Sweet 'N' Sauer Firsties

  • Sweet 'N' Sauer Firsties
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Freebies

Represent Us All

Take A Walk With Me

Imagine being a six year old on your first day of first grade. You are full of excitement mixed with a tad bit nervousness, wondering what friends will be in your class. You get in class and EVERYONE, with the exception of one kid, looks like you. Read aloud time begins to be your favorite time of the day because the books remind you of your family and friends. You learn about amazing people who have done great things. You learn the story of how our land was discovered, all about our founding fathers, and how throughout history advancements were made with inventions of all kinds. Names are dropped and pictures are shown of people like Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Christopher Columbus and you think to yourself that one day that could be you. You absolutely love school and enjoy learning about the greats. You get inspired to grow up to be anything you want to be. 

Representation Matter Blog Post

Now imagine being another six year old in that same class. You are also full of the jitterbugs, wondering who will be in your class and what your teacher will be like. You get in and while the teacher is taking attendance, you look around and realize no one shares your brown skin, not even your teacher. You participate in icebreaker activities and realize you are pretty much the “cultured oddball” of your class. You take deep breaths and tell yourself it’s okay. We’re all here to learn and you are sure your teacher will talk about all different types of people and countries and maybe you’ll get to teach about your culture too! 

A few weeks go by and you are enjoying the many read alouds but you’ve also noticed that none of the book characters share your skin color or culture representations. When you’re taught about “the greats” in various subjects, they all have fair skin. You start to think, “Where are all ‘the greats’ of my people?”. February rolls around and you FINALLY get a taste of color! You learn about some pretty awesome people that look like you, their accomplishments and stories of them overcoming adversity. But all month long that seems to be the central message. Anytime someone stands up against something wrong, they are put in jail or killed.  We learn about slavery and unequal rights. It’s a constant loop of no justice and no peace. It becomes disheartening and you start to think you aren’t capable of amounting to anything. 

The Truth

The saddest part of these two scenarios is that they are happening all over our country in our classrooms right now. The truth of the matter is that representation in our classrooms is lacking and it’s impacting our students, ESPECIALLY our black and brown children. We have the power to change it though and we owe it to our students to do so. The best part is, the first step in using our power can be as simple as sprucing up your classroom library, incorporating cultured decor on your walls, or talking to your administration about hiring a diverse staff. Let me tell you just WHY this is so important. 

Johns Hopkins University did a study on the likelihood of college enrollment for our sweet black students. What they found shows just how much representation matters in the classroom. This study reported that “Black students are 13 percent more likely to enter college if they had at least one black teacher by the third grade. The likelihood of college enrollment more than doubles to 32 percent for black students with at least two black teachers in elementary school, according to the study.” Why did that number double? Because those children SAW those teachers everyday and starting imagining what they could do in their own future. If those teachers went to college and became a teacher, I can do that too. If students are constantly learning about amazing engineers, inventors, or activists that have made major contributions in our world, and they look like them, they begin to believe they can accomplish anything. 

Most spaces are dominated by white culture. That’s a fact. Other races wouldn’t be called minorities if it wasn’t. “A 2018 Pew Research report notes that only 20 percent of educators across the country come from minority backgrounds. The data points to a lack of representation in schools.” If our staff isn’t diverse, your spaces aren’t diverse, but the students in your classrooms are- we have a big problem. We as adults know all too well that our environment shapes a lot of who we are. It can have a positive or negative effect on the expectations we later hold for ourselves and others around us. We should do our part to make sure the environments we set up shows people from ALL backgrounds as strong, loving, creative and connected human beings. 

It’s A Start 

So what can we do as educators? First, we acknowledge and understand how important representation is. Kids dress up and dream who they want to be. So show them the world and all the beautiful people in it. We can do that through literature. Reading is one of the most important building blocks of life in my opinion. It opens up doors and possibilities for endless imagination. It challenges us to think and see things from different perspectives. It gives new knowledge and allows us to experience various lives, places, hardships, and lessons- all without leaving our seat. Spruce up your library with diverse books. Be sure the diverse books are written by diverse authors. Read aloud stories with characters that are of all colors, abilities, and genders. Take note of the cultures represented in front of you and make it a point to get books that reflect them. If you can’t afford to buy all the diverse books your heart desires, utilize your libraries. They are an amazing resource because they are FREE and they are able to get books from other libraries if they don’t have what you’re looking for. You can also create projects through Donors Choose. If you don’t know where to start on where to find books, here are some great resources to check out:

Charnaie over at Here Wee Read or @hereweeread on Instagram

Vera at The Tutu Teacher or @diversereads on Instagram

The Tiny Activists or @thetinyactivists on Instagram

Creating an inclusive space is another important piece of making sure kids are represented. When you look around your room, the decor on your walls should reflect the languages and cultures of the kids in your class. Don’t know what to put up exactly? Ask your students! Get your student’s families involved. Again, utilize your resources. When it comes to curriculum, do your research before blindly teaching something that may be untrue or has crucial information that has been omitted. If you realize that your curriculum isn’t inclusive, supplement it with great resources that again are from diverse authors. Branch out and teach about people you haven’t heard of so that you too can learn more because that’s what life is all about- learning. If you need a start on where to find some great curriculum resources or diverse decor here are some starters:

Monique at It’s Monique’s World or @itsmoniquesworld on Instagram 

Naomi over at Read Like A Rockstar or @readlikearockstar on Instagram

LaNesha at Education With An Apron or @aproneducation on Instagram

The last thing I can encourage is to be an advocate. Stand up for the minorities that aren’t represented in your spaces. Use your voice to be an ally. Staff in all spaces, but especially in education, should be diverse. If your school is ANY percent African American, Native American, Indian, Asian, etc, then the teachers and administrators should also be of that demographic. Help create changes by bringing up these topics in professional development meetings. Hold your principal accountable for hiring individuals that represent your learners. Decorate the school campus to be an inclusive and welcoming place for all. Host cultural nights for the community. Educate yourself and spread the knowledge. Your students’ futures depend on it. 

Before I go, I want to say thank you for taking the time to read this blog. The dedication to this avenue of knowledge is crucial for the future of our country. If you are doing the work to be an anti racist, I say thank you and keep it up. It’s not an easy or short road but it HAS to be done. A few months back I was researching black history resources and I realized how many individuals are left out in common curriculums. We tend to stay on the familiar path of “the greats” we know and love – MLK Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, etc. As great as they were, there are so many more that are not so frequently talked about and I’ve made it a point to showcase their stories. I will be creating resources of these individuals that will all include an ebook, digital and print board games, vocabulary activities, and a community involvement action. The first one is on an amazing man named Robert Smalls and I hope you’ll check him out. This will be the first of MANY diamonds in the rough in African American history so be sure to check back on who you can learn more about. 

Robert Smalls Resource

Robert Smalls Unit Study

I truly hope you enjoyed reading about why representation matters so much and how you can help impact your students. Be sure to check me out on Instagram @life.long.learners. Don’t forget to subscribe to the email list! Not only will you get the most up to date tips, tricks, and classroom projects… and of course more fun FREEBIES including the I Am Enough Affirmation FREEBIE!

Positive Affirmations Freebie

Nicky Dodd

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

«
»

Filed Under: Resources, Teachers Pay Teachers, Teaching Leave a Comment

Newsletter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe via Email

About This Site

A fun place to be apart of the educational journey. Full of all things teaching! The good, the bad, and even the ugly. Join my experiences and subscribe to my email list to get the most up to date tips and tricks.

Search

Categories

Latest on Instagram

Are you following @toneyinfirst?! Not only does sh Are you following @toneyinfirst?! Not only does she have the BEST tips but she is also HILARIOUS!! If you are not following her, you DEFINITELY need to be!! Thanks for brightening up my feed Amani! 😍
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherssupportteachers #teacherbloggers #teacherpreneur #teacherblogger
How do you get kids to LOVE reading?! It’s EASY! How do you get kids to LOVE reading?! It’s EASY! Find what catches their interest and nurture it! My son came home asking about tornadoes so I got him some new books to learn more about tornadoes AND other types of weather. To say he was excited was an understatement. He LOVED reading these books and soaking up all he can about weather. We can learn new vocabulary and LOVE reading! 😍 How do you help kids love reading?
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers  #primaryteacher #childrensbooks #readaloud #teachingtips #teachermama #readacrossamerica
Kids NEVER age out of read alouds! ❤️ Repost f Kids NEVER age out of read alouds! ❤️
Repost from @scholasticinc 
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherquotes #readaloud #childrensbooks
It’s the little things in life! All the 😍 for It’s the little things in life! All the 😍 for Flair Pens and Ticonderoga pencils! What are your teacher favs?! 
•
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherthings #teacherstuff #raedunn #classroomorganization
This is SO tough but can help SO much! ❤️What This is SO tough but can help SO much! ❤️What are you going to try to do today?
Repost from @letteringwithlo 
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherquotes #teachertired #teacherselfcare
Have you tried @boomlearning cards yet?! They are Have you tried @boomlearning cards yet?! They are an amazing digital resource AND kiddos get immediate feedback! 😍 This is a CVC short vowel set! Check it out now! What’s your favorite Boom Deck?!
{🔗 on profile}
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #kindergarten #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #primaryteacher #phonics #shortvowels #vowels #digitallearning #makelearningfun
I sure do LOVE when these memories pop up and make I sure do LOVE when these memories pop up and make my heart SO full! 😍
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teachermama #teachermomlife
Don’t forget to rest! ❤️ • • • • #el Don’t forget to rest! ❤️
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherquotes #teachertired #teacherselfcare
It’s the newest digital exit ticket!! This quick It’s the newest digital exit ticket!! This quick SELF GRADED assessment covers unknown addends! It’s only $1 dollar for the next 24 hours! It is also included FREE in the growing exit ticket bundle! Grab it now before all first grade math standards are added! 😍 Look for the newest kinder exit ticket coming this week! Would you be interested in second grade exit tickets? Let me know below! ⬇️
{🔗 on profile}
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #firstgrademath #digitallearning #distancelearning #assessment

Latest on Facebook

Lindsay Sauer

15 hours ago

Lindsay Sauer
Are you following @toneyinfirst?! Not only does she have the BEST tips but she is also HILARIOUS!! If you are not following her, you DEFINITELY need to be!! Thanks for brightening up my feed Amani! 😍••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherssupportteachers #teacherbloggers #Teacherpreneur #teacherblogger ... See MoreSee Less

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

22 hours ago

Lindsay Sauer
How do you get kids to LOVE reading?! It’s EASY! Find what catches their interest and nurture it! My son came home asking about tornadoes so I got him some new books to learn more about tornadoes AND other types of weather. To say he was excited was an understatement. He LOVED reading these books and soaking up all he can about weather. We can learn new vocabulary and LOVE reading! 😍 How do you help kids love reading?••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #primaryteacher #childrensbooks #readaloud #teachingtips #teachermama #readacrossamerica ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

1 day ago

Lindsay Sauer
Kids NEVER age out of read alouds! ❤️Repost from @scholasticinc ••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherquotes #readaloud #childrensbooks ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer is in Denver, Colorado.

2 days ago

Lindsay Sauer
It’s the little things in life! All the 😍 for Flair Pens and Ticonderoga pencils! What are your teacher favs?! •••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherthings #teacherstuff #raedunn #classroomorganization ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

2 days ago

Lindsay Sauer
This is SO tough but can help SO much! ❤️What are you going to try to do today?Repost from @letteringwithlo ••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo #igconnect4edu #tftpickme #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #primaryteacher #teacherquotes #teachertired #teacherselfcare ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Latest on Pinterest

  • This year has been especially trying for teachers, so now more than ever it's important to do things that will save you time, energy, and help you keep your sanity as a busy teacher! Some of the ideas I'm sharing include implementing classroom management strategies that will ultimately save you work, meal planning, exercising, and more! Self care is NOT optional for teachers!
  • Seesaw is one of my favorite FREE digital platforms! Learn more about how I use this simple, user-friendly digital platform to teach my virtual elementary students. I will walk you through a quick and easy Seesaw set up, along with sharing some helpful tips, tricks, and ideas on how to best use Seesaw this school year!
  • Are you looking for a fun, interactive way for your students to practice sight words? Try this FREE, no-prep digital resource! I have created this set of Boom cards perfect for any preschool, kindergarten, or first grade classroom! Your students will be reading, building, and finding sight words in this fun, digital activity!
  • Teaching kindness in your elementary classroom is such a vital part to building a strong classroom community! That's why I'm sharing my FREE resource for teaching this important character trait to your students. One of my favorite ways to use this classroom resource is during my morning meetings, but it can be used a variety of ways!
  • Learn why and how teachers can use Google Forms in their classroom with these easy to use tips! It's a great assessment tool, as well as quick and easy to use! I will show you how to make a Google Form for your class that you can easily differentiate for students, self grade, and gather data during in-person or virtual learning.
  • If you are looking for a fun, hands-on way to practice foundational phonemic awareness skills, look no further! My students love this simple, interactive CVC activity using Play-Doh! This engaging resource is PERFECT for any preschool and kindergarten classroom to practice blending or segmentation skills.
  • Help your kindergarten and first-grade students self-edit their writing pieces of all genres with this primary writing checklist! This is one of my favorite activities to help with improving our writing block and creating independent writers one check at a time. This is a great resource for independent writing time, writing centers, or writing workshops to help your students work on capitalization, finger spaces, sight words, punctuation, and if their overall writing makes sense.
  • If you are looking for how to teach your kids to think beyond the text, this blog post is for you. Use your interactive read aloud lessons to get your readers thinking about their reading. This leads to better reading comprehension for kindergarten and first grade kids. Check out these tips for teaching reading!
  • If you are looking for a fun way for your Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, or 3rd grade students to practice addition and subtraction, you will love my self-checking Spring Task Cards! This activity is perfect for a spring center activity, a small group, or even a scoot game. These print and go task cards also include word problems within 10, 20, and 100!

Copyright © 2021 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs