Hello and Welcome! It has been more than a couple of years since I decided to create this site, and I have still not touched it. But now it is up for renewal, and I gladly jumped in because I still want to create it. However, like many, I struggle to find the balance between work, life, and nurturing my soul. Ironically, I think I did a better job when I was working on my Doctorate and still had kids living at home. I was better about compartmentalizing and finding joy. That was pre-pandemic and before my job change. So, now, as I continue to work on getting back to that mindset, it is even more important that I take some time for reflection. Even just writing this little note feels a bit healing. In the meantime, like me – this site is still under construction.
Speaking of reflection – One of my favorite books I used to read to my kids is Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, which tells the story of a little girl who grows up and wants to travel to faraway places and live by the sea. Her grandfather tells her that there is a third thing she must do, and that is to make the world a more beautiful place. She does that by planting lupines. Like Miss Rumphius, I want to make the world more beautiful . . . and since my gardening skills are not so strong, I want to do this through teaching – helping the next generation view the world through a critical lens to humanize, love, and liberate. Full disclosure – there is a section of the book that is problematic. When she speaks of her grandfather, a wood carver, she shares that he carves the figureheads for ships as well as Cigar Store Indians. As Debbie Reese points out, the information is factual because those statues were commonly made at the time of the book’s setting. However, their use as an advertisement ploy perpetuated stereotypes. Therefore, her inclusion of their creation (with an accompanying illustration) without some type of recognition extends the harm and stereotyping characterization. Please keep that in mind and share a disclaimer if you are to read the book with students. So – – I hope this blog and my work with students will be like those lupine seeds spreading fearless love that will make the world a more beautiful place.
In the spirit of love and literacy,
Cindi
Please check back in the future!
Curriculum for Critical Consciousness 