A place for educators to find thought-provoking news, conversation and support for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools
Bathroom Rules to Keep Students Safe
For transgender youth, the school’s bathroom can be a dangerous place. School administrators must set policies now allowing for students to use the facilities to math their gender identities.
Primary Grades are Ready to Talk Peace
Picture books can help 5-year-olds explore social justice topics and nonviolence. The resulting
discussion is the start of a peace curriculum.
2012 Teaching Tolerance Award Winners
Every year, Teaching Tolerance hears from teachers who are going the extra mile to support students from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. These teachers deserve to be recognized—which is why we created the Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Culturally Responsive Teaching.
Gender Expectations and a Scary Purple Crayon
Years ago I worked with a child named Justin. A bright, happy child, Justin was a wonderful artist. He loved to create, exploring shapes and colors with crayons and markers and paints.
One day, when he was 4 years old, we were coloring together in his big notebook. We had been at it for some time when I picked up a purple crayon and began to add purple to the dazzling array of colors on our page. Almost as soon as I’d begun, Justin dropped his crayon and stared at me.
Let’s Hear It for Youth Activists!
I am in awe of young people.
Today, for example, I read about a group of teens in
Louisville, Ky. who continued to speak on LGBT issues. High school students from
duPont Manual High School were censored for writing about gay issues,
but they refused to let their voices be silenced. They decided to run an
underground paper, The Red Pen, and
won the annual Courage in Student Journalism Award.
New PD Tool Helps Stamp Out Bullying
Bullying has reached epidemic proportions in U.S. schools. About 1 in 4 students report having been bullied. Tens of thousands of students stay home each year to avoid being bullied. Educators struggle to create bully-free school environments.
Beware the Google App Designed for Laughs
Social media platforms have great potential to build community, support just causes and call attention to inequity. They can also be used to encourage stereotypes and offend. Applications like the like the Android photo-altering “Make Me…” series on Google Play are troubling. Once you download the app, you’re able to alter your face instantly. There are about a dozen apps in this series. “Make Me Asian” and “Make Me Indian” are the most offensive. The description says that uploading your pictures to this app will cause you to “laugh heartily” as you “turn yourself and your friends into” Asians, or Indians.
Sandy Hook Started a Conversation, Now What?
We are teachers and problem solvers. We are learners. What can we learn from this, we ask. We think ahead, look for the lesson in every situation, find solutions. We do this every single day in our classrooms. When lessons fall flat or when we can’t reach our students, we demand to know why so when the next class comes in, 6 minutes later, we make the immediate fix. It’s the way we survive; the way we feel we can control something.
What do your students know about the role of 
