On the Front Lines

The teachers in this conversation offer the following suggestions for educators working to promote equity:

For Yourself

• Consider the cost of your involvement as an activist teacher. Are you ready to be the "lonely and the only"? If you can't afford to lose your job by fighting for certain issues, proceed with caution. If the struggle proves overwhelming, investigate the possibility of moving to another school or system where the attitude toward equity is more positive.
• Try to find like-minded colleagues and form a support group. Look for teacher network sites on the Internet, or set up your own chat room for activist teachers. Rely on family and friends for balance and support.
• Examine your own biases and attitudes about all aspects of equity and tolerance. Engage in constant self-examination, questioning and learning.
• Naysayers may try to discredit you, so walk your talk. Be a role model by treating everyone with respect, avoiding offensive language and jokes, and confronting discrimination wherever you encounter it.
• Build confidence by practicing appropriate responses to anti-bias comments. "I can't go along with humor that degrades others" can deflate a racial joke; "I don't think it's fair to judge someone without knowing them" helps neutralize a stereotypical comment.

In Your Classroom

• Challenge students to think more seriously about equity matters by exposing them to other cultures through multicultural literature, arts and music, and to other viewpoints through in-depth discussions on social issues such as poverty, racism, ageism and homophobia.
• Present balanced viewpoints in your lessons -- especially history lessons -- and consistently point out situations, words and ideas that may demonstrate intolerance. Focus on fairness, and relate situations to students' personal experiences. Ask: "What if this were you? How would you feel?"
• Move the conversation to the action stage by asking: "What would you do?" Or, if discussing a current situation, ask: "What do you want to do about it?" Then help students follow through on positive actions.

In Your School

• If your school doesn't have a student "unity" club or gay-straight alliance (GSA), discuss the possibility with students and offer to sponsor one. Encourage a broad and open membership.
• Enlist a colleague to help establish a staff diversity committee. Plan activities that encourage interaction between different racial and ethnic groups, promote dialogue about social issues, and provide tolerance education training. Take advantage of resources offered by organizations such as Teaching Tolerance, Educators for Social Responsibility (800-370-2515) and the Anti-Defamation League (212-885-7800).
• Affect policy, curriculum and staff development by becoming involved in district and community committees that address equity issues head-on. Petition administrators to recruit and hire more teachers and staff of different racial and ethnic heritages.