Talking race in the classroom / Jane Bolgatz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bolgatz, Jane.

Contributor:

James Hosmer Penniman Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Multicultural education--United States.

Multicultural education.

Race relations--Study and teaching.

Race relations.

Racism--Study and teaching.

Racism.

United States.

Racism--Study and teaching--United States.

Race relations--Study and teaching--United States.

Physical Description:

ix, 155 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Teachers College Press, [2005]

Summary:

This lively book will help new and veteran teachers develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to successfully address racial controversies in their classrooms. The author first explains what race and racism mean and why we need to talk about these topics in schools. Then, based on an in-depth study of a high school classroom, she shows what happened when teachers and students talked about race and racism in a history and language arts classroom. Throughout the book she guides teachers in ways to discuss important issues-from civil rights to institutional racism-that will ultimately help teachers and students to change school culture.

Contents:

1 Racial Literacy: Talking Even When "the Smooth-Sounding Words Fail Us" 1

Conversations Can Be Difficult 2

Why Do We Have to Talk About Race and Racism? 4

Talk Matters 10

Caveats 11

We're Not Prepared to Talk About Race 12

The Study of One Classroom 13

2 What Is Race? What Is Racism? 20

What Is Race? 20

Teaching About Race 24

What Is Racism? 26

Teaching About Racism 33

3 How Come They Get Mad About the Cleveland Indians?" A Case Study of Discussions of Race and Racism in the Classroom 36

U.S. History/Language Arts Class 37

Introducing Racial Topics 39

Expanding the Conversations 46

Ignored References 47

4 Creating Opportunities to Talk About Race and Racism 57

Class Tone and Structure 58

Explicit References to Race and Racism 62

Students' Unspoken Reactions 66

Teachers Use Questions 68

Teachers Encourage Students' Questions 70

Students Notice and Respond to Racial Issues 72

5 Characterizations of Race and Racism 78

Characterizations of Race 78

What Can We Do About Colorblindness and Essentializing? 84

Characterizations of Racism 86

How Can We Respond to Characterizations of Racism? 91

6 Social Dynamics in the Classroom 93

Backpedaling 94

Diversions 95

Rushing and Simplifying 96

Avoidance 100

What Can We Do Given the Social Dynamics of the Classroom? 109

7 Cultivating Racial Literacy in Our Schools 113

Preparing For Conversations 115

Initiating Conversations 119

Pushing Conversations 122

Addressing Racial Literacy Schoolwide 126

Appendix A Research Participants 133

Appendix B "Poem for the Young White Man ..." 134

Appendix C Assumptions and Definitions Handout 136.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 137-143) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the James Hosmer Penniman Book Fund.

ISBN:

0807745480

0807745472

OCLC:

56370084