Sandra L Osorio | Erikson Institute (original) (raw)

Peer-Reviewed Articles by Sandra L Osorio

Theory into Practice, 2021

Drawing from theories of culturally sustaining literacy practices, Black and Latinx Crit, and fem... more Drawing from theories of culturally sustaining literacy practices, Black and Latinx Crit, and feminist theories, the authors explore emotional justice as a form of critical social emotional learning to counter the race-neutral emphasis of social and emotional learning focused on universal characteristics and academic aims. They argue that centering the lived experiences of Black and Brown students helps nurture critically conscious subjectivities and opportunities for authentic literacy engagements including students’ reader response, linguistic freedom, and play, among other culturally situated forms of literacy. Their analysis of a Black male student’s literacy experiences and extant language and literacy research centering cultural sovereignty and racial resistance, highlights the role of teachers and school policies as forces that can diminish or exacerbate the well-being of Black and Brown children in schools. The article concludes with recommendations and suggestions for fostering culturally sustaining literacy practices that are emotionally just.

Illinois Reading Council Journal, 2020

The Reading Teacher , 2020

Multilingual students arrive in classrooms with rich language knowledge and funds of knowledge. E... more Multilingual students arrive in classrooms with rich language knowledge and funds of knowledge. Educators must recognize that emergent bilinguals speak multiple languages. They have one unitary language system; their language is bilingualism. Whether in a monolingual classroom setting or a multilingual setting, when working with emergent bilinguals, it is important that all of the students’ linguistic resources are welcomed into the classroom. The author describes how, as a first‐grade dual‐language (Spanish–English) teacher, she used children's literature and translanguaging to support her emergent bilinguals in using all of their linguistic resources to make meaning and build a linguistically sustaining space. The use of the text created a space for the teacher to model translanguaging and for the students to use all of their linguistic resources.

Telling your students that you are divorced and your two sons no longer live with their father is... more Telling your students that you are divorced and your two sons no longer live with their father is not the typical kind of conversation you would expect in a classroom, but in my second-grade Spanish–English bilingual classroom, it was the norm. I had decided to implement literature discussion around Latinx children’s literature. I found that in order for my students and I to develop a relationship built on trust and respect, I had to be vulnerable and willing to share some personal narratives. In the following article, I share how I, the teacher, was vulnerable with my students during our literature discussions around Latinx children’s literature in order to have conversations about critical topics, such as, immigration, bilingualism, and family. My ultimate goal was for my students to develop critical consciousness.

“¡Quiere sacar a todos los suramericanos! Quiere quedarse con solo los blancos,1 shouted second g... more “¡Quiere sacar a todos los suramericanos! Quiere quedarse con solo los blancos,1 shouted second grader Salvador2 to his classmate Victor. They were supposed to be reading Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, but somehow the conversation had turned to the then presidential candidate for the Republican Party, Donald Trump. That was how Trump and his rhetoric entered our dual language classroom.

Far too often, the voices of students of color, their experiences, and their lives are not validated in the classroom. When Salvador and Victor’s conversation about Trump erupted, the teacher and I—the teacher researcher in the classroom—knew we had to bring this topic to the forefront. If two students were discussing it, the chances were that it was on the minds of many. As Costello (2016) explained, Trump’s words and actions during the campaign impacted classrooms throughout the United States because “the [presidential] campaign was producing an alarming level of fear and anxiety among children of color and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom” (p. 4).

This article examines how the teacher and I implemented culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) in our classroom in response to Trump’s rhetoric about immigration. I focus on how the students, who were distressed by that rhetoric, discussed what Trump was saying about immigration, as well as on how we worked together to support them.

This article describes second-grade emergent bilinguals' dialogue in culture circles. I share how... more This article describes second-grade emergent bilinguals' dialogue in culture circles. I share how the tenets of humanizing pedagogy were manifested as my students and I engaged in critical pedagogy around issues of power and privilege related to bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism. Together we sought mutual humanization through the exploration of reflective Latinx children's literature. The research question examined was: How are the tenets of humanizing pedagogy manifested in the implementation of culture circles? Qualitative methods were employed which included (a) audio/ video recordings, (b) ethnographic field notes, and (c) student artifacts. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method . Through these culture circles, the students and the teacher were able to problematize issues related to their lived experiences. For the tenets of humanizing pedagogy to be realized, there had to be a blurring of lines between the teacher and students, the use of literature that reflected my students' experiences and lives, as well as a promotion of critical consciousness. In this article, I share how my students' stories demonstrate the tenets of humanizing pedagogy in my particular classroom context.

The number of school-age children of color in US schools is increasing, while the teaching force ... more The number of school-age children of color in US schools is increasing, while
the teaching force continues to be dominated by white teachers. According
to the 2013 Digest of Education Statistics in the 2011–2012 school year, 81.9%
of public school teachers were white, while the projected number of Hispanic
students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools is expected
to increase 33% between 2011 and 2022. In my experience, the issue of
immigration is often ignored by the majority white teacher population,
but, as I will share in this article, it is part of the lived experience of Latino
children. I present my students’ border stories as discussed in relation to
Latino children’s literature. I am using the words ‘border stories’ to represent
the narratives my students shared about their families’ experiences crossing
the US–Mexico border as well as what they felt about the societal discourse
around ‘illegal immigrants.’ Critical race theory (CRT) and Latino critical
theory (LatCrit) are used to frame these border stories to speak against the
majoritarian story.

As a first grade Spanish bilingual teacher I decided to implement literature discussion groups in... more As a first grade Spanish bilingual teacher I decided to implement literature discussion groups in my classroom as a way to give my student a space to share their thoughts and ideas. This paper captures the evolving relationship between teacher-students through the application of literature discussions. Moreover, this paper discusses the difficulty of moving away from (IRE): teacher initiate, student respond, and teacher evaluate pattern consistently. More importantly, this paper discusses one teacher’s journey in the process of letting going of control and the multiple roles she must enact in order to do so.

Book Chapters by Sandra L Osorio

This article shares how students in my second grade Spanish bilingual classroom that were labeled... more This article shares how students in my second grade Spanish bilingual classroom that were labeled as struggling readers given the district benchmark tests, actually showed a different side of themselves and their skills when literature discussions around Latino children's literature was implemented in the classroom. They became leaders in the small groups.

Editorially Reviewed Articles by Sandra L Osorio

I was sitting around a kidney shaped table with Alejandra, Juliana, and Lucia, 2nd graders who ha... more I was sitting around a kidney shaped table with Alejandra, Juliana,
and Lucia, 2nd graders who had chosen to read Del Norte
al Sur (From North to South) by René Colato Laínez. I read
the book’s introduction out loud, which included the word deportado (deported). I asked my students: “¿Qué es deportar?
¿Ustedes saben qué significa?” (What is deported? Do you know
what it means?) Lucia looked straight at me and said, “Como a
mi tío lo deportaron”. (Like my uncle, they deported him.) This article shares the "border stories" that naturally came out during literature discussions around Latino children's literature with my second grade Spanish bilingual students and the importance of making these lived experiences part of the classroom curriculum.

Books by Sandra L Osorio

Teachers College Press, 2021

Discover the language and learning possibilities of young children’s active engagement with book ... more Discover the language and learning possibilities of young children’s active engagement with book experiences, in which they talk with one another as they make meaning from literature centered around their lives and interests. Drawing from their backgrounds as teachers and researchers, as well as their many experiences facilitating and observing read-alouds with diverse students, the authors provide a practical guide to conducting book discussions that promote deep engagement and the natural development of literacy skills (Pre-K–2nd grade). The text includes detailed recommendations for setting up the classroom reading environment, selecting books, preparing materials, setting goals, and integrating discussions with curricular demands, all while maintaining a child-centered philosophy and addressing the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Book Talk melds theory about literacy learning with the practical realities of reading and talking with young children in 21st-century preschool and primary classrooms.

Papers by Sandra L Osorio

Routledge, Dec 22, 2015

This article shares how students in my second grade Spanish bilingual classroom that were labeled... more This article shares how students in my second grade Spanish bilingual classroom that were labeled as struggling readers given the district benchmark tests, actually showed a different side of themselves and their skills when literature discussions around Latino children's literature was implemented in the classroom. They became leaders in the small groups.

Drawing from theories of culturally sustaining literacy practices, Black and Latinx Crit, and fem... more Drawing from theories of culturally sustaining literacy practices, Black and Latinx Crit, and feminist theories, the authors explore emotional justice as a form of critical social emotional learning to counter the race-neutral emphasis of social and emotional learning focused on universal characteristics and academic aims. They argue that centering the lived experiences of Black and Brown students helps nurture critically conscious subjectivities and opportunities for authentic literacy engagements including students’ reader response, linguistic freedom, and play, among other culturally situated forms of literacy. Their analysis of a Black male student’s literacy experiences and extant language and literacy research centering cultural sovereignty and racial resistance, highlights the role of teachers and school policies as forces that can diminish or exacerbate the well-being of Black and Brown children in schools. The article concludes with recommendations and suggestions for foste...

Illinois Reading Council Journal

The Reading Teacher

Multilingual students arrive in classrooms with rich language knowledge and funds of knowledge. E... more Multilingual students arrive in classrooms with rich language knowledge and funds of knowledge. Educators must recognize that emergent bilinguals speak multiple languages. They have one unitary language system; their language is bilingualism. Whether in a monolingual classroom setting or a multilingual setting, when working with emergent bilinguals, it is important that all of the students’ linguistic resources are welcomed into the classroom. The author describes how, as a first‐grade dual‐language (Spanish–English) teacher, she used children's literature and translanguaging to support her emergent bilinguals in using all of their linguistic resources to make meaning and build a linguistically sustaining space. The use of the text created a space for the teacher to model translanguaging and for the students to use all of their linguistic resources.

Bilingual Research Journal

ABSTRACT This article describes second-grade emergent bilinguals’ dialogue in culture circles. I ... more ABSTRACT This article describes second-grade emergent bilinguals’ dialogue in culture circles. I share how the tenets of humanizing pedagogy were manifested as my students and I engaged in critical pedagogy around issues of power and privilege related to bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism. Together we sought mutual humanization through the exploration of reflective Latinx children’s literature. The research question examined was: How are the tenets of humanizing pedagogy manifested in the implementation of culture circles? Qualitative methods were employed which included (a) audio/video recordings, (b) ethnographic field notes, and (c) student artifacts. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Through these culture circles, the students and the teacher were able to problematize issues related to their lived experiences. For the tenets of humanizing pedagogy to be realized, there had to be a blurring of lines between the teacher and students, the use of literature that reflected my students’ experiences and lives, as well as a promotion of critical consciousness. In this article, I share how my students’ stories demonstrate the tenets of humanizing pedagogy in my particular classroom context.

Race Ethnicity and Education, 2016

Abstract The number of school-age children of color in US schools is increasing, while the teachi... more Abstract The number of school-age children of color in US schools is increasing, while the teaching force continues to be dominated by white teachers. According to the 2013 Digest of Education Statistics in the 2011–2012 school year, 81.9% of public school teachers were white, while the projected number of Hispanic students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools is expected to increase 33% between 2011 and 2022. In my experience, the issue of immigration is often ignored by the majority white teacher population, but, as I will share in this article, it is part of the lived experience of Latino children. I present my students’ border stories as discussed in relation to Latino children’s literature. I am using the words ‘border stories’ to represent the narratives my students shared about their families’ experiences crossing the US–Mexico border as well as what they felt about the societal discourse around ‘illegal immigrants.’ Critical race theory (CRT) and Latino critical theory (LatCrit) are used to frame these border stories to speak against the majoritarian story.

Association of Mexican American Educators Journal

Telling your students that you are divorced and your two sons no longer live with their father is... more Telling your students that you are divorced and your two sons no longer live with their father is not the typical kind of conversation you would expect in a classroom, but in my second-grade Spanish–English bilingual classroom, it was the norm. I had decided to implement literature discussion around Latinx children’s literature. I found that in order for my students and I to develop a relationship built on trust and respect, I had to be vulnerable and willing to share some personal narratives. In the following article, I share how I, the teacher, was vulnerable with my students during our literature discussions around Latinx children’s literature in order to have conversations about critical topics, such as, immigration, bilingualism, and family. My ultimate goal was for my students to develop critical consciousness.

As a first grade Spanish bilingual teacher I decided to implement literature discussion groups in... more As a first grade Spanish bilingual teacher I decided to implement literature discussion groups in my classroom as a way to give my student a space to share their thoughts and ideas. This paper captures the evolving relationship between teacher-students through the application of literature discussions. Moreover, this paper discusses the difficulty of moving away from (IRE): teacher initiate, student respond, and teacher evaluate pattern consistently. More importantly, this paper discusses one teacher’s journey in the process of letting going of control and the multiple roles she must enact in order to do so.

Theory into Practice, 2021

Drawing from theories of culturally sustaining literacy practices, Black and Latinx Crit, and fem... more Drawing from theories of culturally sustaining literacy practices, Black and Latinx Crit, and feminist theories, the authors explore emotional justice as a form of critical social emotional learning to counter the race-neutral emphasis of social and emotional learning focused on universal characteristics and academic aims. They argue that centering the lived experiences of Black and Brown students helps nurture critically conscious subjectivities and opportunities for authentic literacy engagements including students’ reader response, linguistic freedom, and play, among other culturally situated forms of literacy. Their analysis of a Black male student’s literacy experiences and extant language and literacy research centering cultural sovereignty and racial resistance, highlights the role of teachers and school policies as forces that can diminish or exacerbate the well-being of Black and Brown children in schools. The article concludes with recommendations and suggestions for fostering culturally sustaining literacy practices that are emotionally just.

Illinois Reading Council Journal, 2020

The Reading Teacher , 2020

Multilingual students arrive in classrooms with rich language knowledge and funds of knowledge. E... more Multilingual students arrive in classrooms with rich language knowledge and funds of knowledge. Educators must recognize that emergent bilinguals speak multiple languages. They have one unitary language system; their language is bilingualism. Whether in a monolingual classroom setting or a multilingual setting, when working with emergent bilinguals, it is important that all of the students’ linguistic resources are welcomed into the classroom. The author describes how, as a first‐grade dual‐language (Spanish–English) teacher, she used children's literature and translanguaging to support her emergent bilinguals in using all of their linguistic resources to make meaning and build a linguistically sustaining space. The use of the text created a space for the teacher to model translanguaging and for the students to use all of their linguistic resources.

Telling your students that you are divorced and your two sons no longer live with their father is... more Telling your students that you are divorced and your two sons no longer live with their father is not the typical kind of conversation you would expect in a classroom, but in my second-grade Spanish–English bilingual classroom, it was the norm. I had decided to implement literature discussion around Latinx children’s literature. I found that in order for my students and I to develop a relationship built on trust and respect, I had to be vulnerable and willing to share some personal narratives. In the following article, I share how I, the teacher, was vulnerable with my students during our literature discussions around Latinx children’s literature in order to have conversations about critical topics, such as, immigration, bilingualism, and family. My ultimate goal was for my students to develop critical consciousness.

“¡Quiere sacar a todos los suramericanos! Quiere quedarse con solo los blancos,1 shouted second g... more “¡Quiere sacar a todos los suramericanos! Quiere quedarse con solo los blancos,1 shouted second grader Salvador2 to his classmate Victor. They were supposed to be reading Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, but somehow the conversation had turned to the then presidential candidate for the Republican Party, Donald Trump. That was how Trump and his rhetoric entered our dual language classroom.

Far too often, the voices of students of color, their experiences, and their lives are not validated in the classroom. When Salvador and Victor’s conversation about Trump erupted, the teacher and I—the teacher researcher in the classroom—knew we had to bring this topic to the forefront. If two students were discussing it, the chances were that it was on the minds of many. As Costello (2016) explained, Trump’s words and actions during the campaign impacted classrooms throughout the United States because “the [presidential] campaign was producing an alarming level of fear and anxiety among children of color and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom” (p. 4).

This article examines how the teacher and I implemented culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) in our classroom in response to Trump’s rhetoric about immigration. I focus on how the students, who were distressed by that rhetoric, discussed what Trump was saying about immigration, as well as on how we worked together to support them.

This article describes second-grade emergent bilinguals' dialogue in culture circles. I share how... more This article describes second-grade emergent bilinguals' dialogue in culture circles. I share how the tenets of humanizing pedagogy were manifested as my students and I engaged in critical pedagogy around issues of power and privilege related to bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism. Together we sought mutual humanization through the exploration of reflective Latinx children's literature. The research question examined was: How are the tenets of humanizing pedagogy manifested in the implementation of culture circles? Qualitative methods were employed which included (a) audio/ video recordings, (b) ethnographic field notes, and (c) student artifacts. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method . Through these culture circles, the students and the teacher were able to problematize issues related to their lived experiences. For the tenets of humanizing pedagogy to be realized, there had to be a blurring of lines between the teacher and students, the use of literature that reflected my students' experiences and lives, as well as a promotion of critical consciousness. In this article, I share how my students' stories demonstrate the tenets of humanizing pedagogy in my particular classroom context.

The number of school-age children of color in US schools is increasing, while the teaching force ... more The number of school-age children of color in US schools is increasing, while
the teaching force continues to be dominated by white teachers. According
to the 2013 Digest of Education Statistics in the 2011–2012 school year, 81.9%
of public school teachers were white, while the projected number of Hispanic
students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools is expected
to increase 33% between 2011 and 2022. In my experience, the issue of
immigration is often ignored by the majority white teacher population,
but, as I will share in this article, it is part of the lived experience of Latino
children. I present my students’ border stories as discussed in relation to
Latino children’s literature. I am using the words ‘border stories’ to represent
the narratives my students shared about their families’ experiences crossing
the US–Mexico border as well as what they felt about the societal discourse
around ‘illegal immigrants.’ Critical race theory (CRT) and Latino critical
theory (LatCrit) are used to frame these border stories to speak against the
majoritarian story.

As a first grade Spanish bilingual teacher I decided to implement literature discussion groups in... more As a first grade Spanish bilingual teacher I decided to implement literature discussion groups in my classroom as a way to give my student a space to share their thoughts and ideas. This paper captures the evolving relationship between teacher-students through the application of literature discussions. Moreover, this paper discusses the difficulty of moving away from (IRE): teacher initiate, student respond, and teacher evaluate pattern consistently. More importantly, this paper discusses one teacher’s journey in the process of letting going of control and the multiple roles she must enact in order to do so.

This article shares how students in my second grade Spanish bilingual classroom that were labeled... more This article shares how students in my second grade Spanish bilingual classroom that were labeled as struggling readers given the district benchmark tests, actually showed a different side of themselves and their skills when literature discussions around Latino children's literature was implemented in the classroom. They became leaders in the small groups.

I was sitting around a kidney shaped table with Alejandra, Juliana, and Lucia, 2nd graders who ha... more I was sitting around a kidney shaped table with Alejandra, Juliana,
and Lucia, 2nd graders who had chosen to read Del Norte
al Sur (From North to South) by René Colato Laínez. I read
the book’s introduction out loud, which included the word deportado (deported). I asked my students: “¿Qué es deportar?
¿Ustedes saben qué significa?” (What is deported? Do you know
what it means?) Lucia looked straight at me and said, “Como a
mi tío lo deportaron”. (Like my uncle, they deported him.) This article shares the "border stories" that naturally came out during literature discussions around Latino children's literature with my second grade Spanish bilingual students and the importance of making these lived experiences part of the classroom curriculum.

Teachers College Press, 2021

Discover the language and learning possibilities of young children’s active engagement with book ... more Discover the language and learning possibilities of young children’s active engagement with book experiences, in which they talk with one another as they make meaning from literature centered around their lives and interests. Drawing from their backgrounds as teachers and researchers, as well as their many experiences facilitating and observing read-alouds with diverse students, the authors provide a practical guide to conducting book discussions that promote deep engagement and the natural development of literacy skills (Pre-K–2nd grade). The text includes detailed recommendations for setting up the classroom reading environment, selecting books, preparing materials, setting goals, and integrating discussions with curricular demands, all while maintaining a child-centered philosophy and addressing the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Book Talk melds theory about literacy learning with the practical realities of reading and talking with young children in 21st-century preschool and primary classrooms.

Routledge, Dec 22, 2015

This article shares how students in my second grade Spanish bilingual classroom that were labeled... more This article shares how students in my second grade Spanish bilingual classroom that were labeled as struggling readers given the district benchmark tests, actually showed a different side of themselves and their skills when literature discussions around Latino children's literature was implemented in the classroom. They became leaders in the small groups.

Drawing from theories of culturally sustaining literacy practices, Black and Latinx Crit, and fem... more Drawing from theories of culturally sustaining literacy practices, Black and Latinx Crit, and feminist theories, the authors explore emotional justice as a form of critical social emotional learning to counter the race-neutral emphasis of social and emotional learning focused on universal characteristics and academic aims. They argue that centering the lived experiences of Black and Brown students helps nurture critically conscious subjectivities and opportunities for authentic literacy engagements including students’ reader response, linguistic freedom, and play, among other culturally situated forms of literacy. Their analysis of a Black male student’s literacy experiences and extant language and literacy research centering cultural sovereignty and racial resistance, highlights the role of teachers and school policies as forces that can diminish or exacerbate the well-being of Black and Brown children in schools. The article concludes with recommendations and suggestions for foste...

Illinois Reading Council Journal

The Reading Teacher

Multilingual students arrive in classrooms with rich language knowledge and funds of knowledge. E... more Multilingual students arrive in classrooms with rich language knowledge and funds of knowledge. Educators must recognize that emergent bilinguals speak multiple languages. They have one unitary language system; their language is bilingualism. Whether in a monolingual classroom setting or a multilingual setting, when working with emergent bilinguals, it is important that all of the students’ linguistic resources are welcomed into the classroom. The author describes how, as a first‐grade dual‐language (Spanish–English) teacher, she used children's literature and translanguaging to support her emergent bilinguals in using all of their linguistic resources to make meaning and build a linguistically sustaining space. The use of the text created a space for the teacher to model translanguaging and for the students to use all of their linguistic resources.

Bilingual Research Journal

ABSTRACT This article describes second-grade emergent bilinguals’ dialogue in culture circles. I ... more ABSTRACT This article describes second-grade emergent bilinguals’ dialogue in culture circles. I share how the tenets of humanizing pedagogy were manifested as my students and I engaged in critical pedagogy around issues of power and privilege related to bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism. Together we sought mutual humanization through the exploration of reflective Latinx children’s literature. The research question examined was: How are the tenets of humanizing pedagogy manifested in the implementation of culture circles? Qualitative methods were employed which included (a) audio/video recordings, (b) ethnographic field notes, and (c) student artifacts. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Through these culture circles, the students and the teacher were able to problematize issues related to their lived experiences. For the tenets of humanizing pedagogy to be realized, there had to be a blurring of lines between the teacher and students, the use of literature that reflected my students’ experiences and lives, as well as a promotion of critical consciousness. In this article, I share how my students’ stories demonstrate the tenets of humanizing pedagogy in my particular classroom context.

Race Ethnicity and Education, 2016

Abstract The number of school-age children of color in US schools is increasing, while the teachi... more Abstract The number of school-age children of color in US schools is increasing, while the teaching force continues to be dominated by white teachers. According to the 2013 Digest of Education Statistics in the 2011–2012 school year, 81.9% of public school teachers were white, while the projected number of Hispanic students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools is expected to increase 33% between 2011 and 2022. In my experience, the issue of immigration is often ignored by the majority white teacher population, but, as I will share in this article, it is part of the lived experience of Latino children. I present my students’ border stories as discussed in relation to Latino children’s literature. I am using the words ‘border stories’ to represent the narratives my students shared about their families’ experiences crossing the US–Mexico border as well as what they felt about the societal discourse around ‘illegal immigrants.’ Critical race theory (CRT) and Latino critical theory (LatCrit) are used to frame these border stories to speak against the majoritarian story.

Association of Mexican American Educators Journal

Telling your students that you are divorced and your two sons no longer live with their father is... more Telling your students that you are divorced and your two sons no longer live with their father is not the typical kind of conversation you would expect in a classroom, but in my second-grade Spanish–English bilingual classroom, it was the norm. I had decided to implement literature discussion around Latinx children’s literature. I found that in order for my students and I to develop a relationship built on trust and respect, I had to be vulnerable and willing to share some personal narratives. In the following article, I share how I, the teacher, was vulnerable with my students during our literature discussions around Latinx children’s literature in order to have conversations about critical topics, such as, immigration, bilingualism, and family. My ultimate goal was for my students to develop critical consciousness.

As a first grade Spanish bilingual teacher I decided to implement literature discussion groups in... more As a first grade Spanish bilingual teacher I decided to implement literature discussion groups in my classroom as a way to give my student a space to share their thoughts and ideas. This paper captures the evolving relationship between teacher-students through the application of literature discussions. Moreover, this paper discusses the difficulty of moving away from (IRE): teacher initiate, student respond, and teacher evaluate pattern consistently. More importantly, this paper discusses one teacher’s journey in the process of letting going of control and the multiple roles she must enact in order to do so.

Urban Education

This article centers the memories and identities of Black and Brown teachers as they (re)engage w... more This article centers the memories and identities of Black and Brown teachers as they (re)engage with their school experiences. King and Swartz define (re)membering as the process of reconnecting knowledge of the past. We feature two stories—The first is from Roberta and Rachel who demonstrate how Black women reclaim voice, agency, and their own narratives. The second is Sandra and Sara’s as they (re)member their journeys as Latina, bilingual teachers in schools that often diminished and even erased their cultural heritages. We resist the current systematic arrangements that render certain children, schooling contexts, and Black and Brown teachers invisible and left scrambling for their past.

Multicultural Perspectives

Multicultural literature can be found all across classrooms in the United States. I argue it is m... more Multicultural literature can be found all across classrooms in the United States. I argue it is more important what you do with the literature than just having it in the classroom. Multicultural literature should be seen as a tool. In this article, I will share how I used multicultural literature as a tool to (a) promote or develop an appreciation for diversity, (b) honor students' voices, (c) connect to students' rich linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and (d) promote critical consciousness. Through this process, students were able to build a foundation toward critical consciousness in order to take action against their oppressors.

"¡Quiere sacar a todos los suramericanos! Quiere quedarse con solo los blancos," 1 shouted second... more "¡Quiere sacar a todos los suramericanos! Quiere quedarse con solo los blancos," 1 shouted second grader Salvador 2 to his classmate Victor. They were supposed to be reading Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, but somehow the conversation had turned to the then presidential candidate for the Republican Party, Donald Trump. That was how Trump and his rhetoric entered our dual language classroom. Far too often, the voices of students of color, their experiences, and their lives are not validated in the classroom. When Salvador and Victor's conversation about Trump erupted, the teacher and I-the teacher researcher in the classroom-knew we had to bring this topic to the forefront. If two students were discussing it, the chances were that it was on the minds of many. As Costello (2016) explained, Trump's words and actions during the campaign impacted classrooms throughout the United States because "the [presidential] campaign was producing an alarming level of fear and anxiety among children of color and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom" (p. 4). This article examines how the teacher and I implemented culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) in our classroom in response to Trump's rhetoric about immigration. I focus on how the students, who were distressed by that rhetoric, discussed what Trump was saying about immigration, as well as on how we worked together to support them. Professional Dyads and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy This study took place during the 2015-16 school year. I had applied to be part of a professional dyads and culturally relevant teaching (PDCRT) program organized by the Early Childhood Education Assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English. The PDCRT program sponsors partnerships 1 He wants to take out all the South Americans! He wants only the whites to stay. [Note: throughout the paper, the Spanish is presented verbatim as spoken or written by the students, including errors. The English translations are corrected grammatically in order to ensure clarity of meaning.] 2 All student and teacher names are pseudonyms