I never thought I’d have to deal with this, but here we are. It’s not common sense that racism is shameful and bad.
I teach a group of fourteen-year-olds who still think dropping the n-word is funny, but I can deal with those situations and made it pretty clear to them that if I ever hear it (or anything similar) in my classroom, they will have earned a ticket to the principal’s office and I will be talking to their parents.
However, there is a more complex situation that has been occupying my mind lately and I would appreciate your thoughts and advice.
A kid turned up to my class wearing ladder laced boots with white laces. (For those who don’t know, this means the person is a white supremacist, lace colour was/is used to showcase identity and can differ from place to place) It caught my eye when I heard her asking a friend if her laces were visible enough the way she folded the cargo pants she was wearing. I asked her if she was aware of the meaning of white laces and she said yes, but added that according to her skinhead friend, lace code was no longer taken seriously. I told her that while that is true, you can still get in a lot of trouble in certain places and that I do not want to see it on her again.
I also mentioned it to another teacher who immediately went and talked to her about it, but I feel like she is going to keep wearing the laces as a fuck you.
She wants to be cool and edgy, but she has no idea what shaky ground she’s on. She often makes racist remarks, but nothing that could get her into trouble so far.
I will stand my ground and speak to the principal about this if she continues wearing the laces, but very very few people know about their meaning so it’s not taken as seriously as if she wore a swastika or something similar. Still, I told her that if I know (and I’m not in those circles) then someone else will, too.
The bigger question here is sensitization, how I could not just enforce not showcasing racism symbols as a part of her outfit but to get through to her and the others who might think they are cool and edgy.
Thank you for reading!
I am her teacher, not her peer. I want her to come out a better person on the other end, that is the only approach I am willing to take because that is my role here. I get your anger, I was furious when it happened, and so was the other teacher (who is part of this minority group I mentioned) but still. It’s a child and so the parents are to be held responsible for something going SO wrong.
What do you feel you owe to the other kids? Because the way I see it you’re tacitly agreeing that that kid’s ideology (or presentation of it) is acceptable to be displayed.
Bullying kids (when you’re in a role as a educator no less) isn’t the answer, I agree. But don’t just pussyfoot around the issue either- and don’t wait till you’re both behind closed doors to tell this brat off. You are responsible for more than just this one wayward child- you have other students who are equally children, and who need to see that this is not acceptable, for various reasons… and these children take priority, whether it be in educating them away from this racist bullshit, or showing them that racism being targeted against them is not accepted- they take priority well before the offending, racist kid does.
A good teacher- hell, any good adult or anyone with a position of power and authority- won’t let people, kids no less, run their mouth with racism. It is an immediate failing on your part if the school environment is such that she goes around spewing racist remarks and dogwhistling (and these things never remain that subtle, when the whole point is her being smug and edgy to begin with) with her… shoelaces and/or whatever. Because the impact is much greater than just the one brat.
If you ask me? You should ask any non-white students how comfortable they feel. If you see her dogwhistling and saying racist shit in public you should also confront her in public. That much is not bullying, rather the opposite- it is working to prevent a culture of bullying, and to show others that this does not fly.