The recent Teaching Tolerance magazine has articles that match perfectly with recent situations we have had at our school. This is a free magazine and I highly encourage you to subscribe or read online. The articles match current events, provide ideas for how to address uncomfortable and or difficult situations, and assist in providing background for situations that you may not have experience with.
We definitely want all students to feel included, welcomed, and safe at school. However, it can be hard to know what to say during situations we have not had experiences with. This includes gender identity. This article matches situations we have had, recognizes student voice, and includes being respectful:
Standing Up- Gender
I love this article. We all talk often about the fifty states. What about the US territories?
Puerto Rico
Many of our kids think China is the only country in Asia. We have children born in Asian countries. We have children who have parents and grandparents born in Asian countries, but the children are born here in the states. With the coronavirus in the news and being discussed in homes, we have had situations that match this article. Thank you for including global learning and geography with learning, as well as reminding about respecting others:
Speaking Up- Racism
This article emphasizes the importance of inclusive environments. While we may not have shared experiences with others, we can listen and learn. Being culturally responsive and inclusive may not be visible and easy to notice. This article also brings up one of my platforms. Parent involvement is really family involvement. Parent newsletters are family newsletters. Our kids have different home environments and every human being has a support system that includes a variety of people. There's a reason we have before school activities, lunch, and evening activities- to include everybody. As the article mentions: it may not be your lived experience- but you can be a support:
Inclusion
Thought for today:
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