This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School. As this week’s threats on Denver schools make clear, the history of this shooting—and those that followed—affects all students, not just survivors. In this edition of The Moment, we share a teacher’s reflection on what it means to educate under the threat of violence, an interview with a survivor who has translated her grief into action and recommendations for recognizing and addressing trauma in your classroom.
Yesterday, students were pulled from their first day of classes to say goodbye to undocumented parents and guardians arrested by ICE. Our thoughts are with educators and families across Mississippi and with those dealing with this trauma in the aftermath of anti-immigrant violence in El Paso. Yesterday’s raid was the largest single-state raid in U.S. history, but we know that these raids will continue. We hope these resources help you support your students and their families.
On this National Voter Registration Day, September 28, we urge educators to engage all students in understanding the registration process and provide eligible youth with the information they need to vote. It is an especially critical time to discuss voting, as recent legislation aimed at limiting voting rights, an ongoing pandemic and natural disasters make participation in the democratic process more challenging and more crucial. We hope these LFJ resources will help!
Reading about and celebrating African and Indigenous histories and cultures can be among the powerful first steps for children to engage with and expand their understanding of the world around them. And discussing commonalities across cultures helps children develop a strong sense of self and identity while recognizing and honoring diversity. To support these conversations and learning experiences, LFJ offers parents, caregivers and educators talking points, activities and book recommendations.
Teaching children empathy that leads to justice means much more than teaching kindness. Adults—educators, parents and caregivers—who support young learners have the opportunity to create “culture[s] of justice” in which empathy and justice are the priority. These LFJ resources feature strategies that educators, parents and caregivers can use to actively engage little learners as they develop age-appropriate skills and understanding that will lead them forward in the pursuit of justice.