If we want students to feel safe, respected, and welcomed in school, and if we intend to promote classroom and school environments that reflect the diversity of our country (even if your classroom doesn't mirror that diversity), the first days of the school year are critical for setting up routines, procedures, and practices conducive to that atmosphere. Below are six ways educators can start the year with an antibias and culturally responsive approach. I hope you'll find that more positive and respectful classroom environments not only are worth the effort, but also lead to greater learning and engagement for all students.
A Foundation of Respect
From the beginning of the school year, establish an environment of respect by creating classroom guidelines. To do this, ask students to describe what it feels like to be treated with respect and how they show respect to others. Use their comments to build consensus around a set of actions that will embody your classroom guidelines. You can also use the letters in the word respect (R-E-S-P-E-C-T) as a jumping-off point to generate a list of what students need to feel safe, respected, and included in the classroom. For example, R can include the words responsibility or receptive. Students can create the list in pairs or small groups before sharing it with the whole class. The process helps students begin to work collaboratively and gives them a sense of ownership over their classroom guidelines, which can be revisited throughout the year, especially if and when students need a reminder.
What's in a Name?
Start the year off by making sure that everyone knows and can pronounce each other's full names. A teacher mispronouncing a student's name—over and over again—can have a profound and lasting negative impact. Ask students to pronounce their own names so that you can repeat them correctly. To support this process, have students share with their classmates something meaningful about their names. The "story" might include information about family or ancestors, cultural or ethnic identity, or something important that has shaped their identity. This activity will have a positive effect on self-esteem, cultural sharing, and self-identity and may nip in the bud any potential name-calling. Many on this topic could facilitate these conversations.
Inclusive Classroom Environment
Before school begins and during those first few days, examine your classroom environment to make sure it is culturally responsive. Review your curriculum materials, classroom displays, bulletin boards, textbooks, and videos to ensure that they are inclusive of all people and free from stereotypes and misconceptions. What is both present and absent in the classroom environment sends a message to students about whom and what is important. Also, explain to students some of your choices about the classroom environment and invite their ideas about what materials or resources should be included. Teachers can revisit this activity throughout the year; however, it is important to set the foundation as soon as possible.
Acceptance and Mistakes
As you work with students to set the tone for your classroom, allow room for learning, or in other words, mistakes. Let young people know that we all make mistakes and, in fact, initial "failures" help us to learn and grow, as long as we don't use them as occasions to punish and demean others. Regarding issues of bias, all of us have been unconsciously absorbed prejudicial and stereotypical thinking and may be unaware that certain attitudes are hurtful to others. Emphasize and model nondefensive responses to potentially offensive comments and teach students to use "ouch" when they feel offended by something and "oops" when they unintentionally make hurtful remarks.
Bias and Bullying Intervention
Although your classroom provides space for mistakes, it will not allow bullying and bias to take root and propagate. Express to students that bullying and bias are not acceptable in the classroom. Proactively teaching about bullying and bias, and why they don't mesh with a positive classroom, is important. Teachers should model this principle by first intervening when you see someone being targeted and then making it a teachable moment by explaining why you intervened. Your students will learn through your role modeling. Similarly, when you hear biased language, challenge it immediately. Whether the comments are deliberately malicious, made out of ignorance, or intended as a joke, you send the message from the outset that biased language is unacceptable. Then, explain why it's biased and create space for students to air thoughts and feelings.
Being an Ally
Introduce the concept of and discuss it with students. Many students and adults think being an ally means confronting an offensive person or standing up for someone. This is one approach, but many other ways also demonstrate ally behavior, including not participating in hurtful activities or speech, getting to know people instead of judging them, and supporting the target by acknowledging their needs or feelings. In fact, research shows that students reaching out to their peers and providing support most effectively help bullied students to feel better about their situation.
With these six strategies in your toolkit, your actions during the first days of school will set you and your students on target for their best year yet.