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Case: I Wish I Were Black! As a teacher of 5th grade students, I try to make sure that my students have a good sense of all the people and cultures that make up this country. Last couple weeks, I paid special attention to the African American people who have made significant contributions to the US. We read a book written by Walter Dean Myers. We have studied scientists, writers, and political figures. Students were very engaged and interested in the content. Yesterday something happened that puzzled me. Three of my White students told me that they wished they were Black. This was not my intention when I planned all my lessons on contributions of African Americans. How should I address this issue? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) It seems as if the three white students really admired the accomplishments of the African Americans you presented in your lesson. As a teacher, this is great because the lesson seems to be a source of motivation for the white students. I would explain to the students that each culture has made significant contributions to various countries and the world as well. I would also inform the three white students that it is acceptable for them to feel proud of the accomplishments of past or current fellow African Americans that have contributed to our society, but that does not mean that they have to feel as if they need to belong to a different ethnicity or culture to be proud of an individual or particular group. If the students are not aware of significant contributions whites have made in society, this would be a good opportunity to incorporate these aspects into a lesson. |
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