Start Seeing Diversity: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"
I once observed a 3rd grade class when one of the students made a comment that one of the T.V. personalities was gay. The teacher's response was "that is inappropriate to say". This appeared to be a wonderful "teachable moment" of anti-bias education (Sparks, Edwards, p. 32). Children can make comments that may reflect discomfort or rejection of diversity. Children at that age are eager to say what they have heard or think. I feel at that time the teacher could have asked do you know what the word gay means? At that time, a discussion regarding diversity could be presented to the class to assist with understanding diversity in various individuals.
Reference
Sparks, Edward. Anti-Bias Education.
Dotsy I agree with you. The teacher should have find out just how much do the student understand about people being gay.
ReplyDeleteHi Dotsy,
ReplyDeleteit is really true that sometimes we are as the adult/parent/teacher just being ignorant to what the children's question about differences is simply because we are also incapable to understand our own bias toward the diversity around us.
Hopefully, when we realize and aware of our own bias, we can be a powerful and wise anti bias educator and notice the moment of doubt can be the valuable teachable moment both for the children as well as for ourself.
Thank you for the great post
Evita Kartikasari
www.theartofchildhood.wordpress.com
I agree that the teacher did not handle that moment well. He may have heard his parents use that word, but when asked what it meant they could have said it means happy.
ReplyDeleteThis story reminds me of a story my sister told me about my niece. Her first day of Kindergarten she got a note sent home from the teacher for putting her middle finger up at the other kids. When my sister asked her why she was doing it she told her it was because she liked them. My sister was very confused by this explanation so she dug a little deeper and asked where she learned that. My niece shrugged her shoulders and said "you and daddy do it to each other all the time, so I thought it meant 'I like you'"
It is very important to ask children what the mean or what they know before assuming the worst.