Parenting Tanehisi Coates

While no one’s parents are perfect, the parents of Tanehisi Coates, the prolific writer who was called “the James Baldwin of our era” by Toni Morrison, did some great things that all parents and teachers can learn from in order to instill a love of learning in children. Here’s what Coates said about his parents in his latest book “Between the World and Me”, a series of letters to his son.

1. Encourage introspection through self-interrogation

p.29 “Between the World and Me”

2. Don’t answer questions; instead encourage students to seek out their own answers

p. 34 “Between the World and Me”

3. Encourage students to embrace their heritage and find their own heroes, regardless of the messages in popular culture

p.43 “Between the World and Me”

4. Love is a feeling often show through tangible actions

p.86 “Between the World and Me”

p.86 “Between the World and Me”

And here’s what Tanehisi Coates passes on to his own son: that he would learn from his father’s example while still finding his own way in life and becoming his own man.

p.39 “Between the World and Me”

What did you learn about parenting and teaching from this book?