The Vulnerable Heart of Literacy by Elizabeth Dutro
Book Review by Ashlyn
How do I facilitate deep and meaningful discussions in my ELA classroom that allow my students to learn from each other’s life experiences without bringing painful memories to the surface that may cause further harm? If a question like this has ever been on your mind, this may be the resource for you. In her book, The Vulnerable Heart of Literacy: Centering Trauma as Powerful Pedagogy, Elizabeth Dutro knows that many of the students in our classrooms will experience trauma at some point in their lives, and she provides her readers with the tools they need to guide their students through their “saddest days” (Dutro, 2019, 48).
If you’re like me, you’ve likely heard the word “trauma” before, but you may have heard some conflicting messages about what trauma is, and what it is not. Dutro provides a framework for how we might think about trauma as it relates to us and our classrooms, using her own life experiences as guiding examples. The author also includes many examples of her students’ experiences, and the work she was able to help them through in her classroom as an outlet for healing. This short, 116 page book is a perfect resource for sparking new lesson plan ideas, and it is definitely worth your time.
One notable strategy presented by Dutro is a lesson based on the picture book, The Lemonade Club, by Patricia Polacco. Dutro describes the lesson, created by a fellow teacher, Meagan, which asks students to write a “lemon” story about a sad time in their life, and a “lemonade” story about a joyful time (Dutro, 2019, 51). Sharing these stories with their peers provided students with a cathartic experience in which they witness each other’s experiences, and consider the good and the bad in life at once (Dutro, 2019, 51). Though this lesson, as well as much of Dutro’s work, is geared specifically toward guiding elementary students through trauma, many of the strategies can easily be modified to fit secondary education standards. The author’s general approach and advice regarding trauma are also certainly relevant, as they can guide all teachers in our journey toward teaching ELA in an affirming and ethical manner.
From what I know of this book, the framework Dutro provides for thinking about trauma makes space for all students to participate in a meaningful way. The open ended nature of the ideas that I read about in this book makes space for all students, including all ethnicities and cultures, as well as a wide range of neurodiverse students. Dutro’s activities honor students’ choices (Rosenblatt, 1988). This is especially important when it comes to trauma: choice allows the student to decide whether they are ready to address a traumatic event in their life or not. The students are also allowed to decide when and with whom they share their story (Dutro, 2019, 51). Providing choices like these create an environment of mutual respect in the classroom and contribute to the development of school as a safe space.
Thanks for the insightful review, Ashlyn.