Andrea Harbaugh, middle school educator from South Middle School in Waukee, was the featured speaker at the Nov. 2 meeting of the Nu Alpha Gamma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.
As a co-teacher of sixth and seventh grade language arts — she is partnered with the ESL teacher — Harbaugh is very aware that the student population in Waukee is becoming more diverse, and her classroom library needs to include more books that reflect that diversity.
Harbaugh looks to books that provide her students with “windows and mirrors,” she told the Nu Alpha Gamma members. “Windows provide the opportunity to see outside oneself and see life through a new lens. Mirrors provide the opportunity for students to see themselves and connect to the literature they are reading.”
She illustrated her point with several examples of books she recently purchased through a grant she received from Nu Alpha Gamma, giving a brief book talk on each of them.
The Nu Alpha Gamma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International Society is an international organization honoring women educators. Members of the Nu Alpha Gamma Chapter are active or retired educators in Dallas County.
