Journal of a Black Teacher

A good teacher looks beyond the main character to help students discover that every person in a story has a purpose. Focusing on Alice's unnamed sister teaches students to read critically instead of simply following the plot. Her brief appearance frames the entire novel, representing the real world while Alice explores the world of imagination. By asking why Lewis Carroll included a sister without giving her a name, students begin to analyze symbolism, author's purpose, characterization, and theme. They learn that even minor characters can carry major ideas. This approach also encourages discussion about the role of mentors, caregivers, and quiet leaders whose influence often goes unnoticed. Rather than asking only, "What happened to Alice?" a skilled teacher asks, "Why did Carroll begin and end with her sister?" That single question moves students from remembering facts to interpreting literature, evaluating meaning, and appreciating how great authors use e...

By Don Allen (2026) Creative Writing, Teaching and Learning.  One afternoon, I walked into my high school English class carrying a worn copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz   ( 1900 ), by L. Frank Baum . My students looked up at me like I had just pulled something ancient out of a trunk. I told them this wasn’t just a children’s story. It was personal. I first met this book in the 1970s, sitting in Mr. Boone’s sixth-grade classroom at Bancroft Elementary in Minneapolis. Back then, school had a rhythm to it. We read about tornadoes, silver shoes, and brick roads in the morning. By afternoon, we were in the gym, or home economics, or waiting our turn in woodshop. The day felt full. Stories felt like doorways. So when I opened Baum’s 1900 novel in front of seventy teenagers, I wasn’t just assigning reading. I was inviting them into something that once opened my own world. We read carefully. We asked questions. By the time we reached Chapter 5, the room shifted. That’s where the Ti...