Friday, November 30, 2012

Evaluating impacts on professional practice

My middle and high school years played a significant role in the formation of my emotional development. In my middle school the majority of my friends on the basketball team were African American. With long days at practice and weekends together, I grew to enjoy my time with the basketball team, however after a few times getting together comments were made in reference to my race. Some comments such as " your just a little white girl." began to make me feel like I was not as important or as strong as they were because of my skin color. I found myself becoming very removed from conversations, not standing up for myself, and simply not believing in myself anymore. These feelings continued a year or so into high school, until I joined a new basketball team and other activities in which I felt I belonged.

I know I still carry those experiences with me even though I have moved beyond the impact it once had on me socially and emotionally, however I find that when similar comments happen in my class I become very defensive and discuss the impact those comments have on other people. This past year a Caucasian girl in my classroom was experiencing some of the same comments I did growing up. When the mother informed me about the comments her child was receiving a recess or on the bus, I immediately thought back to the impact it had on me, and knew it was a situation that needed to be handled immediately. Also, a common comment in our school now is calling someone " ugly little black girl" " ugly like black boy."  We talk about how hurtful these comments are often in our small meetings in class.

Due to the 'ism" I experience as  teenage I feel like I place more importance of the words we say about each other in the classroom, and never letting even the smallest comment regarding someone's looks and skin color go unaddressed. I try to remind my student often of how hurtful our comments are, and talking out the reasons why we make those comments.

Derman-Sparks & Edwards provided a wonderful reminder to us; " if we want children to thrive in a diverse world and choose to stand up for themselves and others, then we much choose to help young children make sense of the confusing messages they often receive" (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010 pg 87).

By not letting these negative comments our children say slide, we are able to make it a teachable moment in which we make sense of it, and how it hurts others.

4 comments:

  1. Jo Ann: Racism is an “ism” that is nonnegotiable in my classroom because of the psychological havoc it creates. I am sorry that you experienced racism as a child; as educators it is imperative that we provide children with accurate understandings of race and diversity. What strategies did you use to help your students gain an accurate understanding of race and diversity?

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  2. Jo,
    I am sorry that you have to experienced racism when you were younger but at the same time I felt glad that this experience has taught you a very important lesson about treating people fairly no matter what you look like or what the color of your skin. The experiences we had also help us reach out for the people who are experiencing the same thing and teach them to turn the negative experience into a 'teachable moment".
    Thank you for sharing.

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  3. Jo,

    Once again I am reminded of how cruel our world can be. I'm very sorry about what you have experienced in your childhood and with the mother of the child in your class that made that comment. However, the statement from Derman-Sparks & Edwards is definitely what keeps me active in letting children know that we are all equally important and unique. We should cherish those teachable moments that we have with children. It is my prayer that as they grow older and wiser they will remember the positive things that have been taught to them.

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  4. Jo,

    I think as adults some of us have been desensitized to racial, sexist or other prejudice comments, and don't realize what impact we are having on our children because some of us do not look at it as a big deal anymore. Children need to understand the impact their comments have, and I am glad you are taking the time to make your kids see this.

    Shannon

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