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Posts from the ‘Honoring Diversity’ Category

Feb 14

Bulletin Board Battles and Black History Month

by Renee Jacobs

Happy Black History Month! Although we know that good practice is to teach accurate history every day of the academic year, Black History Month is a wonderful time of year to highlight the contributions that Black people have given to the United States and the world. This year, during your school’s preparation, I would advise you to gauge the degree of crazy behavior or avoidance that could ensue.

Every year as February approaches, I see very caring teachers become crazy with trying to get Black history month bulletin boards up in the school. In some cases, the precision and focus involved with making sure things are colored, cut, and mini-lessoned is unmatched. Sadly, we feel accomplished, but the level of understanding that the students have about the importance of such contributions as the pacemaker (invented by Otis Boykin) is dependent upon if the students paid attention during the thirty second speech on the morning announcements or if they noticed the facts on those strategically placed bulletin boards. We don’t teach any other aspects of history with such disregard. I would like to recommend that you take some time to think through your presentation of our shared history because there is actually no Black history, only history. However, our curriculums don’t reflect this fact so we need to continue celebrating the month for now so our students can see and celebrate heroes of every race.

    There are also schools that are so uncomfortable with discussions about race that they choose to avoid any story related to Black History that isn’t sweet or does not have an ending that ties a pretty bow on the way we “should” remember the past. It’s predictable that the same story of Dr. King’s dream, Harriet Tubman’s railroad trip, and Rosa Park’s seat will be on repeat in classrooms all over the country throughout the month of February. Many versions of these stories lack depth and in many cases are not shared accurately at all so that the teacher and our organizations can remain comfortable. Another form of avoidance is the “family heritage” approach. In these schools, teachers assign all students a project that requires them to research their family heritage in celebration of “Heritage Month” or “International Food Day”. This way, we can say that we looked at Black history as we looked at the family history of all our students. 

    In case no one else told you, I will be your Black teacher friend that is going to tell you a bit of truth that will improve relationships and the authenticity of your practice. Crazy last-minute bulletin board frenzies and avoidance are not respectful. Your Black families are often inferring their significance to your school community based on many interactions, and this is one of them. This opportunity is important to connect with families. We need to approach Black History using professional reflection and excellence. For example, do educators ever discuss with students the fact that Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony lived during the same time period? Black history is American history; it must be intentionally integrated. If teachers understood the importance of taking the time to find meaningful resources to engage students in rich conversations about the contributions of Black people throughout the year and also highlight this learning during the month of February with students and families in mind rather than remaining in the personal comfort of the repeating last year’s lesson, it would be so impactful. Our relationships can be strengthened by the amount of effort that we put into community building work such as respectfully and authentically celebrating people. This will be a process, but in the meantime try to remember… it’s not about the bulletin board.

    Mar 30

    2 Comments

    Guest Post: Finding and Honoring Our Many Stories (Part 2)

    By Brittany Carlino

    In my last post, I spoke about my responsibility of representing and responding to cultural differences while participating in the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange program in Budapest, Hungary.  Though I’m no longer teaching in a different country, I still take that responsibility quite seriously in my Great Valley classroom.  Even in a room of all American kids, there are still diverse socioeconomic statuses or ethnicities or even interests that can be identified and discussed.  Each student has his own story, her own diversity of life experiences to be celebrated. Read more

    Mar 25

    5 Comments

    Guest Post: Finding and Honoring Our Many Stories (Part 1)

    By Brittany Carlino

    First day of school with VPG in backgroundI spent last year teaching in Budapest, Hungary through the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange program. This means I traded places with a Hungarian teacher; she came to teach at my U.S. school, Great Valley High School, and I taught in her place at Veres Pálné Gimnázium.  As you might imagine, there were myriad ups and downs in that experience, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.  It made me into a better student, teacher, and person.  Most important, it sharpened the need to look for the many stories – personal, cultural, societal – that can be honored and celebrated, and how imperative it is that we teach our students to do so.  Read more

    Mar 26

    Falling for Seneca Falls

    By Kathleen Hall Scanlon

                When I begged to visit Seneca Falls, New York for our anniversary, my husband responded with characteristic rationality: “What’s there? Can you navigate?”

               Thus began our odyssey to the pulse of America’s Women’s Movement, Mecca to hardy feminists, home of the Women’s Hall of Fame whose raging warriors include Susan B. Anthony, Ida B. Wells Barnett, and Frederick Douglass. Oh, you thought the US Constitution Center holds the monopoly on life-sized statues of historic giants? Au contraire! How many of us, male or female, can identify Sally Franklin Bache, Mammy Kate Heard, Wilma Mankiller, Dolores Huerta, or Daisy Bates? Read more

    Mar 24

    Herstory: Addressing the Omissions in Women’s Contributions to their Families, Country & World

    By Lynne R. Dorfman

                Women’s roles are constantly changing!  As you are reading this blog post, there are women making history and baby girls being born who will be future history-makers. It is important to deliver more than half of the story as we discuss leaders, activists, agents of change, and everyday heroes with our students. While some might think that stereotypes and prejudices have vanished into thin air, they haven’t. Consider the Kappan article published this month,” Deconstructing the Pyramid of Prejudice” where author David Light Shields claims that stereotypical behavior in schools about the sexes are “…as common as pencils.” Read more

    Mar 16

    Race Talks: the bridge, the journey, the work

    By Renee Jacobs

    “We must teach the way students learn, rather than expecting them to learn the way we teach.”

    — Pedro Noguera

          The journey of reflection on race and education for me began as a college student. I had been raised in a predominantly African-American community where 95% of the students and a high percentage of the teachers and administrators looked like and communicated similarly to my African-American family. When I made the decision to attend West Chester University in the late 80’s, the student population was approximately 10% students of color and the professors were significantly less racially diverse. Although no one attempted to make me feel different at West Chester University, I felt very alone. Read more

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