This week I have spent some time working with Year 6 exploring our School Value of Trust and Respect. I shared different statements with them such as:
• It’s OK to call someone wearing glasses ‘specs’ that’s just a joke
• Girls can’t do maths and boys can’t do Art; that’s just how it is
• It’s OK to comment on someone’s skin colour; that’s not offensive
• As well as other statements to provoke discussion and conversation
Through our talk together the children worked to ‘label’ the different statements and did so using language such as homophobic, racist, sexist, and stereotypes. The children talked about how people’s skin colour, the way they dress, whether they have a disability does not define that person. It is part of who they are but what defines them is how they are as a person. One child said, “Whatever colour we are, whatever religion we are, we all feel the same things, we are all the same on the inside.” We spoke about how all humans feel all the emotions there are to feel no matter our nationality or what we look like on the outside. We spoke about how a person’s sexuality is their own and how important it is we respect this and not use homophobic language as an insult. We spoke about how we need to be mindful of what we say and how the words we use towards others can hurt them inside, even if we may think ‘it’s just a joke’. We spoke about how Marcus Rashford had been racially abused after the Euros and everyone agreed this was not acceptable.
Our children are still learning to understand that the language they use impacts on others; both positively and negatively, indeed we are all still learning every day to be mindful of this. It is easy to say things in the heat of the moment or say something that is thoughtless and causes another to feel pain.
As we continued our talk one Year 6 said; “Why though? Why do people still say these things? Why is it so important? Why does it matter to some people that someone is a different colour, a different religion, a different gender or have a different sexuality? It doesn’t matter to me. I just want to see the person. I want to get to know them and all I care about is if they are kind and nice to be with. How will the world ever change and become more tolerant?”
This child I know well and I know he ‘calls it out’ if he hears anything said in relation to the areas spoken about in this session. So, I told him that things will change because there are people like him in the world. People who are tolerant and interested in others, including others who are different from themselves. People who see all humans as equal and value the diversity in our school, our community, our country, and the world. And people who are unafraid to ‘call it out’ if they hear something that is or could be perceived as offensive. I told him he was already making a difference and as he grew into an adult, if he kept that mindset he would continue to make a difference. He grinned with pride.
Work in this area will continue in Year 6 and as tolerance and acceptance is part of our School Values it will continue across the school. Big conversations for little people but so worthwhile.
• It’s OK to call someone wearing glasses ‘specs’ that’s just a joke
• Girls can’t do maths and boys can’t do Art; that’s just how it is
• It’s OK to comment on someone’s skin colour; that’s not offensive
• As well as other statements to provoke discussion and conversation
Through our talk together the children worked to ‘label’ the different statements and did so using language such as homophobic, racist, sexist, and stereotypes. The children talked about how people’s skin colour, the way they dress, whether they have a disability does not define that person. It is part of who they are but what defines them is how they are as a person. One child said, “Whatever colour we are, whatever religion we are, we all feel the same things, we are all the same on the inside.” We spoke about how all humans feel all the emotions there are to feel no matter our nationality or what we look like on the outside. We spoke about how a person’s sexuality is their own and how important it is we respect this and not use homophobic language as an insult. We spoke about how we need to be mindful of what we say and how the words we use towards others can hurt them inside, even if we may think ‘it’s just a joke’. We spoke about how Marcus Rashford had been racially abused after the Euros and everyone agreed this was not acceptable.
Our children are still learning to understand that the language they use impacts on others; both positively and negatively, indeed we are all still learning every day to be mindful of this. It is easy to say things in the heat of the moment or say something that is thoughtless and causes another to feel pain.
As we continued our talk one Year 6 said; “Why though? Why do people still say these things? Why is it so important? Why does it matter to some people that someone is a different colour, a different religion, a different gender or have a different sexuality? It doesn’t matter to me. I just want to see the person. I want to get to know them and all I care about is if they are kind and nice to be with. How will the world ever change and become more tolerant?”
This child I know well and I know he ‘calls it out’ if he hears anything said in relation to the areas spoken about in this session. So, I told him that things will change because there are people like him in the world. People who are tolerant and interested in others, including others who are different from themselves. People who see all humans as equal and value the diversity in our school, our community, our country, and the world. And people who are unafraid to ‘call it out’ if they hear something that is or could be perceived as offensive. I told him he was already making a difference and as he grew into an adult, if he kept that mindset he would continue to make a difference. He grinned with pride.
Work in this area will continue in Year 6 and as tolerance and acceptance is part of our School Values it will continue across the school. Big conversations for little people but so worthwhile.
This is a wonderful book for younger children and can be seen here being read 😊
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDuTr8au24c
Have a wonderful weekend
Mrs Pipe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDuTr8au24c
Have a wonderful weekend
Mrs Pipe