Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1291735
Black scientist of the early 20th century. "For far too long, we have taught U.S. history devoid of a true depiction of Black excellence, and have focused on erasing the truth of racial oppression and uplifting white- n ess," writ es Simmons. " Knowing our c ountr y 's w hole history helps us make sense of how our current education perpetuates inequity." Make students feel seen and valued When Myart-Cruz was teaching, she never read the cumu- lative folders about her students with comments from previous teachers, because she wanted to meet them with- out judgment. "I didn't want to know if someone else had issue with those kids. I did not want labels on those kids," she explains in the CTA roundtable, not- ing that students of color are often unfairly labeled as having learning disabilities or behavior problems. S t u d e n t s o f c o l o r a r e o f t e n marginalized. Their strengths are o v e r l o o k e d . T h e y a r e k e p t o u t of advanced courses, given poor grades, sent to the principal's office, and expelled more frequently. Pirette McKamey, author of the article "What Anti-racist Teachers D o D if ferently " in T h e A t l a n t i c , describes a phenomenon where students of color thrive in classrooms where they know they are seen and valued. In such classrooms they are engaged, participate in discussions, and ask deep questions. In classes where they do not feel val- ued or seen, they may put their head down, not participate in discussions, and get poor grades. "Anti-racist teachers take Black students seriously," writes McKamey. "ey create a curriculum with Black students in mind, and they carefully read students' work to understand what they are expressing. … ey analyze the assignments handed in, identifying ways in which teaching reached — and didn't reach — all of their students." McK am e y, prin cip al of Mi ssion Hi g h S ch o o l in S an Francisco, asserts that anti-racist teachers view the success of Black students as central to the success of their own teaching. ey "problematize" their own practice instead of assuming students weren't motivated or ready for challenging material. And they praise students whenever given the opportunity. "In essence, we do what works for Black students, which also works for all students." Talk with students about race "With little ones, you can't be afraid to talk about skin color," says Jones. "We have multicolor, multicultural crayons, and we talk about our images and our identities from coloring and writing. I want all students to leave my class with self-esteem, know they are worthy and that they are loved and beautiful. I take that v e r y s e r i o u s l y a n d e m b e d t h a t throughout my curriculum. When I taught upper grades, I didn't just offer students a list of multicultural books. I asked them to understand h ow th e ch ara ct ers are h elpin g dismantle racism or how they are perpetuating racial narratives." It is not easy to talk about race. However, avoiding talking about race sends a message that you are uncomfortable with the topic, which is so important to students. Use historical stories and litera- ture as a starting point, suggests Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center offering free resources to K-12 educators to supplement curriculum and create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome. "Remember that conversations about race are not only about color, but also about whiteness. Too often, teachers discuss race without making white privilege visible and sub- ject to investigation." Teaching Tolerance offers the following suggestions for talking with students about race: • Acknowledge the importance of race in students' lives. • Bone up on the history of race as a social construct and means of control. Cecily Myart-Cruz "Put students at the center. Make space for them. What can they teach us about their culture, language and music?" —TAUNYA JACO, San Jose Teachers Association 46 cta.org Teaching & Learning