MASCA
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
VOL. 51, NO. 2
OCTOBER 2014
Teaching Tolerance: A Resource for Counselors By DONNA BROWN, MASCA Executive Director
A
t the ASCA conference during the summer, I had occasion to talk to representatives from the Southern Poverty Law Center, which produces Teaching Tolerance. When I taught at Silver Lake RHS, I made a lot of use of this publication, but it had been several years since I had looked at a copy. What a wealth of material is available! Although the magazine is published only twice a year, a weekly online newsletter is available. A recent newsletter (No. 47, Summer 2014) contained an annotated list of books recommended by staff members. Two examples are: • “Ellen’s Broom, written by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Daniel Minter, is about an African-American family who live together as free people in post-slavery Virginia. Ellen’s parents can finally be legally recognized as husband and wife, and the broom that once served as their only symbol of marriage takes on new meaning.” (Reviewed by Monita Bell: “A joyful look at a rarely taught aspect of American slavery.”) • “What better way to convey the passion that drives social change than through poetry? Indivisible: Poems for Social Justice, edited by Gail Bush and Randy Meyer, leads readers line by line along a journey from social commentary to personal experience.” (Reviewed by Alice Pettway: “If you love protest songs, you’ll love these poems.”)
Several professional development books were also reviewed by staff members. One theme I noticed was working to close the gap between poor students and those who are more affluent. One featured book is Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap by Paul C. Gorski. Another, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools by Diane Ravitch, looks very interesting. Some of you may recognize the author
from some of MASCA’s retweets. Any school counselor can sign up for Teaching Tolerance at www.tolerance.org. Available on the website are lessons on topics like diversity, multiculturalism, media literacy, and wealth and poverty. Criteria such as grade level (K-12), subject (social studies, language arts) or topic are all searchable. Blogs, activity shares, book reviews, and kits can also be found. If you need to teach lessons on respect, anti-bullying, empathy, or tolerance, this is a great place to start. ■
Make A Difference Day • October 27, 2014 "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." — Margaret Mead
Character Education for a Challenging Century A Global Conference, Online and in Geneva, Switzerland October 22-24, 2014 A conference for all those working on integrating character education, through and via their organization: • Policymakers working to create jobs through innovative partnerships with business, schools and government, • National Associations and Non-Profits promoting character education, • Educators (teachers and administrators) with community and school programs working at the local level, • Philanthropies looking for the best options to fund successful, scalable programs, and • Business executives with a concern for lack of performance character traits in their employees.
For information, go to http://curriculumredesign.org/character/