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Graves Award winner Lily Diamond discusses ways in which she integrates issues of social justice during writer's workshop.
I have taught sixth grade in a charter school in East Palo Alto, California, and fifth grade at an independent school in New York City. Despite the differences in contexts across these two cities, I have found that my upper elementary students find issues of social justice to be particularly compelling. By integrating themes of social justice throughout our narrative and persuasive writing, I am able to support students' passion for activism and belief in the impact of their voices.
I began my journey as a teacher in California. I taught sixth grade armed with my passion for social justice. I hoped that by providing my students with a deeper understanding of the issues in our world, they would feel empowered to resolve them. Writer's workshop was at the heart of our classroom community. My students wrote stories about surviving cancer and watching loved ones get arrested. They made websites about teen activists while simultaneously learning about child labor and girls' right to an education. We published a collection of short stories together. Writing transformed our classroom into a learning community where students felt that their voices were truly important.
After teaching in California for four years, I moved to New York to teach fifth grade. I started the year with personal narratives to build community and reflect on the most meaningful moments in our lives. When I teach students that their work is meaningful and purposeful, our learning community becomes more invested and engaged. To foster this burgeoning sense of purpose, I integrate themes...