Many educators recognize the significance of social-emotional learning and we, rightfully so, are always aiming to increase its presence in our schools. But did you know that social-emotional learning (SEL) and equity are two sides of the same coin? This means that we are not truly teaching into SEL unless we talk about race and anti-racism in our classrooms. If we value children’s understanding of self and their positive relationships with others in a community, then we have to acknowledge that children are not all made the same and are not all treated fairly by society.
Anti-racism requires an active effort to push back against racism. Not only is it possible to share these ideas with children, I argue that we must. We teachers recognize that our job is beyond instruction of academic material — our most important role is to help children become responsible, ethical, and worldly citizens. The societal unrest and pain that we are seeing on the news today, spotlights the tragic aftermath of over 400 years of systemic racism against black people. It would be irresponsible of educators to act as gatekeepers of information that can ultimately empower our students to work towards equity and justice, and act as allies against prejudice.
Some parents and fellow colleagues may be uncomfortable with the topic of racism and maybe even concerned about tainting children’s worldview. But there are many serious situations that we already explain to young children in thoughtful ways, from Covid-19 to lockdown drills in schools. We’ve been taught that race is a taboo subject, but the truth is, kids already know about race. Research tells us that infants as young as 3 months can already recognize when face color is the same as their own. In the 1940s, psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark conducted a now famous series of experiments using black and white dolls to study children’s attitudes on race. The outcomes were heartbreaking — the majority of black children between the ages of 3-7 showed a preference for the white doll. And when asked which doll was ‘bad’, the majority of black children indicated the black doll. In 2005 and 2010, this experimental design was revisited and the results still revealed a strong white bias. The concept of black inferiority is still pernicious in society today, and is often unconsciously exposed to young children through stereotypes and racist attitudes. That’s why educators have to consciously address it and help children see their racial identity, their individual worth, and that of their peers.
Teachers alone cannot solve racism, but we have an awesome responsibility to be a part of the solution and to take steps towards educating ourselves and the students that we love. Understandably, the subject matter can be intimidating, but teachers have always figured out how to talk about difficult topics in age-appropriate ways, and can continue to do so in a way that pushes back against our collective biases.
1. SET THE TONE FOR THE YEAR
When the school year begins and you are starting to define with your students the meaning of an inclusive classroom community, along with the ideals of treating others with respect and kindness, have some explicit conversations around what equity looks like. How do we as responsible classroom community members help everyone get what they need this year? Weave into class discussions the recent uprisings, their feelings on it, and gauge what your students already know. As an Asian-American, I have dealt with my own share of racism throughout childhood and as an adult. If you have relevant personal stories to share, do so. Help your students empathize, understand injustices, and care about equity. You could also share examples of what you have overheard in the classroom or around the school as further discussion points. The first step in anti-racism efforts is to help children define what it is.
Keep in mind that this isn’t something that we talk about one time at the beginning of the year as one lesson, only to revisit it during Black History Month. We need to return to these ideas and build on them throughout the year, in the same manner in which we spiral back to any academic objectives. Little kids can handle these big conversations, and in my experience, they are often the drivers of the discussion as they are rather sophisticated in their understanding of equity and more often than not, willing to sacrifice their own rewards to be fair to others!
At the start of the year, it’s also important to acknowledge each student family’s unique identity and personal histories. One family event I organize is all about showcasing who they are through a classroom ‘quilt’. I invite parents, guardians, and relatives to join their beloved 1st grader in creating a family collage that represents them, however they want to be defined. A wide assortment of craft and art supplies are used to display their heritage, their interests, their family traditions, etc. It is always incredible to witness the enthusiasm of family members brainstorming and creating together, while also helping me gain insights into how children and parents see themselves. After dedicated sharing time, I hang up these collages side by side as pieces of a classroom ‘quilt’ for the entire year. It is an everyday reminder that their families contribute to our classroom community and that they should be honored for exactly who they are.
2. VOCABULARY & BOOKS
Teach into vocabulary like discrimination, prejudice, racism, stereotypes, bias to strengthen student abilities to identify it and stand up for themselves and others, and additionally, use this language to deepen class conversations. There are now many lists of fantastic read alouds that cover race and racism that can be used as anchor texts in the classroom that further everyone’s understanding. Chocolate Me! is a book that can lead to a rich discussion on racist commentary and what constitutes a productive resolution. I also would recommend the digital story here that thoughtfully introduces children to the concept of racism and contemporary systemic injustices.
When sharing these texts, encourage kids to use the vocabulary they learned and ask them to be problem solvers:
What issues can they identify?
How do they feel about the treatment of characters?
What needs to be changed to have more equity?
Can they do anything about it?
It is also important to find the right balance of diversity in your classroom books, with characters representing different ethnicities, abilities, and gender identities. Do you think your students would feel seen in the texts that you read? Although it is critical to understand the discrimination that takes place in real life, make sure that the books with black characters are not all about racism or skin color or hair. Not all books with Asian characters should feature immigrants with foreign names who don’t speak English. The array of books you choose to have in your classroom should showcase multiple narratives that normalize people of color and not teeter on stereotyping.
3. HISTORY & HISTORICAL FIGURES
It’s not enough to just recognize racism, we have to help our students understand how hard allies have fought for more open-minded perspectives today and that includes a look at past injustices. Each year I explicitly teach into the historical treatment of people of color, from what took place hundreds of years ago to today. This can often be easily included in your instruction, such as by providing accurate historical context to inspirational figures when children are learning about biographies. I also dedicate more instructional time to these conversations based on the calendar, from holidays to nationally recognized months, like Black History, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage, and Pride. Remember that these are never the first times I introduce the idea of racism or different kinds of identities.
In my classroom I teach the truth about history, and Columbus Day is an example of that. Even though I never get into details of violence, teaching my 6 year olds the larger message of inhumane and unjust treatment of non-white people as ‘less than’ has always been made clear. The lessons I received as a child about Christopher Columbus and the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria were at best misleading, at worst, they were lies. As a starting point of our learning journey, before even mentioning Columbus as a historical figure, I lead a conversation on what it would feel like if another classroom took over our space and we were forced to give up our snacks and do their peers’ homework. What would they do in that situation? Some kids have said they would share or try to negotiate. Some say they would say no and push back! My students inevitably feel the injustices through this innocent example, which is then followed up by a lesson on the history behind this controversial day.
4. DO NOT AIM FOR PERFECTION, AIM FOR COMMITMENT
I will be imperfect in my anti-racism efforts in the classroom, because this is simply difficult work and I won’t always have the best responses. Recognize that it’s okay to confess to your students when you don’t have an answer. Tell them that you need to think about it and emphasize that you can learn and discover together. It may be refreshing for them to see their teacher committed to understanding complex issues alongside them!
Educators have the power to convey the right message to children. Think about the impact that could be made, if grade level by grade level, each teacher included anti-racism work throughout the year. Where would we be today? The bottom line is, it’s not enough to just be an inclusive classroom, we have to be an anti-racist classroom to aim for equity and that’s something I will continue to work towards throughout my career. If you are uncomfortable with this, you are not alone. If we, however, do not find ways to manage that discomfort through our own education, then we are doing a disservice to our students. Even when our intentions are good, we can perpetuate inequities by not shining a light on it. These examples are just snapshots of what I do in my classroom and can be starting points for a long journey ahead. What are your goals to include anti-racism work into your social emotional instruction?
Here are some additional resources to support teachers in this important work:
