Stereotypes

As we prepared to honor the birthday or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. last Friday the 16^th, our SEL classes focused on the limiting aspects of stereotyping. In the younger grades, Marilena and I questioned some age old gender stereotypes though role playing activities and reading such books as “Oliver Button is a Sissy” and “The Paper Bag Princess”, where the not so beautiful princess rescues a handsome prince from a fire breathing dragon by her wit as opposed to physical prowess. We also attempted to isolate which academic subjects are unique to boys and which are to girls, and were delighted to conclude that there are none! Boys and girls have equal abilities in math, science, music, art, etc.!

 Having said that, our 3^rd and 4^th Graders were posed the question: “If girls and boys can, and should be entitled to do whichever activities appeal to them, then why is it that toy stores continue to feature blue sections and pink sections? Why do we find more sports oriented toys in the blue section and more dolls in the pink section? This is where we begin to engage in the critical thinking process with our students – not taking information at face value, but asking the type of question that Dr. King asked so many years ago – why does color dictate who we are allowed to be from the moment we are born?

We thought about how best to address the issue of stereotypes and concluded that being self-aware and proud of who we are would be wonderful first steps. With that accomplished, we would then be better able to accept and appreciate differences in others on a more empathic level. So, with the help and participation of the Lower school, featuring our amazing 4^th Graders, we created a video which reflects the diverse passions, characters and personalities of our students, teachers and various administrators. The instant support of everyone involved was moving, considering the time constraints of this production.

 It would not have been possible without the dedication of everyone involved, but especially Marilena Canuto, whose tireless effort and technical expertise made this dream a reality. And Wendy Harrington’s help with the time lapse segment was greatly appreciated by us all. I am in awe of them and the Lower School teachers (especially Roz and Mark) for saying “yes” in a big way to this project.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as we enjoyed producing it. As you watch it, think about Dr. King’s vision for our children as they move along and face present and future global challenges. Knowing and being proud of who they are, what they have to offer and how they treat others will have life changing outcomes for them and the people who will be fortunate enough to know them!