First Individual is the place Chalkbeat options private essays by educators, college students, dad and mom, and others pondering and writing about public schooling.
The one hundredth day of faculty has come and gone in our nation’s faculties, however many faculties celebrated all of it incorrect. I’m positive college students, dad and mom, and academics imply properly, however marking the one hundredth day of faculty by dressing up like a 100-year-old particular person is surprisingly insensitive.
We’re considerate about all types of variations these days — and that’s a very good factor. So why is it nonetheless OK to caricature aged folks?
I first realized about this apply on the web site of the college district in western North Carolina, close to the place I retired from educating. And I’ve since heard that this dress-up day isn’t just a unusual native apply in my new hometown. These celebrations are in all places. An internet search exhibits college students brandishing canes, pantomiming backaches, and academics in curlers utilizing walkers as props. Actually?
At greatest, these workout routines are foolish and at worst, they’re … unkind.
So what ought to faculties do as an alternative? Numerous lecture rooms and faculties already have fun the one hundredth day of faculty in additional empathetic methods, and I applaud them. For others, listed below are some concepts:
- Invite a actual one who is 100 years previous to your classroom. For a number of years, I delivered meals to a beautiful woman who lived to have fun her one hundredth birthday. Miss Margaret’s occasion was a blast, and he or she would’ve made an amazing classroom visitor. Such tales she had!
- Construct empathetic intergenerational relationships with aged folks by visiting an area nursing dwelling. Sit with residents there, discuss to them, and take heed to what they must share. College students on the elementary college the place I taught in Michigan usually went to a close-by nursing dwelling and an assisted dwelling heart to sing songs and browse with the residents. Over time, the scholars placed on a puppet present and an opera, they usually interviewed the residents for a college venture.
- In school, learn aloud a related guide to mark the event. “If I Have been 100 Years Outdated” by Mary Jantz is an effective instance of a guide that’s acceptable for college students as much as third grade. Studying this and comparable books aloud and discussing them would higher foster dialog about growing older and caring for aged family members than merely having college students gown up as cartoonish stereotypes.
I get the sensation, nevertheless, that dressing like a 100-year-old isn’t actually about understanding and connecting with aged folks; it’s in regards to the quantity 100. So listed below are some higher methods to construct educational connections with this idea.
- I’m on file having reservations about dress-up spirit days in school, primarily as a result of college students can really feel excluded if they will’t take part. However for those who merely should, why not ask college students to decorate up like folks did 100 years in the past? A good higher concept can be to really research what life was like 100 years in the past, an ideal social research curriculum connection.
- Lastly, the easiest way to mark the one hundredth day of faculty is thru math. At a time when math NAEP scores proceed to say no for our nation’s lowest-performing college students, the one hundredth day of faculty is an ideal time to focus on math and quantity consciousness. College students can do hands-on actions that present them precisely how a lot 100 of something is. For instance, youthful college students could make pasta or cereal necklaces; older college students can gather cans for a meals drive — something, actually, that includes 100s.
The truth that I’m simply now noticing this entire “gown up such as you’re 100” factor makes me marvel — are my eyes open solely as a result of I’m getting older? Would I’ve seemed the opposite approach if I have been much less near 100 years previous myself? I hope not.
The American Psychological Affiliation has known as ageism is the final “socially acceptable prejudice” and “it’s so ingrained in our tradition that we regularly don’t even discover.” I’m ashamed to confess it took me reaching 72 years of age earlier than I seen the inherent ageism on this specific solution to have fun 100 days of faculty. Apparently, many individuals in our college techniques haven’t seen both. Let’s do higher.
Barbara Gottschalk taught English language learners of all ages in 5 states, together with her final 18 years in Warren Consolidated Faculties in suburban Detroit. She’s the writer of “Misconceptions About English Language Learners: Analysis-Based mostly Methods to Enhance Instruction” and “Get Cash for Your Classroom: Simple Grant Writing Concepts That Work.”