Two Middle School Teachers Share How You Can Promote Unity At Home As A Parent

With the current political climate promoting division among different race, age and gender groups, it’s ever more important to teach the youth about unity. The popular adage, “children are the future” captures this sentiment. Teach children about unity and acceptance and they’ll grow up with capacity to effectively navigate different cultures and beliefs. It starts at home and at id cultivated at school. 

The holiday season is all about celebrating life’s many blessings, expressing gratitude and promoting unity through family and friend gatherings.

Two 7th grade teachers opened up about how parents and teachers can work as a united front to encourage their kids to practice unity. Mattie White, first-time mom and 7th/8th grade teacher in the Lower East Side, explained her teaching philosophy. 

“It is rooted heavily in celebrating and leaning on community. Promoting unity can be as simple as holding space for open and honest dialogue between students and I, as well as for them and their peers.” She continued, “Inclusive language is another simple one. For example, if I’m going to correct a behavior like making or leaving a mess, I’ll say ‘Our class is a shared space and we will respect it by…” and I’ll give them some next steps. I emphasize the “our” so it’s not giving “this is MY class, do as I say” vibes and they seem to respect it.”

Mrs. White explained how parents can encourage family discussions, where their child is allowed to express their emotions, ask questions, make suggestions and get their parent’s input as well. 

“Exposing children to diverse cultures through television, books, community events etc. can help foster empathy and understanding. I’d also suggest making time to engage in community building or volunteer opportunities as a family.”

Mrs. White likes to tap into the arts for the holidays. “Most students enjoy taking a step back from [more intense] academics. It’s exciting for them to be able to showcase parts of their lives, even if it’s just talking about their families’ traditions. In the past I have had students showcase artwork, music, dance & storytelling. This year my students will be working on nonfiction feature articles. They’ll have the option to choose to focus on a specific holiday to highlight. We’ll get to learn more about holidays that we may not be familiar with. Some students don’t celebrate any holidays, so we get to learn about their perspective and what their culture entails. It’s all about learning one another. “

Mariah Moody, mother of toddler twin girls, also techs the 7th and 8th grade in Staten Island, NY, In her classroom, “Unity looks like celebration.”

“I work in a school that prides our selves in creating spaces and an inclusive environment for ALL of our students. We celebrate the various cultures, traditions and customs that make up our school community in our curriculum and school events. Our schools mission is to make our students feel seen, heard and valued.”

Mariah recommends leading by example as a way to naturally foster unity at home. “I encourage all parents to model the behaviors we wish our children will adopt. I encourage parents to be kind and use language that encourages belonging and inclusivity and skills like active listening.”

For the holidays, Mrs. Moody will be a celebration of different cultures “through lessons developed by teachers and students.” 

“This has allowed my students to share their holiday traditions and customs with their school community. I bring the holiday spirit in continuously creating a space where all my students feel love and belonging.”