Monday Morning

I truly believe that it is not my job as an educator to tell students what they should think or how they should feel.  Much of my job is to teach them how to think: how to analyze, how to problem-solve, how to be self-aware so they can choose the type of thinking that would be useful for them in different situations.  My job is also to teach my students how to listen to and to understand other points of view, that our own perspectives can change, and that it’s important to be mindful and respectful of those who don’t agree with us.

With these things in mind, I have been collecting a few resources over the last couple of days that may help teachers in the light of recent events.  For the students who are concerned or fearful, for the ones who are angry or defensive, we as teachers can give two things: empathy and information.  Here are some resources you may be able to use as arguments about the recent immigration ban and the border wall dominate the news (You will, of course, need to determine which resources are suitable for your students.):

• From Pernille Ripp: Resources to Teach the Refugee Ban
• Also From Pernille Ripp: My Lesson Plan to Teach the #Muslimban
• Tweeted by Donalyn Miller: Stories to Counter Islamophobia
• From Larry Ferlazzo: The Best Videos for Learning About Civil Disobedience
• Also From Larry Ferlazzo: The Best Resources for Learning about President Trump’s Executive Orders on Immigration and Refugees