Jess Lifshitz
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jess5th.bsky.social
Jess Lifshitz
@jess5th.bsky.social
850 followers 130 following 110 posts
Fifth grade teacher who believes we can use reading and writing to make the world a better place.
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jess5th.bsky.social
The school year has started and I find myself already in desperate need of the kind of community rooted in justice and liberation. I am so grateful that @sonjacherrypaul.bsky.social and @triciaebarvia.bsky.social are bringing us back together again for another Teaching Towards Freedom.
Saturday, September 27th Teaching Towards Freedom. Register at theirel.org. Presenters: Dr. Sonja Cherry Paul and Tricia Ebarvia. A note from Sonja and Tricia. About the founders.
August 31, 2025 at 9:31 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
How you know back to school time is right around the corner…
Dining room table filled with random household objects in small plastic bags.
July 31, 2025 at 6:19 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
There’s still time to register:

TheIREL.org
Flyer advertising the workshops and facilitators of IREL and the special guest author, Jaqueline Woodson. Event is July 9th and 10th and is completely virtual.
July 1, 2025 at 7:34 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
Oh, this day. Dismantling of the Department of Education. And. The district I teach in is about to adopt a packaged literacy curriculum that is known for lacking cultural responsiveness. I am so worried about what happens next in our schools and for our students and for our teachers.
Results of a study showing Into Reading is culturally destructive in most areas.
March 20, 2025 at 11:22 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
Everything is so bad. And it all hurts my heart. And I feel like I can’t breathe a lot of the moments of the day. And. Today, we had kids cheering for books. And theycheered for a book that celebrates diversity and love. And I have to hold on to that, too.
February 8, 2025 at 1:16 AM
jess5th.bsky.social
When they make our anger the problem and not the injustice that causes it, it’s a convenient excuse for a system not to have to examine its own role in perpetuating that injustice. Stay angry, folks.
Quote. “Stay angry, little Meg,” Mrs. Whatsit whispered. “You will need all your anger now.” Madeline L’Engle in A Wrinkle in Time. Quote written in black text over a night sky.
January 22, 2025 at 11:53 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
Harmful language connected to the first round of executive orders has already made it into our classrooms. As educators, we have to be ready to respond in a way that maintains a sense of safety, especially for those who are feeling most in danger in the spaces outside of our classrooms.
heightened anxieties from both children and adults. In anticipation of the conversations that might arise in connection with topics brought up surrounding the presidential inauguration on Monday, January 20th, we wanted to proactively provide some language that may be helpful for educators. As always, we hope that we, as educators, can remain vigilant as it is our responsibility to ensure a sense of safety for all of our students, in particular for our marginalized students. Maintaining awareness of the words being said in the coming days and weeks and being prepared with language to use to interrupt and respond to any potentially harmful language is an important way for us to maintain a sense of safety within our schools. Things to keep an eye out for: Hate speech Example: "I heard on the news that the new president is going to stop letting in immigrants because they are all criminals." Conversations about transgender rights Example: "The new president is going to make it so that transgender girls can't play on girls sports teams because they aren't real girls." "Gender is a part of a person's identity. It is not anyone's right to define another person's identity. If a person identifies as a girl, no other person has the right to argue with them about that. In this classroom, we respect every person's identity and honor the ways in which every person identifies." Fear over a violent transition of power Example: "Last time there was about to be a new president, people attacked the Capitol building. Is that going to happen again?" "hat people are worried bout those things happening again. Most times, when a new president takes over there is no violence that occurs as the change is taking olace. It's important to know that there are lots of people who are working to make sure that everyone is safe as we change presidents this week. I am glad you are able to share the things that you are worried about." "While we cannot control what happens outside of this classroom, we do have power to create positive change. We can still write letters to people who make decisions and let them know our thoughts and we can work to take care of each other inside this classroom on a daily basis. Those are all things we can do to help us feel better." Resources: Facing History and Ourselves: Responding to Hate in Your School (Webinar).
January 22, 2025 at 1:09 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
And here was the very first poem, that I carried into 2021:
Cover of HOME BODY by Rupi Kaur. I am not a victims of my life. What I went through pulled a warrior out of me and it is my greatest honor to be her.
December 31, 2024 at 4:50 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
Here was the poem I carried into 2022:
Cover of CALL US WHAT WE CARRY by Amanda Gorman Poem, “Good Grief.”
December 31, 2024 at 4:50 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
Here was the poem I carried into 2023:
Cover of COUNTING DESCENT by Clint Smith. Poem “For the Hardest Days”
December 31, 2024 at 4:50 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
Here was the poem I carried into 2024:
Cover of the book GOOD STOCK STRANGE BLOOD by Dawn Lundy Martin. Poem titled, “Dear empty vessel.” From end to end, along a fire road, plagues, then rationalities. How to say, we remain in tact, however fractured? How to say, whereas once restrained, once ensnarement, now, sand. Leave wreckage by the roadside. Burn all decayed tissue. Tightrope from which we emerge.
December 31, 2024 at 4:50 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
In 2020, I started a new tradition for myself. On the last day of the year, I choose a poem to carry with me into the new year. It’s not a resolution, but a way to set an intention, to choose an energy to carry into the coming year. It is what my heart needs. And here is my poem to bring into 2025:
Cover of the book Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward Poem titled “poetry.” Nobody is saying anything at the dinner table tonight, because everyone is too angry. The only noise is the clinking of fine silver on bone china and the sound of other people’s children playing outside but this will give you poetry. There is no knife in the kitchen sharp enough to cut the tension and your grandmother’s hands are shaking. The meat and yam stick in your throat and you do not dare even to whisper, please pass the salt, but this will give you poetry. Your father is breathing out of his mouth he is set to beat the spark out of you tonight for reasons he isn’t even sure of himself yet. You will come away bruised. You will come away bruised but this will give you poetry. The bruising will shatter. The bruising will shatter into black diamond. No one will sit beside you in class. Maybe your life will work. Most likely it won’t at first but that will give you poetry.
December 31, 2024 at 4:50 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
This was a two-book weekend! BLACK STAR by Kwame Alexander was just incredible. A perfect addition to our fifth grade classroom library. What a beautiful story filled with important history. I just loved this book!
Cover of the book Black Star by Kwame Alexander.
November 30, 2024 at 8:47 PM
jess5th.bsky.social
It’s been a very long time since I read a whole book in one day. But We Still Belong by Christine Day was just so perfect. I cannot wait to share this book with my fifth graders. There’s just so much to love about it!
Cover of the book We Still Belong by Christine Day.
November 28, 2024 at 4:34 AM
jess5th.bsky.social
We Are Water Protectors lead us into a weeks long inquiry where we learned to ask questions and seek additional information to help answer those questions through multiple perspectives. Today, we returned to the picture book to ask critical questions of the text. It was SUCH a beautiful discussion.
November 22, 2024 at 3:46 PM