Felicia Rose Chavez

 Last Spring in my research into inclusive ELA instruction, I came across the book The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez. I was so blown away by her ideas into adjusting the writing workshop model to amplify historically quieted voices that I reached out to her and was able to talk with her in a zoom call for some tips on transforming my own writing program! While there were many takeaways and my own copy of the book is covered in post-its marking favorite reminders, my favorite two are the focus on author's voice and the need to ask permission before giving feedback. Writing is personal. When a student writes a story or an essay, they put themselves into it, and every author's voice is one that matters and should be heard. As an English teacher, part of my job is to help students develop their craft by writing complete sentences and using proper grammar rules and structures while also helping their work stay their own. Letting students take the lead during their writing conferences and tell me and their peers specifically what they'd like support with has been a game changer. My students feel like writers. Students with struggles and learning differences that make writing a challenge are writing pages upon pages in class. The number one rule for a writing workshop is that writers write. I'm happy to say that I have a class full of aspiring authors.

A Raisin in the Sun Unit Plan

I just finished my eighth grade drama unit with A Raisin in the Sun. I am so excited with the quality of work that my students completed as they were able to respond to high levels of thinking and inferencing. They made some great connections throughout the unit. I've taught the text a number of times, but this year it really came together in a way that was enjoyable, educational, and empathetic. (Wanted to throw some alliteration in there!). The A Raisin in the Sun flip book that I purchased on Teachers Pay Teachers provided a great framework for the unit. I've uploaded my complete A Raisin in the Sun unit guide that includes a lot of the materials that I used as well as a curriculum map. I'm going to take photos and upload student examples this week, so make sure to check back for some exemplary student work!

The 2008 movie version that we watched after reading the play.