Search

It used to be thought that college was where you went to open your mind, explore ideas and, in the words of Robert Maynard Hutchins, former president of the University of Chicago, “be freed from the prison-house of … class, race, time, place [and] background.”

I don’t remember exactly what instigated it, but something had made Cashanda mad. She positioned herself—and her desk—right smack in front of the board. She was defiant. Her physical placement made it impossible to continue my lesson.

Educators are natural cheerleaders, fierce protectors, and they rally when needed. That’s why we turned to the Teaching Tolerance community of educators for advice to offer first-year teachers. More than 100 of you responded, rallying around all the newbies. The advice ranged from practical (get rest, get a flu shot, get organized) to pensive (trust your instincts, remember each student has dignity).

This toolkit for “Teaching at the Intersections” provides anti-bias essential questions and readings from Perspectives for a Diverse America that can be used to build student understanding of intersectionality in grades K-12.

Prepare yourself to discuss race, racism and other difficult topics with students.

This teacher built a custom lesson plan to mark a day when thousands of students walked out of their schools in protest. Check it out—and build your own!