The Class and Cannon Culture

     The Youtube Video “The Problem with Cancel Culture” I found really interesting and eye opening. Akandbi made a really good point at the beginning of the video, she said that “We undermine how easy it is for us to become the people that we dislike.” I think that this is very true. As a society we like to be quick to judge and form opinions without any sign of sympathy or empathy. It is also easier to look at characteristics in other people and find what we don’t like (we then cancel them for it) instead of being introspective and working on ourselves to become better people. This makes it easy to become people in which we dislike. I personally believe that as a society, we should be able to separate the life of the creator from their creations. If we were to look hard enough you would be able to find mistakes in any creator’s past that you could exploit as means of perpetuating cancel culture. So, with this being the case, I believe that it’s a vital skill to separate the creator from the creation.

In the article  “How to Get the Most Out of a Diverse Classroom Library” it talks about incorporating books that serve as “mirrors” and “windows” for kids. We need books that serve as “mirrors” so kids can see themselves as characters and represented in society. We also need books to serve as “windows” so kids can build empathy skills and ask themselves what they would do if they were in another’s shoes and seeing from another perspective. Both “mirrors” and “windows” are needed in children’s books so they can better understand themselves and others and how that connects to the world around you. It also builds comparing and contrasting skills as well. 

    One book that I would include in my classroom library is “We Are Family” by Patricia Hegarty. I want to be inclusive to all family types and teach kids that every family does not look the same. Another book that I would incorporate is “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio. This is another book that shows a different kind of diversity than we normally think of. This book shows diversity in appearance and how it affects interactions with others when you look different. I would include this book in hopes of my kids either relating to the character in some way or understanding that mistreatment of others is wrong. “The Arrival” by Shaun Tan would be the third book that I would put in my classroom. This choice would be inclusive to the immigrant experience. I also think that if non-immigrant kids read this book they would gain a new perspective and become more empathetic to the immigrants and struggles that they endure.