lilislibrary

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We don’t, especially in the US, want to look at poetry as something every student is capable of, because that would be dangerous to those who control the school systems. All students, regardless of their backgrounds, would realise that they are capable of speaking very well; that there are not certain individuals who control what constitutes good language. They would realise that language is not just this agreed upon set of constructed ideas, that it’s not an MLA citation or a five-paragraph essay, that everyone can create new and beautiful language. So it is very frustrating to me when people say, ‘I don’t like poetry,’ or, ‘I don’t understand it,’ because all of that seems the fault of a system that doesn’t want to give poetry its power, and that doesn’t want to give people their power either.

Dorothea Lasky, interviewed by Rebecca Tamás for Prac Crit (via bostonpoetryslam)

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Truth! Love this quote. #reader #neilgaiman

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Teaching Mainstream American to kids whose first language is AAE without being condescending. Very cute video and great program (in Los Angeles).

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Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about them.

Urie Brofenbrenner

#education #teaching

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Teaching Tidbit | Learning Multiple Languages

It is a human right to be able to receive education in your native language, whether for ELL students or students whose families speak a language besides English at home or indigenous students. It is unacceptable that in areas with high populations of students who have native languages other than English, the majority of teachers choose to only speak and teach in English. This is not only lazy and irresponsible, but it is racist and shows your students that you really just don't care that much about meeting them where they are at. As an educator, it is imperative to learn about the area you are going to teach in and become at least conversationally fluent in that area's most common languages other than English. It may take time but there is no better way to be able to communicate with parents and students, create a truly inclusive and welcoming classroom, understand some of the cultural differences you need to accommodate, and meet your students exactly where they are at. This also reduces the need for hiring interpreters or relying unfairly on students to be translating constantly. Children have a human right to receive education in their native language and it is the teachers' responsibility to make that happen.

#education #children of color #teaching tidbit #social justice

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Book Review | Sina & Tinilau

One of the beautiful things about being Pacific Islander is that there are so many similarities in our stories and traditions. I see in my classroom how my students can connect over common cultural practices, even though their island homes may be hundreds or thousands of miles apart.

The legend of Sina and Tinilau, the first Pacific Islanders, is one of these stories. Variations of the legend are found in almost every major Pasifika culture. This book, written by Fijian author Vilsoni Hereniko, strives to tell this ancient story in a pan-Pacifika way, to honor every rendition of the tale. 

The artwork is absolutely stunning and provides stories of its own. On every page, the author selected different aspects of Pacific Island life and used the borders of the pages to display those aspects as known by various islands, and then children can search the illustrations to find the matching item. Itʻs hard to explain, but on this page, the artist drew housing and weapons from Sāmoa, Kiribati, Fiii, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and the Trobriand Islands.

This kind of pan-Pacific writing brings a sense of unity and commonality to students, which helps foster feelings of community, which is so important to students of color. Seeing people who look like them (although they honestly could have drawn the main characters to be a little less ethnically ambiguous looking) who are strong, and attractive, and in the island environment is necessary, especially for children who are so often living in diaspora and hardly get to see images of their homes.

This book is difficult to give a grade range for, as it is a picture book but the story is probably too difficult for early elementary students (below 4th or 5th grade probably) to read and understand unless it is read to them. Regardless, the artwork is visually very beautiful and younger students, even if they canʻt read it, will enjoy looking at it.

#book review #melanesia #micronesia #polynesia #samoa #fiji #kiribati #solomon islands #hawaiʻi #tonga #papua new guinea #picture book #education #pacific islander

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Book Review | The Jumbies

Finally, a book written for middle grades that features non-European fairy tales. The Jumbies, written by Trinidadian author Tracey Baptiste, is the first young adult book I have heard of that incorporates Caribbean folklore. 

I originally got this book to put in my classroom around Halloween, thinking it would be a nice way to showcase a scarier story that features nonwhite characters and plot. I was so right. Besides all the important features that I look for in my classroom books (nonwhite author, girls being resilient, family and cultural values being prioritized, brown children being able to solve their problems, etc), this book also just normalizes being a child of color in a community full of other people of color (in this case, specifically black Caribbean folks). This could be nice for kids who might just want to read a light, casual book that they can identify with without maybe having to feel like their identity always has to be political.

The writing is lyrical and even if the students reading it arenʻt consciously aware of it, the way the author handles the subject of cultural knowledge and magic and spirituality normalizes it, shows respect for it, and ultimately shows it to be as valid as the European knowledge that is shoved down our childrens’ throats every day. This is supremely important in a world where our only hope is reconnecting our youth to our communities and their cultures. 

This book is best for grades 3 through middle school, although honestly I really enjoyed it too. It isnʻt scary enough to give kids nightmares but itʻs suspenseful and creepy for sure. All around, this is a really great book and so important for children to experience.

#book review #caribbean #3rd grade #4th grade #5th grade #6th grade #7th grade #8th grade #folklore #education #haitian #trinidadian

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Teaching Tidbit | Participation and Praise

If teachers were willing to make room for differing cultural norms from their students, there would be far fewer "behavior problems". For many students of color, being praised publicly is more embarrassing than validating, and can cause high stress because their reaction to that praise will be seen by their peers - a positive reaction can be viewed as being greedy or a show-off, while not reacting in the way you want could get them in trouble. Also, many communities teach their children not to speak in the presence of adults, which can explain why students aren't answering your questions or participating in lessons. It is your job as an educator to learn the basic cultural norms of the communities you are working with and figuring out how to create space for those norms in your classroom.

#teaching tidbit #multicultural education #teacher tips #education #poc

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Book Review | Esperanza Rising

For many students of color, issues like immigration and the prison industrial complex and generational trauma are far too real and finding books that address these issues responsibly seems almost impossible.

However, Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan finds a way to do just that. Set in Great Depression-era California and post-Revolution Mexico, Esperanza Rising tells the story of a young Mexican girl and her family who are farm workers and the struggles they encounter. The subject matter deals directly with immigration, racism, poverty, family loss, segregation, language barriers, coming of age, labor rights, and deportation. It’s more than just a laundry list of societal wrongs slammed against a helpless brown girl, though. Readers see the young protagonist and her friends solving problems, fighting back, prioritizing their cultural values and families, and ultimately staying resilient and strong through everything they face.

As another plus, this book was written by a Mexican woman and is based on the life of her grandmother. I think many brown children, not just those who are Mexican, are able to identify with the characters and the complicated, real world problems they face. The writing is so beautiful it is almost poetic, while still being age appropriate and relatable. It would be best suited for around 4th through 6th grades. Overall, I believe this is an amazing book and a necessity for any bookshelf.

#book review #Esperanza rising #Mexican #Chicano #immigration #4th grade #5th grade #6th grade

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Learning Moments

It is easy to get bogged down in what seems like the inevitability and permanence of things like white supremacy, racialized rules, and the hopelessness of our future as global majority people in a colonized world. I think that it is so important to constantly remind ourselves and each other of the reasons we do what we do, and why we must keep fighting and educating our children. I want to share profound or powerful moments I have in class, and I would love to hear your own, whether with your own children or in a classroom or wherever else. 

Yesterday, a student whose family immigrated to Hawaiʻi from Chuuk realized he failed a math quiz. He started to berate himself, telling me how stupid he was that he couldnʻt even pass one math quiz. I disagreed with him and told him I thought he was very smart. He was shocked, so I continued by saying that someone can be smart even if they are still figuring out math. As usual, he was skeptical. Other students started gathering around at this point to listen and agree with him. I said, “Ok, you can speak two languages so that automatically makes you smart. I canʻt even do that!” At this point the other students began agreeing that they too could speak multiple languages and translate for their families and friends. He shrugged and smiled. Our conversation ended but it was clear to me that no one had ever told him this before and that I need to keep reinforcing the positives that come with keeping up with your language and culture.

Our children carry so much power and inherent ancestral knowledge that they are forced to feel ashamed of every day. They are forced to give up their native languages and cultural norms in order to fit the industrial capitalist (white) standard. Those in power know this, and they are afraid of our children. How much more powerful could our communities be if educators were constantly reaffirming our studentsʻ background knowledge and family life, and showing them that they have a place in this society?

#education #learning moments #indigenous #bilingual

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Book Review | The Biggest Soap

Although mainstream books with people of color as main characters are hard to find across the board, it is undeniable that books with indigenous leads (or even supporting characters) are even more impossible to find. I have been on a hunt for young adult books with specifically Pacific Islander main characters and this is the first one I came across. 

The Biggest Soap takes place on an island in Chuuk, which is a state in the Federated States of Micronesia. The main character is a young boy who has to go on a mission for his mother to find the largest piece of soap he can before his aunties finish telling their stories at the washing pool. Throughout the story, children see a native main character repeatedly find ways to solve problems and put his family first. 

The illustrations are bright and use themes common in Pasifika art. I would say this book is best suited for students who are just learning to read, or for reading aloud time, but I leave this book in my classroom for my 5th graders because they love the art so much. 

The only downside/weird thing I see with this book is that it has a white author and the most she says about her intentions for writing this book is that it was inspired by a young friend she made during her time in the Peace Corps on the island of Tol. So obviously it isn't going to be the best book out there but until I can find better, this is what I have to go with. If you know of other books with Micronesian authors, please send them my way! 

This book can be purchased on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble, along with most other bookstores.

#chuuk #Micronesia #education #picture books #preschool #1st grade #2nd grade #3rd grade #Pacific Islander #South Pacific #book review

[lilislibrary]

Aloha ahiahi, my name is Līlīlehua and I am a part time ESL teacher in Hawaiʻi. I will be getting my Masters degree in elementary education with an emphasis on indigenous students and culturally responsible education. 

Through my current job working with primarily Micronesian and Polynesian 5th graders, I have realized there is an unacceptable lack of resources and teaching strategies for these students, and other global majority children. There is too much at stake for our communities today to allow our children to continue being “taught” in this way. 

I hope to, on this blog, document strategies I have found to be successful in my own every day work, review books for multicultural classroom usage, and incorporate lesson plans that put childrenʻs experiences and knowledge at the forefront while still meeting common core and state standards. I would also like to help create a network of like-minded educators and other adults who work with youth to provide support, ideas, and anything else we may need in this difficult field.

I am not interested in creating a “melting pot” classroom where white students learn a tacky form of tolerance for brown children while the brown children have to cut themselves down to fit. I prioritize indigenous and global majority youth and so this blog will be focused on that.

#education #teaching #indigenous #youth #multicultural #lol i donʻt know how to tag this