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5 Ways Teachers Can Address Socioeconomic Gaps in the Classroom - Social Studies

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For my first permanent teaching position, I was lucky enough to fill a history position at a small K-8 school in a rural community.

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These strategies can be used for any grade level.

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I chose this article as a reminder of teaching strategies I need to include in my own classroom when it comes to low-income students. For example, this article talks about challenging these students. Sometimes, we think these students do not need challenged because they do not have the same access to materials as other students. Educators need to remember that when we challenge students they can rise to the occassion.

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Hayes, J. (2019). 5 ways teachers can address socioeconomic gaps in the classroom. blog. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://blog.socialstudies.com/5-ways-teachers-can-address-the-poverty-gap-in-the-classroom

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306 - Online African American History Curriculum for High School | EVERFI

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Inform and Inspire students by teaching them about the grit, strength, creativity, and intellect of African American men and women throughout history.

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For grade levels: 8th - 12th.

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This interactive curriculum allows for upper middle school to high school students learn about the key figures in African American history. This course helps bring the figures and concepts to life that allow students to be more engaged in the content. With better understanding of the history, students are better able to understand other cultures that are around them.

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Carson, C. (2022, May 26). 306 – online african american history curriculum for high school. EVERFI. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://everfi.com/courses/k-12/online-african-american-history-curriculum/

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BINAH: Building Insights to Navigate Antisemitism & Hate - EVERFI

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Overview

BINAH: Building Insights to Navigate Antisemitism & Hate is a digital education course that targets all high school students, regardless of the makeup of their school community. Designed to integrate into Social Studies, ELA, or SEL curriculum, it can be taught in conjunction with teaching about the Holocaust, or as an independent lesson. Topics include the impact of antisemitic attacks on American society as a whole, the vast diversity of modern Jewish life, and how to be a strong ally. The first-person narrative storyline will help students to understand the history of antisemitism and connect past events with those happening in the present.
BINAH: Building Insights to Navigate Antisemitism & Hate is offered to K12 schools at no cost thanks to our partnership with The Anti-Defamation League.

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BINAH: Building Insights to Navigate Antisemitism & Hate | EVERFI

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BINAH: Building Insights to Navigate Antisemitism & Hate is a digital education course that targets all high school students, regardless of the makeup of their school community. Designed to integrate into Social Studies, ELA, or SEL curriculum, it can be taught in conjunction with teaching about the Holocaust, or as an independent lesson.

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For grade levels: 9-12

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This is an online interactive course over antisemitic attacks. This course allows students to see how a group of people was treated. The goal of this course is to "motivate students to identify as global citizens with respect for all people, regardless of the makeup of their school community" (Binah, 2022). This lesson would pair well when teaching WWII and compare it to how people should be treated today.

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Binah: Building insights to navigate antisemitism & hate. EVERFI. (2022, May 26). Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://everfi.com/courses/k-12/binah/

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The Grid Method is a student-centered, competency-based framework, created at the classroom level and designed to fit any teacher’s style, within any curriculum, in any classroom. Most importantly, it was built to reach all students…not just some. Explore The Grid Method Mastery Framework in the Tea…

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Grade Levels - 4th and up

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This a new researched based teaching strategy to meet the needs of ALL students in the classroom. It creates a self-paced outline that students need to follow to access the curriculum at their own pace. This allows for the teacher to stretch the students that are ahead and reteach those students that need more help on a concept. This method is helpful to create small group learning groups to give students as much individualized instruction as possible.

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The grid method. Teach Better. (2022, April 21). Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://www.teachbetter.com/thegridmethod/

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Strategies for Students with ADHD: Ideas to Help Kids Shine (additudemag.com)

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Parents: Is your child's teacher doing everything possible to support learning? Teachers often dictate the success or failure of a child's education - particularly if that child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD).

Next to parents, teachers are the most influential people in a student's life. The best teacher will develop ADHD strategies to show students that they are capable and worthwhile.

Here are some strategies for teaching children with ADHD that work to establish a supportive, structured classroom that will encourage learning, enforce discipline, and boost self-esteem.

Strategies for Students with ADHD

Assign work that suits the student's skill level. Students with ADHD will avoid classwork that is too difficult or too long.

Offer choices. Children with ADHD who are given choices for completing an activity produce more work, are more compliant, and act less negative. Establish, for instance, a list of 15 activity choices for practicing spelling words like writing words on flash cards, using them in a sentence, or air-writing words.
[Get This Download: How to Teach Children with ADHD - Classroom Challenges & Solutions]

Provide visual reminders. Students with ADHD respond well to visual cues and examples. For instance, demonstrate a skill like essay writing on an overhead projector or on the board. When children get to their independent work, leave key points about a topic visible on the board. Post important concepts the children will use again and again on brightly colored poster board around the room.

Increase active class participation. Group strategies include asking students to write their answers on dry-erase white boards and showing them to the teacher, asking students to answer questions in unison (choral response), having students give a thumbs up or down if the answer to the question is yes or no - a level palm, if they don't know the answer. Paired learning is also effective. Have students work through a problem in a group and discuss for maximized understanding.

Encourage hands-on learning. Create learning opportunities where children experience things first-hand. Have students write and act out a play, record an assignment on videotape or take apart and put together a model of a miniature eyeball when studying the human body.

Establish Rules & Routines for ADHD Students

Post classroom rules for student with and without ADHD. With input from students, establish short, simple classroom rules. State them in positive terms that convey what you want students to do.
For example, instead of saying: "No loud talking when you come into class," say, "When you come into class, check the assignment on the board and start working quietly." Or, "Sit down first and then you may talk quietly with your neighbor until I start teaching."

[Click to Download: 10 Teaching Strategies that Help Students with ADHD]

Establish classroom routines. This will help students with ADHD stay on task. Routines for all students can include: homework always being written on the board, "row captains" checking to see that assignments are written and that completed work is picked up, etc. Students with ADHD can check in with the classroom aide at the end of the day to make sure they understand the homework assignment and what's required of them.

Give appropriate supervision to ADHD students. Children with ADHD require more supervision than their peers because of their delayed maturity, forgetfulness, distractibility, and disorganization. Help these students by pairing them with classmates who can remind them of homework and classwork, using student partners to team up on a project, and involving classroom aides as much as you can during and after class.

Offer Accommodations for ADHD in the Classroom

Some students with ADHD may need school accommodations to address academic challenges. Make sure they get them. Some accommodations can be as easy as monitoring the student's work and developing a plan to help him not fall behind and even accepting the occasional late assignment - this can give the student confidence and get her back on track.

Other common ADHD accommodations include:

Extended time on tests

Shortened assignments

Instruction in note-taking or designating a class notetaker

Segmented assignments for long-term projects (with separate due dates and grades).

The Attention Deficit Disorder Association ( ADDA) makes the following recommendations for accommodations:

Reduce potential distractions. Always seat students who have problems with focus near the source of instruction and/or stand near student when giving instructions in order to help the student by reducing barriers and distractions between him and the lesson. Always seat this student in a low-distraction work area in the classroom.

Use positive peer models. Encourage the student to sit near positive role models to ease the distractions from other students with challenging or diverting behaviors.

Prepare for transitions. Remind the student about what is coming next (next class, recess, time for a different book, etc.). For special events like field trips or other activities, be sure to give plenty of advance notice and reminders. Help the student in preparing for the end of the day and going home, supervise the student's book bag for necessary items needed for homework.

Allow for movement. Allow the student to move around or fidget, preferably by creating reasons for the movement. Provide opportunities for physical action - do an errand, wash the blackboard, get a drink of water, go to the bathroom, etc. If this is not practical, then permit the student to play with small objects kept in their desks that can be manipulated quietly, such as a soft squeeze ball, if it isn't too distracting.

Let the children play. Recess can actually promote focus in children with ADHD so don't use it as a time to make-up missed schoolwork or as punishment as you might for other students.

Focus on the Positive

Establish a positive relationship with students who have ADHD. Greet them by name as they enter the classroom or when calling on them in class. Create a class bulletin board for posting students' academic and extracurricular interests, photographs, artwork, and/or accomplishments.

Provide frequent, positive feedback. Students with ADHD respond best to feedback that is immediate. Use positive praise, such as "You're doing a great job" or "Now you've got it." If a student's answer is incorrect, say, "Let's talk this through" or "Does that sound right to you?"

Ask questions rather than reprimand. If the student misbehaves, in class, ask, "Is that a good choice or a bad choice?" The student will get the message that his behavior is inappropriate.

Partner with Parents

For best results, teachers must partner with the parents to ensure that their child is ready to learn in the classroom. Here are some guidelines to share with the parents of your students with ADHD:

Communicate regularly with the teacher about problems.

See that your child's ADHD medication is working effectively at school and during homework sessions.

Help your child organize papers for evening homework and prepare for the next school day.

Watch your child put completed homework in the proper folder.

Monitor completion of work in the classes that he is in danger of failing.

Save all completed homework until the semester is over.

Talk with the teacher about using a daily or weekly report, if needed.

[Your Free Download: The Teacher's Guide to Better Assignments for Students with ADHD]

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Teaching Strategies for Students with ADHD: Ideas to Help Every Child Shine

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Your child's teacher is your partner in a fair and equitable education, but does she have the ADHD tools she needs? The following ADHD teaching strategies will help all students - but especially those with ADD - learn to the best of their ability in any classroom.

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For students of all ages that have been diagnosed with ADHD.

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ADHD has started to become more prevalent in classrooms today. 504s have been implemented to help students who struggle with ADHD to access grade level curriculum. This article goes into depth about strategies teachers can use to help their students beyond the 504 expectations to succeed in the classroom. For example, it explains that providing movement during the instruction time can help the students with ADHD stay engaged in the content. I chose this article to help remind myself on ways that I could help my ADHD students in my classroom.

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Editors, A. D. D., & Chris Zeigler Dendy, M. S. (2021, August 26). Teaching strategies for students with ADHD: Ideas to help every child shine. ADDitude. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://www.additudemag.com/teaching-strategies-for-students-with-adhd/

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Religious Diversity in the Classroom | Learning for Justice

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Learning for Justice, then Teaching Tolerance, and the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding teamed up to offer educators a free webinar series: Religious Diversity in the Classroom. The five-part series and accompanying resources (described in detail below) examine how awareness of religious diversity affects global citizenship, and how teaching about religion across grade levels and subject areas can help meet academic standards.

Webinar 1: What's Law Got To Do With It?

There's a lot of misinformation about what teachers are allowed to do when it comes to discussing religion in public school. But the truth is it's both legal and important to teach about religion and the diversity of religious and nonreligious worldviews. What's Law Got To Do With It? helps educators build a deeper understanding of the legal parameters relevant to including religion in the classroom.

After-session pack: A PDF with activities and lessons.

Follow-up blogs: A four-part series that responds to participants' questions and comments.

Webinar 2: Fostering a Culture of Respect

How do you help students of all religions-or no religion-feel safe, supported and accepted? By creating a classroom culture in which religious diversity is respected. That may sound complicated, but Fostering a Culture of Respect offers suggestions on how to do just that.

After-session pack: A PDF with activities and lessons.

Follow-up blogs: A three-part series that responds to participants' questions and comments.

Webinar 3: Applications for Elementary Educators

Are you looking for practical suggestions on how to explore religious diversity with elementary students? Applications for Elementary Educators offers recommendations on how to teach about religion and religious differences through critical literacy strategies and developmentally appropriate lesson plans and classroom activities-all while promoting empathy and respectful curiosity among students.

A transcription for this webinar can be found here.

After-session pack: A PDF with activities and lessons.

Follow-up blog: Agree to (Respectfully) Disagree

Webinar 4: Applications for Middle Level Educators

Turn what's often called "a tough age" into an age of opportunity by actively promoting respect for differences, including religious differences. Applications for Middle Level Educators offers recommendations on how to implement lesson plans that enable students to express their own identities while learning about diverse religious and nonreligious beliefs and how to use a variety of resources to explore common themes among different religious traditions.

A transcription for this webinar can be found here.

After-session pack: A PDF with activities and lessons.

Follow-up blog: Families Have Much to Share

Webinar 5: Applications for High School Educators

This webinar, designed for high school educators of all subjects, offers practical suggestions for teaching about religious diversity in ways that reduce prejudice, promote mutual respect and help students prepare for college and career. High school students will soon enter a wider world where they will engage with individuals from vastly different religious and cultural backgrounds. Applications for High School Educators can help you get them ready!

Classroom materials available in the Resource List within the webinar.

Follow-up blogs:

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Teaching Tolerance and the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding teamed up to offer educators a free webinar series: Religious Diversity in the Classroom.

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Webinar 3 - Elementary Students
Webinar 4- Middle School Students
Webinar 5- High School Students.

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This website gives strategies to introduce religion in the classroom that is legal and follows along with Common Core Standards. These lesson plans are engaging for students and informational to parents on what the educator is trying to accomplish. The 3rd grade level webinar includes a pdf with all lesson materials a teacher would need to implement this strategy in the classroom. I included this resource because it gives a way to meet the Ohio Social Studies standards on religion , it allows students to learn acceptance of their differences.

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Religious diversity in the classroom. Learning for Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://www.learningforjustice.org/professional-development/religious-diversity-in-the-classroom

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7 Ways to Support Diversity in the Classroom [With Examples] | Prodigy Education (prodigygame.com)

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7 Ways to Support Diversity in the Classroom [With Examples]

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All Posts A school culture where people embrace diversity in the classroom can positively impact the school community. When this happens, a school community creates a safe, supportive and purposeful environment for students and staff which, in turn, allows students to grow - academically and socially.

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Strategies: All age groups
Prodigy: K-8

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This article approaches diversity as a whole. It is a great way to start out looking at the diversity concept by looking at the broader scheme. I included this because we need to first start out by understanding that diversity comes in many forms and there are strategies to meet each one.

At the end of the article, the author explains that Prodigy (an online education game) meets a diverse classroom's needs by including a diverse set of names that can be used for a character as well as different ethnicities for the avatars. Students can choose what they want when they are customizing their character.

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Kampen, M. (2020). 7 ways to support diversity in the classroom [with examples]. Prodigy Education. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/diversity-in-the-classroom/

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Home - Crayons To Classrooms

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Tools That Transform

Crayons to Classrooms provides essential supplies to teachers of at-risk students across the Greater Dayton Region for free to ensure that every child has the tools they need to engage, learn, grow, and fully experience the transformative power of education. Last year alone, we served over 40,000 students. Your support can help transform lives across our community.

Donors

We rely on the support of our community to help us secure and distribute school supplies at no cost to teachers of students in need.

Teachers

Area teachers can shop for all of the supplies and resources that we have available at no cost to you. See if you’re eligible.

Volunteers

We’re always looking for friendly, compassionate people to help in our store. Come alone or with a group and share your time.

Together, We Make A Difference

Crayons to Classrooms offers a number of special programs and activities so that your group or organization can make a difference in the lives of children. From school supply drives to volunteer opportunities and collaborations with other non-profit organizations, we value our community connections.

Crayons To Classrooms Highlights

From June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021, the numbers show that Crayons to Classrooms made a substantial and ongoing impact in our schools.

1,773

Teachers Shopped With Us

$955

Average Shopping Visit

$3.1 M+

Value Of Supplies Distributed

About Us

Who are we, what do we do, and how do we do it? Learn more about our organization’s mission to change the lives of at-risk children in our region.

Latest News

Crayons to Classrooms strives to ensure that every student in need has the tools for success. Read about our efforts to realize that vision.

“As a first year teacher, Crayons to Classroom provided me with literal cart-fulls of needed classroom supplies. Crayons to Classroom provided many different learning supplies for a variety of learners and subjects. As a special education teacher, I was able to bring supplies to my students that met their needs and encouraged learning. This nonprofit is full of outstanding school supplies and has the most helpful, nicest people. From my class and I, thank you!”

- Kara Donbrock, MCESC North

See The Latest From Our Instagram Page

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Crayons to Classrooms is committed to providing essential learning tools to at-risk children in the Greater Dayton Region.

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Crayons for Classrooms is available to teachers in low-income school buildings that house K-8 students.

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Crayons for Classrooms is a resource in my community that helps teachers meet the needs of low-income students. Teachers are able to "shop" for school supplies for their students and classrooms. This gives students a chance to have the needed materials to be successful in the classroom. This also helps the teacher as this is at no cost to them. This resource helps our students get writing supplies, coloring supplies, notebooks, bookbags, and so much more. Having these materials in class helps these students be prepared for classwork.

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Home. Crayons To Classrooms. (2022, May 23). Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://www.crayonstoclassrooms.org/

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Teachers: 20 Ways to Reduce Gender Bias at School | Think or Blue

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If you've ever told a boy he shouldn't be upset, or called a girl bossy, keep on reading.

We all have gender bias; it's okay to admit it. Even if you're a strong believer in gender equity or a self-proclaimed feminist, it lingers in the back of your brain, deep in your subconscious.

Teachers play a critical role to prevent gender stereotypes and reduce gender bias in the classroom. In early education in particular, our children's young brains are forming and imbibing every message.

I know that you're probably stressed about setting up your classroom and getting your lesson plans ready. And trying to scrounge up a few extra dollars for all of the classroom supplies you need! But approaching the school year with a gender lens will help you ensure that every student learns, grows, and embraces their individuality.

(While I'm not an education professional, I am a gender equity and women's policy expert... and a parent. Thanks for all you do for our children and for taking the time to help them each shine brightly! And thank you for taking the time to read these gender bias prevention tips with an open mind.)
Anti- Gender Bias Basics

1. Address your students equally. Instead of "girls and boys" try to use "students" or "friends," a wonderful category our preschool uses. Do you use pet names, like champ, buddy, mate, lad, honey, sweetheart? These nicknames treat boys as tough and girls as delicate. (I've been guilty of this too!) Similarly, this piece articulates why saying "you guys" is inherently sexist, but it can also be alienating to individuals who are LGBTQ+.

2. Avoid separating children based on gender. Do you ask students to line up for the bathroom or recess by sex or gender? Are they grouped for activities this way? If you make sex a distinctive category frequently, children will think it matters more than it does. It will also present a tough challenge for children questioning their gender.

3. Learn about children as individuals. I once had (what I thought was) an excellent conversation with a new teacher at a preschool about my commitment to end gender stereotypes, and she echoed its importance. The following day she greeted my child at the door and asked her what her favorite color was. The teacher did not pause to wait for my child to answer, but instead asked "is PINK your favorite color?" even though my child was wearing yellow. Let the child tell you what they like. Related: not all girls like pink.

Children's Appearances: Colors, Toys, and Clothes

4. Evaluate the way you greet students. A well-meaning preschool teacher greeted my daughter almost every morning with "you look so pretty today!" Constant comments about appearance reveal adults' internalized beauty standards for women and girls; a lesson we needn't pass on to the next generation. Try these tips instead.

5. Understand Walmart's power over your teacher-student relationship. Your students' wardrobes are largely dictated by the big box stores' arbitrary decisions about what is labelled by gender and sorted in the "girls" and "boys" aisles. Only parents with the privileges of time and resources can find children's clothing that are gender-inclusive and buck stereotypes (i.e. beyond superheroes and transportation for boys, and princesses and rainbows for girls). Don't rely on the t-shirt graphic to give you insight into the child.

Related: Finally, longer shorts for girls
Girls like trucks, too
6. Toys and colors are for everyone. Seriously; don't ask that boy if he's sure he wants the pink sticker. If he chose the pink crayon or the princess dress-up gown, let it be. This is play, and I'm sure you agree that play is healthy, especially play that uses exploration and experimentation.

7. Question your school's dress code. Is there a dress code? If so, check to see if it has different expectations for different sexes. Do many teachers feel that a girl wearing shorter shorts or a tank top will "distract" boys? Talk to your colleagues about how policing girls' bodies can lead to self-consciousness, body monitoring, shame, and over-sexualization at a young age.

Get our body image guide here, which contains 8 advanced strategies.

Set Up a Gender-Equal Classroom Environment

8. Audit your bookshelf. In a review of our home library I found that the protagonist in children's books was 8 times more likely to be male than female. To conduct an audit of your classroom books, download Think or Blue's gender representation book audit form here.

9. Remember that female leads are for everyone. I've heard authors of girl-led books recount stories of educators wistfully declining an author visit because the boys wouldn't be interested. Well.. boys certainly won't be interested if adults fail to uphold stories of women and girls in history and today as valuable and important.

10. Reassess the visuals in your room. I personally find many classrooms to be visually overstimulating when every wall, nook, and cranny is filled with bright colors and posters. There is a case for the calm and serenity that comes with minimal decor. But if you display visuals during lessons such as "Community Helpers," be sure that they reflect a variety of genders, ethnicities, and abilities.

11. Expand children's role models. Use gender neutral words for professions, such as police officer, worker, mail carrier, fire fighter, nurse. Substitute "the men are fixing the roof" with "the workers are fixing the roof." Read more about this easy tip.

In addition, witness the power of inviting real-life role models to the classroom, especially when they disrupt expected gender stereotypes.

Interactions among students

12. Encourage mixed gender friendships. Be cognizant of your tendency to encourage single-sex friendships, even if it's subconscious. A teacher once reported to me proudly that my daughter had begun to develop closer relationships with other girls in the class. It wasn't a goal or concern of ours, so I was confused. I'm happy for her to be friends with ALL children. Here's why mixed-gender play is so healthy for everyone.

13. Equalize air time. Studies show that boys begin to interrupt other children at a young age. If my child is interrupted, she almost always stops talking. I'm currently working to give her the tools to say "I wasn't done speaking yet," or "I'm not finished." Try the same in your classroom.

14. Evaluate children's assigned and organic roles. During group projects, have you observed whether they self-select certain roles? Does a girl always end up being the "secretary/recorder"? If you observe this, take steps to rotate roles and help them share accountability.

15. Teach consent your students. Remind them to ask before they touch each other and that consent can be withdrawn at any time. Model this yourself, too. Once, on a day my daughter had a tough time entering the classroom, an energetic assistant teacher swooped my child up in the air and jiggled her. This trick may have worked well to acclimate other students, but it backfired and my daughter started sobbing. I informed the teacher that my child was not used to being picked up without permission. Watch this video for more tips about consent.

16. Help boys lose gracefully. If a girl beats other classmates at sports, or shines academically, don't console the boys or feel the need to shore up their self-confidence. Boys will sometimes lose to girls, in the classroom and someday in the boardroom. The earlier they learn this, the better. Help them take this defeat gracefully.

Pin it to remember tips later!

Teachers, Check Your Personal Bias

17. Check your assumptions. Do you assume girls will want to read or play hopskotch, or that boys will want to build or play sports? Teachers have sometimes led my daughter to crayons during dropoff, rather than asking her if she wants to build, or asking what SHE is interested in playing with. Follow the child's interests whenever possible. 20 Places Your Gender Bias is Hiding.

18. Work on your own anti-bias and stereotyping outside of the classroom. Who are your friends? Where do you spend your time outside of school, and with whom? Whose social media do you follow? Take steps to diversify your personal time. A few educator accounts I love are:

They have taught me valuable lessons about white saviorism in classrooms and the importance of learning names properly. Plus many more important lessons. Go follow them!

19. Plan ahead for how you would respond to a transgender or gender non-conforming child. If you haven't had a transgender or gender non-conforming student in your class or your school, even better reason to prepare for how you and your school would handle it. Is there a policy about bathrooms, sports teams, and pronouns? How will you help the other students be compassionate and better understand the child's journey? Get better educated.

20. Reconsider discipline. First, check your school district's discipline record within the Office of Civil Rights, and how it differs by gender and race. Second, check your own bias. Children of color are more likely to be disciplined, and adults tend to think that black girls are more mature than white girls. Think about this before you discipline.

Thank you, teachers, for the work you do every day. And for taking the time to learn more tips for how teachers can reduce gender bias and gender stereotypes in the classroom. YOU are changing the future!
Is your school, classroom, or parent group interested in learning more about how gender bias impacts children + strategies to overcome it? Learn more about my services here.

If you're ready to book a workshop, head straight here:

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Teachers: 20 Ways to Reduce Gender Bias at School | Think or Blue

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Teachers play a critical role to prevent gender bias and gender stereotypes in the classroom. Use these 20 tips to reach gender equity in school.

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For all grade levels.

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This article looks at ways in which teachers can reduce gender bias in schools. This is especially important in this day in age as we have a major pronoun movement going on in our country. Making students understand that they can be friends with the opposite sex or like any color they want is important to their devolpment. Creating groups that are mixed genders and assigning roles that a male or female would not always take will help reduce the bias that is created around gender.

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says, M., Michael, says, G. M., GreenMamalife, says, A., Alyssa, says, S., Stephanie, says, T. or B., & Think or Blue. (2021, December 8). Teachers: 20 ways to reduce gender bias at school. Think or Blue. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://thinkorblue.com/teachers-reduce-gender-bias-at-school/

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10 Ways Teachers Can Fight Racism and Teach Tolerance (weareteachers.com)

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The pain of racism is devastating our country and you've likely seen the impact in your own community. You may have even seen it in your classroom. Now, we see demonstrations taking place with people taking to the streets to stand against prejudice and injustice. Our stomachs churn. Our hearts break. And our minds wonder. What can we do to make this a better world for everyone? Here are 10 ways teachers can fight racism and teach tolerance right now.

1. Get (and Stay) Informed

Sometimes, we think we know more than we actually do. When it comes to racism, you cannot neglect the importance of being informed. Reading books and watching movies is just the beginning of the journey. It's absolutely essential that we learn about how our own implicit biases (and where they came from) can impact how we think and behave.

Racism is such a deeply ingrained part of our society that we may not even recognize it. For example, many schools have dress codes that contain exclusionary policies, particularly when it comes to hairstyles. We've seen African-American students denied the right to or participate in sports unless they were willing to cut their dreadlocks. A daycare a biracial child's hair without her parent's permission "for reasons of cleanliness."

This lack of understanding of natural hairstyles within the black community is just one example of the many causes of trauma to children. Families are all too often punished for refusing to conform and educators need to make every effort to stop this destructive pattern from continuing. The Teaching Tolerance website offers professional development through workshops, self-directed learning, webinars, podcasts, and even facilitator guides to empower you with the knowledge you need to take on this highly important endeavor.

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2. Speak Up

One of the most painful things we can experience is people being silent around us while we are suffering. No matter the circumstance, it's never okay to look the other way when we see others being mistreated and/or abused. We must always confront and address racism in all forms every single time.

Once you become more aware of the injustices your students, their families, and your co-workers of color face every day, you absolutely must speak up whenever you witness racism in action. Discriminatory policies in your school must be confronted head-on.

When we're forced to stand alone for what's right, it can feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. But when we can look around and see others joining together in acts of solidarity, we make it clear that we, as a society, will not tolerate racism and discrimination. We can't stand on the sidelines and watch this toxic dynamic continue. We all need to say something!

3. Give Your Classroom a "Diversity Audit"

It's natural to gravitate to familiar concepts, which is why it's so important that we push ourselves to look through multiple lenses when we're preparing our classrooms. More than ever, our students deserve to feel included, loved, and celebrated for who they are. They need to know that we recognize and support them.

Choose wall decor, such as these beautiful posters, to promote inclusivity and spark a conversation. Introduce that teach diversity to elementary school kids and explore the many ways in which you can help prepare your students for citizenship.

4. Commit to Listening

The classroom culture you create should focus on giving every student a voice while honoring student experience and providing social and emotional safety. Fostering student-led discussions and consciously working to better communicate with culturally diverse students will help everyone feel seen and heard.

5. Bring Empathy Into Your Classroom

Teaching with empathy is incredibly important, especially if you are trying to teach tolerance in the classroom. According to Merriam-Webster , empathy is "the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another... without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner."

Ready to begin? The Harvard Graduate School of Education has published called "How to Build Empathy and Strengthen Your School Community." Once you've read that, check out the website. This free tool combines live videos with activities designed for elementary students. Empatico connects classrooms around the world, empowering teachers and students "to explore the world through experiences that spark curiosity, kindness, and empathy."

6. Enhance Your Curriculum

As such, one of the most important ways to fight racism and teach tolerance in our classrooms is to rethink and enhance the curriculum. We should always look for ways to give our students the fairest and most balanced experience possible. Especially during these formative years in their lives.

Need some inspiration? This offers 8 Ways to Teachers Can Address White Supremacy in the Classroom. If that seems heavy, remember that your students of color and their families are likely dealing with this in their real lives every day. The Teaching Tolerance website also provides classroom resources including Teaching Strategies , , Learning Plans , Student Texts , Student Tasks , and even to help you feel better prepared to emerge as a leader against racial injustice.

7. Set High Expectations (And Lead By Example)

Challenge any policies, punishments, or practices that take away from the mission of creating an inclusive environment. For example, as the Teaching Tolerance website , "Zero-tolerance policies are popular, but mounting evidence suggests that this approach does not make schools safer. An alternative is taking a 'zero-indifference' approach to bullying, harassment, and other disciplinary issues. Zero indifference means never letting disrespectful conduct go unaddressed; school staff always name and respond to behaviors, but they do not implement automatic suspension, expulsion or other punishments."

Additionally, we can consider the "restorative justice approach to school discipline (and criminal justice) by focusing on repairing harm and restoring relationships rather than simply punishing those who have engaged in misconduct. Restorative justice spans a wide variety of practices and strategies, including peacemaking circles, peer jury processes, mediation, conferencing and classroom discussions focused on building empathy."

8. Learn From Other Teachers

If you've been in the classroom for any length of time, you already know your fellow teachers are a wealth of information. Undoubtedly, you've sought to find the best tips for workbooks and room decor. Why not do the same for diversity issues?

There are many incredible teachers of color out there creating content for this very reason. Whether it's tackling a difficult situation in the classroom or learning to recognize oppressive policies on an administrative level, there are blogs, Instagram accounts, and YouTube channels where these incredible educators are sharing their experience.

Grab a cup of coffee and sit down to read Tamara Russell's " Why Teachers Are Silent on Race Relations " and " The Lie I Refuse to Teach ." Open your heart as Jose Vilson reflects on segregation and why we don't see more teachers of color . If you see a way to sign up for newsletters, do it. It's an excellent way to stay engaged.

Finally, find ways to work with other teachers within your school. Regularly set aside time to critically and constructively review curricular materials. Visit each other's classrooms. And, share assignment ideas to ensure that you're all working towards the same goal.

9. Get Involved

When we're disconnected from something, it's much easier to dismiss it. You might scroll right by a story that has no impact on your life while it tears up people of color in your community. That's one of the reasons why racism continues to be so pervasive. Some people don't even recognize it. Do not miss opportunities to get involved.

10. Donate

Year after year, protests erupt across this country as human beings fight for their constitutional right to live. That shouldn't be necessary in 2020. We know that teachers are incredibly underpaid, which is why a donation is such a meaningful gesture.

Of course, you should always verify that you're donating to a legitimate source. But providing monetary support to a victim's family or organizations that provide legal services can go a long way towards confronting the devastation of systemic racism.
For more ways for teachers to fight racism and teach tolerance in your classroom, read our articles " White Teachers Need to See Color. Here's Why" and "6 Ways to Advocate for Underrepresented Students Headed to College."

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10 Ways Teachers Can Fight Racism and Teach Tolerance

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Teachers can fight racism in their classrooms by educating themselves, leading by example, conducting a diversity audit, and more.

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This article focuses on ways that teachers can create an inclusive classroom for all students. The article focuses on ways that teachers can foster an anti-racist classroom. I connected with the part of the article where the teacher should have high expectations and lead by example. A teacher is a role model and based on how the teacher reacts and behaves will determine what students feel is okay in that classroom. If a teacher does not have high expectations for students when it come to acceptance, then students will no longer have a safe space to learn. Creating these expectations from day one and not wavering from them is important to have in an inclusive classroom.

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Croteau , J. (2020, June 18). 10 ways teachers can fight racism and teach tolerance. We Are Teachers. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://www.weareteachers.com/teachers-fight-racism/