Strategies for implementing anti-racist teaching
General strategies
1. Recognize the Impact of Race
Be willing to recognize your privilege and that the experiences of your students are different than yours. Ditch a "colour blind" approach to race, realizing that students of colour don't have the option of ignoring the colour of their skin - it impacts their life every single day.
2. Be a lifelong learner
Be willing to learn from experts, colleagues, parents, and your students. Be willing to be vulnerable and admit that you don't have all the answers.
Be okay with being uncomfortable.
3. Acknowledge race
When race comes up at school, do not avoid it, face it head on.
4. Represent your students
Give all students the opportunity to see themselves represented in your classroom - whether it's in literature, posters, media, or even having their name used in a math problem. If they have a cultural consideration such as a dietary restriction, needing time off of school for a religious holiday, or space to pray - honour their needs.
Be willing to recognize your privilege and that the experiences of your students are different than yours. Ditch a "colour blind" approach to race, realizing that students of colour don't have the option of ignoring the colour of their skin - it impacts their life every single day.
2. Be a lifelong learner
Be willing to learn from experts, colleagues, parents, and your students. Be willing to be vulnerable and admit that you don't have all the answers.
Be okay with being uncomfortable.
3. Acknowledge race
When race comes up at school, do not avoid it, face it head on.
4. Represent your students
Give all students the opportunity to see themselves represented in your classroom - whether it's in literature, posters, media, or even having their name used in a math problem. If they have a cultural consideration such as a dietary restriction, needing time off of school for a religious holiday, or space to pray - honour their needs.
Although this visual from Tan Huynh makes specific reference to students who are English Language Learners (Els), it includes practices which are beneficial to all students.
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Specific learning activities
Combine poetry and identity
Allow students to explore and share their identity through poetry. Use a mentor text like Wendy Ewald's The Best Part of Me or Lina Abojaradeh's "I Am Limitless" |
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Implement a "check-in" system for students to use when discussing difficult topics
Allow students to signal to you that they are uncomfortable by implementing a "check-in" system. By addressing with students outright that it's okay to be uncomfortable and how to deal with it, you take away an element of fear and hesitation that students may have when addressing discomfort within the classroom.
Allow students to signal to you that they are uncomfortable by implementing a "check-in" system. By addressing with students outright that it's okay to be uncomfortable and how to deal with it, you take away an element of fear and hesitation that students may have when addressing discomfort within the classroom.
Read a Text that Deals with Racism
Show students that you are willing and that it is okay to discuss hard topics. Allow students of colour to feel heard as their experiences are validated through the texts that you use.
It is important to note the distinction between texts that deal with racism versus a text that simply features a non-white character. While it is important to feature multicultural books, those which feature non-white characters and celebrate culturally diverse traditions, it is also important to feature books which implicitly deal with racism. These books can be a gateway into a conversation about race and racism with your students. Students are never too young to start discussing this hard topic!
"Having ethnic content in a lesson does not fully equate to culturally responsive teaching . . . culturally responsive teaching draws on the social, intellectual, and behavioural strengths of all students" (Marshall 2018).
A list of school-friendly texts that deal with racism:
Lower Elementary:
Show students that you are willing and that it is okay to discuss hard topics. Allow students of colour to feel heard as their experiences are validated through the texts that you use.
It is important to note the distinction between texts that deal with racism versus a text that simply features a non-white character. While it is important to feature multicultural books, those which feature non-white characters and celebrate culturally diverse traditions, it is also important to feature books which implicitly deal with racism. These books can be a gateway into a conversation about race and racism with your students. Students are never too young to start discussing this hard topic!
"Having ethnic content in a lesson does not fully equate to culturally responsive teaching . . . culturally responsive teaching draws on the social, intellectual, and behavioural strengths of all students" (Marshall 2018).
A list of school-friendly texts that deal with racism:
Lower Elementary:
- The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
- The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad
- When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Oleuman Pokiak-Fenton
- Viola Desmond Won't be Budged by Jody Nyasher Warner and Richard Rudnicki
Upper Elementary:
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Middle School and High School:
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Use a survey to get some feedback from students
Provide students with an anonymous survey that allows them to give you some feedback on your teaching. This will allow you one way of gauging whether or not you are practicing antiracist pedagogy or if the students of colour in your room are still feeling the affects of unintentional bias. It is also a great tool for reflecting on all areas of your teaching practice and will allow you to improve yourself in a way that best suits your students.
The example below is a survey I used with my grade 5 students during my PS3 internship.
Provide students with an anonymous survey that allows them to give you some feedback on your teaching. This will allow you one way of gauging whether or not you are practicing antiracist pedagogy or if the students of colour in your room are still feeling the affects of unintentional bias. It is also a great tool for reflecting on all areas of your teaching practice and will allow you to improve yourself in a way that best suits your students.
The example below is a survey I used with my grade 5 students during my PS3 internship.