#BlackBoyLit: Getting to the Heart of their Reading Lives



Happy Black History Month! As Dr. Kim Parker says, “Every child has a story about their reading lives, it’s our job to get to the heart of it.” As educators, we have been charged to take on that challenge. In this episode, Aeriale Johnson (aka Ms. J) and Dr. Kim Parker chat about ways to rethink how we create environments and spaces that welcome all that Black boys bring to our classrooms. Checking our biases and assumptions about the students we serve is essential to begin this work. It starts from within and begins to flow throughout our interactions with our students and colleagues. Ms. J shares her classroom rule by saying, “Our one rule in our classroom is to be loved.” What if our spaces did just that? Just imagine.

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Dr. Kim Parker: Twitter @TchKimPossible & www.drkimparker.org & #DistruptTexts

Aeriale Johnson: Twitter @Arcticisleteach & www.kinderbender.com