Start Seeing Diversity Blog: “We Don’t Say Those Words in Class!”

I can recall a time when I was the lead three year old teacher at a preschool and we were all sitting in a circle discussion the day’s lesson. A little boy got up from his seat and out of blue start saying with his hand raised in the air white power. I sit there for moment speechless. So, I asked him What did you say? He repeated it again white power. I was floored from his comment. I told him that that was not a nice thing to say.  He really did not understand what he had or why I telling him that it was not a nice thing to say.  I went and got the director and told her what he said. She immediately called his parents and told them what he had said. That afternoon when they came in they were in shocked and embarrassed about his comments. They apologize for comments in the classroom. They explained to me that they were watching the David Chappel Show and they thought that he was sleep in his room and during this episode   Chappel does a skit about men talking about white power. They guess that he overheard what was said and repeated the next day.  They were very embarrassed and continue to apologize.

I think I handle it in the appropriate matter, because he didn’t know what he was saying. The little boy was just repeating what he had heard the other night.

An example of how an anti-bias educator might have responded to support the child would be to just listen. Stay calm and interested. Figure out what the child wants to know. It may not be what the question appears to be on the surface. Listen for feelings behind the words. Answer matter-of-factly and simply. Use language appropriate to the child’s developmental understanding. Always respond and always follow up. Decide whether a particular child’s question warrants follow-up activities with all the children (Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., Edwards, J., Hoffman, E., (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.