The Teacher Bees Blog (Page 4)

White Fragility and the Canadian Classroom

White Fragility and the Canadian Classroom

Four months ago, I finished reading White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43708708-white-fragility], by Robin DiAngelo. Appreciating this excellent book, I opened a tab to create a blog post and immediately got stuck. The subtitle

Teaching with the World on Fire

Teaching with the World on Fire

Warnings about climate change have been around for years, but increasingly it feels like a problem no longer in the remote future. Living in Manitoba, climate change has been a problem we see distantly on the news. Hurricanes increase in frequency and severity, glaciers shrink, and coral reefs slowly turn

Path to Reconciliation

Path to Reconciliation

A few weeks ago I attended the Manitoba Adolescent Literacy Summit and listened to author David Alexander Robertson's keynote entitled the Path to Reconciliation. It was a highlight of the conference, as his speech challenged me to look at reconciliation in my own classroom with a more critical

Open Letter to the Manitoba Education Review Commission

Open Letter to the Manitoba Education Review Commission

Dear Commissioners of the Manitoba Education Review, This week, I attended the first Education Review Workshop at the Caboto Centre in Winnipeg. I began the workshop feeling energized. I was in a room full of teachers, parents and community members who had given their time to focus on the future

What Kind of Citizen?

What Kind of Citizen?

A key purpose of education is to prepare students to be good citizens. Few people would argue with this statement, but what does it mean to be a good citizen? What kind of citizenship are we talking about? When I was completing my post-baccalaureate degree in Education for Sustainability, I

Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World

Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World

As a middle school teacher, I have tried to fill my classroom library with books that are representative of LGBTQ students' experiences. I have collected a variety of books [https://teacherbees.ca/lgbtq-books-in-middle-school/] relating to trans youth, kids with gay and lesbian parents, and LGBTQ teens facing discrimination, but

Books about Poverty and Abuse

Books about Poverty and Abuse

Recently I read two books that have striking similarities: The Benefits of Being an Octopus [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35890044-the-benefits-of-being-an-octopus?from_search=true] , by Ann Braden, and Eleanor and Park [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15745753-eleanor-park?ac=1&from_search=true] , by Rainbow Rowell. Both books

Dreamers

When Yuyi Morales first arrived in America with her son, she could barely speak English. Unable to return home and adjusting to life in a strange country, she soon discovered the magic of libraries and the stories they contain. Her stunning picture book Dreamers [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/

10+ Books about Refugees for Middle Years

10+ Books about Refugees for Middle Years

When I read the news or see stories on social media about refugees, I am distressed by negative representations, stereotypes, and misinformation that surface, particularly when people question their motives. It puts me in mind of the poem "Home [https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/let-them-in-where-s-the-poetry-in-politics-what-is-the-middle-class-trump-and-the-know-nothings-1.3223214/no-one-puts-their-children-in-a-boat-unless-1.3224831]

The Poet X

I am a sucker for narrative books in verse, and the newest addition to my collection, The Poet X [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33294200-the-poet-x] , is a powerful one. Written by slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo, it tells the story of Xiomara, a girl who initially keeps her words to

Islandborn

Islandborn [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35631757-islandborn], written by Junot Díaz and illustrated by Leo Espinosa, is a gorgeous book that explores the difficulty in negotiating identity for immigrants. Islandborn tells the story of Lola, a girl who can no longer remember The Island where she was born. When

Daniel's Story

I began reading Daniel's Story [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40959645-daniel-s-story], by Carol Matas, in preparation for the Manitoba Adolescent Literacy Summit in April. Carol Matas will be offering a session about teaching the Holocaust, and I wanted to become more familiar with her books before the

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12000020-aristotle-and-dante-discover-the-secrets-of-the-universe?ac=1&from_search=true] is the coming of age story of two teenage boys as they embark on a friendship that gradually becomes a deeper relationship. With beautiful prose, the title is

Books for a Beautiful World: 2018 Year in Review

Books for a Beautiful World: 2018 Year in Review

About a year ago, I started Books for a Beautiful World. The purpose of this blog was to review books that promote a better, kinder, more just world. I examined books that promoted courage and standing up for human rights and each other. I also looked at books with diverse

A Girl Called Echo

A Girl Called Echo

When I pick up a book set in my own province, it feels like I have found something special. Seeing my home in print on the page gives me a feeling of connection to a text that I don't often get with other books. Even rarer is finding

Prisoner B-3087

Prisoner B-3087

Prisoner B-3087 [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15756277-prisoner-b-3087?ac=1&from_search=true] , by Alan Gratz, is based on the true story of Yanek Gruener, a Holocaust survivor. Starting in the Jewish ghetto in Kraków, Poland, the novel recounts his experiences in ten concentration camps over the course

If You Come Softly

If You Come Softly

If You Come Softly [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36076595-if-you-come-softly], by Jacqueline Woodson, is a story grounded in the tradition of Romeo and Juliet. Two young people from different groups love each other despite opposition from their different worlds. While Romeo and Juliet was famously about two lovers from

Being the Change

Being the Change

Being the Change [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38496804-being-the-change?from_search=true] , by Sara K. Ahmed, is a book in dire need of a new subtitle. Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension sounds like a book that teaches basic social skills. At first glance, I figured it was

Grenade

Grenade [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37825453-grenade?from_search=true], by Alan Gratz, tells the story of the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. The book features two characters' perspectives: Ray, a young American soldier, and Hideki, an Okinawan boy who has been drafted by the Japanese

Hello, Universe

Hello, Universe

Hello, Universe [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30653713-hello-universe] is a Newbery Award winning book by Erin Entrada Kelly. It tells the story of four middle schoolers whose lives collide on the first day of summer vacation. Ultimately it is a story about the beginnings of friendship. The author focuses

The Reckoner Series

The Reckoner Series

I first started this blog to examine books that offer diverse voices to the world and allow students to see their own experiences, struggles, and successes reflected back at them. The diverse voices movement have highlighted a growing number of authors from a variety of different backgrounds, although I often

World Without Fish

World Without Fish

The past few weeks, I have been reviewing books that help promote environmental awareness for middle school students. World Without Fish [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9423723-world-without-fish?from_search=true] , by Mark Kurlansky, is another excellent addition to a classroom library. The book describes the dangers facing Earth'

Environmental Action in Middle School

Environmental Action in Middle School

In my last blog entry, I discussed various texts that can be used to teach middle school students about climate change. However, often climate change education can be overwhelming for students and adults alike. If messages become too dire, it is all too easy for people to tune out the

Climate Change in Middle Years

Climate Change in Middle Years

Want to find some resources for teaching climate change in middle years? Check out this blog post!

OCD in Middle Years Books

OCD in Middle Years Books

A pet peeve of mine is when people call themselves a little OCD. Typically they mean they like things to be tidy or organized a certain way. However, obsessive compulsive disorder can often be a debilitating disorder for those affected. For many, especially our students, the disorder is not particularly