The Figurative Math of Racism

Welcome to my final blog post!!!

A lot of colleagues, friends and associates have asked my thoughts on the state of society and education right now. You can't even understand my exhaustion...especially after being let-go for "budgetary" reasons, though it is a predominantly white institution that hasn't ever had a BIPOC in a position of leadership, excluding assistant principals for discipline.

Initially, my anger blocked my rational writing, but since Covid-19 shut down America, I had to reconcile ending my career in education. Simply put, I loathe the ceilings, the overwhelming racism in education and librarianship. I have nothing left to give a career intentionally excluding me. They couldn't attack my work, but they did attack my person, psyche and peace.

For the longest, I didn't answer folks when they asked me about racism. I felt like this article: "I'm your Black friend, but I won't educate you about racism. That's on you." And most recently this article: "How to talk with your Black friends about race."

Then I thought about this blog and I wanted my mindset known. I orchestrated like an educator would because I'll always be a nerd that does too much. Peace to you all and I hope you enjoy.

Erasing Black Girls' Education Entitlement

After reading the article, Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls' Childhood by Rebecca Epstein, Jamilia J. Blake and Thalia González (consent given from Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality), I had to take action. Just look at these alarming graphics:



As you will read in the article, the biased suspension rate of young Black girls are an extension of a prejudice mindset. As educators and librarians, we must constantly re-examine policies that affect our youth. For those unfamiliar, so many times Black students are penalized for culturally ingrained behaviors unfamiliar to authorities in charge (i.e. white leaders). Within the aforementioned article such biased behavior is defined as "adultification."



I hope you read and then share this survey I created with your Black female high and middle school students. I truly want to know how they feel in an American school system that was not designed with their future in mind. One more time, as I can't say it enough, PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE

Craft vs. Crook

Recently, I was asked to create a lesson on teaching students how to differentiate and determine use of websites as credible online resources. I created a handy acronym (CRAFT vs. CROOK) on grading websites. I made a previous knowledge connection between "handcrafted toys" vs "mass-produced toys" via a "t-chart" checklist on the dry-erase board. Below is the word document for the lesson plan and a brief slide presentation using some of additional resources.

Unraveled Thread

I've never posted a thread to my blog in my life...but this thread stopped me dead in my tracks because this mother desperately wants to stop the dangerous propaganda that's consuming the minds of our young men.

Do you have white teenage sons?

Listen up.

I've been watching my boys' online behavior & noticed that social media and vloggers are actively laying groundwork in white teens to turn them into alt-right/white supremacists.

Here's how:

— joanna schroeder (@iproposethis) August 13, 2019

Remember the 3 Rules of Propaganda:
1. To distract & manipulate you from logic.
2. To hide factual truth in clouds of corruption.
3. Toxic and destructive in the hands of government.


For a ready-made lesson on propaganda as it relates to hate symbols, please click on this Teaching Tolerance lesson!

CSK 50th Anniversary w/Crossover

This post is all about CELEBRATION and FUN!! In, honor of the Coretta Scott King Book Award's 50th Anniversary, I've taken one of their recently beloved books, the Crossover (2014), and created a game called...POETIC SHOT!

It's inspired from the one of the lessons linked on Teaching Books.

Directions: The following words are printed separately on cardstock: bounce, free, throw, pass, shot, block, rim, foul, buzzer, and dunk. The students would have to think of words to rhyme with them during the game. On the flip side of each word is printed one of Kwame's basketball rules (referenced in the link above from lessons on TB). The kids are divided into groups of 5-7 (depending on class size). They create a circle. In the center of the circle is round and empty waste basket. They pass the ball around, rhyming, until some one is without a rhyme. That person either has to take a 2-try FREE THROW shot from their position in the circle or DRIBBLE in a weaving pattern through the other players in the circle, without losing control of the ball. The last person standing is the winner and they recite the basketball rule printed on the back of the rhyming word.

Here's the visual:





The game instructions are included and here's a fun little video that provides the fun and frolic for those visual learners! Enjoy!



P.S. This is the same lesson I presented with Nick Glass at 2019 TLA Conference. There are a couple of pictures below. Also, I had to represent the CSK committee with my bright yellow, CSK shirt you can buy here!

The Femme Fatale & Her Golden Shovel

In honor of Women's Month, we celebration with Golden Shovel Poems!

Black History Jeopardy

In an effort to self-improve, I created a better representation for Black History Month...especially after watching some SNL Black History Jeopardy. I hope you enjoy my version more than SNL.



I found the template here. As a footnote, I created this game using the template in Microsoft PowerPoint. However, I saved it as a PowerPoint Show and then converted it into video. I found the ease to use directions here.