Exploring Privilege with Young Adult Literature

Authors

Stefani Boutelier, Aquinas CollegeFollow

Author Biographies

Stefani Boutelier, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Education at Aquinas College in Michigan. Her K-12 experience was in California teaching ELA, ESL, Reading, AVID, and Cultural Literature. She now works with pre-service and in-service teachers on research projects, curriculum design, and edtech, among others.

Abstract

It is imperative to utilize Young Adult (YA) literature themes to transfer deeper ideologies. This article layers I am Alfonso Jones, a YA graphic novel, by Tony Medina to frame the exploration of privilege during a literature unit in a secondary ELA classroom. Teachers can facilitate understanding of such an often overused, yet misunderstood phrase, through multiple means (e.g., conversation protocols, performance assessment). The topics examined in this article supports a praxis model of moving critical pedagogy and equity literacy theories to the forefront of one’s teaching by including student voice, incorporating relationship building, and building important conversation skills to increase identity and action.

Recommended Citation

Boutelier, Stefani (2019) "Exploring Privilege with Young Adult Literature," Language Arts Journal of Michigan: Vol. 35: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.9707/2168-149X.2229

Publication Date

11-2019