Entry #11 - The Biography Genre and Students' Identities

Ever since the biography genre presentation, I have found myself continuously thinking about the questions my classmate posed about criticality and mentor texts. Specifically, during the presentation, Maddie asked the following questions: "What biography texts do we tend to see in the classroom? Are they only about exceptional people? Is the story about overcoming adversity and succeeding? Whose identities and histories are represented in these texts?" After Maddie posed these questions, I was reminded of my Blog Entry #8, where I blessed my classmates concept of moving beyond the "stamp of approval" and thus, choosing books that are culturally responsive. 

In response to these questions, many of my peers shared that they remember reading the Who Was Series and often, they read stories of exceptional individuals who overcame adversity - I did too! When I think of the biography genre, historical figures such as Ruth Badar Ginsburg, Elizabeth Cady Stanton or Abraham Lincoln come to mind. I believe these individuals represent Marshalls's (2019) concept of the biography genre which is, "...a genre that often sticks to a script in which an exceptional person overcomes adversity and succeeds" (p. 167). With this in mind, I can't help but wonder if teachers should include stories from individuals whose experiences may be similar to our students? How can educators move beyond this script? Where do we begin? 

When exploring the biography mentor texts, I came across the book, A Thousand White Butterflies by Jessica Betancourt-Perez and Karen Lynn Williams. Through this personal narrative, I learned about the main character, Isabella, who came to America from Colombia. The story describes the loneliness Isabella felt moving to this new country, as her papa is still in Colombia waiting for permission to travel. Also, the text conveys the challenges Isabella faced when adjusting to the differences in the weather and climate and her hopes of meeting new friends. 

After reading this story, I found a brief synopsis in the back of the book that described the deeper meaning of the story, including the common feelings associated with immigration. In this summary, I learned about the author Jessica Betancourt-Perez, who moved from Colombia to America and thus, experienced many of the similar feelings to Isabella. As I reflect on this synopsis, Muhammad's concept of criticality floods my mind. Specifically, Muhammad (2020) states, "students must see themselves in the texts, including their cultures, identities, interests, experiences, desires, and future selves" (p. 146). Therefore, I wonder if educators can use the biography genre to allow students to see themselves in these stories?

As a future educator, I appreciate that this mentor text did not follow the traditional "script" of the biography genre. In my classroom, I can envision having this text as part of my library of books, as it may represent my students' identities and experiences; plus, it is a resource for introducing biographical writing. With this in mind, I hope to continue reflecting on the questions I posed throughout my blog and also, strive to analyze all mentor texts with a critical eye; students deserve to see themselves within the classroom literature. 

Lastly, I want to thank my classmates for an extraordinary presentation. It has encouraged me to continue reflecting on the importance of criticality when choosing mentor texts for my future classroom. Awesome work!

References:

Marshall, E. (2019). Life writing and the language arts. Language Arts, 96(3), 167-178.

Muhammad, G. (2020). Cultivating Genius: An equity framework for culturally and 

            historically responsive literacy. New York, NY: Scholastic.