Page 8 - Unforgettable Memories in Life_Neat

6 The Unforgettable Moments in Life

The Task and Purpose

by Jeniffer McGee

Sitting in the library, hood up, slouched, and sunglasses

hiding his sleepy eyes. I walk up to this Marshallese

student and ask him energetically, “Why are you not

choosing any books? Do you need help finding something

to read?”

“Yeah, miss. I want to read a book about me. Where am I

in this library? Where are the books about the prejudices

against us Marshallese people?” When I had no answer, he

accepted my silence as a reason to return to his

half-hearted nap. His questions shocked me. Dr. Johnson,

our amazing library media center specialist, was able to

point out a few books by Marshallese authors or on Marshallese traditions, but I could tell the

student was not satisfied with his options.

I couldn’t sleep for days and prayed for an answer to his question. He was right. Many of

the books in our library didn’t capture the depth of the cultures identified in our school. Then one

day, I remembered my training at John Brown University’s ESOL teaching program. The

instructors prompted us to allow students to see themselves in literature and to connect with the

characters, authors, and settings within texts. The answer to my prayers came from that moment,

we were going to write a book with my students and their cultures centered within the beginning,