Checking out a Human Book

The February issue of School Library Journal features an article entitled, "Unjudging a Book." It describes programs at several schools and libraries that have adopted the Human Library model to foster respect and reduce bias by "checking out" a "human" book. It is an idea that may be within reach for our school.

Our Guidance department recently planned and carried out a very successful Career Day at school. Professionals from diverse paths,  many with a connection to our staff, were contacted, vetted, and scheduled for four morning sessions with mixed grade-level students to share and discuss their career.

Our school has also invested in the PBIS program and adopted a day-end period for connecting with a mixed-grade circle of students each day to cultivate connectedness and trust. We "circle up" and use a "talking piece" to practice nonjudgmental interaction.

We seem to have the organizational experience as well as the small group systems in place to tackle this equally important focus at ACS; fostering respect and reducing bias. We seem like such a good fit for the challenge; both in our district focus on those issues and our limited encounter with the diverse kind of lives that make up the world.

I like very much the whole idea of getting real, walking about in someone else's shoes, and challenging stereotypes by engaging "primary sources."