ABOUT THE AUTHORS
ANISA EVERETT
Site Founder & Blog Writer
Hi all! My name is Anisa Everett and I recently graduated from Grand Valley State University with a degree in English and elementary education, and a certification in teaching English as a second language.
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For as long as I can remember I've been a lover of books. But when I started teaching in elementary schools here in Michigan (about five years ago), I realized that my passion for reading is not shared by all students. In urban settings, especially, I've continued to encounter widespread frustration when it comes to reading: frustration on the part of teachers, when their students are reading far below grade-level, and frustration on the part of students who solely see reading as a chore, rather than as a delight. In these schools, part of students' lack of interest in books seemed to stem from a lack of access to high quality, level-appropriate, relevant and woke literature.
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This blog was born mostly of a desire to keep a record of the books I encounter in my teaching experiences, so that I can remember which ones have the power spark a fire in the hearts of students. But I also hope it will be of some use to likeminded educators who are working toward similar aims.
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RACHEL VELDERMAN
Blog Writer
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Hello! My name is Rachel Velderman and I am a junior at Grand Valley State University pursuing a degree in elementary education and English that will be achieved in the fall of 2022.
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I have always been interested in alternative perspectives and wanted to learn about other countries and cultures. Coming from a rural, predominately white community, I had little to no experience with those of other races or cultures, other than from classes that I had taken while in high school. Because of this, I intentionally chose courses at GVSU that would enlighten my understanding of other cultures and provide me with alternative narratives to their stories than what I had previously been exposed to. I feel as though I owe it to not only myself and to my future students to enlighten myself with cultures and customs that vary from my own. If I am a more well-rounded teacher, I should be able to provide my students a quality education that deepens their understanding of the world around them.
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My contribution to this blog is to provide an outlet for myself and others to explore gender and racial stereotypes and identities in children’s literature. While not only keeping record of books to possibly have in my future library, the goal is to identify the stereotypes that are present. By doing so I seek to educate myself, others, and students on how to create a more inclusive and understanding community as a whole.