“Why You Trippin’ on Me, and Not the White K ids?

1. “Why You Trippin’ on Me, and Not the White Kids? A case file on racism in the classroom By: Tyler Miller and Francisco Loera Teaching Diversity Professor Vigliotti 11th September, 2013 EDF 2085

2. Case 13 Preview • In this case, we face an issue that many educators across the nation are facing now: accusations of racism. • The accused racism situation occurs when the students come in to class and one specific student is being more disruptive than the rest, Desweon. The teacher in this setting, Ms. Moss, approached Desweon and asked him to be quiet and take his seat. In this moment, Desweon lashed out and accused Ms. Moss of being racist because she had not asked “the white kids” to calm down as well. • Here, we not only face slight issues of students feeling offended because of their race (which never took place or was intended), but we also face issues of discipline action, routine that seems to be broken, and more which we will unravel throughout this powerpoint.

3. Questions for reflection

4. Class room behavior Appropriate and inappropriate? What would you have done different? Follow up What action would be taken either that same day or following days What local, State, and/or national standards relate to the case?

5. Classroom Behavior Appropriate behavior Inappropriate behavior • Use of proximity around the classroom for issues. • “Additional two minuets to finish conversations.” (pg. 58 Redman) • Addressed all the trouble makes all at once the first time. • Self-reflection on follow up. • Use of “I’m trippin’ on you because you are the loudest and the closest” (pg.5 Redman) is unprofessional.

6. What you would have done differently in this racial issue? • In this situation, another way to approach this is by not responding to Desweon the way Ms. Moss did with the whole, “I’m trippin on you because…..”. Here, instead of using unprofessional wording in the response to Desweon, it would have been best to show a little more professionalism and answering him in a different way. • Also, it did not mentioned whether or not she addressed the problem to the whole class. After settling down Desweon and the rest of the disruptive students, Ms. Moss should have gathered the classroom’s attention and reminded them about the procedure that has not changed since day one: having the first two minutes of class for ending discussions, finding their seats, and preparing for class.

7. Follow up… Entire class Individually • Discuss importance of the racist comment. • Review rules and classroom guidelines . • Take the additional two minuets away and return it as a reward for classroom behavior. • Have all students understand that racism will not be tolerated and will be enforced negatively if not followed. • Talk one on one with the student who made the accusation in private. • Contact the parents and inform them of the students behavior. • Have the student understand that racism will not be tolerated in the classroom.

8. Teacher Standards of the case and issue involved. • 4.14 District and State Assessment • “No student shall be excluded from participation or denied the benefit of any district • assessment program on the basis of race, sex, national origin, disability, marital status, • or religion. All students at applicable grade levels are to be tested; however, some • students may be exempted after parent notification and/or consent. Eligibility for • exemption will be indicated in the applicable testing manual. Test modifications, as • permitted by State Board of Education rules and test publishers, shall be made for • students with disabilities to ensure accurate measurement of their aptitude and/or • achievement. As required, alternative assessment is provided for students with • disabilities who are exempt from the district assessment program.” -Mills, Rick. "School District of Manatee County ." Code of Student Conduct. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Aug 2013. a href="http://www.manateeschools.net/parents/pdfs/code_of">http://www.manateeschools.net/parents/pdfs/code_of _Student_Conduct_Current.pdf>

9. Extended thinking

10. Protection plan for future likelihood of repeated accusation • Possibly address the problem to the class as a whole instead of singling out a student in front of the class, especially one who is likely to react differently. • Always give the solid impression that you DO treat every student the same and each student is treated EQUALLY. • Accusation of sexism, racism, etc., will not be tolerated in the classroom and calls for immediate disciplinary action.

11. Conclusion • Here, we were able to see a very common issue that not only surrounds our students in the school setting, but in society as well. We learned that this very situation must be handled professionally and adequately, be careful not to bring extra harm or problems.

12. Citations • Mills, Rick. "School District of Manatee County ." Code of Student Conduct. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Aug 2013. a href="http://www.manateeschools.net/parents/pdfs/code_of">http://www.manateeschools.net/parents/pdfs/code_of _Student_Conduct_Current.pdf> • Redman, George L., and Angela R. Redman. A Casebook For Exploring Diversity . Fourth Ed. . Boston: Pearson Education, 2011. 58. Print.