‘My Favourite Teachers’ celebrates teachers in wide-ranging areas of expertise. As well as teachers in schools featured on one page, opposite are parents, grandparents, siblings, neighbours, and friends who are also among favourite teachers. Each double page spread features solid-coloured backgrounds with stylised individuals’ profiles. There is a gentle sense of humour in the illustrations. For example, the maths teacher features a chest x-ray showing a calculator inside.
Some of the teachers included are basketball and touch-footy coaches. There is the community Elder who teaches cooking with native ingredients like Kakadu plum. There are neighbours who teach everything about worms and composting. There is Jin Gang who teaches the ancient art of kung fu and demonstrates push ups with one finger. There’s a principal who works with local Elders and the school community to rename the schoolhouse names from old colonial names to names of the local Aboriginal language.
The boldly coloured solid background highlights people from a range of cultures such as Mr Yo who teaches speech writing and presentation. Another teacher shows young people how to organise a community action group and write a petition. Throughout the emphasis is on individuals from countries around the world who are sharing their culture and knowledge with young people. The concluding illustration and text encourages young people to think again about teachers and their contribution to society with the question: ‘So, what do you say?’ … ‘Who are your favourite teachers?’ Without too much didacticism, this collection encourages an open-minded perspective on teachers.
NCACL Cultural Diversity Database
