We can choose to do nothing and fit in along with the racist system, which will continue to do harm to all of our students and their families, but I’m going to choose the path of anti-racism and hope many folks will join me. We have a lot of power and it’s important to use it to empower our students and their families in this inequitable system that we are working in every single day. This can begin with bringing in marginalized voices and people into our spaces every day in any way possible. People in positions of power need to use that power to disrupt racism every day. And oftentimes what that can look like in education.is to purposefully work against reinforcing the narrative of the status quo. My Montessori training helped me to have concrete tools to actively undo what I learned from my own teachers and in education classes throughout college.)ĭecolonizing myself as an educator and mama is recognizing that I am not the only one with all the answers and to have some humility, to honor my humanity, nod to the past and look towards the future.

(Which was to be at the center of the classroom and give direction and manage bodies. It really is their space and not just a place I am imparting on them.Ĭo-creating and collaborating with students and other educators allows me to decolonize my classroom and what I’ve been taught to believe about the role of the educator in the classroom and in schools. They help to organize the physical space by moving shelves around, taking care of plants, helping me choose the artwork, deciding what is needed in the classroom and how to make it accessible to everyone. into the classroom so they can really make it their own. This can be done by inviting them to bring their families, their culture, artifacts, etc. One of the ways that I try to continually decolonize classroom spaces.is by really bringing my students’ whole selves into the space and to give it up to them. We’ve got to not just understand personal biases and prejudice, we need to go further and understand how our institutions are working to uphold white supremacy culture and colonial mentality. We can decolonize our minds by doing the work for ourselves. How can educators, teachers, and librarians decolonize not only their bookshelves but their minds? How can people in positions of power use their privilege to fight racism? Jewell discussed her book, its message, and the importance of educators and teachers decolonizing their bookshelves with SLJ. Tiffany Jewell's recently published anti-racist primer, This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How To Wake Up, Take Action, and Do The Work (Quarto/Frances Lincoln Gr 5 Up), aims to provide everyone, especially young readers, with ways to combat racism.

Tiffany jewel this book is antiracist