Can't We All Get Along? Excerpt from Yes You Can!: Advice for Teachers Who Want a Great Start and a Great Finish With Their Students of Color

Can’t We All Just Get Along?  

Using the Curriculum to Improve Race Relations in Class

Meet Chau: An Asian American Student (Part 1)

Chau immigrated to the United States from Vietnam. Because her parents had very limited English skills, when her mother enrolled Chau in kindergarten, her mother had trouble communicating with the teacher. However, as a concerned parent, she did her best to inform the teacher that Chau’s name was pronounced “Jo.” After her mother left the classroom, Chau thought that she would enjoy school, but one incident changed her opinion. She explained, ?

After that, all the mothers went home, and I along with the other kids, listened to our teacher read a book. I liked her. The next day, she assigned seats. She said “Chau, you sit here.” I looked at her but I did not say anything. The fat little boy who sat in front of me, laughed and said, “Your name is Chau?” A horrible feeling suddenly crept into my stomach.

Meet Chau: An Asian American Student (Part 2)

Reading the second part of Chau’s story in her own words will help you understand why the “horrible feeling suddenly crept into her stomach” and why things went downhill for her, starting on the second day of school. From then on, the teacher always pronounced my name “Chau,” like “Puppy Chow,” and that fat little boy always had something to say. I tried to correct her once but she could not understand what I was trying to say. I began to accept it. To this day, I regret not correcting her. In my own way, I blame her for all of the torment I endured throughout elementary school ?because of my name. My name, as well as my limited English, would keep me different from all those other kids. Until I got older, “Chau” would remain the one word I hated most. Because of her early negative experiences at school, Chau could easily have become another casualty. Her parents did not speak English well, and she could not even communicate with or understand her kindergarten teacher. On top of all of this, another student was allowed to bully her. Instead of becoming an underachiever who eventually dropped out of school, Chau defied the odds. She worked hard, learned English, became the salutatorian of her high school, and went to college.

Basic Facts About Cultural Insensitivity and Racism

Cultural insensitivity constitutes seemingly lesser offensive comments or acts that tend to stem from stereotypes and ignorance about individuals or groups from cultural backgrounds that are different from one’s own. Racism encompasses race-based discrimination or negative differential behavior that is designed to keep groups and individuals in inferior positions solely because of their racial background. Nevertheless, it is often difficult to differentiate between racism and cultural insensitivity. Therefore, the following list, which was compiled from the book, Exploring the Culture of Arrogance in the Academy: A Blueprint for Increasing Black Faculty Satisfaction, (which I [Gail] wrote with Dr. Angela Louque) and also from my (Gail’s) book, The Power of One: How You Can Help or Harm African American Students, should be helpful. 

1.   “Although cultural insensitivity may stem from ignorance and innocence, and may be less overt, and appear to be less offensive and seemingly less harmful than racist acts, its effects cannot be underestimated.” 

2.   Both racism and cultural insensitivity can be either overt or subtle.

3.   Racism and cultural insensitivity are common in Pre-K–12 schools and in higher education, but they usually manifest themselves in subtle ways.

4.   Instructional leaders are responsible for ensuring that all students are able to receive a quality education in a safe learning environment.

5.   “Many educators are just as uncomfortable as most other Americans when it comes to having honest and forthright conversations about race.”

6.   Many teachers “don’t even feel comfortable discussing racial issues in their classrooms.”

Why Knowing How to Handle Racial Conflicts That May Arise in Your Classroom and Incorporating Racial Issues Into Your Lesson Plans Are Important

One of the messages that we have repeatedly conveyed to you is that many teachers have good intentions yet fail woefully with certain students, especially African American students and other students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and struggling students. A primary cause is unaddressed mindsets that are rooted in stereotypes, fear, and even racist beliefs. These unaddressed issues can cause teachers to unknowingly subject students to negative differential treatment through their instructional practices and discipline policies and practices. Consequently, students may become resentful, for even if teachers are in denial or unaware that their biases are noticeable, students notice them. The following quotes from students who participated in one of the studies that I (Gail) conducted for my book, Up Where We Belong: Helping African American and Latino Students Rise in School and in Life, illustrate this point. 

According to a Latina high school student, 

I’m Hispanic, and if it’s a group of my Hispanic friends, and we’re sitting in back, talking whatever, and there’s a couple of White girls in the front talking, the teacher will yell at us and tell us to shut up. But the two girls up in the front don’t get told anything.

An African American female at the same school, remarked,

There’s one particular English teacher... and it’s only because I am the only Black student in that class. So, she picks on me at a constant pace: “Oh, you’re talking. Well, I saw you.” I’m like, “But she’s talking to me. I’m commenting on what she said.” The teacher says, “Well, I saw you talking, so you’re going to get the disciplinary action.” If I don’t back off, she’s going to yell at me and pinpoint me, but I haven’t done anything wrong.

When teachers fail to face and address their biases, students may lose respect for the teacher, accuse the teacher of being racist, become apathetic, misbehave, spread negative rumors about the teacher, or (in rare cases) act out physically. For example, when I (Gail) was a high school teacher, another teacher was assaulted by a student who accused the teacher of being racist against Latinos. In another case, an African American elementary school student refused to take the standardized test because he believed that his teacher was racist and would use his test scores to harm him. When the school principal told the child that he needed to take the test, the boy stated, “I ain’t giving that White woman one more reason to say I’m dumb.” 

In addition to resenting their teachers, students who believe that their teachers are racist or that the teachers have subjected them to negative differential treatment may begin to resent other students. For example, at the school where I (Gail) conducted the Up Where We Belong studies, racial conflicts were common among students. White students, especially females, said that they believed that African American male students harassed them, and fights between African American and Latino students often occurred. Furthermore, several African American and Latino students said that they did not like the preferential treatment that teachers gave to White students. This type of resentment can lead to classroom disruptions, such as verbal arguments and even fistfights among students. Therefore, in order to decrease the likelihood that your classroom will become a racially tense and potentially volatile setting, you must do all that you can to prevent this from happening. What’s more, if a racial conflict happens to occur in your classroom, you need to know how to handle it. At the end of this chapter, we share several related strategies. However, the best strategy is to be preventative. 

One of the best ways to decrease the likelihood that racial conflicts will erupt in your classroom is to take precautionary steps. This means that we urge you to do the mindset and professional growth work that we have recommended in every chapter. In other words, you will work hard to become the outstanding instructional leader that all students (especially African American students and other students of color, struggling students, and ELLs) deserve by creating a classroom climate that is based on fair and effective discipline practices. Additionally, you will provide them with an empowering curriculum. More specifically, when you design culturally rich and relevant lesson plans, you can offset potential racial conflicts from occurring among students. 

Research has repeatedly shown that many students of color want a culturally relevant curriculum, such as the lesson plans that we included in the previous chapter. For example, 60 percent of the Latino students and 75 percent of the African American students who participated in the Up Where We Belong studies said they wanted to learn more about their culture in class. A Latina student asked a pertinent question: “I’ve already learned a lot of American history my whole life, because I’ve lived here my whole life. So, it would be nice to learn something about my culture too. It wouldn’t hurt, right?” Similarly, an African American male student asked, “Where’s the Mexican people in the history books? You don’t be learning nothing about them.”

When the curriculum is interesting, comprehensible, and culturally relevant, both teachers and students benefit. Students of color are less likely to be bored in class and are more likely to be interested and engaged. Therefore, they will be less inclined to misbehave in class. They are also more likely to be motivated to excel academically. As one African American male participant in the Up Where We Belong studies explained, “I have AP History, and I find myself doing better on tests when I’m reading and writing about stuff that pertains to my culture. If they incorporated more of that, then maybe I could do better in that class.” In addition to having fewer discipline problems, preparing culturally relevant lessons will allow you to learn more about your students’ backgrounds. 

Hopefully, you now understand why it’s important to be able to handle racial conflicts that may arise in your classroom, and you realize that you can decrease the chances of this happening by being proactive. Next, we’d like for you to examine 

Figure 6.1, read what the TC Study respondents said and then compare and contrast their answers with your beliefs. (You have to refer to our book.)

With the exception of working with parents who do not speak English, and working with struggling students, this was the area where the participants were least likely to feel confident. Regarding incorporating racial issues into the curriculum, a White female middle school teacher with more than five years of teaching experience stated, “I could use some ideas on how to incorporate racial issues into my lesson plans.” In explaining why she was only somewhat confident, a White intern explained,

I know that people are different and that there are many different races and cultures in each classroom. So, I’m only somewhat confident about incorporating racial issues into my lesson plans, because I want to make sure they are engaging and relevant to all. With regard to racial conflicts, there is no colorblindness, and when it comes to that type of conflict, people need to know that they are different and that different is okay. 

An Asian American male intern who had taught high school for one year was one of the few TC Study respondents who wrote about being very confident about his ability to address race-related issues. He stated,

I am very confident in my teaching skills. I’m also very confident in my ability to work well with people. I do not tolerate racism. But I do like to talk about racism when it comes to knowing about a culture. 

In terms of handling racial conflicts that arise in the classroom, a White teacher said, “I feel a little apprehensive about talking about racial conflict issues.” A White female intern who had taught middle school math for one year said, “I am fairly confident in all the areas of teaching, and the only problem would be if there are conflicts that are racial. But I would handle them okay, I believe.” Another intern, a White female with no teaching experience but who had worked as an instructional aide for several years, admitted, “I’m not very confident in any of these areas, but I still think this has to do with the fact that I’ve never had my own classroom. I’m timid about addressing racial conflicts, but also lack experience.”

Conclusion

What We Can Learn From the TC Study

In this chapter, we emphasized several points that we want you to remember:

·     A culturally relevant curriculum is important. 

·     Many students of color want to learn more about their culture in class. 

·     A culturally relevant curriculum can benefit both teachers and students. 

·     A culturally relevant curriculum can decrease the likelihood that racial conflicts will arise in the classroom. 

Nevertheless, the TC Study results clearly show that many teachers lack confidence about two related issues. Specifically,

·     Only 40 percent of the TC Study respondents were very confident about their ability to incorporate racial issues into their lesson plans; and

·     only 40 percent of the respondents were very confident about their ability to effectively address racial conflicts that may arise in their classroom. 

The following advice and strategies can help you increase your confidence about these matters. 

Advice and Strategies 

1. Tie the curriculum to standards. 

In the previous chapter, we emphasized that because of the current high-stakes testing era, every lesson plan that you design should be based on one or more grade-level standards. Many of the materials that experts have already developed are standards based. Therefore, it is important that you utilize these materials to your advantage. For example, Gary Holland, an education consultant, has created culturally relevant curricula that have been used in many schools. According to the Indianapolis Recorder, “The Historic Journey curriculum is a comprehensive K–12 interdisciplinary curriculum that is aligned to Common Core State Standards. The curriculum, both text and web based, explores the literary, historical, social, scientific, mathematic and cultural endeavors of African Americans.” To learn more about Holland’s work or to access teachers’ guides, worksheets, and other materials, visit www.thehistoricjourney.org. Below, we share other examples that pertain to ELL students, Latinos, and Asian Americans.

2. Use students as a resource.  

Asking students to complete culturally relevant assignments is one of the best ways to increase their interest and to empower them. For example, when I (Gail) taught high school, I assigned the Community Problem Solving Project, the All About Me Project, the Cultural Awareness Project, and the Time Line Project. Each assignment required students to write about topics that were relevant to their personal life, culture, and community and was designed to improve their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Each of these assignments is explained in detail in the Appendix section of Through Ebony Eyes: What Teachers Need to Know but Are Afraid to Ask About African American Students.17 You can also ask students, parents, and other educators for additional suggestions. 

3. Use existing materials. 

As we stated previously, it’s important to remember that there is absolutely no need for you to start from scratch. Educational organizations, state departments of education, and the U.S. Department of Education websites contain culturally relevant lesson plans and other teaching materials. One document, “A Report of Spanish Resources for Mathematics Teachers of English Language Learners, contains a plethora of information for teachers who desire to use culturally relevant mathematics strategies. Lesson plans, games, math links for teachers, dictionaries, research reports, and diagnostic tests are among the materials that the authors of this report created for educators. 

One of the best places to locate a lot of culturally relevant information and materials that you can incorporate into your lesson plans is the Smithsonian Institute. To find historical information, teaching resources, art, museums, and lesson plans, visit the websites for the Smithsonian’s American Indian Museum, African American History and Culture Museum, Anacostia Community Museum, African Art Museum, Asian Pacific Heritage Center, Latino Center, and Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Knowing about and honoring each of the Heritage Month Celebrations instead of only commemorating Black History Month can decrease the likelihood that students will complain that one group is receiving preferential treatment and thereby prevent racial conflicts from flaring up. 

4. Use current events. 

Creating lessons plans that are based on current events is another easy way to make the curriculum culturally relevant and to also decrease the chances that racial conflicts will erupt in your classroom. Media reports often focus on racial issues. For example, in 2013, the George Zimmerman trial and the Paula Deen controversy dominated news stories for several months. The Zimmerman trial centered on whether or not a biracial (half-White, half-Latino) man had killed an African American teen in self-defense. The Paula Deen story centered around the issue of whether or not a famous White chef and restaurant owner was an antiblack racist. Assigning relevant reading assignments from magazines and newspapers, sharing related video clips, and allowing students to share their thoughts about these and other current events through class discussions, debates, and writing assignments will enable them to learn how to address controversial issues in a safe learning environment. 

5. Create a culturally safe classroom environment. 

Becoming an outstanding teacher of all students, especially students of color, requires that you create a culturally safe classroom environment. It’s best to begin on the first day of school when you explain your class rules to students. Emphasizing that no name calling, bullying, or sexually or racially offensive language will be tolerated and holding offenders accountable are necessary. Furthermore, it’s important that you set boundaries during class discussions by explaining to students how to voice their dissenting viewpoints in a respectful manner.

6. Address a common stereotype as early as possible. 

Just as educators have historically misunderstood and misjudged certain students (especially African American, Latino, ELL, and low-income students), students often misjudge teachers. Educators arrive at school with unaddressed racial baggage about students, and students arrive at school with stereotypes about their classmates and about teachers. Some students may automatically assume that you are racist, and many teachers have been accused of being racist. Instead of bursting into tears, becoming defensive, or retaliating against the accuser, we advise you to take steps to offset potential misunderstandings as early in the school year as possible. One way to do this is to educate students about your culture. This means that you must first know and understand your own cultural history, which many teachers don’t know or understand. Therefore, you will have to do your homework. Once you have done this, spend time sharing photos and artifacts about your ancestry, your upbringing, why you became a teacher, and so on with students. Afterward, ask them to do a similar project about their own heritage and allow them to share the finished product with the entire class. This is a great way to humanize yourself to your students and to also create a community of learners. 

7. Use conflicts as teachable-moment opportunities. 

No matter how hard you try to avoid cultural conflicts and no matter how hard you try to be fair and not to be misunderstood, misjudged, or mislabeled by students, reality and the law of probability suggest that racial conflicts may erupt in your classroom and also that you may be accused of being racist. If and when these events occur, remember the following: As the instructional leader, you are responsible for handling conflicts wisely and fairly. Examine what happened, try to figure out why it occurred, identify the lessons that you and your students can learn from the incident, and try to determine how you can prevent similar problems from recurring. Spend time discussing the incident with students and use questioning to uncover their thoughts about the causes, solutions, and lessons to be learned from the problem. Try to incorporate conflict-resolution stories, strategies, and assignments into your lesson plans. 

8. Learn from the courageous preschool director. 

In Exposing the Culture of Arrogance in the Academy: A Blueprint for Increasing Black Faculty Satisfaction, Dr. Angela Louque and I (Gail) shared a story about a White preschool director who handled a brewing racial conflict adeptly. At the school, the White children had gradually started to exclude the two African American preschoolers from their games, refused to hold their hands during a class activity where handholding was required, and had begun to make racially offensive remarks. Instead of ignoring the situation, minimizing it, or blaming the African American children, the director summoned all of the parents to an emergency meeting. During the meeting, she

informed them of what had been happening, said the racist behavior was unacceptable, and discussed an action plan with them. One of the components of this action plan was that the curriculum would become more multicultural, in order to teach the children to value and appreciate other groups. The director was also holding the parents accountable for doing their part to ensure that the racist behavior would cease. Her actions sent a clear message to students, teachers, and parents that racism would not be tolerated at the school. This message was, undoubtedly, validating and reassuring to the Black children and their parents.

Applying What You Learned to Your Yes, I Can!  

(Note: Educators are encourage to journal thoughts and ideas.)

Journal Read the following case study, which a parent shared with me (Gail). During the 2009–2010 school year, 10-year-old April, an African American fifth grader, attended a high-performing southern California public elementary school. April loved school and earned five As and four Bs on her final report card. She was inquisitive, eager to learn, self-confident, and outgoing, and she also earned high citizenship marks. In her spare time, April enjoyed reading books, and she and her mom often went to the public library to check out books. Because of her natural acting ability, April was also ?interested in taking acting classes. On Sundays, she attended Sunday School and church and served as a junior usher at her church. The following summer, April and her mom moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and at the end of August, April entered sixth grade. April and an African American boy were the only African American children in their class. At the end of the first week of school, April’s mother telephoned me to say that April had stood up to a group of White children who had tried to bully her in the lunchroom. April had also complained to her mother that the schoolwork, especially the math, was much easier than the work that she had done in fifth grade. Furthermore, April’s mother told me that on two occasions that week, April’s teacher had made questionable comments to her daughter. In October 2010, April’s mother became so fed up with the way that the teacher was ?treating her daughter that she transferred April to another school. At the new school, April was the only African American child in her classroom. Once again, she found that the schoolwork was way too easy for her. According to April’s mother, within a month, April’s teacher had told April that the other students were afraid of her, that she suspected that April had never been around “these types of children before,” and that going to college would be difficult for April, even though this was one of April’s biggest goals. When a White student called April the “N word,” her teacher refused to punish him and merely told him not to do so again. April’s teacher never contacted her mother to complain about any of April’s behaviors. After listening to April speak about her experiences at school on a daily basis, her mother eventually concluded that the teacher didn’t really want to deal with April. The fact that April spoke standard English and was an ?extremely self-confident African American child who was also articulate, tall, a bit overweight for her age, and outspoken were factors that contributed to her problems at school.

Read the following books and, in your journal, summarize your thoughts, reactions, and ways that you can use this information. The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women by Elaine Brown, Marsha Haygood, Rhonda McLean, and Angela Burt-Murray (This book contains excellent leadership strategies, conflict-resolution strategies, ?and information about cultural differences and racial conflicts that will be beneficial to all teachers, not only African Americans.) More Courageous Conversations About Race by Glenn E. Singleton

Recommended reading: Yes You Can!: Advice for Teachers Who Want a Great Start and a Great Finish With Their Students of Color which is based on quantitative research in its entirety and give a copy to a teacher. Available on Amazon and other online bookstores and from Corwin Press.

Excerpts taken from  Yes, You Can!: Advice for Teachers Who Want a Great Start and a Great Finish With Their Students of Color. SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition. Authors, Dr. Gail L. Thompson and Rufus Thompson.