Moments of Connection

Young students are full of questions and bursting with ideas about how to solve problems and keep things fair. One of the most rewarding aspects of being an elementary school teacher or a parent of a young child is observing aha moments— those times when a young child learns something new, makes a connection, or works through a personal learning struggle. These moments of connection can be even more meaningful when they lead to a stronger, more unified classroom community, and when they disrupt patterns of exclusion or injustice.

The issues the book explores—bias, prejudice, exclusive versus inclusive behavior, race as a social construct and lived experience, and the dangers of racism as it relates to young students in school communities—are, as my students put it, “big and affect everybody.” My hope is that this book will offer concrete strategies for engaging with young students around these important topics, strengthen relationships across differences, and help to eradicate racism.