I've really enjoyed the long weekend and, even better, I got a lot done....laundry, cleaning, dress shopping, research, etc. Tomorrow it's back to school though! We're going to talk about Martin Luther King Jr. and why he is important. I'm not sure that my students (who are three, four, and five years old) can really understand the subject matter, but we're going to try! I've already introduced the kids to MLK a little, and showed them his picture. I explained that we celebrate him each year on the third Monday of the month, near his birthday (Jan 15) and that we would not have school on that day. One of the children, a little boy named Landen, became very concerned:
L: Miss Christin, if we don't have school on Monday, who will blow up him's balloons?
(His little face was filled with worry)
Me: Well...
L: Ok, ok, I know. You can bring the balloons. Miss Laura will bake him a cake. And I will bring him's present!
The innocence and creativity of children continually surprises me. Of course to them, the logical way to celebrate some one's birthday is to have a party, with balloons, cake, and presents. So, I suppose that tomorrow we will sing Happy Birthday to Dr. King, because this is something the kids can relate to. For little Landen to be so concerned about the birthday party of a man that he doesn't even know is so sweet.
I have a simple picture book telling the story of Dr. King's life that I will be reading to the children. I'm a little concerned about how the kids will react to the fact that MLK was killed, but I think we can address it and calm the fears of anyone who gets upset.
It will also be interesting to mention that there are very, very few African Americans in the town that I work in. Actually, someone told me they only removed the KKK stuff from the downtown square a few years ago. It was just a known fact that blacks could not live in that county. I have never lived in a place that was less diverse, and where people are so narrow-minded. Even some of the people I work with have very skewed views of the world, because these small towns are all they know! Here in Mount Vernon things are a little better, but still, this is unlike anywhere I've ever lived. And I don't like it.
How am I supposed to teach these children to appreciate diversity when they don't even see people who are different from them? Educating them about different races and cultures only goes so far....I think you have to really experience diversity to truly learn to appreciate it. But I will do the best I can.
1 comment:
It's a hard concept. Teaching diveristy to children who are just starting out on an education away from home-and parental views-must be a challenge. I'm sorry you don't like the town better. (Who'd have thought you could live anywhere that made Phenix City look culturally advanced?) But you are making the right steps, that the children want to make sure this man that they have never met, that looks a bit different then them, has his ballooons and cake, is already proof that you are already well on your way to successfully teaching diversity.
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