Establishing a safe place in our classrooms is of the utmost importance to create a positive learning space. Students first must feel they are accepted and welcomed into the space and by the people around them before they will be able to dive deep into learning. As educators it is our job to create these spaces physically and through building a community of learners in our classroom from children through adults. Students need to know they can share, ask questions, and explore with encouragement, care, and love. For some students they come to school and find it to be the only safe space they encounter in their day. It is so important that we as educators honor that safe space and create a nurturing environment for all students regardless of their backgrounds, cultures, and perceived needs.
One of the ways we can create a safe space for students is by having an inclusive and diverse library of books within our classrooms. Books that represent the different cultures, family structures, and ethnicities children bring into the classroom and throughout our world.
Rudine Sims Bishop uses a metaphor that help us to understand the importance of diverse books within our classrooms and student educational experiences. He says ‘Books are mirrors when readers see their own lives reflected in the pages. Books are windows when they allow readers a view of lives and stories that are different from their own. Books become sliding glass doors when readers feel transported into the world of the story and when they feel empathy for the characters.’ (Phillips, 2022) It is important that students find books that represent them and help them to see themselves in the literature they are engaging.
Finding books that represent students creates a mirror, a mirror to see themselves within characters and experiences that a story can give them and inspire them to continue to be uniquely themselves. It is also key to have books in the classroom library that represents those who do things and look different than one another in books as well. This creates a window into a different world for students a world that may not be their own lived experience but one that is important to know about so they can relate to others who may experience the world differently than themselves. It is also important that we not only create mirrors and windows for students but open doors by reading books aloud and having engaging conversations and follow up activities. Hosting culture days, having people come and talk about their cultures and ways they experience the world differently give students the opportunity to open doors and engage with the world and their learning in new ways. It is important we create mirrors, windows and doors through books and experiences throughout the school year for students to engage in their education fully and be ready to enter the world as future leaders.
References
Phillips, J. (2022, August 16). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors: A metaphor for reading and life. Great Schools Partnership. https://www.greatschoolspartnership.org/mirrors-windows-and-sliding-glass-doors-a-metaphor-for-reading-and-life/#:~:text=Books%20are%20mirrors%20when%20readers,feel%20empathy%20for%20the%20characters.
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