Ebony Thomas's Visit on 7/26



As a science teacher, race doesn’t come up often, and if it does, it’s often mentioned in passing as a comment to something or someone. Thus, it is something I usually talk about with students privately, just one-on-one, either in the hallway or during advisory. However, I can see the benefit of addressing questions and comments about race with a class of students. So I will keep in mind some of the notes I wrote down from Summer Institute on July 26th, during Ebony Thomas’ visit and subsequent discussion:
(1) Don’t be afraid of open dialogue. If I’m uncomfortable leading the discussion, tell my students why I feel this way and then just keep going.
(2) Frame shared experiences to help students be more empathetic.
(3) Unpack the statements made by students by asking them further clarifying questions: “What do you mean by that?” “How do you know?”

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