Professional Development : Teacher to Teacher :
Out of Many, One
By Sandra Feldman
Public schools are one of the first places where kids learn a life-altering lesson: how to get along with people from different walks of life
The great seal of the United States of America depicts an eagle bearing a banner that reads: "E pluribus unum" or "Out of many, one." What a fitting motto for America, and for America's public schools.
Our public schools are, after all, one of the first and chief places young people learn about the importance of living compatibly with people from different walks of life. It is a role for which public schools are uniquely suited. Every day, children of every color, class and creed enter American public schools, alongside boys and girls from similar and varied backgrounds. Learning to appreciate and respect each other is a vital part of their education.
Learning to get along
To a certain extent, learning to get along with each other just happens. But students sometimes need help learning to understand and respect their peers. Public schools are mainstays of our melting pot society, but more than one in 10 children report being victims of hate at school. Public education provides one of our best opportunities to teach children early on in life the ill effects of racism, prejudice, discrimination and simple callousness.
Teachers have countless ways of doing this. Ideas range from pairing students to interview and write biographies of each other, to taking virtual "field trips" to Ellis Island and other symbolic sites, to acting out compelling stories like how Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball.
An opportunity to recommit
Public schools should be exemplars of how to expect, teach and model respect for others. These ideals are even more important in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. As trying as these times are, the tragic events of September 11, 2001 created an opportunity to recommit to the democratic values of strength through diversity and the right of all people to equal opportunity and treatment.
The spirit is alive
I am glad to say that this spirit is alive and well throughout America, including in my hometown of New York. You can see it at P.S. 261 in Brooklyn, where almost one in five students comes from an Arab family. When schools reopened after the September 11th attacks, only a handful of Arab students returned to P.S. 261, most likely the result of their fear of anger and reprisals. The school contacted parents in the local Arab community, promising that students would be safe and treated with respect, even escorted to and from school if necessary. The next day, almost every Arab student returned to class.
Respecting the individual and celebrating religious, cultural and ethnic diversity – these are the true enemies of hatred and misunderstanding. And conveying these values to millions of students is precisely what public schools do each and every day.
REMEMBER:
- Do the right thing. Silence or inaction in the face of unkind or unjust behavior sends the message that adults condone the behavior or consider it not worthy of attention. It's never too early, or too late, to talk to children about courtesy and respect for others.
- Move beyond stereotypes. Expose students to other cultures, but be careful not confuse past ways of life or ceremonial or holiday life with a group's contemporary or daily identity. There is much more to Native American culture than the first Thanksgiving and opportunities other than Hanukkah to spotlight Jewish culture, for example.
- Being different is OK. Highlighting only the similarities between different people can imply that being like you is the only thing that makes someone else acceptable.
- Feeling good is contagious. Help your students to foster positive feelings about their own culture. Remember, the child who feels best about himself or herself is least likely to feel the need to disrespect others.
Sandra Feldman is the President of the American Federation of Teachers.
November/December 2003, Vol.34, No.3
