toward Antiracism for White Teachers

• In Event: Disrupting the Status Quo in Middle-Grades Education: Strategies to Mediate and Create Change

Abstract

Based in an inquiry framework (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008; Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1990; Levy et al., 2013), this work is designed for white teachers to move toward becoming anti-racist. Inspired by the #FergusonSyllabus (Chatelain, 2014) and the #CharlestonSyllabus (Williams, Williams & Blain, 2016), I used tools of literacy—specifically reading, writing, reflecting, discussing, and listening—to develop a syllabus for middle grades English Language Arts teachers to take up becoming anti-racist. The results of this work include texts and resources along with techniques and questions for reflection, discussion, listening, and journaling. As we use these tools, we can build middle grades classrooms in which all our students can thrive.

Author

• Katie Wester-Neal, Gordon State College