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"The Trouble with Tuck by Theodore Taylor,” I began to tell my class, “is an important book to me because it was one of the first that I read again and again.” I held up the 100-page paperback book for my students to see. A couple looked as if they might laugh at me, showing off a kid’s book. But I continued to tell them how the main character, Helen, trained a guide dog to lead her first dog, Tuck, when he went blind. Despite my fear that talking about books would create opportunities for put downs, I soon heard rumblings through the classroom as students dropped names of their favorite books.

Emotions can be frightening for all of us, especially for children. But if students don’t have the vocabulary to express their feelings, they may turn to acting out. This fails to resolve the feelings and makes a teacher’s life much more difficult.

Plan family-teacher conferences that focus on the future, not the past.

When we talk about devoting so many minutes to each subject in a school day, we need to make time for students to communicate about what really matters to them.

This teacher believes it’s crucial for white teachers like her to seek out productive ways to talk about race and racism with students.

How do you encourage colleagues to participate in sustained conversations about justice, equity and tolerance?

Many students are constantly tied to their phones. As educators, we can tap into that interest—and students’ curiosity and desire for entertainment—to show them gateways to a wider worldview.

Many kids listen to music as often as they possibly can. Educators can tap into students’ interests in music by teaching them to critically read the lyrics they are listening to—and promote social justice through that examination.

Teaching Tolerance loves to read! Check out a few of our favorite diverse books for diverse readers and educators.

In the wake of the election results, one teacher tries to help students reflect clearly on the voters who decided the election—and to maintain hope.