In this post, I will be sharing the importance of having a diverse classroom library so that students from any background are able to connect or relate to books that are offered in my future classroom. By doing this little act, it will ensure that all of my students know they are welcomed, have a place, and that they belong in my classroom. Now this doesn’t mean having a lot of books, it’s about having books that students can see themselves in or their perspective of the world and learn about others.

Textbook Quote:

“When you help your students see themselves represented in books, you help them realize that they are valued members of society” (Bright, 2021, p.153).

In Class A-Ha Moment:

Books can be many things to student, like mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Mirrors represent the peoples lives, students are able to see their culture, identity, and experience reflected in stories. Windows view the lives of others, providing students with opportunity to learn about people whose background/perspective differ from their own. Sliding glass doors are portals for empathy, inviting students to step into another persons world and imagine what it feels like to live that experience.

To me, I believe this is so important and can help build the respect and class empathy for each other by understanding how we feel and how we view the world differently.

Statistics of Books in Libraries

I wanted to add this graphic in just to show how hard it could be for some students to find what they relate to or for how much knowledge students can learn about on different backgrounds. I hope in my future classes, all students feel represented and respected in all aspects, starting with book selection.

Example:

Photo of some of our instructors Allie Kostiuk’s diverse library

I have added “The Little Hummingbird”, “The Animal People Choose a Leader”, “The Inquisitive Raven”, “We Are The Water Protectors”, and “Nalmuqci” to my collection of picture books so far, and I am looking forward to finding more additions to add to my collection.