Teachers and Parents in Educating and Raising Children Affected by Discrimination

Teachers and parents have a core responsibility in changing society. The issues of discrimination in terms of gender, race, physical and mental disability, and social status should be handled at an early stage before it becomes the source of national conflict and violence. Teachers and parents should coordinate to change the mindset and perception of the children who live in the society that experiences all sorts of discrimination. According to Baldwin, (2001, Pp.190), any educated person has a sole responsibility to nature children and change the society. Baldwin emphasized that both teachers and parents have the moral obligations to eliminate all forms of discrimination in the classrooms and help the children to grow healthy emotionally. Both the teachers and parents can apply one or a combination of the following strategies to educate and raise children in an attempt to eradicate discrimination of any kind.

Firstly, tutors should become social activists. The role of the activists entails a continuous search for ways through which both degradation and harm can be reduced or eliminated completely. One of the most effective strategies that a teacher can employ is to examine the learning material they always use. The kind of information in the teaching material may help a discriminated child or may make them worse both physically and emotionally. Research shows that many texts used in schools are monocultural. The knowledge in those texts portrays the inferiority and superiority of some class of children thus encouraging discrimination. Therefore, teachers should look for such material and replace those articles and resources that favor every category of the children (Powell, Cantrell, Adams, 2001). The best way to raise these children is to avoid any language, drawings, and writings that promote stereotypes and prejudice. The teachers have the responsibility to look for and use materials which present non-mainstream individuals positively. The curriculum used is very critical in educating the children and even changing their perception. For instance, one the curriculum that teachers use in their classroom describe how various groups which people perceive as the minority helped in building the nation, the children from such groups get motivated. The teachers should eliminate the misconceptions about a certain minority. For instance, the children should learn how Africans played a critical in the western civilization. Such a truth will improve the self-esteem of many and even change the perception of others towards the blacks. Teachers should also use material which portrays both men and women playing active roles in the society. Some texts should also show how people with certain disability challenged the society by their exemplary skills in how they undertook their tasks. The children should learn about the female characters who became the best doctors, engineers, and even pilots. Such strategies help those children from the groups which have been despised for a long time to gain courage that they can as well make it in life. In doing so, the teacher will have helped the child to stop associating themselves with failures.

Teachers can also use the cooperative learning group strategy. The method encourages participation as well as eliminating racism. Each student will feel like part of the team especially when their contributions in the discussion count. The attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of the individuals can be shared freely in a group. The strategy offers the best avenue for the kids to communicate freely with each other regardless of their gender, race, religion, and disability. Active learning styles can also be used to educate and raise children affected by discrimination. For instance, the students may be given assignments to design posters which condemn ageism, racism, sexism, among other forms of discrimination. Alternatively, the teachers can get a movie for the children which demonstrate how wicked and evil racism in society is, and its harmful effects. Active learning also involves allowing the children to compose songs which condemn discrimination, exposing its effects to the society. The students will learn from one another and will develop compassion for each other thus eliminating all forms of discrimination.            

At some points, the top management of the school can also participate in educating the children on these issues as well as putting measures to eradicate them. The school policies must emphasize on zero tolerance to any form of devaluation. The management may set rules that anyone involved in such illegal acts will be expelled out of the school. Once the student understands the firm decision of the top management, they will be confident and emotionally healthy despite belonging to the minority groups. However, the change must begin with the teachers first. The students can easily follow the examples of the tutors. Therefore, if the teachers will live in harmony while appreciating each other regardless of their backgrounds, the students will also behave in the same manner (Henson, 2001).

As a parent, the most important thing is to make the children feel important in society. The first thing that parents ought to do when dealing with highly discriminated children is to use positive words while communicating and interacting with them. The type of words used or the names you call the children may help them to recover from the discrimination they went through or worsen their situation. As a parent, call the children winners and encourage them on a daily basis that they can make it in life. The children who grow in such environment tend to develop a strong sense of belonging and self-esteem.

Parents should also teach the children their rights and freedom. A child should understand that no one should intimidate them on the basis of their sex, race, religion, and disability. As a result, the kids can face anyone with confidence whenever they attempt to deny them their rights. For instance, a teacher may withhold some learning materials from some students because of their religious background and social status. However, such a child will stand up and defend themselves as well as even reporting to the relevant authorities. The parents can also teach the children that they should always treat their classmates as important being despite their backgrounds. Once each parent guides their children in this way, they will respect one another. As a result, any form of discrimination will not be mentioned in their midst. Instead, the children will even defend their colleagues when they face discrimination (Dei, 1993).

Works Cited

Baldwin, J. “A Talk to Teachers” in Schultz, F. 2001. ”Sources: Notable Selections in Education” Guilford: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin

Dei, George. ”The Challenge of Anti-Racist Education in Canada” in Canadian Ethnic Studies. 1993. Volume 25. Issue 2.

Henson, K. 2001. ”Curriculum Planning: Integrating Multiculturalism, Constructivism, and Educational Reform: 2nd Edition” Boston: McGraw-Hill

Powell, R, Cantrell, S, Adams, S. ”Saving Black Mountain: The Promise of Critical Literacy in a Multicultural Democracy” in Reading Teacher. May 2001. Volume 54. Issue 8.