Jane Keen
T O P I C :
How to Sow
Seeds of Understanding?
Jane Poses the Question. . . .
October 18, 2007
I am currently at a school that is 54 per cent Hispanic. On top of that, there is a pretty good sized Marshallese population. It is really diverse, which I think is great, but I have noticed a number of problems that have come up because of misunderstandings and culture clashes. A few weeks ago, we were out at recess, and the students were playing football. They were divided into Hispanic and Caucasian teams. They were being rough, so I went down to regulate, and the white team was yelling, "We're the border patrol." This is one of the many intolerant things I have encountered at my school. I have since addressed my students about appreciating diversity. This has opened up a board of discussion in class, where students tell me about the anger they feel because they are being discriminated against, and how it makes them want to fight. I think tolerance has a lot to do with classroom management, but I am having a difficult time figuring out how to sow the seeds of understanding in my students, and also putting it in their heads that violence is not the answer to hate. Does anyone have any good ideas for discussions or class activities that might address this problem?
Jessica Fay answers. . . .
October 24, 2007
I think it is awesome to see how passionate you are about helping your students value different cultures! You rock! Here is a story of something I did when I taught English in the Basque Country, a part of Northern Spain and Southern France that has been fighting relentlessly to become its own nation. My students HATED learning English. They thought that Americans were awful people. (Luckily, they thought I was British for some reason.)
One day, I started asking them about the stereotypes they had of Americans. Then, I told them the stereotypes that Americans had of Spaniards. They were appalled that most Americans had probably never heard of the Basque Country except in terms of the ETA terrorist group. I got them to feel the anger of what it feels like to be stereotyped themselves. This then opened their eyes. Since people can be self-centered, doing something to build their interpersonal skills through an intrapersonal path may prove successful. They need somehow to see the worth of the "others."
So, you can maybe have the whole class read a short story about Jewish people during the Holocaust. That could bring up all kinds of discussions about stereotypes, racism, hatred, and violence. Since you teach social studies, this could possibly tie into a unit. After the students talk about all the atrocities that happened because of the Nazis, you can refocus the discussion on what is happening in the United States, or you can talk about the Irish immigrants to relate that to the current situation in the U.S.
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