Sarah Plum(itallo)

Leave the Eggs at Home on MLK Day (February, Too)

January 7, 2018 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 29 Comments

In a few short days we’ll honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work and memory by observing a holiday; in a few short weeks, we’ll begin a month-long celebration of Black History and the incredible men and women that have impacted our nation and continue to do so.

I’m writing to urge you to leave the eggs at home.

You know the ones: one white egg to represent white America, and a brown egg to represent MLK/Black America/non-white America. Students make predictions, you crack the eggs, and a few minutes later racism is eradicated in a generation because they see that yes, on the inside, they’re both the same.

The thing is… while this may provide an opportunity to tie-up a lesson on racial equity with a nice neat bow in under twenty minutes, provide a great “Aha!” moment for students – it’s helping to perpetuate the status quo: whiteness as the default, and blackness as “the same on the inside despite the outside.”

Please don’t stop reading just yet. You might be angry or disagree, or think I’m making a mountain out of two sets of eggshells, but hear me out. If you still disagree at the end, you have my permission to leave me an angry comment – I just ask that you make it to the end!

To conduct the experiment, you’re relying on students seeing the white egg – whether you explicitly ask them to associate it with white Americans or not – as the default. The normal egg. The good egg. The egg you’d eat. You’re also relying on students seeing the brown egg – whether you explicitly ask them to associate it with MLK, Black Americans, or non-white Americans or not – as the other. The different egg. The egg you’re not so sure you want in your omelette.

The only way to get to the shock factor, the “Aha!” is through the route of one being more desirable than the other.

When you crack them and students find that the brown egg is the same on the inside as the white egg, there’s your “Aha!” Because in spite of it being brown – in spite of its differences, its “otherness” – that brown egg is just like the white one. Because the white one… the white one is normal.

The subtle message this sends is that Black Americans are the same and just as good as white Americans – in spite of the fact their skin is different. That we measure and value things against one single norm, one default. That message is one that I don’t feel we can risk sending to any of our children – especially not out of the convenience of teaching a message of racial equityin a neat, tied-up, twenty minute lesson.

So you leave the eggs home on MLK Day (and the whole month of February). Now what?

Try these ideas instead:

Start with the students – as individuals. Complete a “Find Someone Who” activity that highlights the many perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds within your own student population and classroom. Students may find out they have more in common with their classmates than they knew, or have an opportunity to get to know their classmates in an engaging, low-stress way. Afterwards, have a discussion centered around the idea that because of (NOT in spite of) their varied backgrounds and experiences you have a wonderful classroom community!

Focus on the future to honor the past. While I’d urge you to consider teaching beyond the “I Have a Dream” speech, I recognize this is where most educators start their journey in teaching the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King (hear more about this topic on Episode 5 of Equi-TEA). Before listening to or discussing Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, have students record (anonymously) their hopes for their own lives and for our country for the remainder of the school year. Place them all in a jar and then read each aloud. Have students respond silently with a thumbs up to indicate agreement or with their fingers inter-locked to make a connection. After you’ve read all the responses, identify a common hope that you can create a goal around work toward. Next, listen to Dr. King’s speech. Help students to draw parallels between Dr. King’s efforts to form partnerships to see his dreams through. Conclude by talking about ways your classroom community can work together to reach their shared goals.

Be a leader, make a change. After reading a text about Dr. King or another leader in Black History – because he was NOT the only one! – or watching one of the numerous videos available, brainstorm words related to his personal character or his life’s work – such as leadership, justice, equality, bravery, courage, and fairness. Write each word on a cloud. Invite students to pick 1-2 traits that they relate to and see in themselves and have them write their names on multi-colored strips of paper. Attach the strips to the bottom of the clouds and hang them around the room. Revisit the words often as a part of your classroom culture, encouraging students to use these traits to propel them forward as a positive force. [Use this in conjunction with listening to the “I Have a Dream” speech or another primary source from that era and writing a classroom goal to tie character to action!]

Examining the impact of our actions despite the best intentions isn’t easy – I often find myself feeling conflicted about my own work as an educator as a result. But it is, after all, the impact that matters most.

It can be the only thing that matters when we think about our students and their future.

My Name Matters: A Challenge for All

July 18, 2017 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 11 Comments

Each year, usually in the back-to-school season, I see a trend on social media. I’ve heard it in conversations in the teacher’s lounge and even in the Dollar Spot aisles at Target. I’d wager a guess that you’ve heard it too at some point.

It’s name-shaming.

I’ve written about it before (The Top 3 Reasons Name Shaming Harms Students) and spoken about it on my social media accounts (such as this video). I’m not satisfied, though, with just talking about it… I want to DO something about it. I decided that this back-to-school season is a perfect time to launch a simple, yet important challenge that absolutely anyone – in anyone school! – can do.

Meet the My Name Matters challenge.

Our challenge goal? To end name-shaming in any of our spaces – whether it’s in our schools, homes, or on social media.

The challenge has two steps:

Honor your students’ names by learning to pronounce and spell them correctly.
Take steps to eliminate name shaming in your own communities by speaking out.

I, of course, want to provide you with tools to be successful in this challenge! I have some suggestions and thoughts about how to work through each of the two steps below.

Honor your students’ names.

It is so important that we honor our students’ names by pronouncing and spelling them correctly. There is an article published by NEAToday that discusses the lasting impact of mispronouncing students’ names, as well as this must-read from Cult of Pedagogy.

It’s important… we want to do it… but how?

You’ll want to begin by getting your class lists and identifying any names that you’re not certain of pronunciation. This may be names that have multiple pronunciations, or names that you are not at all familiar with. Next you can:

Make contact with the students’ family, introducing yourself, welcoming them to the classroom community, and inquiring as to how they pronounce the student’s name at home. You may want to explain that the purpose of your phone call is to make sure your student feels welcome and valued by you pronouncing their name correctly.
If you’re not comfortable with asking a students’ family how to pronounce their name ahead of time, be sure and ask the student how to pronounce their name upon meeting them. Be sure and repeat the name back, checking it against their own pronunciation – you may not get it right the first time, but you will get it right with practice!
Contact previous teachers and ask how they pronounced the students’ name and compare notes – this is a good stop-gap measure if you’re unable to contact the family and want to try to pronounce the students’ name correctly prior to meeting them. Err on the side of caution, though, as your colleagues may not necessarily be pronouncing it correctly themselves!

Remember: keep at it until you get it right, and if you make a mistake – apologize! Make sure your students know that it is important to you to honor their names and that you’ll keep at it until you do.

Don’t be a bystander.

The saying goes: when we know better, we do better. We know name shaming is wrong, so we’re going to stop doing it ourselves. But… can’t we strive for more? I think we can, and I want to end name shaming TOGETHER.

So don’t be a bystander! If you hear or read someone that’s participating in name shaming, say something.

Confrontation and disagreement can be difficult and certainly uncomfortable, but we can’t accomplish our goal of ending name shaming without doing the difficult work. Here are some suggestions for conversation starters/responses when you encounter name shaming:

“I know ________ may not be a name you’re familiar with or would name your own child, but I bet ________’s family really like that name. I know I would feel hurt if someone criticized my name or my child’s.”
“I don’t think it’s right to judge ________’s name. Names are personal…. ________’s name means something to him/her and their family. When we make fun of it, we make fun of them. That’s not something we should do.”
“It might be difficult to pronounce ________’s name, but I can’t imagine what it must feel like to constantly be called by a nickname you didn’t choose or have your name mispronounced. Have you thought about writing down the phonetic spelling and practicing it?”

It begins with us.

Name shaming is one of many issue facing our students today. Ending it begins with you (and I!) deciding not to accept it in our spaces. It’s one small, necessary step we can all take to dismantle inequities facing our most vulnerable student populations; each step we take propels us forward with increasing momentum.

Community Matters: What We Can Do, TOGETHER.

November 11, 2016 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 1 Comment

Turn on the TV, browse your Facebook timeline, or scroll through Twitter… look at the faces of your colleagues and friends as they navigate conversations this week… it’s not hard to see how divided we are right now as a nation. In our own communities. Sometimes in our own schools. Regardless of where on the political spectrum you fall, you’re likely as concerned as I am about how we move forward from this, and how we do so in a way that honors our commitment to our children.

For the children are watching. And listening. And learning.

All of us – whether happy, sad, exuberant or despondent about the outcome of our election – have a responsibility to the children. We have a responsibility to listen, to love, and to protect.

I believe that we, as educators, must turn our focus toward building or maintaining our classroom communities as places where students are safe to express their feelings, where their feelings are honored, and where they learn what it means to grow as a person of character. We cannot do this alone, nor can we do this without a plan, for building a classroom community requires careful consideration and thoughtful execution.

So what can we do? What can YOU do? How do we navigate this uncharted territory?

Create and maintain open lines of communication.

Students that are distressed right now – for themselves, for their family, or for their friends – must feel that they are safe to express that fear. Research tells us that students that are emotionally distressed are less equipped to learn. In the long-term, it can seriously impact their health and well-being. We must do all that we can to mitigate this in our classroom, and that begins with allowing students to express themselves.

I’ve written before about the powerful #IWishMyTeacherKnew movement and how I handle it in my classroom; this is a perfect time to begin implementing it or something similar to provide your students with an outlet. It’s especially important to provide students with a confidential outlet, as they may not always feel comfortable speaking about their thoughts, feelings, and emotions in the whole-group or even small-group settings. Students are aware of how divisive this election has been, and may not want to put themselves at risk within their peer group.

Allow students that need to take a break to do so. If a student is distressed, it’s important to provide them with tools to cope, and those tools can include taking a break from learning. Invite your school counselor into your classroom to provide insight on how to help your students learn to cope with all that they may be feeling – our school counselors are incredible resources that can help us navigate these difficult times.

Communicate and build relationships with students’ families. Students in distress are likely coming from a family in distress – that is to say that their families, too, are feeling complex emotions and experiencing hardship in some way. It is important that families know that you are there to support their child at school, and to support them in parenting their child at home. Regardless of belief systems, we hold a shared responsibility and have a sacred relationship as families and teachers – communicating openly is necessary to preserve that.

Honor students by honoring their backgrounds.

Much of the distress children are experiencing stems from fear of, or actual experiences of, being excluded. Excluded on the basis of their or their family’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration status, or political affiliation.

Our classrooms must be a place where students’ backgrounds are honored without qualification. In order to learn, students must feel accepted and included.

We can foster inclusivity by utilizing diverse resources and including diverse perspectives in our teaching practice, starting with our classroom libraries. If your classroom isn’t diverse, you can provide a “window” to the world that is out there and allow your students to explore their fellow citizens through text. If your classroom is diverse, you can provide a “mirror” for your students that honors their truth and value to our country. {As a side-note: “We Need Diverse Books” is an incredible resource for educators.}

We can honor our students by being pro-active in stemming the tide of discrimination within our classrooms, schools, and beyond. We can ensure that we do not allow, and roundly condemn, any form of prejudice we, our children, or their families experience. It is important that as we seek to honor our students’ backgrounds that we also protect them in so much as we can. Speaking out against injustice does not impeach our own political beliefs – it protects our humanity, and that of our students and their families.

Cultivate a culture of character.

Prioritizing displays of character is integral to building and maintaining a classroom community. All educators want their students to be successful academically and work diligently to make their success a reality.

I believe that now, more than ever, we must also work to shape our students into people of character.

If your school implements PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) you are already well on your way. If your school doesn’t implement PBIS, learn more about it. PBIS isn’t the end-all be-all, but it is a school-wide framework for focusing on creating a positive learning community rather than putting out the fire of a negative learning environment.

Start, continue, or enhance classroom meetings that focus on being better to one another – being caring, fair, respectful, responsible, trustworthy, persevering, and a good citizen. You can do this through discussion prompts, through read-alouds, through song, and even through short videos. Use your classroom meetings throughout this holiday season to plan acts of kindness in your school community and beyond.

Add to your classroom management system to reflect the value of displaying one’s character. Allow students to recognize the character that one another displays – in the small moments, and in the big ones too. Involve parents in the process by communicating the ways in which their child uplifts your classroom community and makes a difference.

**Above all, remember it is about them.**

To be completely transparent, I am one of the people I am writing about. I am one of the Americans that are scared, sad, and just down-right exhausted by what’s happening. It’s personal to me, on many levels, as so many that I love and care about – my students included – feel threatened right now.

But this isn’t about me, and it can’t be. It can’t be about you, either. It’s about our kids. It’s about making sure each of them – regardless of where they come from, who their parents are, or anything they believe – feels safe, loved, and protected. That’s something that we can all agree on and work toward.

Please join me in this fight for our shared humanity. I need you. They need you.

7 Must-Watch Videos for Building Character

August 12, 2016 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 1 Comment

One of my greatest passions in the classroom is building a student’s character by taking the time to know my students. I live for the “teachable moment” – some more frequent than others. Sometimes you can’t wait for a teachable moment, however, and need authentic ways of talking about character. Read-alouds are wonderful ways to do this, but sometimes a video provides another level of engagement and meaning that is necessary to further the discussion. I’ve compiled seven videos that support teaching the seven character traits I teach in my own classroom. You may recognize them from my classroom management system, Clippin’ for Character.

Caring

In the classroom, caring can mean many things. In my classroom (and in my character education units), I loosely define “caring” as displaying compassion, kindness, and grace to all we encounter. The below video from Life Vest Inside (a great organization!) is a perfect way to show how a single act of compassion, kindness, and grace creates a ripple effect – or what they call a “kindness boomerang.” I like to have students see if they can catch all the examples of having a caring character in a single viewing; we then re-watch to catch any we miss and briefly discuss each. This is a particularly good conversation starter because all of these examples are real-world and opportunities to display a caring character in their own lives and communities!

Fairness

In the classroom, fairness is a frequently discussed topic – particularly in the primary grades. It’s also one of the toughest character traits to develop, and requires repeated practice. I know that sounds silly, but truly, we have to really practice being fair – and it often requires guided practice on the part of teachers {speaking of which – this video is a wonderful one to share with colleagues to get that dialogue started}. In my classroom, I loosely define “fairness” as being open to new ideas or perspectives, sharing resources, and treating others equally. I like this particular animated short because it opens up a number of conversations with guiding questions: What does it mean to be open-minded? Can sharing mean more than just things, but also time, and friendship? How can I recognize inequality?

Respect

We often think of respect as being “compliance” in the classroom – following directions, being quiet, etc. I like to focus on respect in a more global sense. In my classroom, I loosely define “respect” as using manners, resolving conflicts peacefully, and considering others’ feelings when we speak or act. One of my favorite videos to use when talking about respect is the Pixar short Boundin’. I like using this particular video because it shows a stark contrast between disrespect and empowerment. It is a great way to have students think about consciously choosing to consider others’ feelings and empower them rather than disrespect them.

Responsibility

We often think of “responsibility” in our classrooms as we do respect – in terms of completing assignments, remembering things from home, etc. I, again, like to think more globally about the concept of being responsible. I also like to tie responsibility to not just being responsible for yourself, but being responsible to others. In my classroom, I loosely define “responsibility” as being prepared to learn, holding ourselves accountable in our words and deeds, and always giving our personal best. Students respond to the idea of responsibility in particular when we think about beyond the task level – they feel empowered to make better choices and strive to meet their potential. This video is a true discussion starter, and I guarantee it won’t take students long to exclaim – “Why don’t they just walk up the stairs?” This is a wonderful way to have students think about how they are in charge of empowering themselves and taking ownership of their lives!

Perseverance

This trait is hard. It’s hard on purpose. When we persevere, we grow. But that growth is often painful and accompanied by so many opportunities for an “out.” For students, perseverance will vary wildly. What comes “easy” for some seems near impossible to others. This isn’t just academic – socially, emotionally… Perseverance is hard. But it is important because it’s an indicator of future success. To persevere, even in the “small” moments is to persevere over the long-term. In my class, I loosely define “perseverance” as striving for excellence in the face of adversity, and never giving up on a goal. While there are many real-world videos you could watch for this trait (like this timely Olympic one), I really love the animated short “Soar” by Alyce Tzue. Its wordless nature makes for great discussion {and connections with literacy – inferring!}, and the message is pure perseverance – with a side of caring.

Trustworthiness

Ah, trustworthiness. Like fairness, this is one that requires a lot of guided practice. It also requires lots of community-building, as trustworthiness is important on so many levels in your classroom – not just between you and the students, but between the students and each other. In my classroom, I loosely define “trustworthiness” as being honest in your actions and words, loyal to your friends, and doing the right thing especially when it’s hard. I’m going to cheat in this video selection, as it’s not a video as much as it is a read-aloud. The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth is one of my favorite texts of all time; the message, based on a work by Leo Tolstoy, moves me to tears each time I read it. The read-aloud video is a wonderful way to touch of two of the hardest parts of trustworthiness: loyalty… especially when it is not easy to do “right.”

Citizenship

A culture of community – that’s really what we strive to foster in our classrooms. That requires citizenship, which is the “spine” of all of the rest of the trait… a desire to do and be better for others. In my classroom, I loosely define “citizenship” as being a team player, helping to make decisions, and obey community rules. I prioritize helping to make decisions over obeying rules, as my hope is always that “doing the right thing” will be self-directed; the more students invest in our community, the more they dedicate themselves to doing right by their community. The final video I have to share with you is about geese. Yes, geese. When I first heard of this analogy I was speechless; it’s so simple. One of my classroom themes this year is “fly in a V” – a reminder to stay together and be there for one another.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed watching these videos, and I want to state for the record that I won’t be reimbursing anyone for Kleenex. In researching this I went through an two entire boxes of Kleenex in the course of a few hours. Character education isn’t just surface-level, it’s deep-strikes-you-at-your-core stuff. I hope that with these videos to jumpstart your classroom focus on character you are able to grow your student’s character this school year… the impact it will have on them will last a lifetime. The time is always right to be better.

If you’d like to read more about how I manage my classroom by focusing on these seven traits, please read my blog posts here and here. You can purchase my positive behavior management system, Clippin’ for Character, in my TeachersPayTeachers store.

The Top 3 Reasons Name Shaming Harms Students

August 10, 2016 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 4 Comments

You’ve seen the memes. The late night comedy bits. Maybe you’ve even been a part of a conversation or laughs in the teacher’s lounge. Odds are, if you’re a teacher, you’ve encountered name shaming. You know – “Did you SEE my class list? How do I even pronounce half these names? What were their parents thinking?!” or “You’ll never believe it. Another Neveah.“

I’m here to tell you that name shaming needs to stop.

A fleeting giggle or likes on a meme are not worth the consequences of shaming children (who become adults) about their names.

Here are my top 3 reasons name shaming harms students and must end.

1. Name shaming sets you up for a failed home-school relationship.

You can’t laugh about, joke about, or roll your eyes at a student’s name without passing judgement on their family. (And that judgement? It can impact their educational attainment. Here’s another source if you don’t like the first one.) They did not choose their own name – their parents or guardians did. Odds are, if you’re comfortable enough to laugh about a student’s name, you’re going to begin to make other judgments about that family. Think about it: if you’re making fun of someone, do you have a lot of respect for them? Empathy? No, you do not. Respect and empathy are two keys to successful home-school relationships. Without them, you’re facing an uphill battle.

2. Name shaming impacts student outcomes.

Students with uncommon names are more likely to be bullied, more likely to be suspended, and less likely to be found to be trustworthy. These things are not because of a student’s name – it’s because of our response to their name. We – the adults, the teachers, the other parents, other students – create situations in which students can develop low self-esteem, want to distance themselves from their culture, etc. all because of how we respond to their name. When we name shame, we demoralize – and we all know as educators that if there isn’t mutual respect and a relationship, student outcomes suffer.

3. Name shaming is entrenched in ethnocentrism and contributes to institutionalized racism.

Yes, I went there. I went there because the research goes there. If we, as teachers, feel free enough to name shame (whether it’s in the teacher’s lounge, on social media, or just in our own heads) – what do we think goes on behind closed doors in human resources? The more acceptable a practice name shaming is, the longer we perpetuate hiring Emily over Lakisha despite the fact both are equally qualified. We cannot participate in perpetuating the practice of determining the worth of someone based upon our own notions of what is an “acceptable” name. Picture a student you’ve had with a unique name. Do you want them to be passed over for a job that they are qualified for?

If you find Reagan or Kerrington an acceptable name – one you wouldn’t make fun of in the teachers lounge or giggle about on an Instagram meme – but you would roll your eyes, laugh, giggle, or give a passing glance to names like Neveah, Princess, or Chiquita, ask yourself why. Why are those names unusual to you? Why are those names less deserving of respect? We tend to “default” to names like Sarah (mine!), John, etc. because we accept white culture as the default. We view, analyze, and judge cultures through that lens and tend to assign judgments – in this instance, negative ones – because of what we consider our “default.” We must get away from this because…

There’s no place for this in our profession.

This is not “all in good fun.” We are not just “making an observation.” We are actively ‘other’-izing our students, demoralizing them, and disrespecting them. We are disrespecting their families. We are devaluing our profession by stooping to the low of a school-yard bully or crass comedian. We should be striving to be better than that – we must.