Can I Teach That? Negotiating Taboo Language and Controversial Topics in the Language Arts Classroom is a collection of stories, strategies, advice, and documents collected for teachers who are using or plan to use materials or implement policies they know may be controversial. It is for any teacher dedicated to engaging their students in the complex, challenging, and rewarding activities of reading and writing, for any teacher committed to speaking honestly with students. For any teacher, period. Because when we decide to work with young people, when we commit to sharing books and ideas that engage their hearts and minds, when we strive to get adolescents to think critically and write honestly, we open ourselves up to suspicion and critique from someone, somewhere, no matter how above reproach we feel our materials and strategies are. Few language arts teachers will experience a full-blown challenge to the content of their curriculum, but many may self-censor or suffer through awkward and challenging conversations with colleagues, administrators, parents, and other members of their community. This book is for those times when teachers are called on to defend and legitimize their use of controversial material in their classroom--material that they know reflects students' reality, even as it makes adults uncomfortable and fearful about their inability to protect children from that very reality.
Preface Suzanne Linder and Elizabeth Majerus Chapter 1. Don't Shy Away from Books About Tough Issues Jabari Asim Chapter 2. Teaching the Banned Books Project Stephen E. Rayburn Chapter 3. A True War Story: Addressing the Real Obscenities Suzanne Linder Chapter 4. Creative Profanity: Strong Language in Student Work Elizabeth Majerus Chapter 5. Defending Arnold's Spirit: Battling a Big Book Challenge in a Small Town Amy Collins Chapter 6. Challenging Homophobic and Heteronormative Language: Queering The Merchant of Venice Stephanie Ann Shelton Chapter 7. From Canon to "Pornography": Common Core and the Backlash Against Multicultural Literature Loretta Gaffney Chapter 8. The Fine Art of Defusing an N-Bomb: The Challenges of Navigating Racially Charged Language in the (Majority White) African American Literature Classroom Matt Mitchell Chapter 9. Too Close to Dead: Addressing Racist Language Head-On in the African American ELA Classroom Jalisa Bates Chapter 10. Libraries Unfiltered: Increase Access, Grow the Whole Child Frances Jacobson Harris and Amy L. Atkinson Appendix A Telling your own True War Story assignment B Uni High Materials Selection Policy C A List of Resources and Case Law for Book Challenges D Sample discussion questions to begin queer examinations of The Merchant of Venice E Poetry Reading Assignment About the Authors
