I had so much fun presenting with my colleague and friend Thu Nguyen at POCC 2019 in Seattle Washington. We had a wonderful turnout – a full and friendly room of people eager to talk about how teachers of color can authentically connect with students by sharing their personal stories within the given curriculum. When we share our world it is an invitation for students to share theirs. All of our stories matter.

We both find and create these connections, and they will differ from teacher to teacher. My childhood pastor is featured in John Lewis’s graphic novel March, which we taught as part of a sixth grade curriculum. Thu connected to the same book by bringing in the graphic novel her brother created about their family’s immigration experience. In both cases, our personal stories helped children connect to the book by making it more relevant to their immediate experience.

For more ideas and information check out our presentation: