A Harmonious Classroom: Fostering Positive Identities in Our Children to Cultivate Young Anti-Racists: PoCC

OPENING

Presenters are teachers/staff at Oregon Episcopal School
Oregon was the only state to enter the union with a clause prohibiting the entry of Black residents
LS students started using the n-word to address students of color in their class
Teachers had assumed a sense of innocence in the students and hadn't fostered understanding of ID development
Teaching history of racism is essential to cultivating fully realized humans so that they aren't enacting harm on the people of their community

Conversations about race can be joyful through their sense of discovery
Students of color can see themselves as beautiful and normal in their differences and white kids can celebrate those differences as well
Multi-racial students were excited to share about themselves
White students had misconceptions about their own identities

Without the conversations, students learn to code switch and edit out parts of their lives at school (not sharing their different languages, foods, religions)
Teachers can look at our differences without judgement

Build understanding that in some places, students' identities can be weaponized against them

All students need the language to talk about themselves and their differences
Communicate with families about the conversations you're having in the class and encourage them to talk with their students about their racial/ ethnic IDs

Recognizing patterns: They exist in nature, art, math, science--and they exist in our behaviors

Presenter noted how students avoided brown colors in an art project; they talked about the beauty of browns in the fall leaves and they brainstormed ways to remove this pattern/ bias in their classroom
Voting and voice: What does it look like to use your voice in art? How are some voices silenced? How does voice connect to power? Who tends to be powerful?

Look at a history of voting: Democracy comes from the Iroquois; look at who didn't have access to voting; history of struggle for voting rights; kids can know that even though they don't have a vote doesn't mean they don't have a voice; access to vote is a connection students can relate to, connecting to experiences of different people's races

See/ Think/ Wonder: What do you notice about the patterns of US presidencies
Show students other examples of leadership; break the mold for who can be a leader by showing their women, BIPOC changemakers
WHAT IS DELICIOUS? Students can learn about the science of taste; can encounter other people's preferences-- "That food is new to me; I've never tried that before" as language students can use rather than "Ew--that's gross!"

Anti-racist work doesn't have to be perfect
Be willing to pilot new programs and opportunities
We might be trying new things, building your own paradigms
"What does a conversation about race look like with 3rd graders?" -Had to do it to find out!
Parents may be unsure, even if they see the value

BIPOC parents will support your work and appreciate your efforts
White parents may feel a sense of relief of removing that racial anxiety for not already having some of these conversations