Discussing Race with Students
Overview
Discussing race with students can range from celebrating the importance of diversity to understanding the impact of racism from the perspective of those who have been historically marginalized. Designing activities that help them celebrate similarities and differences can create classrooms that foster a positive Sense of Belonging and are conducive to deeper conversations about race. Educators should regularly practice using discussion norms that support active listening and respecting differences during class discussions and academic debates. This supports Social Awareness and Relationship skills and builds a foundation for courageous conversations. Using frameworks like Mirrors and Windows can provide structure for student reflection and deeper discussion. It's important not to single students out, ask them to speak on behalf of marginalized groups, or force them to share in general if they are not ready. Establishing nonverbal signals allows students to communicate their readiness to speak or level of discomfort with the conversation.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch how this educator designs uses different units of students to teach students to celebrate differences and understand the perspectives of others. These types of activities can help create environments conducive to more complex conversations about race.
Design It into Your Product
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Culturally Responsive Strategies
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Checking in with learners, or taking the time to talk with individual learners about their experiences or goals, is important for fostering a positive classroom environment.
Developing cultural awareness as an educator is an ongoing process that includes building empathy for the full diversity of students, intentionally recognizing how one's own identity intersects with students' identities, and creating an awareness of how the learning environment can impact students' Sense of Belonging.
A first step to supporting learners is truly understanding who they are.
Equitable grading systems and practices reimagine how to assess and communicate student progress through various methods that reduce subjectivity and increase opportunities to learn.
Family engagement happens when educators and schools collaborate with families to collectively support their child's learning in meaningful ways, both at school and at home.
Learning about students' cultures and connecting them to instructional practices helps foster a sense of belonging and mitigate Stereotype Threat.
Selecting culturally responsive reading materials, including multicultural and diverse texts, is critical for supporting all students.
Student-led conferences are meetings between students, parents, and teachers where the student actively leads the conversation by reflecting on their progress toward goals and sharing examples of their work.
Translanguaging is a flexible classroom practice enabling students to listen, speak, read, and write across their multiple languages or dialects, even if the teacher does not have formal knowledge of these additional languages.
