Grace for Educators: Encouragement for Teachersনমুনা

Grace to be Fair

There it was in plain sight for all to view; a study released from the Yale Child Center peeked into teachers’ sometimes-conscious attitudes about student behaviors. The findings “suggest that teachers who care for very young children may judge those kids’ behaviors differently based on their race.” The results pointed out often teachers are not aware they are making that distinction—implicit bias.

As I look at the unrest that is taking place in our nation, my heart breaks for the children who feel they are always judged as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “… by the color of “their skin and not by the content of their character.”

My heart breaks for the students who long for the teacher who not only looks like them, but also is able to relate to them.

I have had too many conversations with students who have given up because they don’t believe they can be successful in a given teacher’s classroom. Likewise, I have witnessed too many teachers become so frustrated with students that they not only despise the student’s negative behavior, but they also begin to despise the student.

It is easy for students to recognize when a teacher doesn’t like them and it is almost impossible to teach a student who has made that startling discovery.

As educators, we are encouraged to be reflective practitioners; however, reflection is not limited to how well we implemented a lesson, we must look inwardly and examine our hearts. We must be brave enough to ask ourselves the difficult question: Have I directly or indirectly mistreated anyone who is entrusted to my care?

A former colleague once shared that she struggled academically when she was in elementary school and as a result, she was very sensitive to students who struggled in her class decades later. She had to make a conscious effort to meet the needs of all of her students—not just the ones that she easily identified with.

Our schools are a place of refuge for many of our students. They should not be a place where stereotypes, favoritism, prejudices, and bias become the norm for them.

I will never forget the wisdom nugget I received from my uncle, a longtime Bible teacher. He stated that although it is impossible to treat everyone the same, it is imperative that we treat everyone right.

Daily, we are given the task to provide support for students who are struggling while making sure that students who may not need additional support are given tools that will accelerate or enrich their learning experiences. We are not treating each student the same, but we are treating each student right. Likewise, we must use that same skill set when working with students. We cannot allow our classrooms to mimic the culture that has become so prevalent today. Our classrooms cannot be a place of unrest for our students.

We have the responsibility to push our students and encourage them to be their best. At the end of the day, we want our students to be better because they crossed our paths.

We must embody Haim Ginott’s message, “I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”

The choice is ours; however, the consequences of our choice—either good or bad—will be remembered long after we end the lesson.

Toppo, Greg. “Study: Teachers’ ‘Implicit Bias’ Starts in Preschool.”USA Today. Gannett, 2016. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

Prayer:

Lord, please forgive me for the times that I overlooked, misjudged, mistreated, or harbored misconceptions in my heart toward any of my students. I thank you for being the perfect example of righteousness and I ask for Your help so that I can emulate Your ability to love all people. Help me to see the students as You see them. Help me to love as You love. Help me to teach as You teach—by example, in word and deed. Amen.