“Every ELA teacher in the country–but especially white ones–needs to have your book. I love the way you have brought the voices of many others in– Django, Toni Morrison,Tema Okum–and especially Claudia Rankine–along with your own so that the book is really a chorus. Thank you, dearest Lorena, for this wonderful gift.” —Andrea Lunsford, renowned author and literacy expert
“There is so much power, and so much good in this workbook. Please take a moment to read these words from Lorena German and support the work of engaging in practical approaches to anti-racist practices in your literacy instruction. It starts with you, now, here, today!” —Julia Torres, educator. author, & renowned speaker
“So much information packed into a short session. I especially appreciated the chart that Lorena showed at the end that wove all the aspects together in a practical way.” —Teacher in Austin, TX
“ Lorena did a FANTASTIC job. I could listen to her for hours.” —Teacher in San Antonio, TX
“This was another great session. Lorena Germán gave me a lot to think about. In this session she spoke of starting with theory that will inform practice.” —Teacher in Austin, TX
“Lorena Escota Germán walks us through a framework that is realistic, wholistic, liberating, and necessary! Textured Teaching is THE book every teacher should read. Not only does the book guide us into meeting our students where they are and learning who they are, it also helps us [the educators] to grow and become the teachers we are meant to be. Centering education in love, community, justice, truth, and knowledge, Germán pushes us to go beyond ourselves and to be present and to open our hearts to the possibilities of justice centered learning.” —Tiffany Jewell, author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, This Book Is Anti-Racist
“Textured Teaching is a combination of affirmation, culturally relevant practices, culturally sustaining teaching, and liberating pedagogies. It is love. It is truth-telling. It is nuanced. It is hopeful. It is necessary in its stance and commitment to dismantle harmful schooling practices through pedagogical restoration, equity, and justice. In fact, it is Lorena Escoto Germán’s commitment to anti-oppressive and anti-racist teaching which is felt on every single page of this book, that should encourage us to reimagine teaching as a Project in Humanization that positions teachers as learning partners alongside students. What a beautiful text. What a layered teaching framework. What a textured book. Read it and be left inspired!” —Valerie Kinloch, Renée and Richard Goldman Dean & Professor, School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh.
“As this country becomes more divided, this book helps educators step into the liberation work with both feet. Germán has written the teaching book that will hopefully push teachers and their classrooms to more justice-centered practices and orientations.” —José Luis Vilson, Executive Director of #Educolor, NYC math educator, and author of This Is Not a Test
“Mirrors & Windows is an inspirational and comprehensive homeschool curriculum that introduces preschool and kindergarten-aged children to rich literature and engaging activities. Included is a 20-day lesson guide that incorporates math, writing, science, reading, music, and art. I love how the lessons include rich multicultural literature which helps kids see books as either a “window” into another person’s life and world, a “mirror” that reflects their own identity, or a “sliding glass door” that exposes a brand new world. As a fourth grader teacher, I use this idea to instill a passion for reading within my students. So I’m so happy to see that a homeschool curriculum is adopting the same meaningful concept. The lesson plans are explicitly laid out, comprehensive, and well-researched. They even include specific questions to ask children to get them thinking on a deeper level. And there’s even a page at the beginning of the book that explains exactly how you move through the different components of the lesson. There are worksheets, videos, and additional resources linked to each lesson that allow parents to differentiate and adapt the curriculum as it fits their needs. This part is very helpful! While brief, I did appreciate the mention of how to create an engaging learning environment for your child. This guide will allow for imagination to take flight and learning to soar. I’m impressed with this incredible resource!” — Brittani H.
“I’ve been teaching college for four years. This is the only effective anti-racist workbook that I have seen so far. Lorena Germán reaffirms anti-racist pedagogy as a framework that needs to be constantly practiced and evaluated. With that, the author eschews complicated theoretical readings in favor of relevant activities that teachers and students can practice every day in side the classroom. She draws from plenty of research and literature to prove her points. All in all, I heavily recommend that schools, colleges, teachers of all kinds, and students pick up this book.” —Nathan N.
