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A Class Divided
Nuguette Jeune
EDU-330
Bruce, Amanda
01/10/2020
Basics
Took place in 1968 in a 3rd grade Iowa classroom.
Conducted the day after MLK was assassinated.
The teacher Separated students by eye color. Brown-eyed students were considered inferior as compared to blue-eyed
students.
An extra time was given to blue-eyed students during recess, access to new play equipment, and more time for lunch.
Brown eyed students were made to sit in the back of the classroom, were given less recess time, were given smaller desks.
In Jane Elliot’s A Class Divided exercise, she took her class that had pre-existing friendships, and, in their eyes, they were
equal. She created a brilliant situation with something as simple as divided them by eye color to create superiority between
them. This created a feeling some children may have never felt before. Until you feel discrimination yourself, you may be part
of the problem. “The children took away that they can’t understand what it’s like to be somebody else until they’ve walked in
their shoes” (Peters,1987). The two resources can bring people outside their assumed demographic, letting people feel what
discrimination feels like for themselves. The workshops would build stronger relationships between teachers, parents, and
students. Most importantly, creating a more significant cultural competence to teach our children and students
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Hypothesis (information presented)
By dividing the class by eye color children will embrace their role as a superior or inferior person as demonstrated by
performance in class and on exams.
Teachers can gain essential skills to teach many positive ways to remove any discrimination thoughts the children, parents, or
peers may have. Mainly “The Class Divided” should be practiced many times to show how easy it can be to show
discrimination to anyone at any time. Stopping this way of thinking will create a better opportunity for our children in the
future. “If you are uneasy or uncomfortable around people of different backgrounds, your child will pick up on it.”
(Peters,1987). The only way we can help teach our students equality is to change our way of thinking and perspectives.
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Terminology
Privilege occurs on cultural, institutional, interpersonal, and personal levels and gives advantages, favors, and benefits to
members of dominant groups at the expense of target groups.
Power allows one to have dominion over resources and/or resources.
Oppression is expressed by both the organizational power and prejudice, which creates a system that discriminates against
some groups and benefits other groups.
Discrimination is based on prejudice because it denies some people their human rights or social participation.
Racism is enmity, unfairness, or bias directed against somebody of a different race dependent on the belief that one’s own
race is superior. The belief that one’s own race is superior.
Inclusive classrooms aren’t only beneficial to children with disabilities; it’s advantageous to the typically developing children
as well. A classroom with children from diverse backgrounds and functional levels, abilities, and interest holds much promise
– ample opportunities for teachers and students to learn unique perspectives from one another, develop empathy and
promote cross-cultural understanding. Having a workshop using this information will teach teachers, parents, and students
more acceptance. Building a similar way of knowledge will create and a greater sense of cultural competence.
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Resource 1
Diversity Toolkit: Cultural Competence for Educators. Teaching Strategies provided by National Education Association.
This resource identifies the main issues in cultural competency and provides the five-basic cultural competency skill areas,
which are important for teachers trying to enhance their cultural knowledge (National Education Association., 2019). The
toolkit offers strategies for teaching diverse students in the classroom.
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Resource 2
The article, “Assessing Your Cultural Competence.”
A Checklist for Culturally Responsive Teachers, by Kathy Deady, allows teachers to assess their cultural competence by
answering questions in the article. The article also explains why teachers should have answered “Yes” to each question
provided (Deady, 2017). This resource is a great tool that teachers can utilize to measure their cultural competence and
determine which areas they need improvement.
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Resource 3
Peggy McIntosh: Beyond the Knapsack
Peggy Mclntosh’s exercise is an excellent example of unearned advantage and oppression. Her article shows many white
privilege examples and shows how people can follow the leader or be a part of the change. It may be easy for a group of
people to stand behind their privilege if it gets them ahead in life. This is no way to teach our children that skin color divides
our talents or abilities. Peggy’s article describes some advantages of a white person; we need to be a part of the change to
have the “White Culture” in everybody’s culture. “A white person in the United States has on his or her back an invisible
weightless knapsack granting favored positions, status, acceptance, and more.” (Van Der Valk, 2014) Having a workshop
using this information will teach teachers, parents, and students more acceptance. Building a similar way of knowledge will
create and a greater sense of cultural competence.
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Conclusion
Through the experiment conducted by Jane Eliot, the results showed how long-term prejudice changed students’ lives and
eventually made them better adults.
The experiment’s key takeaways were:
People should be more mindful of their actions and how they affect others.
Everyone, regardless of color or race, should be respected.
Children should be taught discrimination is painful and damaging.
Students should have a deeper understanding of civil rights.
Using the tools and knowledge given presented by “The Class Divided” and “The Invisible Knapsack” have a compelling
message to our future. Every teacher and parent would be lucky to attend a workshop that broadened and enhanced their
outlook on life. We can be taught to see every demographic as a whole, the human race. Nobody has the right to judge any
other person by their skin color, sexual orientation, cultural practices, or physical disabilities. We can create a strong
community within our school and people we come into contact with. Using these tools, we can change our own perspectives
and teach cultural acceptance.
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References
Deady, K. (2017). Assessing your cultural competence: A checklist for culturally responsive teachers. Retrieved
from:https://medium.com/accelerated/assessing-your-cultural-competence-a-checklist-for-culturally-responsive-teachers-
186274db8bc2
National Education Association. (2019). Diversity toolkit: Cultural competence for educators.
Peters, W. (1987). A class divided: Then and now. Yale University Press.
Van Der Valk, A. (2014). Peggy McIntosh: Beyond the knapsack. Teaching Tolerance, 46, 25-28.
Spelling mistake: Nuguette Baguette
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Spelling mistake: pre-existing preexisting
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Web Content: http://www.leadershipthatworks.com/a…
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Passive voice: Oppression is expressed by
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Grammatical problem: McIntosh
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Nuguette Jeune
AClassDivided EDU-330 …
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