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ANTI-RACISM INITIATIVE OFFERS FREE RESOURCE TO HELP TEACHERS INCORPORATE DIVERSITY INTO THEIR DAILY CLASSROOM ROUTINE
Chicago, IL (August 13, 2008) -- RaceBridges For Schools, a well-respected non-profit initiative that offers free lesson plans to promote interracial understanding, has created a new resource to help teachers incorporate diversity into their classroom routines — not just on special days, but every day.
“Including Everyone: Small Changes to Create a Welcoming Classroom” is the newest offering from RaceBridges For Schools, an internet site that provides tools for teachers and students to help build stronger and more inclusive communities. The practical advice included in this guide focuses on small, everyday changes teachers can make in their classrooms to help students be more open to difference, to be less judgmental, and to be more likely to counter prejudice in themselves and others.
“When we think about diversity in the classroom, most of us envision many hours of planning and big activities on special days that celebrate diversity,” explains Derek Simons, the creator of RaceBridges For Schools. “Our goal with this new resource is to help teachers make the classroom welcoming and inclusive every day — in small, but effective, ways.”
Designed for all grade levels, regardless of subject area, “Including Everyone” shows educators how they can incorporate habits and activities into their daily routines that:
- Encourage students to embrace difference
- Encourage students to develop a mindset of hospitality, rather than hostility
- Challenge stereotypes, language, and practices that promote “insider/outsider” thinking
- Make issues of diversity accessible, meaningful, and fun
Exploring Role of Language in Prejudice and Racism
While the activities described in this resource focus on four factors that influence racism and diversity, perhaps none is more powerful than language. Much of the language used in the classroom assumes that everyone belongs to the same majority or dominant group — or that “we” are the “norm.” Sexist or racist language is often uttered without the speaker even recognizing it.
This RaceBridges teacher resource offers real-world examples of phrases, adjectives, and terms that create an “us vs. them” mentality in the classroom. Additionally, it looks beyond issues of “political correctness” to address serious challenges, such as the use of slurs, inappropriate violent language, and the surprising terms that students — and teachers — may not even realize are demeaning.
Everyday Examples of Hospitality Can Motivate Students to Develop Inclusive Habits — Inside and Outside the Classroom
Through real-world examples, “Including Everyone” seeks to nurture a welcoming spirit in the classroom and beyond. This resource gives students everyday ways to practice meaningful social graces, to include others — especially outsiders — in group activities, and to think critically about the representation of diversity. For teachers, it means giving students a more in-depth look at other cultures — beyond the food, celebrations, and famous figures associated with different groups or countries.
About RaceBridges: RaceBridges For Schools seeks to increase interracial understanding and cooperation by developing Web projects and events that affirm human dignity and equality. It works in partnership with artists, mass media, agencies, and businesses in developing and creating projects that inspire and foster interracial understanding, racial harmony, and equality. To date, RaceBridges For Schools has featured ten lessons on various themes for use in high schools.
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Tags: multicultural classroom, anti-racism, free lesson plans, free teacher resources, printable lesson plans, lessons for elementary teachers, educational resources, lesson plans for home schooling, starting a social justice club, embracing cultural diversity, inclusive classrooms, teacher productivity tools, easy lesson planning
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