Deborah L. Wolter

It’s back to school time. Literally for many schools. Back in-person, face-to-face, with or without masks, and even full time. But not without skepticism, wariness, and anxiety. Will school be back to normal? Many people hope so, but for some people, “normal” wasn’t working for them even before the pandemic and they hope for change. And when “normal” isn’t working, that doesn’t always mean there is “learning loss” or “trauma,” but that there is a systemic and structural need for stronger universal design, equity, anti-racism work, and more humane learning environments. 

What is really important as we restart school with a lot of unknowns?

What are some of the literacies learning processes that are authentic, purposeful, rigorous, and fosters connection and embraces identities?

What are some of the mudane tasks and routines that are meaningless time-wasters and can be let go?

How do we assure plenty of reading and writing practice that is tied in with eagerness to take ownership, explore, and grow?

How do we rearrange our classroom libraries so that it invites inquiry as opposed to being organized by benchmark levels?

And what are some of the more recent titles to refresh our classroom libraries?

What are some of the more recent books that we can read aloud to children of all grades?

How can we listen to the voices of our children, parents, and community members toward fostering full inclusion?