Speak Up Speak Out - Resources for Engaging with Social Justice Issues with Your Students

I have been struggling with how to process and respond to the upheaval in Baltimore. It is a call to action and engagement that is daunting and complex. However, that does not make okay to ignore the situation. History reminds us again and again that that kind of pacifism is often taken as consent. In education it can not only harm our students when we fail to advocate but can also harm our relationships with them when we fail to address issues integral to their existence.

So as an adult, educator, and most of all librarian, I find my context by reading and seeking out resources to empower and guide my processing of the issue.

 For any adult:

We need to process before we discuss or even approach heavy subjects with our students. In the case of social justice, there are some easy ground rules that can make navigating safer and more productive. My favorite resource for educating myself on this is the following article.

Teaching Social Justice's - "Guest Post: Cody Charles on the Ten Counterproductive Behaviors of Well-Intentioned People"

For educators:

Educating on social justice comes with even steeper rewards and pitfalls. To orient yourself you can read the article below or visit the website Teaching Tolerance, which has has many established lesson plans and resources. 

The Student Affair's - "Ten Counterproductive Behaviors of Social Justice Educators "

TeachingTolerance.org

For teachers and their  students:

Though there are numerous resources for lesson plans and resources surrounding race, gender, or identity issues, here are some of the resources I have relied on heavily for processing the #blacklivesmatter and Baltimore riots. 

Primary (PK-3)

In this age group, I believe the most powerful tool for social justice you can wield is teaching empathy and giving students names for their feelings and experiences of the world.

 Benefits of Helping Preschoolers Understand and Discuss Their Emotions

Intermediate (4-8)

At this level, students are able to engage more critically with the issues that may be more abstract or outside their realm of experience.

The resource I am most excited about today are these student essays written about Baltimore by Baltimore students. What a fantastic way to engage with the issue and connect students to others they can identify with.  Have students write back. Have students write about their own city. Encouraging student voice and students to share their truth goes miles to promoting social justice as a mindset instead of a one time event.

Baltimore Students Share What #TheRealBaltimore Is, And It's Not What You're Seeing On TV

And here are two wonderful videos for middle school or high schoolers that engage with how to incorporate social justice practices into your own life.

Sometimes You're a Caterpillar by Chescaleigh

5 Tips for Being an Ally