What I Learned About Race Through the Eyes of My Brown Boy

Each day I would ask my son about his experience at school.  Being the astute observer, he reported the differences that he saw.  “My teacher is harder on the boys than on the girls.”  As a mom of two boys and one girl who has worked in formal and informal education settings for over twenty years, I understand the differences between boys and girls.  The traditional school model favors girls…sitting in one place for hours on end, discussing a topic, and writing a response to a reading.  Boys need the freedom to move; they like to put their thoughts into action.  I could see how a teacher in a traditional setting who is pressed to meet certain academic standards in order to meet testing requirements might feel more comfortable working with girls.  Females comply, and the teacher can get her job done.  I’m not saying this is right…I’m just saying I understand her experience.  


Tamara Fyke
Tamara Fykehttps://loveinabigworld.org/
Tamara Fyke is an educator and social entrepreneur with a passion for kids, families, and urban communities. She is the creator, author, and brand manager for Love in a Big World, which equips K-8 educators with a social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum that is both research-based and practical, and also provides the supporting resources necessary to empower students to be socially competent, emotionally healthy problem-solvers who discover and maintain a sense of purpose and make a positive difference in the world. Tamara is the editor of Building People: Social & Emotional Learning for Kids, Schools & Communities, a book that brings 12 wide-ranging perspectives on SEL to educators, parents, and leaders. Now more than ever, we need to teach our children what LOVE looks like. Find out more at loveinabigworld.org.

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