Smith, Dominique, et al. Better than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management. ASCD, 2015.
Better Than Carrots Or Sticks, By: Dominique Smith, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey
This text has transformed my views on teaching and discipline in many ways. The authors of this book, Dominique Smith, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey, focus on the ways teachers can create classrooms where students and teachers have trusting and respectful relationships and work through behavioral problems in a restorative way. The authors in this book advise teachers to teach rather than punish. They encourage schools to not separate school discipline practices and academic missions of the school. Instead, they believe learning and growing should happen through behavior problems just like learning and growing happens in an English class. Traditional forms of discipline include: suspensions, time-outs, sitting out for recess, being sent to the hallway, and expulsions. These traditional forms all remove the child from their learning community and create a feeling of isolation and shame. The authors argue that these traditional forms of discipline do not result in lasting change and a more restorative approach must be put into place into all school systems.
Better Than Carrots Or Sticks, By: Dominique Smith, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey
This text has transformed my views on teaching and discipline in many ways. The authors of this book, Dominique Smith, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey, focus on the ways teachers can create classrooms where students and teachers have trusting and respectful relationships and work through behavioral problems in a restorative way. The authors in this book advise teachers to teach rather than punish. They encourage schools to not separate school discipline practices and academic missions of the school. Instead, they believe learning and growing should happen through behavior problems just like learning and growing happens in an English class. Traditional forms of discipline include: suspensions, time-outs, sitting out for recess, being sent to the hallway, and expulsions. These traditional forms all remove the child from their learning community and create a feeling of isolation and shame. The authors argue that these traditional forms of discipline do not result in lasting change and a more restorative approach must be put into place into all school systems.
Clare, Eli. Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation. Duke University Press, 2015
Exile and Pride By: Eli Clare
Within the beautifully written book, Exile and Pride, the author: Eli Clare, demonstrates the intersections between race, disability, and queerness, by sharing his life story through essays and personal narratives. With a poetic lens and vulnerability, Clare is able to explore the institutions of violence and oppression that occupy our everyday lives while using his unique life experiences to demonstrate resistance. As a white disabled genderqueer activist, Clare gives a refreshing new outlook on the word “home” and what it means to claim one’s body as their own. I personally was drawn to this text because of the powerful webbings between oppression, disability, queerness, self-exploration, and pride. As a future educator I want to be aware of the webbings or intersections that exist within not only communities, but schools. Exile and Pride has led me to think more creatively about ways self-exploration and pride will be discussed and incorporated within my teachings.
Exile and Pride By: Eli Clare
Within the beautifully written book, Exile and Pride, the author: Eli Clare, demonstrates the intersections between race, disability, and queerness, by sharing his life story through essays and personal narratives. With a poetic lens and vulnerability, Clare is able to explore the institutions of violence and oppression that occupy our everyday lives while using his unique life experiences to demonstrate resistance. As a white disabled genderqueer activist, Clare gives a refreshing new outlook on the word “home” and what it means to claim one’s body as their own. I personally was drawn to this text because of the powerful webbings between oppression, disability, queerness, self-exploration, and pride. As a future educator I want to be aware of the webbings or intersections that exist within not only communities, but schools. Exile and Pride has led me to think more creatively about ways self-exploration and pride will be discussed and incorporated within my teachings.
Michie, Gregory. Holler If You Hear Me the Education of a Teacher and His Students. Teachers College Press, 2009.
Holler if you Hear Me By: Gregory Mitchie
Holler if you Hear Me is a book that I was told all pre-service teachers must read. I now believe that not only should pre-service teachers indulge in this book but social justice activists and students should as well. The author, Gregory Mitchie, uses his personal teaching experiences to push back on the negativity and stigmas that surround the ideas of teaching in urban America. Mitchie is transparent with his readers about his failures and setbacks he faced as a new teacher in urban schools and shows his readers how he became comfortable with the idea that he too would have to do some learning. This book gave me the insight, that all students are doing the very best that they can each day and that “best” might just look different student to student. Too many teachers think the worst out of their students before they get to know them and their story. This book reminds teachers the importance of checking one’s privileges, biases, and personal experiences, before stepping foot into a classroom. I will use Mitchie’s ideas and learn from his mistakes as I venture out into my own classrooms.
Holler if you Hear Me By: Gregory Mitchie
Holler if you Hear Me is a book that I was told all pre-service teachers must read. I now believe that not only should pre-service teachers indulge in this book but social justice activists and students should as well. The author, Gregory Mitchie, uses his personal teaching experiences to push back on the negativity and stigmas that surround the ideas of teaching in urban America. Mitchie is transparent with his readers about his failures and setbacks he faced as a new teacher in urban schools and shows his readers how he became comfortable with the idea that he too would have to do some learning. This book gave me the insight, that all students are doing the very best that they can each day and that “best” might just look different student to student. Too many teachers think the worst out of their students before they get to know them and their story. This book reminds teachers the importance of checking one’s privileges, biases, and personal experiences, before stepping foot into a classroom. I will use Mitchie’s ideas and learn from his mistakes as I venture out into my own classrooms.
Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold's Ghost: a Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Macmillan, 1999.
King Leopold’s Ghost By: Adam Hochschild
King Leopold’s Ghost by: Adam Hochschild, was the most eye opening book I have ever read. This novel shines light on a mostly untold, yet true story about a monstrous man named King Leopold, whose greed led to a genocide killing 10 million Congolese people in Africa. After spending time analyzing this horrific story and the reasons why so many people don’t know about it, I became inspired to think more about social justice and the inequalities that are rooted within not only our American society, but our world. This book still haunts me today but I believe that all people should read it. Adam Hochschild writes in a way that all audiences can understand what happened in the Congo and why African communities are still dealing with the ramifications from King Leopold and his need for money and power. This book captures racism on a global scale and shines light on the realities that countries all over the world still have their hands in Africa, splitting it up and taking parts and pieces for themselves. Resisting this oppression and inequality comes from knowledge and could start with this book, I urge everyone I know to spend some time reading it.
King Leopold’s Ghost By: Adam Hochschild
King Leopold’s Ghost by: Adam Hochschild, was the most eye opening book I have ever read. This novel shines light on a mostly untold, yet true story about a monstrous man named King Leopold, whose greed led to a genocide killing 10 million Congolese people in Africa. After spending time analyzing this horrific story and the reasons why so many people don’t know about it, I became inspired to think more about social justice and the inequalities that are rooted within not only our American society, but our world. This book still haunts me today but I believe that all people should read it. Adam Hochschild writes in a way that all audiences can understand what happened in the Congo and why African communities are still dealing with the ramifications from King Leopold and his need for money and power. This book captures racism on a global scale and shines light on the realities that countries all over the world still have their hands in Africa, splitting it up and taking parts and pieces for themselves. Resisting this oppression and inequality comes from knowledge and could start with this book, I urge everyone I know to spend some time reading it.
McGuire, Danielle L. At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape and Resistance - a New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power. Vintage Books, 2011.
At the Dark End of the Street By: Danielle McGuire
This heart wrenching historical book changes the common narrative of the Civil Rights Movement by incorporating voices and stories of black women and their fight for racial justice. Danielle McGuire makes it clear that these women and their struggles are the backbone to the Civil Rights movement even though our society silences their contributions. Schools teach the master’s narrative that include Martin Luther King and the “sweet little old lady,” Rosa Parks while disregarding the voices of hundreds of women and children that struggled for equality as well. This book inspired me to look deeper into our history and the events and stories we teach to children in school. I want my students to know the truth behind movements and history and help them discover what a people’s narrative is and why it’s different from a master’s narrative. This book has helped me form a completely new and better understanding of the Civil Rights Movement and has pushed me to understand my own privileges in a deeper way.
At the Dark End of the Street By: Danielle McGuire
This heart wrenching historical book changes the common narrative of the Civil Rights Movement by incorporating voices and stories of black women and their fight for racial justice. Danielle McGuire makes it clear that these women and their struggles are the backbone to the Civil Rights movement even though our society silences their contributions. Schools teach the master’s narrative that include Martin Luther King and the “sweet little old lady,” Rosa Parks while disregarding the voices of hundreds of women and children that struggled for equality as well. This book inspired me to look deeper into our history and the events and stories we teach to children in school. I want my students to know the truth behind movements and history and help them discover what a people’s narrative is and why it’s different from a master’s narrative. This book has helped me form a completely new and better understanding of the Civil Rights Movement and has pushed me to understand my own privileges in a deeper way.
Pascoe, C. J. Dude, You're a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School: with a New Preface. University of California Press, 2012
Dude You’re a Fag By: C.J Pascoe
This intelligently written and interesting ethnography by: C.J Pasco is based on field research from a high school in Northern California. Pasco spends over a year within this school conducting research on masculinity and the different forms it takes within a high school. Pascoe finds that the word “fag” gets used amongst the boys in the high school so frequently that she decides to start deconstructing the word to find its meaning within this school. Pascoe explains to her audience that the word “fag” used to insult someone at this school is not a jab at their sexuality but instead on their masculinity. Pascoe analyzes masculinity and sheds new light on the formation of gender identities within a public space like a high school. As a future teacher I have found C.J Pascoe’s work and research to be very relevant. As a teacher I want to be able to open up discussions about gender roles and stereotypes that influence how one’s identities are formed and how gender inequalities and oppressions thrive in our society.
Dude You’re a Fag By: C.J Pascoe
This intelligently written and interesting ethnography by: C.J Pasco is based on field research from a high school in Northern California. Pasco spends over a year within this school conducting research on masculinity and the different forms it takes within a high school. Pascoe finds that the word “fag” gets used amongst the boys in the high school so frequently that she decides to start deconstructing the word to find its meaning within this school. Pascoe explains to her audience that the word “fag” used to insult someone at this school is not a jab at their sexuality but instead on their masculinity. Pascoe analyzes masculinity and sheds new light on the formation of gender identities within a public space like a high school. As a future teacher I have found C.J Pascoe’s work and research to be very relevant. As a teacher I want to be able to open up discussions about gender roles and stereotypes that influence how one’s identities are formed and how gender inequalities and oppressions thrive in our society.