Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching About Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word

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Summary: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up
Review: A Great Book to Energize Your Learning and Teaching By Alex Gordin

"The common element in each of the reading and writing strategies I've presented is students working together in a community to make meaning and to make change." This is the theme and mission in Linda Christensen's collection of reading and writing strategies in her new book, Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching About Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word. Linda Christensen is a celebrated teacher in the classroom who has integrated reading and writing strategies with the power of student voice and relevancy at Jefferson High School for 24 years. In her text published by Rethinking Schools, Linda presents a series of curricular lesson plans she has used in her language arts classroom that promote classroom community, student narrative and voice, and most importantly connect students to the world around them. In a unit that I have used with my students, "Essay With an Attitude" Linda asks students to think of a time or instance when something really got under their skin. She then goes through the writing process where students compose a very thorough persuasive paper with attention to writing models that include examples of introductions, documentation, and conclusions. Linda writes, " I've never found a 5 step Betty Crocker boxed essay recipe. Because students don't learn all the same way or enter my class with the same background knowledge or confidence, I need to teach essay writing rather than assign it." This unit along with others on childhood narratives, poetry, immigration, politics of language, college essays, and portfolios have many examples of student and professional writing to illuminate her insightful and thought-provoking strategies. To show the power of the essay with an attitude, her former student, Khalilah Joseph, writes about how black women were categorized by the shade of their skin color. "As a dark-skinned girl I was ridiculed...I was called names like `tarbaby' or `blackie.' Erika Miller begins her political piece with "Am I Fat? Look at my thighs." She goes on to write in a powerful manner that has voice, evidence, and most importantly passion about how weight and appearance have been political challenges and obstacles in women's lives. As a teacher, Portland Writing Project Director, and Portland Public Schools Language Arts Coordinator Linda has assembled her top hits of effectual literacy strategies that jump off the page at you and get past the passive "get busy" notions of worksheets, vocabulary lists, and book reports. Ideas like interior monologues, praise poems, text renderings, and read arounds empower student voices and allow them to reflect on their learning styles and why they are in the classroom. Linda states in the introduction, "Most chapters developed out of "aha" moments from a class; a conversation with colleagues, students or parents, a stirring talk; anger; or out of the pain of walking away at the end of the year how I could do it better in the fall." As the New Year begins, rise up and bring Linda's expertise and text into your learning environment.

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Summary: I wouldn't have survived High School without Ms. Christensen
Review: I attended Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon, where Linda taught. I arrived there in 1989 with six years of dance training, ready to dive into the progressive magnet arts dance program of the school. It was in Linda Christensen's English class that I discovered my real love: writing. Linda Christensen was the first teacher to tell me that I had talent as a writer. And she also helped me, and many other students, with countless self-esteem issues. She was a teacher unlike any I had ever seen. She even made her phone number available to students and invited us to call her at her home with any questions we had regarding her class, and even life in general. And I, as well as many other students, often took advantage of that offer. I always wondered where she found the time to pay attention to so many students.

I am very thankful that this book has been published. Linda Christensen teaches such important lessons, and helps students to look at all sides of issues in their lives in and out of class. She presents an awesome, and somehow often overlooked, idea: that school should be focused on the students, and that students should even enjoy and be actively involved in learning. Schools exist for children, not the other way around. Particularly helpful are Linda's thoughts on "The Politics of Language," this is where Christensen helps students look at and realize the importance of language and the power and politics involved in the way things are written. And it is wonderful to read this book and see that it includes the works of some of my fellow classmates.

I was very sad when my class with Linda Christensen ended. I have so many wonderful memories of my time with Linda Christensen and her class: poetry reading, working on essays, critiquing movies based on social content (to see if they contained any underlying racist or sexist themes), and even that beautiful trip we took to see the Indian Petroglyphs (rock drawings) in south Washington State. It would be no exaggeration to say that my fondest high school memories took place in the class of Linda Christensen. This is a teacher who really cares about her students. Now, thanks to this book, my class with Ms. Christensen doesn't have to end.

Thank you for helping to shape me, Ms. Christensen. I don't know where I'd be without you. You didn't just shape my school experience, you shaped my life - and perhaps even saved it.

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Summary: A loving, caring teacher for social justice
Review: I'm so glad Ms. Christensen has collected many of her articles from the popular social justice journal, Rethinking Schools. I've known Linda for several years and I've find her to be a teacher who goes the extra mile to bring relevant, culturally conscious teaching to her classroom. She strives to use writing, poetry, reading, literature, activism, and reflective thinking as tools for her students to empower their own lives, their community, and the world at large.

Teachers seeking to bring social justice and cultural awareness to their classroom can do no better than having Linda's book as part of their reference. Her writing is both personal, reflective, and seriously enganging. She shows how to use varied writing, reading, and group activities that encourage students to do their best work. In fact, social justice teaching and quality work go hand and hand in Linda's teaching and writing.

Some of my favorite articles include "Where I'm From: Inviting Students' Lives Into the Classroom," "Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us: Critiquing Cartoons and Society," "Essay With An Attitude," and "Teaching Stanard English: Whose Standard?" All the articles in her book call for students be the center of teaching. Her approach is to pull on the experiences and thoughts of her students. She uses the backround of her students to help them think about issues of race, class, gender, injustice, and justice.

This book will be useful for teacher education programs, staff developers, and new and experienced teachers seeking fresh ideas, lessons, and critical approaches to their teaching.

Even if you as a teacher can't apply many of the ideas that Linda writes about, reading her book will be a good read for how to be a good teacher.

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Summary: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up
Review: This is an excellent resource for teachers who truly hope to inspire their students both academically and politically. It offers concrete lesson plans, outstanding student work, and lots of inspiration. It is a book for people who are able to think outside of the box, for teachers who passionately care about their students' success not only on standardized tests, but also in life.