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(cont) I didnt feel comfortable of my principal saying that at the meeting honestly and i feel like i want to talk to the principal about that
That’s uncomfortable, so sorry you had to deal with that
You should, that’s super weird
I would address it as well. I was the only asian worker on my campus and yeah, was kind of weird when my admins would point that out.
I'm sure they just didn't know it was weird. In hindsight I would have enlightened them to save myself some unnecessary anxiety when going to staff meetings/functions. ❤
That is a fact the principal did not need to state. I am one of very few African American teachers in my building a total of 6 of us among 200.
Your admin sounds very old school. That was probably how he/she was raised to identify or describe people (based on race first), which is a very outdated approach. I’m not sure exactly HOW it should be brought up but he/she definitely needs to be enlightened that it is not necessary to point out someone’s race or gender when introducing them to others or speaking about them. Maybe he/she was really excited to finally have some more diversity in the faculty/staff, but still, it was not appropriate. It’s a good lesson for adults AND students to learn. I wonder if there are any resources in your area that offer some kind of workshops or lessons in cultural sensitivity, diversity, and education.
Have you heard of Teaching Tolerance? You can sign up with them for a free monthly magazine that covers current issues/events our society and students (as well as teachers) are dealing with, and ways to use them as “teachable moments” in our classrooms. They have a website with tons of articles, resources, videos, lesson plans, and even professional development (usually free, mostly webcasts). It doesn’t just cover race, but also gender issues, current political divisions, disabilities, and even LGBTQ+. And they have a Facebook group as well. I bet you could get suggestions there for addressing the issue and the best way to bring it up to your principal. Keep us posted!
NSHS 1 - A student said to me "see? that's why I hate white people" The principal said " you shouldn't hate this white man. Mr (me) is one of the good ones." She was completely mystified as to why I walked away.