Identity Picture book
I’ve chosen to look at the picture book, Alma and How she got her Name, by Juana Martinez-Neal. This book is a little personal to me because my name is something I did not like for a long time as well due to how hard it often is for others to say my last name correctly as well as when I first introduce myself people always only address me by the first part of my first name. With a name like Jessicakay I hated having to say it and being called on because I always follow up with people studdering and the confused look. The story book of Alma tells the story of little girl who thinks her name is too long but then learns the reasoning behind her name and the connections it has to her family. This book I feel allows for students to think about the value their name holds as well as the value of other’s names. The learning idea of writing poems off of things that students have experienced in life, along with “ Where I’m From” and “ whats my name”, is a way to have students incorporate writing skills and sentence structure. Using this book, paired with the Where I’m From: Family Community and Poetry, it allows for students to learn more about one another and give students a chance to take pride in their identity and to celebrate their identity. I believe that pairing this with student led teaching allows for the students to dictate how they write their poem, the vocabulary words used, and, especially for L1 and L2 students, allows for students to feel safer in the classroom when expressing themselves.
Hello Jessicakay! I loved reading about your book Alma and How she got her Name. I love that you had a personal connection to the book. This is a great book to use to make connections to their history. Insecurities about your name is something that is common and I think it would be great to be able to address it. I also love the idea of student lead teaching! Its so important for students to be able to understand their stories and why they are who they are. Writing the poems is also a great way for students to also connect with each other, creating a stronger classroom environment. One question I will leave you with is, do you personally feel like if you had a lesson like this in school you would have felt more comfortable with your own name sooner? side note i think your name is very pretty!
ReplyDeleteHey Jessicakay,
ReplyDeleteI really love this book and the meaning behind her name and making sure its pronounced correctly. I love how this book shows student to appreciate their given name and the background behind it. I love the idea of having student write a poem about their names and give a little information about it. It also brings students together and also helps students open up to one another, especially for the shy students in the classroom. Making sure your classroom is a safe space.
Hello Jessicakay!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about the book you chose (Alma and How she got her Name) and how you could personally relate to it. I feel like this book would help students that have name insecurities feel more confident about who they are. I know that I would have a sense of pride knowing that someone else felt the same as me and I wasn't alone. This would also help students be kind to others about their name. I like how you mentioned the sense of pride about their name because I have that when it come to my name. My name is spelt differently than the traditional "Emily", but I love it because all of my other sisters end with an "EE" at the end of their names as well. So thinking about my name makes me think of family and I want to continue that tradition later when I have kids. I love the poem ideas. I know that these poems would help the teacher and students get to know everyone better. This would also help the students feel good about who they are and where they come from. I love that you paired it with student led teaching because I believe creating a safe space in the classroom is extremely important for learning.
Great blog post and I enjoyed getting read your thoughts and ideas!
Hey Jessicakay, I find it amazing that you were able to find a book that you can relate to so well and you recognized how this could help other kids feel comfortable with their names as well. I feel this would help students accept other insecurities about themselves as well. If a student doesn't like their hair they may think about who they got it from and appreciate their back round,
ReplyDeleteJessicakay, I love the book that you choose and it relates to you. We have been in many classes together and I know you have spoke out in class saying how people pronounce or don't include your whole name. I can completely see how that can be frustrating because your name is important to you! It is what people call you as and if people continue to mispronounce your name, that would be extremely frustrating and annoying. I also just enjoy reading your perspective because I am sure many students feel this way too! Also as you said having L2 learners in your classroom it is very important. We have to make sure we have inclusion in our classrooms when it comes to us pronouncing the students names correctly.As a future teacher one of my goals to make sure I pronounce my students name correctly and you are a great reason for that. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
ReplyDelete