Tara

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Home : 2002 : December : 1

Tara
By pjm

HI Tara,

I think you have opened a touchy subject here. You do sound racist...and if you really examined your inner thoughts and feelings deeply I bet you would find you are a racist. I suggest, even though you have no
intentions on teaching in an urban school district, that you take a class in racial diversity or racial profiling. You need to open yourself up to all people because even in a rich suburban school district you will meet many different types of children. I work in the most affluent school district in my county and our district is represented by 21 different countries/cultures. Yes it's

true. In my classroom I have 3 african/americans, 1 hispanic, 2 bosnians and one from russia. Do they all speak English? no, but they're sure trying....I have had to learn about many different religions because we have many represented in our district. We no longer celebrate Christmas in our district, we celebrate ethnicity and teach our children about all of the religious holidays, we've just finished up on Ramadon, but now Hanuka started Nov 30th so we'll learn about their traditions....and move on from there. Our school does not have a traditional Christmas program, we do not have Christmas trees in school and we do sing Christmas songs, but we also sing the songs of the other's celebrations as well. Is this bad? No it's wonderful the children love it and thrive on it....and are very respectful and tolerant of the others in our school.

So what I'm saying to you is the perfect all white school doesn't exist anymore....we are all a melting pot of America...it's how our country was founded and it's how it has continued to be over all these years and that is good.

Please do yourself and your future students a favor and get yourself some more education on racial relationships. You will be a better person for it.