NCTR stands against racial oppression and violence and we are deeply saddened by recent events which are all too familiar in our country’s history. We also find hope in the actions taken by so many across our nation, particularly the youth of color, who are standing up and using their voices.
We continue to believe that residencies are a lever for equity and we remain dedicated to our work with all of you as you prepare teachers who will help their students make sense of these moments with clarity and honesty.
Resources and Connections
Uprisings and Education: Teaching Tolerance Staff Advice for Educators
The team at Teaching Tolerance (a project of The Southern Poverty Law Center, offering resources meant to “supplement [teachers’] curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants” ) advises educators to listen and consider students’ questions. Think about: “What do your Black students need to feel safe and valued in their learning space right now? What do your non-Black students need to better understand how to provide support and stand against injustice? What do your students want you to know about their understanding of justice and desire to take action? What are their fears in this moment? What gives them hope?”
Educating our Children: Talking to Kids About Racism & Police Brutality
Achievement First compiled several helpful texts for having honest discussions with young people: to “begin processing trauma with children and to support you in creating space for potentially challenging, but important, conversations.” The organization also invites further discussion and recommendations on its Instagram. ‘Teaching for Black Lives’ — a handbook to fight America’s ferocious racism in (virtual or face-to-face) classrooms
Review the introduction and two chapters of this 2018 book, published with permission in The Washington Post, which was authored and edited by educators to instruct their peers how they “can and should make their classrooms and schools sites of resistance to white supremacy and anti-blackness, as well as sites for knowing the hope and beauty in blackness.”
How to talk to your children about protests and racism
From CNN, here is guidance for discussing recent events, and the foundational issues that spur them, with kids from toddlers to adolescents. “How can a parent help their child traverse these disturbing times? Let the child's age and level of development guide you, experts say, but first, be sure that you are in the right frame of mind.”
Black male educators in New York, Chicago and Denver discuss the ways they’re contending with recent events in digital correspondence with their students. “Navigating discussions about race relations, police brutality, and systemic racism can be challenging for teachers even during normal times. But grappling with these topics during a pandemic, when school communities can’t learn together in person, is even more difficult.”
California Superintendent Tony Thurmond addressed this tender time and started an initiative to learn from educators, elected officials, and leaders in multiple sectors to encourage constructive discourse and examine "what we do in the classroom, why we haven’t done more to address implicit bias." He also said, "We must not let this moment go unnoticed.” Michael Casserly, executive director of Council of Great City Schools said that schools must “amplify” efforts to address inequity. “Let us ensure that our schools are safe havens where all children are respected and nurtured, where all children can achieve and grow, and where all children are guaranteed equity and justice.”
Please note that the articles and events in the NCTR E-Blast do not reflect the opinions of our organization, but rather represent information that we believe will be relevant to you and your programs.
