Comments on: #WhiteSilence, Teacher Edition

By: Rob Miller

Rob Miller — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 10:47:15 +0000

There you go making us think
There you go making us think about heavy subjects again, BCE. You have touched on a big piece of the thinking behind much of the reform movement. If THOSE kids would simply quit whining, AND show a little grit, AND pull themselves up by their bootstraps, AND quit living in the past, AND just do it our way, they would be just fine. We just need to make them wear uniforms and march from class to class and be taught catchy I can do it” chants.

Thanks for tacking the topic. Three powerful words that have helped me navigate many difficult conversations with parents, teachers, and occasionally, my wife: “Help me understand…” Then shut up and listen.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 15:59:49 +0000

In reply to Blue Cereal.

Well, my plan and my hope is…
to give the students choices so they are learning independently. I want to lead the horse to water and make a few splashes in front of him and hope he’s thirsty! I want to facilitate, not dictate, the learning.

https://docs.google.com/a/enidk12.org/document/d/1G3gsas6yYamzdP2SGLZNKDNpFtapnn33lgfA7Mv3Qk0/edit?usp=docslist_api

By: Blue Cereal

Blue Cereal — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 14:49:03 +0000

In reply to Cathy. Cathy, you know my thoughts -

Cathy, you know my thoughts - when in doubt, step off the ledge and see if there's a path. You're going full on Jane Elliott and I can't wait to hear how it goes over time. Thank you for sharing this. Unless it turns out you're naive or insane, in which case - WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!?

:-)

By: Cathy

Cathy — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 07:13:09 +0000

White woman attempts #TeachingTolerance
I am a 40-something white, married woman teachIng 6th grade literature in a middle school with 75% minorities (66% are from bilingual homes) and 99% free lunches/1% reduced lunches. The education powers that be in our state deemed us a failing school.

I have been amazed at how little my students (even those of diversity) know about American heroes and of the history of their rights. So, as an educator, I’m preparing my classes for my upcoming unit to teach them. I have selected a hodge Podge of rights: human, civil, migrant workers, women’s, children’s, etc. Since Wednesday, I have handed out candy to those wearing red (one of our school colors), only the students have NO IDEA WHY I’m handing it out. Two students have asked why “those kids” got suckers but the rest didn’t. Another was argumentative stating “It’s not fair! I’ve been working hard and I’ve been quiet. Why didn’t I get one?” Many others have noticed and have even shot looks back and forth, questioning each other in looks about my qualifications for suckers. When students ask to use the restroom or get a drink, I cringe. Those wearing red are allowed, those not wearing red are not allowed. I based my “faux preferential treatment” on a clothing color rather than eye or hair color since we have so many dark hair, dark eyed students. It would end up looking like racially based preferential treatment. That’s not at all what I wanted!

So how am I approaching such a wide-spreading topic in literature? I’ll have a brief group lesson on a reading skill of focus for the day, then students have choices from a reading activity game board, of sorts, to help them select ways of showing comprehension. What will they be reading? Picture books. Lots and lots of picture books about Jews in Nazi Germany, Jackie Robinson, Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King, Jr. , Elizabeth Stanton, Frederick Douglas, suffragettes, American child labor of the late 1800-1920’s, Ruby Bridges, Harriett Tubman, Cesar Chavez, Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, and so, so many more.

All this to say that I’m either totally insane, completely naive, or both! I am passionate about allowing them to know who true heroes are. I grow weary of rap stars and athletes being held in such esteem when true heroes are literally unrecognized in my classroom. I feel my students deserve to know from whence America has come.

**stepping off soap box, clearing throat**