There are two parties involved in this scenario, and they include the student of color who received the hateful note and the other student who wrote the note. For the student who received the hateful note, as an educator, there is a need to validate their feelings and make him know that as an educator, you are ready to support him. As such, he needs to be encouraged to express what they feel concerning the situation and listen actively. Additionally, there is a need to offer a safe space to discuss their feelings and experiences and further empower them to take action by offering the needed guidance (Farjado, 2015). Lastly, student of color needs to be encouraged to identify their strengths and talents and further encourage them to know their strengths and talents and further pursue their goals regardless of the challenges they may face. To the student who wrote the note, there is a need to make it clear to him that the behavior he demonstrated is unacceptable. Make the student reflect on his action and consider the impact of their words on the targeted individuals. Then the educator should offer an opportunity for them to learn about the different cultures and perspectives and facilitate conversations on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the classroom. Lastly, it is vital to use restorative justice to mediate the harm and restore relationships.
Reflecting on the classroom and state policies, the classroom policies mostly relate to kindness, respect, and inclusivity, where students must be reminded that those who demonstrate hate speech, bullying, and any form of discrimination will not be tolerated in class (Gorski, 2016). Educators need to have a protocol for reporting and handling these incidents consistent with class policy and state law. On the other hand, many states have policies that prohibit discrimination or harassment based on color, national origin, race, or any other aspect. The educator must be well versed with these policies and undertake the necessary action if any violation occurs. Reviewing and reinforcing the classroom and district or state policies on equity, inclusion, and diversity in the school can create a safe and supportive environment for all students. With these policies in place, they help create an equitable learning environment by promoting a culture of inclusivity and respect for all students. Policies that prohibit any form of harassment based on color or race make the students feel safe and welcome in the classroom (Farjado, 2015). Additionally, having policies that promote cultural competence can help the teachers to have a more inclusive learning environment making the students of color like the one in the case scenario feel welcomed.
At the moment, there are several learning and accommodations that need to take place for the parties involved. For the student who received the hate note, he can benefit from being taught about their cultural history and identity as well as the culture of other marginalized groups. Similarly, the student can benefit from learning coping mechanisms to deal with the negative impact of the incident and build resilience when faced with such a situation in the future (Gorski, 2012). For instance, teaching the student self-advocacy skills can enable the student to navigate situations of discrimination or harassment in the future. On the flip side, for the student who wrote the note, an accommodation that can be given to him is being taught about the experiences and history of marginalized groups and how hate speech impacts communities and individuals. Similarly, he needs to be taught empathy-building and how to repair harm and restore broken relationships.
The school setting can further address practices that disenfranchise students by implementing an array of policies and practices that are stringent on any practices that are believed to be promoting racism or any form of discrimination. Additionally, the school setting needs to address any form of bias or stereotyping by making these behaviors illegal at school since this may be the breeding ground for such behaviors in their future lives. Another positive practice is increasing representation and inclusivity in the curriculum. If the students can learn about the different cultures and perspectives, they can easily address their stereotypes. The best way students can learn about equity, inclusivity, and the need to foster unity wherever they go is through the curriculum (Gorski, n.d). In the process of learning and undertaking their daily assignments, if the students are made to learn the importance of diversity, then the incident of the students passing a note with hate remarks can be avoided.
The potential impact associated with the approach for bias I have outlined above is that unlike using a harsh approach in instilling the need to have empathy and positive values towards others, using the slow method and the restorative process seems a viable option. By taking the students and perpetrators of stereotypes into slow learning and discovery of themselves on why the stereotype or biased behavior they have is unacceptable, it is an effective way of ensuring that acceptable behavior is entrenched among the students. Eliminating stereotypes and building a culture of inclusivity and equity in any social setting is a lifelong process due to the deeply entrenched nature which these stereotypes have had on society (Farjado, 2015). The student who passed the hate note to the student of color probably learned this behavior from society; hence a strict unlearning process must be used. That said, the approach I have chosen towards addressing the scenario at hand is effective in not only solving the current problem at hand but molding both students to be future responsible citizens.
With the above mentioned, it is important to emphasize making the student who received the note to feel supported and heard. They have a right to feel safe and respected in the school setting, and it is vital to ensure that they know their feelings are valid and that they do not have to face this alone. It is further important to ensure that they have the understanding that the hateful remarks that were written on the note are not a reflection of who they are as a person, and the school does not condone such behaviors. Similarly, the student who wrote the note needs to be held accountable for their actions, and he has the right to due process and fair treatment in explaining why they wrote the note. Ensuring that both students’ rights are maintained while addressing the incident is critical.
Approaching the scenario in a culturally competent manner means recognizing and respecting the cultural beliefs, values, and backgrounds of the two students involved in this scenario. My solution also needs to acknowledge the impact of discrimination, systemic oppression, and prejudice on the students of color’s experiences in social institutions such as the school. This means it is critical to creating a safe space for the student who received the note to express his feelings and vent out any frustrations that he may have regarding the experience. In addressing the student who wrote the note, it is critical to note that his behavior is not an individual depiction of character or morals, but he is a product of larger societal and cultural influences which contribute to discrimination and prejudice (Kumasi & Hughes-Hassell, 2017). Therefore, my selected approach is geared to fix the conditions that created this situation instead of simply trying to fix the student. As mentioned earlier, making the student unlearn the societal influences that have made him react this way will make him a better person and change the way in which he will interact with people of color in the future. Generally, integrating culturally relevant strategies into resolving conflict needs a shift in approach and mindset. As opposed to just addressing the individual behavior to, addressing the wider cultural and societal factors leading to the conflict is what is needed. Doing so helps create an equitable and inclusive school setting that accommodates all students regardless of their background.
Modeling cultural competency is one of the simplest ways of creating a conducive environment that is vital in enhancing learning. A comfortable and safe environment that is accommodative of all the students is necessary to ensure that all students feel accommodated in the class hence enabling them to work hard in gaining an education. As educators, it is critical to incorporate culturally responsive teaching practices that include incorporating diverse perspectives and voices into the curriculum. Similarly, educators can promote positive intergroup interactions as well as foster a sense of cultural competence and understanding within the students (Gorski, n.d). Focusing on these aspects helps establish an environment of respect and mutual collaboration, thus attaining the learning objectives. If a retributive approach had been used to punish the student who wrote the note, then it would only have fueled animosity and created a divisive environment in the class setting which may have had a negative impact on both learners. That said, the restorative approach and understanding the different cultural backgrounds of both students is critical in creating a conducive learning environment.
In a nutshell, the provided scenario highlighted important issues of cultural competency that educators need to foster in class to promote a good classroom environment. While the traditional approach to the scenario could have entailed punishing the student who wrote the note, such an approach cannot positively work independently. Instead, it has to be accompanied with working to address the larger issues contributing to the bias and discriminatory behavior demonstrated by the student. Addressing the societal factors and influences that lead to such behaviors in the school setting helps to ensure that the whole system is fixed and not the student alone, hence modeling the student to become a responsible citizen in the future. Similarly, treating both students in the scenario fairly, especially with prioritizing the dignity and well-being of the students, helps to lead to a more sustainable and effective resolution to the conflict. Additionally, having strong classroom policies coupled with district and state policies are necessary for ensuring that undesired discriminatory behaviors are not condoned and, in the process, model the students to become responsible citizens through unlearning negative societal influences.
References
Fajardo, M. F. (2015). A review of critical literacy beliefs and practices of English language learners and teachers. University of Sydney Papers in TESOL, 10, 29–56.
Gorski, P. (2016). Rethinking the role of “culture” in educational equity: From cultural competence to equity literacy. Multicultural Perspectives, 18(4), 221–226.
Gorski, P. C. (2012). Equity and social justice from the inside-out: Ten commitments for intercultural educators [PDF]. In N. Palaiologou & G. Dietz (Eds.), Mapping the broad field of multicultural and intercultural education worldwide (pp. 388–401). Retrieved from http://edchange.org/publications/Equity-SJ-from-Inside-Out.pdf
Gorski, P. (n.d.). Eleven things you can do to bring class equity to school [PDF]. EdChange.
Kumasi, K., & Hughes-Hassell, S. (2017). Shifting lenses on youth literacy and identity. Knowledge Quest, 45(3), 12–21.
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