said yes. At the time, I thought I could remain neutral by saying no to the boys, but I’ve since realized neutrality is not possible.
In 2004, the California Safe Schools Coalition report Safe Place to Learn found that two out of three students who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered reported being harassed. To help improve school climates, the report recommended introducing curriculum that includes people like them. As a result, I no longer encourage students to pretend alternative families don’t exist. Instead, we preface such activities by talking about the many forms of families and decide as a class not to tolerate stereotypes.
Turning the Whole School Into Your Classroom
As a 10th-grader, Darling Cerna had little opportunity to share her Guatemalan heritage with other students until a Spanish teacher asked her to participate in an interview assigned as part of a class project.
“I thought it was a great idea,” she says. “I love talking about my culture … and it’s nice to talk to someone about your differences now and then—something I barely get to do at school.”
Her interview was part of a project for Spanish students at Princeton Day School, where I teach. Over the course of a week, the students prepared questions and recorded interviews in Spanish with native and heritage Spanish speakers throughout the school. They included fellow students, faculty, administrators and staff, such as food-service workers. Students benefited from the chance to practice their language skills in an authentic setting, while the people they interviewed saw their language and culture elevated and valued.
Ninth-grader Jake Hall interviewed a science teacher of Mexican descent.
“This really piques your awareness about all of the students and faculty … with a rich Hispanic heritage,” he says, “and really brings to light the diversity of our community.”
In addition to helping to break down stereotypes, reaching out to Spanish speakers helped create a greater sense of community at the school. Even after the project, food-service workers Lisette Rodas and Uli Chacon continue to chat in Spanish with their interviewers.
“It was flattering to be asked to participate,” says Rodas. “It’s nice that they see we’re not just here to cook and serve.” And for Chacon, who grew up in rural Costa Rica, it was interesting to teach the mostly urban students about life in the country. He also notes that students now call him by name.
“I felt good [talking to the kids],” he says. “It’s a good thing to do—for both them and us.”