In this episode of Our Classroom, host Roberto Germán explores how emotion and identity serve as the gateway to authentic literacy engagement. Drawing from his presentation Reading with Purpose, Writing with Passion, Roberto invites educators to rethink what truly keeps students — especially reluctant and multilingual writers — from fully engaging with reading and writing.

Through student testimony, classroom strategies, and reflections from Blue Ink Tears, this episode centers literacy as a human experience before it becomes an academic one. When students are seen, heard, and affirmed, reading and writing transform from tasks into tools for expression, healing, and connection.

CHAPTERS

0:00 – Welcome to Our Classroom
1:10 – What Keeps Students from Engaging with Literacy
3:00 – Emotion as an Entry Point to Writing
5:00 – Identity, Language & Student Confidence
7:00 – Books as Mirrors, Not Just Texts
9:00 – Instructional Strategies that Humanize Literacy
11:30 – A Writing Invitation You Can Use Tomorrow
13:00 – Patterns Across Classrooms
14:30 – Teach in Truth, Lead with Courage (CTA)

Featured Student Voice

“When he talked about his feelings, it made me more confident to talk about mine.” — José Reyes, 9th Grade, Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School

Resources & Next Steps

• Blue Ink Tears by Roberto Germán

• Author Visits & Workshops: multiculturalclassroom.com

• Follow: @multiculturalclassroom

Join the Community

Teach in Truth.

Lead with Courage.

Belong to a Community That Gets It.

Join My Classroom Gold — a community of educators committed to equity, truth, and impact.

In this episode of Our Classroom, host Roberto Germán explores what it means to boldly serve boys of color—not just academically, but emotionally, culturally, and holistically. Drawing from Roberto’s live session at the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Annual Convention in Denver, Colorado, this conversation centers identity, storytelling, emotional literacy, and high expectations rooted in love.

If you teach, mentor, parent, coach, or work alongside boys of color, this episode offers concrete shifts in mindset and practice that affirm humanity rather than manage behavior.

CHAPTERS

0:00 – Welcome to Our Classroom

1:00 – Why Boys of Color Need Better Support

2:30 – Emotion Is Not Defiance

4:30 – When Boys Are Seen, They Speak

6:00 – Identity Is Complex, Not Confused

7:30 – Commitments for Educators

10:00 – Create Space, Not Silence

11:30 – Teach in Truth, Lead with Courage

• Anger as communication, not misbehavior

• Storytelling and poetry as emotional containers

• Identity as complex, multilingual, whole

• High expectations as a form of love

• Rewriting deficit narratives in classrooms

• Creating space rather than controlling behavior

Teach in truth.

Lead with courage.

Belong to a community that gets it.

Become a founding member of My Classroom Gold — a community for educators committed to equity, truth, and impact.

Follow @multiculturalclassroom

Subscribe to Our Classroom on all platforms

Explore resources at multiculturalclassroom.com

If this message resonated, share it with someone who serves boys of color and help build a culture of love, truth, and accountability.

In this episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán shares a powerful testimony from community member Justin Luttrull about a moment that unfolded in a breakout session at Calvin University.

A professor teaching about book bans and the difference between harmful books and books that expose harm cited the work of Lorena Germán — and mentioned that he listens to Roberto’s podcast.

This unexpected story, coming from a white professor in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serves as a reminder that our work travels farther than we ever see. It speaks to representation, legacy, and the impact of culturally grounded education across communities and generations.

This is an episode about encouragement, legacy, and the quiet ways our work changes the world.

0:00 – Welcome to Our Classroom
1:00 – Justin’s Testimony
2:30 – Representation in Unexpected Places
4:30 – Why This Matters for Educators
6:00 – Staying Faithful to the Work
7:30 – A Call to Community
9:00 – Outro: Keep Leading with Curiosity

A librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library went viral after giving one of the funniest and most thoughtful explanations of internet slang ever recorded.

But beyond the humor lies a deeper message about curiosity, culture, and why libraries still matter.

In this episode of Our Classroom, host Roberto Germán reflects on what this viral moment teaches us about learning in public, bridging generations, and approaching education with humility and curiosity.

Because whether we’re in classrooms or libraries, the goal is the same: to create spaces where learning feels human again.

• The librarian as cultural translator

• Why curiosity is a powerful teaching tool

• Learning in public vs. performative knowledge

• Libraries as spaces for connection and equity

• How this viral moment mirrors the mission of Multicultural Classroom

• Video clip on Instagram

• Multicultural Classroom

0:00 – Welcome to Our Classroom
1:00 – The Viral Librarian Moment
3:00 – The Power of Curiosity
5:00 – Learning in Public
7:00 – Making Learning Human Again

In this follow-up to “The Difference Between Harmful Books and Harm-Exposing Books,” host Roberto Germán responds to a public comment on Lorena Germán’s recent post — a comment that reflects a common misunderstanding about book banning and access.

In this episode, Roberto unpacks the language used in conversations about “restricted” versus “banned” books, revealing how the distinction is often used to downplay the real issue: power and control in education.

Through reflection and challenge, this episode invites listeners to rethink what it means when schools remove certain stories — and who ultimately benefits when harm-exposing books are kept off the shelves.

• Blog: “Harmful Books vs. Harm-Exposing Books” by Lorena Germán

• Learn more at multiculturalclassroom.com

In this episode of Our Classroom, host Roberto Germán expands on Lorena Escoto Germán’s blog post “Harmful Books vs. Harm-Exposing Books.” Roberto breaks down the crucial difference between books that perpetuate harm and those that reveal it to inspire empathy and justice. Through this lens, he explores how silence, stereotypes, and unchecked bias shape what students read — and how banning books written by marginalized authors silences essential voices. Tune in to learn how educators, parents, and readers can defend harm-exposing books and nurture classrooms rooted in truth, love, and humanity.

• 0:00 – Intro: Why this conversation matters

• 2:20 – What makes a book harmful

• 8:10 – What makes a book harm-exposing

• 13:30 – Why book bans target these stories

• 18:00 – How educators can stand for truth and love

• 22:00 – Closing reflections

In this episode of Our Classroom, New York Times bestselling author Abigail Hing Wen joins to explore how storytelling can be a dynamic tool for teaching students about artificial intelligence. Diving into her new middle-grade novel, "The Vale," Abigail shares her vision of a hopeful, creative, and ethical approach to technology—one where young people are empowered, not intimidated, by AI.

We discuss the power of fiction to foster tech literacy, empathy, and imagination. The conversation also highlights the importance of diversity in both tech and storytelling, as seen through the journey of Bran, a neurodiverse protagonist navigating both real and virtual worlds. Abigail shares candid insights from her experiences in Silicon Valley, offers inspiration for educators to use "The Vale" and its companion film in the classroom, and encourages students to become thoughtful creators and users of technology.

Welcome to Our Classroom!

In this episode of Our Classroom, titled "Shaping the World," Lorena Germán invites us to a vibrant conversation with renowned author and illustrator Yuyi Morales. Recorded as part of the Latinx Kid Lit Book Festival, this episode dives into the transformative power of children's literature and how stories can spark imagination, resilience, and hope—especially in challenging times.

Yuyi Morales shares the journey behind her latest book, "Little Rebels / Peques Rebeldes," offering a glimpse into what it means to be a rebel in today’s world, the importance of land and community in her stories, and the healing possibilities that children’s books offer to both young readers and adults alike. Through thoughtful questions and heartfelt discussion, Lorena and Yuyi explore the essential role that artists and writers play as “antennas” attuned to the needs and potential of society, as well as the responsibility of creating stories that nurture and empower children.

Tune in for a conversation brimming with warmth, wisdom, and practical insights on how storytelling shapes not only our educational experiences, but also the world at large. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or lifelong learner, you’ll find inspiration and actionable ideas to bring more love, care, and creativity into your own "classroom."