Dr. Mayer’s Memo
Oct. 2014 Making a Difference--Racism
In the last issue I posted my interview with a journalist who asked me to comment on How to Talk to Your Children/Students on Racism. In this Memo I would like to provide schools and families with some effective, powerful, yet easily implemented changes that will make a huge difference on racism.
If you have been reading these Memos for some time you know I am strong proponent of Attitude, Approach, and Atmosphere in how we change young people. Let’s start to call these the 3A’s. Powerful change happens when you change the 3A’s in you school or home.
Here’s how to apply the 3A’s to the issue of Racism:
Attitude: Evaluate how you feel and EXPRESS your attitudes toward issues of race. (Note: When using the word, race, in this Memo I am also talking about ethnicity, culture, sexism and religion. I also feel my advice here applies to physical differences and difference in general.) Practice always an attitude of equality and fairness.
Approach: Never use race, ethnicity, religion, or physical difference as quips, motivational tools, rapport builders, social commentary, or for any other purpose in your classrooms or homes. Such humor or motivation has been consistently shown to not work with young people and it gives kids permission to spread racism.
Atmosphere: It is one thing for YOU to change your attitude and approach and this will make a huge difference, but you can become even a more powerful change agent by standing up and making sure the atmosphere in your school or home is also not tolerant of racism. You accomplish this by not tolerating others in your school or home of having a racist attitude or approach.
Þ Schools: Join my career-long campaign to end sarcasm, student insults, etc. as allowable classroom techniques. Frequently send out reminders in staff emails, newsletters, even paychecks, that these practices are not tolerated at this school. Make this a part of staff evaluations.
Þ Home: It should be zero tolerance at home when a family member makes a mean spirited racial remark whether in jest or otherwise. This includes spouses, relatives, and visitors in your home. Outside your home model zero tolerance of racism as well. Your children will be watching you with eyes wide open as you encounter racism in the world. Your response/reaction will be powerful both on them and others. Your reaction doesn’t have to be a big confrontation, rather a non-tolerance of that person or situation by ending a transaction, walking away from an event, or otherwise not participating in someone or something that promotes racism.
Þ School and Home: Take an inventory of items in your home that promote racism and you may be surprised. (Reminder-of all I’m using this word to embody, see above.) Books, magazines, video games, CD’s, movies, clothing, etc. Schools: Posters and decorations in language labs, school mascots, names of clubs/organizations, etc. Schools: Ok, faculty may be on board with this attitude and approach, but is everyone in your building? Support staff? Seemingly unlikely sources-even vendors can spread powerful modeling of racist attitudes and approaches. Take the inventory!
More at: www.DrJohnMayer.com Follow me on Twitter @DrJohnMayer for daily tips on teens, tweens and kings and queens!
Check out my new Author web site for my fiction at: www.jemayerbooks.com and my tweets at: @jemayerbooks.