Building equality into everyday activities

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Building equality into everyday activities

• November 2008

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Aims

• To explore issues of language, harassment and
  discrimination in the classroom
• To identify practical solutions to dealing with
  these issues.
• To explore challenges of discrimination,
  attitudes, language and behaviour
• To share good practice

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Objectives

• By the end of the session you will have
• a better understanding of issues of inequality
• An awareness of how to effectively challenge
  learners inappropriate behaviour, attitudes and
  views
• Be more able to recognise discrimination,
  harassment and victimisation and act to resolve
  these issues.
• Shared good practice
• A better understanding of your rights and
  responsibilities

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The curriculum

• No young person, whatever their background,
  should leave college unaware of or unprepared for
  the challenges of life in our complex
  multicultural, multi-faith society.
• This is why both statutory guidelines and the law
  require educators and support staff to address
  issues of equality, diversity and inclusion in
  the learning environment (this means every area
  of the college).

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Choose the right resources

• The range and quality of available resources is
  improving by the day. Aim to choose resources
  that do not stereotype or diminish different
  cultures and communities.
• Use positive examples and non-stereotypical
  images that show diversity both within and
  between cultures.
• Use appropriate language
• Challenge inappropriate attitudes, behaviours etc

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Challenge racist assumptions and attitudes

• Quote relevant facts and figures and focus on the
  benefits and challenges of diversity. Discuss,
  for example, why claims for asylum are so
  controversial even though government statistics
  show they have fallen in recent years.
• challenge the common perception that ethnic
  minority communities did not exist in Britain
  before the Second World War by looking at London,
  Bristol and Liverpool, where ethnic minority
  communities have existed for hundreds of years.

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Promote respect for diversity

• Issues of equality, diversity and inclusion
  permeate every area of life, and therefore every
  area of the college life.
• Respect for diversity can be promoted in all
  subjects by drawing examples from different
  countries, cultures and communities and
  encouraging learners to focus on the way human
  diversity enriches our lives.
• Support staff can play a role in delivering on
  this agenda by challenging inequality and setting
  examples of good practice

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Highlight the benefits

• Virtually every aspect of life in Britain from
  the law, counting systems and scientific
  knowledge to language, music and eating habits
  has been shaped and influenced by contributions
  from other cultures.
• Make it a point to highlight how your subject
  area has benefited from cultural and global
  diversity.

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Preparation

• When preparing to address issues of equality and
  diversity in the classroom, you may find the
  following self-assessment questions helpful.
• How confident am I about introducing new topics
  or conveying key messages? Do I need to do more
  research or preparation?
• How comfortable am I discussing this topic?
  Should I talk through some of the issues with a
  colleague or friend so that I am better prepared?
  
• If some learners express offensive or provocative
  views, am I confident that I know how to respond?
  Do I need to rehearse or role-play my responses?

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Preparation

• Will all learners in the group feel comfortable
  with this topic?
• What steps can I take to ensure that the
  discussions and activities will feel safe for all
  concerned?
• Are some learners likely to resist or strongly
  identify with particular messages?
• What reactions do I anticipate and how should I
  handle them?
• What preparatory work will I need to do with the
  class, for example agreeing the boundaries,
  learning aims, definitions or key terms?
• What ground rules could I suggest, for example
  about coping with angry feelings, respecting
  differences or learning from conflicting
  viewpoints?

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In the Classroom

• Whether your college is in a small isolated
  village or a large multicultural city, your
  learners are exposed daily to a variety of
  messages about equality and diversity.
• Their views are being shaped by the attitudes of
  friends and family, politicians, the media and
  others. (not all good teachers/influences)
• All college staff have a key role in encouraging
  respect for diversity and helping learners to
  question negative assumptions and stereotypes.
  This task is much easier if tutors establish
  clear boundaries for discussion and adopt an
  informed, consistent approach when addressing
  these issues in the classroom

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Respect difference

• Tutors have a crucial role to play in helping
  learners resolve conflict. This should be evident
  from the way tutors take account of different
  attitudes, identities and backgrounds by
  discouraging racist, sexist, homophobic language
  or assumptions, for example, and insisting on
  mutual respect even if discussions get heated.

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Promote equality

• Some learners will be unsure about which words to
  use when talking about equality and diversity
  issues others will feel reluctant or only too
  keen to repeat what they have heard. Tutors can
  help establish an ethos of equality in the
  classroom by encouraging an informed use of
  language and a democratic exchange of views that
  includes different backgrounds and experiences.

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Keep it relevant

• People learn best when they can relate what they
  are learning to their own lives and experiences.
  Where possible, substitute or adapt resources to
  reflect the local context, for example, by
  including local issues or using the context of
  current affairs, public controversies and popular
  culture.
• Make lessons and activities relevant to the 21st
  century.

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Make it safe

• When exploring issues that could be painful,
  controversial or provocative, make it safe for
  learners to air their ideas, opinions, feelings
  and concerns, for example by negotiating ground
  rules, working in pairs or small groups, using
  role play or encouraging them to express their
  feelings non-verbally.

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Avoid judgement

• If learners are put on the defensive or feel
  judged, they will quickly learn to be selective
  about the views they air in the classroom. With
  the exception of extremist materials, which are
  illegal, try to avoid vetoing offensive or
  provocative views and make it a class ground
  rule to challenge these views, not the person
  expressing them, when there are disagreements.

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Prepare yourself

• The best motivator is a tutor who can tackle
  equality and diversity issues in a confident and
  engaging way.
• It is important to feel comfortable handling
  difficult questions, controversial attitudes and
  heated debates in the classroom, whatever your
  background or experience

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What do you do?
Do you problematise the view in class? Does
what you do depend on the context? Do you try
to turn it around? Do you name it? Do you
discuss the issue with the learners in private?
What can you do to set a climate in the
college/classroom where such comments are less
likely to be aired?
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What should you do?

• Avoid confrontation and aggression
• Respect the learners personal space, however much
  you disagree with their views
• Challenge the idea not the person
• Repeat the comment to check your understanding of
  it
• Ask the learner to repeat themselves or what they
  mean
• Raise your concerns in tutorials or other
  meetings as appropriate

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What else should I do?

• Create a learning environment that is safe and
  encourage learners to share their thoughts,
  feelings and concerns
• Develop clear and common ground rules
• Use everyday news to raise awareness and
  encourage ongoing discussion, debate and self
  reflection
• Challenge with respect
• Always take action

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How confident are you

• Think about
• How to deal with learners who strongly
  resist/identify with particular attitudes,
  behaviour or stereotypes
• Preparatory work you need to do
• Appropriate ground rules
• How you will manage arising conflict
• How you will manage emotions and feelings
  provoked by the training/activities

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How confident are you (2)

• How you will deal with learners expressing
  offensive views?
• How you will challenge ideas rather than
  individuals?
• Which resources you have looked at today would be
  suited to the needs of your groups?

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Good practice tips

• Be clear about what you are aiming for
• Be clear about how the outcomes will be achieved
• Define the specific skills or competences you are
  looking for
• Be clear about how you will measure learner
  progress