The day after the final debate, I held up a photograph of the two presidential candidates in the newspaper. I asked my students if they knew who they were, to judge whether talking about the election in class would be remotely relevant to their realm of experience.
In both classes, at least half of my students began an instant and passionate clamor. Included in the commentary:
"¡Los vimos peleando en la tele!" (I saw them fighting in the television!)
"Donaltrum es un hombre malo." (Donald Trump is a bad man.)
"Me gusta Hillary." (I like Hillary.)
I was confirmed then that, like always, our littlest citizens are bright-eyed and taking in everything around them. So, I planned a special election day for November 7.
First, we read an informational slideshow I put together.
To all you parents and fellow teachers of young children, I feel you! It was not easy to explain concepts like Economics and Education and Foreign Policy - though I did simplify them into categories of Money, Education, and Mexico. In this election, it was also hard to represent one of the candidates without delving into language far too derogatory, scary, and offensive for my littles. But I did my best.
We ended the book with a mock election. I taught the word ballot, and gave each student a picture election ballot with two boxes. I collected them - about 3/4 of students in both classes understood the concept and colored next to the candidate they chose - and we tallied them, and declared a winner. I reinforced that this is what their parents would be doing the next day.
(I'm sorry I had to crop out her face for privacy reasons. This pequeñita's got a true fire in her expression that any activist would take heart from!)
(It should be noted that they chanted "A Votar, A votar!" the length of the hallway when we went to hang it up."
The afternoon was tasked with the colors of the New Mexican flag:
(A student took this picture)
We felt excited. I know because of citizenship status, some of my families cannot vote; but my students left bouncy and chattering about the election.
On election day, I excitedly planned a little blurb for morning circle. Something along the lines of - "Hey, look! Any one of us can one day be president!" I did my nails.
Instead, the next morning, I put on black. I shellacked black over my nails. I had been crying. Many of my families, when they came in, had been crying. From different staff members - cooks to substitutes to full teachers - I heard the phrase "el próximo Hitler" throughout the day. In circletime, we read and sequenced La Viejecita Que No Le Tenía Miedo a Nada, and the parallels were awful to me. If only we could've relegated that scaremonger pumpkin head to the backyard forever!
I saw a meme recently that if Clinton had won, we'd be talking about maternity leave and raising the federal minimum wage. Instead, we're fighting about SNL and Hamilton. I found it funny, but more accurate to those in my field: Instead, we're learning about our students' immigration rights in the event of an ICE raid, and fearing how Betsy DeVos will try to gut our system.
It was then and there I swore, beyond living a daily life of anti-oppression to the best of my abilities, I needed to do something extra each day. I urge you to do the same. (Call a lawmaker, donate to PP or Standing Rock, push back against misconceptions and microagressions.) #personalispolitical.
One of my first acts, then, was updating our blackboard in our entryway mural. I asked my college friend and former Arabic teacher to translate the Arabic - the scrawling handwriting is mine.
Even if most families don't notice it, I reasoned, it will be a good reminder for our staff.
But they have. Several of our Middle-Eastern families, a front office staff member told me, have profusely thanked her for that message. "It means so much," they said.
Parents have written me in our daily notes expressing their fear, uncertainty, disillusionment. I have written back to the best of my abilities, and also sent home the district's packet. (Thank you, SFPS. You make me proud to work with you.)
Another moment I recorded on Facebook.
(I admit I did laugh at the time, but then played the good social emotional development teacher and we brainstormed better ways that she could voice her anger. I also suggested that she would one day make a very good president and she about burst into sunshine.)
I had one final activity related to the election. (Though you better bet that, given the title of this blog alone, social justice and equity inform every lesson of every day in my classroom.) My good friend teaches upper elementary in Denver; she had shared just how upset and frightened her students were. So, we read a letter about their fears and anger. And we wrote back:
(by the PM, I realized that in some respects my handwriting has not progressed passed about fourth grade and I too sincerely benefit from guiding lines.)
What have you done in your classroom recently to ensure safety and activism?
¡Hasta la victoria siempre!
La Maestra Alix
