The ability to read and interpret text is a critical skill for all students. As teachers, it is our job to equip our students with the tools they need to understand and analyze text, both written and spoken. Critical literacy helps to create an informed society by teaching students how to think critically about what they are reading and hearing. Critical literacy enables a way of being that provides ongoing critical perspectives, allowing students to analyze the everyday texts they encounter

As teachers, we have a unique opportunity to shape the lives of our students. Not only that, but we also have a responsibility to ensure that all of our students feel seen and heard. The way to do this is by understanding and embracing their identities. Here is why it is important to embrace students’ identities and how to embrace identities in the classroom.

Teaching black history is a way to honor and celebrate the achievements of African Americans throughout our country’s history. It also helps us to understand how those accomplishments have shaped our present and will shape our future. After all, the stories of African Americans are American stories, and American history isn’t complete without them. As teachers, it is our job to ensure that these stories come alive for our students—to make sure that they can connect what happened in the past to their current lives. Let’s explore why and how we can teach black history.