4.) Don't be afraid to confront and discuss issues directly and openly.
Use student expressions of bias and prejudice as "teachable moments".
As a teacher and a parent, I have been grappling with these issues, and I am
currently involved in producing a video for teachers on how to create
respectful schools and classrooms. I wonder whether anyone out there on the
list has specific suggestions for how a teacher can do what R. Macintosh
suggests. For instance, suppose that when an overwieght boy or girl walks into
class, several students make "piggy" noises. What would you do or say? How
would you make a judgment on how to proceed, and what strategies would you
use?
Kathy Cochran
CochranK@aol.com