Roberto Germán [00:00:01]:
Welcome to Our Classroom. In this space, we talk about education, which is inclusive of, but not limited to, what happens in schools. Education is taking place whenever and wherever we are willing to learn. I am your host, Roberto Germán, and Our Classroom is officially in session.
Roberto Germán [00:00:28]:
Grace and peace. Good to be with you once again. Let's jump in. Schools often ask students to write about topics, and great teaching invites students to write from their lives. Those aren't the same thing. And as teachers, we spend a lot of time asking students to write, write about the main character, write about the Civil War, write about the water cycle, write about author's purpose. All of those assignments have value. I'm not gonna knock the hustle, but recently I've been asking myself Different question.
Roberto Germán [00:01:00]:
What stories are only my students capable of telling? Because if they leave my classroom without ever writing those stories, those stories may never get written. We often ask students to leave themselves outside, talk about standardized prompts and formulaic writing and safe writing, writing for grades. Instead, say, I'm I mean, imagine. Let's wonder, let's explore asking students, hey, tell me about the place that raised you. Tell me about something outsiders misunderstand as it relates to your community. Tell me about a smell that reminds you of home. Tell me about the language your grandmother spoke. Now the assignment becomes preservation instead of performance.
Roberto Germán [00:01:53]:
Place is part of identity. One realization while preparing for the stuff I've been doing recently, I've always begun with identity. Now I'm beginning with place and I want to expand. So before children know politics, before they know careers and accomplishments, they know neighborhoods and rivers and churches and apartment buildings. Basketball courts, corner stores, bodegas, backyards, the people who waved every morning, who threw up the peace sign. Those places shape identity. Writing helps us notice that. We don't need to know students' stories before inviting them to tell them.
Roberto Germán [00:02:44]:
And this is an important distinction. Sometimes teachers worry, but I don't know enough about every culture. Good, you don't have to. Ask, listen, receive, lead with curiosity. Let the students become the experts. That's empowering. And storytelling is preservation. And one of my favorite realizations while doing the recent work I've been doing, Is that stories don't simply preserve the past, they shape the future.
Roberto Germán [00:03:20]:
Every time a child writes honestly about family, language, food, land, traditions, migration, or home, they are documenting something that might otherwise disappear, and that's powerful. Hey, we have to drive our own narratives, tell our own stories. Lean into the things that people are leaning out of. And we as educators certainly have an opportunity because we often think our greatest contribution is what we teach. And while that is a wonderful contribution, maybe our greatest contribution is creating the conditions where students preserve what only They can preserve. Again, we want to invite them in. We want to empower them. We want to give them voice.
Roberto Germán [00:04:21]:
And there's no curriculum, no textbook, no AI that can tell their stories the way only they can. I think that's one of the greatest gifts that we can offer our students. That's why I love going in and doing the BILT workshops, Blue Ink Literacy Time workshops, because it— in many cases, it feels different for them. It feels empowering. The content resonates.
Roberto Germán [00:04:53]:
But then I'm telling them, like, yo, I don't know your story.
Roberto Germán [00:04:56]:
I need you to tell your story so I could learn about you and Your voice matters and your story matters, so let's amplify that.
Roberto Germán [00:05:11]:
I—
Roberto Germán [00:05:11]:
listen, they don't need better answers. They certainly need more invitation to discover, to explore, to process, to think critically. And there's a number of ways in which we can make that happen. Obviously, I'm offering this particular angle, this particular lens. I do think that the lens and angle that I'm offering can be applied universally, though. I will say that. So I appreciate you keeping it brief, just these short reflections, because I have a lot that I want to unpack. And, and sometimes we get real into it, but there are moments in which I want to offer quick insight.
Roberto Germán [00:06:24]:
Bite-sized, uh, that will hopefully spark you, especially to start the day.
Roberto Germán [00:06:32]:
Be well. As always, your engagement in Our Classroom is greatly appreciated. Be sure to subscribe, rate the show, and write a review. Finally, for resources to help you understand the intersection of race, bias, education, and society, go to multiculturalclassroom.com. Peace and love from your host, Roberto Germán.
