I was married in July 2009. I started working at my new school that next month, teaching first grade. Since I was brand new to the school and my students had no idea who I was, I decided to bring in pictures from my wedding to share. As I was showing the pictures to my students, one of my little Hispanic boys said, "He can't be your husband, he is black." Two students gasped and said, "Oooh, you can't say that!" Another little girl (Caucasian) said, "She can marry whoever she wants!" It was interesting to listen to the conversation that was sparked by the pictures. Based on their reactions, it was easy to detect which students had parents who spoke to them at home about acknowledging differences in others. I used this as a teachable moment to discuss respecting differences in others and appropriate ways to acknowledge those differences. It was a lesson we would revisit many times throughout that year and one I hope still sticks with them.
*Ignore my brother's silly face in the picture. :)
What a great story. I think the reactions of the children are so interesting. It would be beneficial for all classrooms to have real photos of diverse people. This would be an excellent learning opportunity.
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