How To Protect Black Students From Teacher Racial Discrimination
July 4, 2020 by Michael Linsin
Studies show that Black students are disciplined more severely than their white classmates for the same misbehavior.
And the most common classroom management methods used today—with their subjective interpretations of misbehavior, token economies, and manipulative practices—are at least partly to blame.
They’re rife with unfairness and increase the possibility of racial discrimination from teachers and administrators alike. Yet, they’re more popular than ever.
Why school districts endorse, promote, and even train teachers in these methods is beyond me. It’s been a constant source of frustration and astonishment for me since I founded Smart Classroom Management eleven years ago.
Yet still here we are.
At SCM we believe in treating every student with absolute fairness, respect, and dignity. But we don’t just say it. We don’t just throw it into a mission statement and be done with it.
We actually do it.
Our approach protects Black students from being singled out, profiled, and punished more harshly because of the color of their skin. It makes it difficult for teachers to discriminate, implicitly or otherwise, or hide behind subjective methods and policies.
It sets a standard of equality for an entire school community to follow.
Here’s how:
SCM has clear, sharply defined, non-discriminatory rules and consequences that protect the rights of every student to learn and enjoy school without being bullied, picked on, or made fun of.
These rules and consequences, together known as a classroom management plan, are triggered by very specific behaviors that are easily and objectively recognized by both the teacher and the students.
All rules and consequences are modeled, practiced, and fully understood by students, teachers, and parents before they’re put into practice as not to leave room for interpretation. They’re either broken or not.
Consequences are enforced by the teacher like a good referee calls a foul in a sports game. That is, a student is informed that they broke a rule unemotionally and with respect.
Teachers are not judges. They simply call em’ like they see em’ based on the agreed-upon boundaries that protect learning. The student will already know before the teacher says a word that they’ve broken a rule and what the consequence will be.
Teachers do not glare, scold, question, intimidate, or engage in any harmful method. Nor do they pull students aside for lectures and talking-tos. They simply allow accountability to do its good work and the student to reflect on their misbehavior without interference.
Teachers consistently enforce consequences whenever a rule is broken. Consistent means every single time regardless of who breaks a rule. In this way, it eliminates even the appearance of favoritism or discrimination.
Teachers do not reward students in exchange for good behavior. Doing so opens the teacher up to implicit bias, inequity, and playing favorites. Rewards are also bad for students because they snuff out the intrinsic motivation to do well for its own sake and value.
Behavior contracts, which are often directed at Black children, are forbidden. They’re a form of labeling that tell students (and their classmates) very clearly that they’re different, less than, and not good enough. They also mark students as “difficult” and “troublemaker.”
Except in the rare case of severely dangerous or threatening behavior, all misbehavior is handled in the classroom by the teacher. There are a number of reasons for this, but not the least of which is to avoid unnecessary suspensions.
Disruptions to learning are dealt with not based on the mood or whim of the teacher, or who is doing the misbehaving, but rather on the predetermined and narrowly defined rules—whose only purpose is to protect learning.
As part of the SCM approach, the teacher makes two public, ironclad promises on the first day of school: 1.) To follow the classroom management plan exactly as it’s written. 2.) To be kind and respectful always and regardless of the misbehavior.
The teacher never, ever takes matters into their own hands. They never raise their voice, create their own “logical” consequences, or try to convince or coerce students into good behavior.
Other than following the classroom management plan like a referee, teachers are uninvolved with accountability. Not only is this far more effective, causing students to want to listen and behave, but it enables teachers to build positive, trusting relationships with students.
The plan is sent home to parents at the start of the school year for review and signature of agreement. It is also the main topic at back-to-school night, where the teacher can address questions and concerns.
With an entire school community onboard, Black students are able to overcome academic challenges, grow and strengthen in character, and enjoy the full benefits of a good education without looking over their shoulder or carrying additional burden.
With SCM, any existing or future racial discrimination or classroom management bias becomes glaringly obvious to all stakeholders and nearly impossible to hide. It singles out teachers who have no business in the classroom.
These protections ensure fairness to all students of color, but they’re also the foundation of a larger philosophy that focuses on intrinsic motivation, sky-high expectations, and a safe learning environment students love and appreciate being part of.
Here at SCM, every book, article, and strategy we teach is designed to imbue students with deep-rooted self-worth.
—Especially those who’ve experienced discrimination, poverty, homelessness, trauma, and constant behavior issues—as our approach was created and developed with these very students in mind.
We seek to create a world within the four walls of the classroom and school building that makes sense, one that is free from racism, cruelty, intimidation, unfairness, lack of accountability, disruption to learning, chaos, and the like.
If you’re new to SCM, you may have many questions.
I urge you to pick up one of our books or e-guides or to dig into our archive, where you’ll find 565 articles on every classroom management topic you can imagine.
Also, I’d like to make an offer to every school and district:
If you commit to using SCM, I will consult with your superintendent, principal, or school leaders for one hour free of charge. Please email me if you’re interested.
Finally, our approach since the very beginning in 2009 has always been about putting students first. It’s been about treating them with dignity and respect while holding them fairly accountable.
It’s been about creating a learning environment they’re excited to get to every day.
So if you’re tired of the short-term, manipulative, bribing, and often discriminatory classroom management methods that now dominate our schools, along with the seat-of-your-pants, subjective ways so many teachers manage behavior, then join us in spreading the word.
Email your principal, your colleagues, your superintendent. Share SCM on social media. Push for change that really means something, that improves behavior school-wide while dealing a blow to the ugly stain of racism.
Here at SCM, we’ve made a small dent in the collective educational consciousness over the past 11 years. Together, you can help us take out a big chunk.
And make a real difference where we desperately need it.
If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.
Source:
https://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2020/07/04/black-students-teacher-racial-discrimination/
