My Teacher Has Tattoos

Description: In Xavier's neighborhood, tattoos represent gang membership. After Xavier catches an unexpected glimpse of his new teacher's tattoos, he learns that there's more than meets the eye when it comes to the cultural significance of tattoos. Based on real events that took place during author Darren Lopez's first year teaching in Washington DC, My Teacher Has Tattoos is an impactful conversation starter that brings to life the pitfalls of stereotyping in the classroom and beyond.

Brief description: Darren Lopez was raised in the NYC suburbs. As a bi-ethnic (Puerto Rican/Colombian) child, he lacked representation in his community and education and was acutely aware of the prejudice he faced. As a college athlete, he studied anthropology and began to reclaim the native roots his parents had suppressed in their efforts to raise an assimilated child of immigrants. Learning oral histories from his elders gave him an avenue to finetune his storytelling craft and enabled him to share his stories and adventures to the elementary school students he currently teaches in Washington, D.C.