ABSTRACT
Standardized markers such as test scores or other labels determine which students are admitted and which are denied entry into almost every sphere of society. Many teachers do a great job of looking at their students as individuals, but sometimes we may all be guilty of referring to young people in terms of numbers. Tina Curry, one of our teacher-writers who teaches in a Chicago high school, discusses how she works with her students to help them think about who they really are and how they exist in this world as people, learners, family members, readers, and writers. Tina believed that her students were capable of success; however, her students believed they could not read and write because their school experiences had taught them to value only school-based reading and writing. As Tina was discovering, teaching from the center of students’ humanity builds confidence and honors their histories.
