My name is Alissa and I’m a 4th grade teacher on the Lower East Side, NYC. I worked alongside my friend and colleague, Liav, who is a 5th grade teacher at a school in Brooklyn. As both of our schools use the Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project, Liav and I decided to take a spin on the traditional Realistic Fiction unit. I felt encouraged to take an angle on the unit after going to a Professional Development on Character Studies and Realistic Fiction units. As educators committed to teaching for Social Justice, we felt it was vital for students to understand the concept of “Identity.” We used Identity as a lens for our Character Study in Reading Workshop, examined our own identities through Community Meetings, and wrote Realistic Fiction pieces during Writing Workshop.
