How to Build a Literacy-Focused Community

Teaching can be lonely work, but it never has to be—a sense of community in education is vibrantly real for me when thinking about the power of literacy instruction in particular. I’d like to emphasize the community-focused and cultural nature of literacy in practical ways for teachers and school leaders to consider, especially when working with adolescent readers.

Seeking Inclusive Literacy Opportunities

When it comes to literacy, the world is wide. Some definitions might be limited, but human beings have a range of practices for sharing ideas and experiences. Human communication is sophisticated and varied, and our schools should be places where all people feel welcome. How do we do this?

Embracing a wide range of literacy practices through school and community interactions is more than a school culture night, although occasional festivals and celebrations are important. Positioning literacy as an inclusive set of practices involves the daily work of getting to know students and families. The school where I am serving is keen to encourage family and teacher interactions through positive communication and reaching out, and families can be seen as partners in the schooling journey. 

Teachers and school leaders are also students of the space that they work in. Knowing the setting in which we work and sharing messages of value for all members of our community is educational (and ethical work). Schools can partner with communities to find meaningful ways to celebrate literacy practices authentically, and teachers can practice the vulnerability of asking questions about the communities they work in.

Inclusive practices can include making connections with members of the school staff whose cultural affiliations might be overlooked, as well as linking with organizations and clubs that have a focus on the community. At the heart of reaching out (and in), the way that all literacy and language practices are valued should come through and be a punctuation mark for each interaction.

Professional Learning Groups That Promote Literacy

In addition to community partnerships, educators are not alone in their work, as they can partner with literacy programs and initiatives from professional learning groups and local education institutions. In our school community (I teach in North Carolina), I’ve partnered with a local university and colleagues on two occasions to write grants to include more graphic novel texts in teacher and school spaces. Keying in a search for mini-grants and partnerships with universities in your area might be a first step.

Sometimes, it’s a challenge to take an extra moment from my planning period to stop by a classroom on the other side of the building, and sometimes it is a matter of taking the time to reach out to a helpful librarian who is offering opportunities for collaboration. At other times, we might be the person initiating these offers for collaboration.

Beyond university partnerships, I’ve found organizations like the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the Association for Middle Level Education to be accessible spaces for engaging with other professionals. NCTE is also a great resource for connecting teachers with authors. Professional conferences can be places where new ideas come, but they are also places where connections can be built. It does require stepping out of our comfort zones from time to time, but we have instant talking points (“I just love teaching with… Have you read…?”) to help us find like-minded colleagues.

I think it’s important to mention that these organizations have relatively low membership fees, in contrast with some research organizations. This is an encouragement to educators to join accessible groups, but also a nudge to research organizations to rethink their borders and boundaries. 

During the pandemic, in perhaps one of the loneliest times I have experienced professionally, I was able to link with other teachers through NCTE events; a book club at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, hosting virtual author visits; and small reading groups. In one instance, I read a verse novel with a group of English teachers from around the country.

In this age of digital interaction and online discussion, connecting and creating a book study group (on camera or off) can be a low-stakes way to use the tools we have at hand. Teachers can leverage positive social media groups to link with educators and build additional conversation (for example, GNAT: Graphic Novels and Teachers) and can form their own groups to share ideas.

I volunteer and help solicit posts for teaching ideas with Steve Bickmore’s YA Wednesday site, which includes Monday Motivators—short posts that present ideas for breaking into readings with students. Part of the joy of being involved with Bickmore’s site has been finding opportunities for fellow educators to share ideas with a networked audience.

Linking with Authors

Authors and educators are a team. When I step into a classroom, I’m reminded of the words of Maya Angelou describing her desire to take voices of inspiration with her to the stage. As educators, we can take voices from literature to the classroom with us to inspire our students through intentional text choices. This links back to my earlier point about valuing literacies and identities as available and accessible in the written and digital composition.

We can also work with authors to plan interactions with our students, including school visits in person and online. Many authors feature information for getting in touch on their websites. While it might not be possible for an author to fill all requests, the interaction between readers and authors can be rewarding on both sides.

Some authors charge fees for online visits, and some can be invited to school spaces through fundraising initiatives and donations. Giving students the opportunity to see that authors are, indeed, real people like them can be a life-changing moment.

There’s a range of information and multitudes of resources available. I’ll close by suggesting what might seem obvious: Some of the most meaningful connections can be found in authentic relationships with colleagues and peers. While some spaces can be competitive, my desire is to foster collaboration. May we always be inviting and welcoming, may we always be honest about our strengths and limitations, and may we always give one another the benefit of the doubt and perhaps a few additional ideas to try out in our journey to the common goal of empowering students.