Addressing Racial Issues Within the Classroom

Addressing Racial Issues Within the Classroom

            During the day and time in which we live, it can be very challenging to openly discuss issues that have racial dimensions.  Due to different cultures and upbringing patterns, most people have pre-developed prejudices and accusations that make conversations concerning race difficult.  It is important to openly discus such issues to create awareness and to attempt to break down racial barriers.  The text, Is everyone really equal?, explains that “prejudice is part of how we learn to sort people into categories that make sense to us” (Sensoy and DiAngelo, 2012, p. 29).  Discrimination, which is action based, occurs when we act on our prejudice thoughts.  One of the challenges of critical social justice literacy is to engage in critical thinking that enables us to surface our prejudices, and then reflect upon and challenge them (Sensoy and DiAngelo, 2012).  This explains why it is beneficial to have conversations that are seen as having racial dimensions.  If we continue to put these issues under the rug and do not address them, the issues with either remain the same or they will continue to worsen.  Difficult conversations are necessary in order to obtain a more peaceful and equality based community for all. 

            I feel that it is our job as educators to do our best to create a safe, friendly, and encouraging atmosphere within our classrooms.  We should try to find common ground discussions and assignments in which all students can contribute and relate.  It is crucial for teachers to foster productive examination of issues that are seen as being influenced by race or ethnicity.  Teachers can begin to do this by getting to now their students and creating a trustworthy relationship with each of them.  I feel that students will perform better overall and be willing to take academic risks if they trust that their teacher will not embarrass or downgrade them, even if their answer is incorrect.  By teachers getting to know their students individually, they will naturally begin to learn about their culture, home life, and their emotional well-being. 

            Developing relationships and a safe learning environment for all students is the first step in initiating difficult conversations.  We, as teachers, must be careful to not develop racial thoughts or make racial assumptions.  For us to be able to have effective conversations with our students concerning race, we must remain neutral and unbiased.  When beginning to facilitate such conversations, I feel that we should approach the conversations gently and indirectly.  Each student within the class will come from a different upbringing, background, and will have varying ideas about race.  Especially for teachers who are teaching elementary school, I feel that their main goals should be to break down racial barriers and to encourage students of differing races to be friends.  This is an important step in the right direction and it is appropriate for the age group.  As Sensoy and DiAngelo describe in the text, if we build wide-ranging and authentic relationships with people of differing races, we are less likely to make superficial judgments about them (Sensoy and DiAngelo, 2012). 

            One way that we could effectively facilitate conversations about race with our students is to ask them to write about something that they enjoy doing at home, with their family, or with their siblings.  This might make the students excited to share their customs and writing with the class. As a result, other students may be inspired by some of the ideas and may want to try the activities with their families.  This activity would display similarities and differences, but the teacher could emphasize the similarities among all of the students.  Another effective strategy for initiating such conversations is for teachers to read books to his or her students about people of different races and cultures.  If we provide many examples of how people of varying races have made positive influences and contributions in history, students will develop an appreciation for different races.  These are only a couple of strategies that can be used to help our students to overcome racial barriers.

            In conclusion, race and ethnicity are subjects that can be difficult to talk about with students.  Teachers often worry about upsetting students when discussing such topics, and therefore, they often avoid the subjects altogether.  It is crucial to incorporate ideas of race into classroom activities throughout the year.  I feel that there are ways to indirectly approach the topic that will gently encourage students to gain a sense of equality for all without hurting feelings or making some students uncomfortable.  It is our job as future educators to engage our students in meaningful and constructive activities and conversations. 

References

Sensoy, O., & DiAngelo, R. (2012). Is everyone really equal? New York, NY: Teachers College

Press.