Four years ago, we held our first Day of Silence, an annual event where students at schools across the country take a vow of silence in support of LGBT students who are harassed and bullied.
That first Day of Silence was an anxious experiment for our suburban private school. We followed resources offered by the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Our diversity club faculty sponsors and student leaders planned a series of announcements, acquired administrative approval and fielded concerned questions from faculty members who didn’t embrace the event and felt it would disrupt their classrooms.
Still, apprehension grew from the unknown.
We weren’t sure how students would react. We worried about what parents might say. We feared there could be incidents during the day. We didn’t know how many students would participate. Each unknown added to our anxiety.
On that day, 15 percent of the student body took the pledge of silence for the entire school day. An additional 15 percent signed up to be allies, a designation we created for students who wanted to pledge support but were not comfortable taking a vow of silence.
Almost a third of the school had joined us; I was elated.
We also planned a “Breaking the Silence” event. We offered a silent countdown to the end of the day and shared our experiences, struggles and challenges encountered during that day. It was a way to embrace a new sense of acceptance and awareness within the community.
Waves of relief rolled over the crowd as we began to talk, laugh and share our stories. Amid the stories of frustration and difficulty, the waves of relief built into a crescendo of empathy and acceptance. One of the final students to speak that afternoon came out to the group as a lesbian, becoming only the second “out” student at the school at that time.
That day mattered.
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Ok, if you have followed me for long you know that I love reciprocal teaching, reader response, vocabulary, and teaching students to be tolerant of others. So this article was right up my alley. I also thought it is an interesting teaching tool to discuss in light of the conversations we have had on Tumblr on how teachers are people too, and kids can bully teachers. Perhaps such exercises can help them understand what it is like to be in our shoes while also being active learners.
The Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Culturally Responsive Teaching recognizes educators whose knowledge and skill makes them particularly successful at meeting the needs of students from racially, ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds.
The program plans to recognize five outstanding teachers at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in December 2011. Each will be presented with an award of $1,000. Prior to the ceremony, during Fall 2011, the selected teachers will be videotaped in their classrooms as models of effective practice. This footage will be used to enhance teacher preparation and professional development nationally.
Only teachers who agree to be videotaped and can secure the permission of their schools and students will be recognized.
All P-12 teachers are invited to apply for the award. Applications must be received by June 1, 2011. An expert panel of teachers and researchers will select the five awardees.
I think there are probably some excellent Tumblr Teachers on here that would make excellent candidates for this.
