Multi-Genre Inquiry Project: Reflection Paper

CI 467

Kristen Hardy

December 10, 2021

Over the course of the semester, we have studied multiple genres and discussed the

importance of multicultural themes within texts. In our two major course assignments, the

author-illustrator project and this multi-genre inquiry project, I have learned loads about different

authors, topics, genres, formats of texts, etc. This specific assignment taught me specifically how

to find books based on certain themes I would like display in my future classes. I chose my

themes (perseverance and culture) for an 6th grade ELA class due to my experience at my

observation placement this semester in a reading class at Jefferson Middle School. Jefferson

places a lot of emphasis on social emotional learning, which I find fascinating. When choosing

my themes, I wanted to somehow try to implement social emotional learning concepts into the

literature I would find for this project. To do so, I chose perseverance and culture, two themes

that relate to intrinsic motivation, self-awareness, and obtaining divergent perspectives. Per

google, social-emotional learning can be defined as an education practice that integrates social

and emotional skills into school curriculum.

Illinois has implemented a set of social-emotional learning standards that must be met in

some format by schools. Jefferson uses a program called CREW, a homeroom style class where

students meet daily with a teacher and complete teambuilding and self-reflection activities. I

believed this to be a very important aspect of daily school activities. However, I wanted to find a

way to implement this into literature-based learning within ELA classrooms. Herein, I searched

for multicultural books and uplifting stories about perseverance. These stories can inspire
children who may need an extra support system, while also helping them work on social

development skills that will help them prepare for the future. Many of the students in my

classroom are homeless or living below the poverty line. Social-emotional learning sets aside the

need for memorization of academic topics and prioritizes the benefits of mentally healthy and

strong adolescents.

We have talked in class about how important it is for us as teachers to include

multicultural books in order to ensure there are diverse stories and perspectives being told in our

classrooms. Representation is important because it allows for children to see themselves through

windows and mirrors. Children should be able to relate, in some way, to the literature they

digest. Having a hero who looks like them, is from the same place as them, has had similar lived

experiences as them, believes in the same things they do, or simply lives their life in a similar

manner can teach students about their potential and prove to them that no specific identity is

required for success. This project has taught me not only how to find multicultural and bilingual

books for minority students, but also why it’s important. As a white cisgender American-born

female, I do not share the same burden as some marginalized communities when it comes to

identifying literature I, myself can resonate with. Therefore, completing these projects

throughout the semester helped me reflect on how literature can have an impact on young

students.

The ELA discipline is all about implementing literature to help students acquire literacy

skills in all genres and formats. By focusing on books that perpetuate perseverance and culture,

I’m giving students the opportunity to practice SEL while also studying various genres. The

interactive activities also allow for self-reflection time amongst students. The perseverance

activity is a quiz that will help them think deeply about their own character traits. It will involve
self-reflection that will hopefully lead children to self-improvement and motivate them for

success later on. The culture activity allows students to reveal the cultural aspects of their

persona and share them with classmates. Culture has always been an aspect of identity that I

would encourage sharing and reflection on in my classroom. I believe that in order to prepare

students for the world, we must help them obtain diverse perspectives on life. I also think that the

classroom should reflect the community around them. Students should learn about and be aware

of the multitude of identities around them on a day to day basis. By thinking about new ways for

students to inquire on their cultures and identities now, the future will be a better place for all.

If there’s one overall theme I’ve learned during this first semester of my professional

teaching development sequence, it’s that education isn’t all about multiplication, historic

memorization, figurative language, or landforms. It’s also about scaffolding tools for students to

become better learners, better leaders, and more motivated individuals to improve our future.

This can be done using literature and SEL. Currently, our education system is inequitable for

marginalized communities, I have seen this with my own eyes. Although teachers can advocate

for an equitable system, in the short term we must improve learning practices to directly affect

the students in our classrooms. Fortunately, we can help make an immediate impact through

literature.
 References

Barseghian, T. (2013, February 20). How to foster grit, tenacity and perseverance: An educator's
guide. KQED. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/27212/how-to-foster-grit-tenacity-and-perseverance-an-
educators-guide.

Head, R., Sveva, & Beckett, R. (n.d.). Exploring cultural identity through literature. Worlds of
Words. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://wowlit.org/on-line-
publications/stories/storiesiv6/6/.

Renshaw, A. (n.d.). Quiz: Power of perseverance. Brilliant Star. Retrieved December 10, 2021,
from https://brilliantstarmagazine.org/articles/quiz-power-of-perseverance.