Reflect and Act

In reflecting about the Ted talk, I vow to have conversations with my third graders that open their eyes to the world around them and that don't limit groups of people or pigeon hole them. I plan to have a variety of books in the classroom. Some as read alouds. And not just during our culture unit when we focus on those types of books. I plan to encourage students to read more about the people of the world and to expand any perceptions, while I diffuse other perceptions (Can be a very sticky situation in today's classroom climate unfortunately). I also plan to model writing in which main characters are living in other countries and are not portrayed in stereotypical ways. 

I compared NYS demographics from 2000 to the 2024 school year. A trend is that our student bodies are becoming more diverse. In 2024 more students identified as American Indian/Alaskan Native/Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or Hispanic than in 2000. "Multiracial" was a new category added to the 2024 report card comprised of 3% of the student body. There's a shift happening to NYS student demographics.

In 2000 7% of students were classified as ELLs in contrast to 11% in 2024. Free and reduced lunch in 2000 was 44.9% which was lower than 65% in 2024. I couldn't find a comparable statistic for students with disabilities, I would infer that in 2024 the percentage would also be higher. Using data.nysed.gov some statistics for New Hartford CSD for the 2023-2024 student demographics include: 51% to 49% male to female; 84% White, 6% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, and 1% black. Students with disabilities were 10% and 23% of students were economically disadvantaged. 

With a changing student body, needs change as well. More training and resources need to be allocated to equity, students with disabilities, ELL programs, and free and reduced lunches. The teaching body needs to actively consider how their curriculum is accessible for all students. Is the internet needed at home to complete this assignment? Can the homework or materials be translated into home languages? Is there support at school for students who need counseling? 

Auditing My Classroom Library

As part of my ongoing journey in reflecting on my own level of culturally responsive teaching, I have made changes to my classroom library before.  I have learned about the importance of children "seeing themselves" in the books they are reading in our classroom.  It had been some time since I had done this, so I chose this option.  I was happy to see that I had many of the books listed on Edutopia's list of "22 Diverse Book Choices for All Grade Levels."  However, I did add 2 more from the list to my classroom library.  They are:  Paper Wishes and Drita, My Homegirl.  I will note, that this brought up an incident from the past with a parent regarding a book their child was reading that came from our Scholastic Reading program.  I believe the book was called, "Amina's Voice."  The student's family was from Syria and I believe the story was Pakistani based.  Rather than seeing this story as a learning experience for the student, the father said that the religion the character was practicing was in contrast with their own and he wanted me to have his daughter choose a different book.  This has stayed with me.  Another issue I had was a student who had a transgender dad.  I was going to add a book to my collection where this child (and others) would be able to learn that love is love and that many different scenarios make up what a "family" could be.  I was told not to add it to my library by a higher up, so that there would not be any situation with other parents becoming upset with he story being in my classroom.  The contradiction of being a culturally responsive teacher and the issues that arise from trying to do so can be frustrating, leaving a teacher feeling guilty and wrong. I do wish this were not the case.

I selected the video and was amazed by how it got my mind racing in just 3 minutes! I watched it a few times to gain a better understanding. What intrigued me the most was the connection between the medical community and health outcomes. The concept of race is often used to refer to where your ancestors came from or the shared experiences of others who are categorized in the same race as you. The example of sickle cell anemia provided by Dr. Roberts is a great illustration of this, showing that it is not related to your race, but rather to being from an area with high rates of malaria.

I watched Danger of a Single Story and found myself reflecting on how I have viewed other countries and cultures on limited information. I think many people form biases from limited and/or misleading information leading to few opinions based on their experiences. As a parent, it is important to expose kids to various viewpoints to avoid one-sided views of people and cultures. Listening to Adichie made me realize how easily biases can form from limited information. By seeking out new experiences and stories, we can go beyond a “single story” mindset and encourage empathy and connection. This deeper understanding can help us come together rather than allowing misunderstandings drive us apart.

I watched “The Myth of Race: Debunked,” which clarifies that race is not biological but is actually a social concept created to categorize people.  I found this to be quite interesting as I was expecting to hear something quite different.  The video shows how the definition of race has evolved over time to suit the needs of society or government.  It’s scary to think how much discrimination has existed based on this social construct that lacks any scientific basis.  We should really just value people for who they are and not how they look.

Although this video was short, it was powerful.  I love how she explained that race isn't real, and how a race definition can change over time.  For example, she talked about how Mexicans were considered white, then non-white, and then back to white.  It was interesting to also think about how people say they are a percentage of a race.  The choices on surveys for race is long now, with 6.2% choosing "other" as the race category they fit into.  This whole topic is huge right now, as some people are analyzing Kamala and what race she is, and who she identifies with.  Interesting.

I chose The Myth of Race option and found it so informative. For so long we have been told that race is something you are born into, actual chromosomes and DNA when in fact, race has been made up. Governments and authoritative groups can manipulate and change as they see fit. How frustrating that so much discrimination has been formed due to race and this just goes to show that a person's "race" has been made up and altered through the years as a political purposes. 

I watched the video The Myth of Race: Debunked in 3 Minutes, and it clearly explains that race is not real but something society made up to group people. The video shows how race has changed over time based on what the government or society needed. It's sad to think about how much discrimination is based on this made-up idea. It also made me wonder what other things, like money or gender roles, have changed over time because of social or political reasons. This video would be great for helping students understand how race is just a social construct and not based on any real science.