Hidden Biases in Education
Elana Lindquist, ELL Teacher, Franklin Pierce School District
“I laugh, I love, I hope, I try, I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry. And I know you do the same things too, So we're really not that different, me and you.” ~ Colin Raye
Why? Intolerance and discrimination happen when people see one
another as objects, as “other”.
“At a time when people of very different traditions,faiths and ideals have come into sudden and close contact with one another, the survival of humankind requires that people be willing to live with one another and to accept that there is more than one path to truth and salvation.”—Arnold Toynbee
What is an elephant? Who is right? The Story of the Blind Men and the Elephant
Classes Today in America
“The vast majority of teachers say their schools are free of racial and ethnic tensions. Yet, federal reports show that one in four students are victimized in racial or ethnic incidents in the course of a typical school year.”-Tolerance.org
Your School Climate
Teachers help students acquire the skills they need to learn with and from students of different racial and ethnic groups.
Discuss: Agree or Disagree? Why or Why not?
Teachers make an effort to understand their students'
backgrounds, experiences or interests.
Discuss: Agree or Disagree? Why or why not?
Victims of Intolerance
Fear and Outrage in Wisconsin After 6 Killed at Sikh Temple; Gunman ID’d as White Supremacist Vet
At work, one of my colleagues who is Korean had students yell at her, “Chinese, Chinese!”
One of my Sikh male students was taunted and teased because of his religious headdress or turban. Students called him diaper head.
One student of mine from Korea had no one to play with her. My students thought she was Chinese and laughed at her English. They also thought she was smart at math.
Strategies to Increase Tolerance Walk a Mile in His Shoes- web quests to foster
understanding of Korean and Sikh culture at www.elanalindquist.com
Establish a Peace Day celebration in your school. Read folklore from other cultures. Compare/Contrast Conflict Resolution
• Active listening, impulse control, empathy, anger management and solution thinking/ Role playing/ Stand up and support the victim.
Blue eye vs. Brown eye activity Mix It Up at Lunch from Tolerance.org
Resources to Bridge Communities Asia Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma,WA Cyberschool Bus for peace education from the U.N.
• Tolerance Magazine- ELL Best Practices Collection Online Mix It Up- mixitup.org Read The Name Jar about a Korean girl who wants to belong. Dr. Seuss Teaches Peace www.teachpeace.org Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute, Spokane, WA -Free dolls for schools• Discover Yoko Ono's Works for Creating Peace online Jackson School of International Education for Teachers at UW Korean Cultural Center, LA – scholarships to learn about Korea for teachers
• Read The Square World www.projectrho.com/comix/TheSquareWorld.html Do Not Judge The Book By The Cover -Susan Boyle
The Square World in Disney's Surprise Package 1944
Break Down the Walls & Build Bridges of Understanding, Peace & Love
http://worldunderstandingandpeace.com
“Decide to, for a better world.”- R. Muller
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All we are saying is give peace a chance!
Thank you for coming! Elana Lindquist, www.elanalindquist.com
