Two students were debating a point back and forth during a class discussion on the Great Migration. They were comparing the racial discrimination faced by Irish immigrants and African Americans, which was moving in an uncomfortable direction. Naomi mentioned a historical event in which Irish immigrants were killed, which I acknowledged was a strong example. This led students to believe I was supporting Naomi’s side of the debate, which was not my intention. “Only 60 people died,” Isaac responded, implying a much broader scale of anti-Black violence. While I understood his point, I was concerned that his comment was unintentionally minimizing the death of dozens of people. If I commented, though, it would further lead students to believe I was taking Naomi’s side. I did not want to come across this way. My goal was to help students come to a mutual understanding that didn’t minimize the deaths of any racial/ethnic group.
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Margarita
10th Grade
US History
First Year Teaching
Unpack This Teacher’s Dilemma
- What is the teacher's dilemma? Consider the teacher's goals, possible actions, beliefs about the situation and the students, and their own self-perceptions.
- Complete or modify the following sentence in a way that captures the teacher's central tension in the situation: "While on the one hand, the teacher believed/wanted/felt/did , on the other hand, they believed/wanted/felt/did ."
Unpack Your Own Dilemma
- Thinking about your own classroom, how do you ensure students recognize nuances in traumatic historical events while maintaining student ownership over the discussion?
- As you navigate similar dilemmas, what are your goals, beliefs, self-perceptions and the possible actions you can take?