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Case: Why Should I Listen? As part of my 7th grade Social Studies curriculum, I have to talk about slavery, the civil rights movement, etc. The topic ultimately leads to a discussion of how Whites oppressed Blacks. I try to present these topics in a way that does not suggest any guilt. This year, one of my students had a very bad reaction. When we were talking about the civil rights, John, one of my well-behaved but opinionated students, got up and said that he did not want to listen to this lesson anymore, because all we did was to demonize the White people. Three other students openly agreed with him saying that these topics made them angry. I have to cover these topics because they are a part of my curriculum. Also, I believe in the importance teaching children about these inequalities. However, it seems like the way I teach, which is mainly based on lectures and small group work, is making my White students uncomfortable. What should I do to make sure that my White students do not feel offended by these topics? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I think that teaching about racism and slavery is one of the hardest things to teach students, even in higher levels of education. No matter how it is taught there will always be students who get offended and "blame" others for the terrible things of the past. I think it is important for students to understand that these things happened a while ago but played a significant role in how the United States is today. They also need to understand that not all white people were for slavery and it is a stereotype to say that all white people are or were racist. I believe there is a good bit of grudge holding that still happens today. People of color hold grudges toward white people because of what "they did to their ancestors" and so on. Students have to learn this information because it is an important part of out history but they also must take it with a grain of salt and an understanding that it is a hard pill to swallow. |
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