Increasingly,
divisions in our society seem insurmountable.
Racism continues to take its toll.
How can we overcome isms
and hatred? How can we teach our
children to trust and love people whether they are the same or different from
themselves? We mourn and grieve each of our losses, but—as the Curtis Mayfield song says—“We must keep on
keepin’ on.” Working with school students
and teachers is the path I take to keep
on building a peaceful, equitable, diverse, and just future. In this endeavor, one of the most powerful
tools I use is the full-day social experiment called Mix It Up Day.
Introduction to Teaching Tolerance & Mix It Up Day at EA:
Teaching Tolerance, an arm of the
Southern Poverty Law Center, “is dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving
intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our
nation’s children.” Teaching Tolerance initiated Mix
It Up at Lunch Day in 2002. The idea
was that a simple act of sitting with new people at lunch would help students break
social barriers and appreciate and celebrate differences and similarities among
the people in their school communities.
At The Episcopal
Academy, a pre-K-12 independent school outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, our Middle
School Student Council took the original concept further and deeper, beginning
in 2008-09. While
many schools participate in mixing it up
with special seating and activities to promote positive social interactions
during one lunch period, our Mix It Up Day is a full-day social experiment involving
275 students and over 50 faculty and staff.
This full day in early spring follows months of lead-up activities
including a diversity/inclusion-themed slogan contest, activities interpreting
a dramatic production’s themes, advisory surveys and discussions about school
climate, and guest speakers on anti-bias, anti-bullying, and diversity-related
topics. Our goal throughout is to make
our school a safe, welcoming, and inclusive one for each member of our
community.
Over seven
years, student and faculty survey results have helped us evaluate and improve
the effectiveness of the day. Overall,
students have rated the day as important in teaching about diversity and
building and inclusive community. Responding
to post-Mix-It-Up-Day surveys, typically, 66% of students state they have
learned something about diversity during the day-long Mix It Up Day activities,
with 64% agreeing that the day is a “powerful learning experience.” Generally 80-90% think the day is important and
should be part of school life annually.
Faculty responses have been positive as well, with 89% of faculty respondents
agreeing that the day is a meaningful teaching tool and should be
continued.
Faculty and
staff at other schools have asked for advice on how to strengthen, deepen, or
change-up their participation in the day.
This blog details learning goals, planning, sample
activities, and reflections from Episcopal Academy Middle School, recognized by
Teaching Tolerance as a three-time Mix It Up Model School.
Identity,
Diversity, Justice, Action: Using Teaching
Tolerance’s Anti-Bias Framework
My colleague Heather Dupont and I are Middle School Student
Council advisors. We have nurtured Mix
It Up Day efforts over the years, striving for more subtly engaging and critically
thoughtful practices to promote understanding and respect among all in our
community. For six years, our Student
Councils’ MIUDAY goals remained the same, to help members of our community
learn: “(a) How it feels to be treated
as ‘different,’ for many reasons (race, religion, size, ability, economics,
etc.…) and (b) How it feels to interact with new people. We want to build a welcoming and inclusive
community!”
At times student planners get so eagerly involved in detailing
activities, they forget to root their planning in their goals. Our seventh year, using a “backward design”
approach to ground this year’s Student Council members as they framed the
purposes of the day, we introduced them to Teaching Tolerance’s Anti-Bias Framework (See link below in
resources). Inspired by the social justice
education goals identified by Louise Derman-Sparks, Teaching Tolerance introduces the framework’s four domains as
follows:
·
Identity:
Students will understand the multiple facets of their identities, know where
those traits come from, and feel comfortable being themselves in a diversity of
settings.
·
Diversity:
Students will recognize the diversity of people in the world, be able to
identify differences and commonalities, express interest in the lived
experiences of others and develop genuine connections with others.
·
Justice:
Students will be aware of bias and injustice, both individual and systemic,
will understand the short and long-term impact of injustice, and will know
about those who have fought for more fairness and justice in our world.
·
Action:
Students will feel confident that they can make a difference in society and
will commit to taking action against bias and injustice even when it is not
popular or easy.
At a planning meeting in November, months before
MIU Day, our student leaders read the Anchor
Standards and Domains section of the document. We asked them to vote by actually standing up
for specific goals for our day. They
chose by consensus the following goals from each of the four domains. At a later meeting, they worked on breaking
down the somewhat academic language into understandable, memorable, student-friendly
words to add to our prior goals, and to encourage our community to become a
welcoming one of upstanders rather
than bystanders:
· Identity: Be who you are.
· Justice: Recognize and break
stereotypes!
· Diversity: Express comfort with
people who are similar and different.
· Action: Take action. Addressing their peers in a student assembly,
student leaders exhorted, “Rather than watch, stand up. Rather than be afraid,
speak up.”
Rooting their introductory announcements in their goals,
Student Council introduced the (now) annual diversity-themed slogan contest in
January, and the results were meaningful. Advisories chose creative ways to express
their desires for our community to become a welcoming and inclusive one of
upstanders. Student Council and several
faculty allies evaluated the slogans. Without
announcing a winner, we hung the slogan posters in the halls during the months preceding
MIUDAY. The winning advisory’s slogan
would grace our T-shirts and the surprise would be unveiled on Mix It Up Day in
March.
Experiential
Learning about Diversity and Inclusion: What
Would You Do?
Under our guidance and with input from Walidah Justice
(Director of Diversity and Inclusion), Steve Morris, (Head of Middle School),
Kim Piersal (Director of Experiential Learning), Gina Tomkowich (Middle
School Drama Teacher), and many others, Student Council planned a day that
started with homeroom T-shirt distribution, included videos and discussions in
classes, incorporated simulations of unearned privileges and restrictions, featured
a musical presentation, moved to mixed up seating at lunch, and concluded with team-building
activities at sports block. Participants
(students, faculty, and staff) wore blue, pink, green, or orange T-shirts that
determined different privileges and restrictions through the day.
Selecting short videos from the John Quiñones ABC-TV
series, Student Council asked participants to consider “What Would You Do….?” in
situations in which people are treated unfairly because of gender, age,
economic class, race, religion, ethnic background, sexual identity, or other
social identifiers. Beginning each
class, a loudspeaker announcement introduced the video and posed discussion
questions and restrictions for group or another.
Here’s an example. Announcer: “We want
to be able to trust our friends to accept us as we are, even if we are
different. Sometimes they don’t. In this video, a teenager confides in his
teammates who reject him. He feels
silenced. In this class BOYS will be silent, in hopes of understanding what being
silenced feels like.” The
accompanying video was a WWYD episode
in which a gay athlete told his friends he was gay. Another class began this way: “Differently abled people often experience discrimination
and thoughtlessness. This video shows a person with a disability facing
discrimination. Will bystanders be
helpful? In this class, ORANGE & PINK may not open or close doors or laptops
without assistance, in hopes of understanding one aspect of ability and
disability.” The WWYD episode
featured a sales person’s discrimination towards a blind customer.
In addition to the opportunity
to show short videos and discuss them for part of the class, teachers responded
in unique ways to provide students with deeply moving Mix It Up Day
lessons. The full day of mixing it up
included “regular classes” in which teachers had each planned some special
twist—a game, a simulation, a discussion, or lesson designed to teach
experientially about diversity and inclusion.
Very few teachers opted to teach “class as usual.”
Thus, depending on the teachers’ plans, students might
experience the unearned privilege of special seating or treats in one class, or
the unearned restriction of being denied a chance to speak or use class
supplies in another. Hallway signs
directed students to use water fountains and stairways based on the color of
their T-shirts. All these were
purposeful reflections of historical and current events about which students
were (or would become) well aware.
Mid-morning at an assembly, a group of Middle and Upper
School singers and actors presented a stunning performance of “Make them Hear
You,” from the musical Ragtime,
further emphasizing the one of the days’ themes of standing up against injustice. Segregated by T-shirt color, the Middle
School community pondered the non-violent path against racial injustice
detailed by characters in the play excerpt.
Later, students and faculty again sat by T-shirt color at lunch to “mix
up” typical social groups. Thus, sixth,
seventh, and eighth graders shared tables with faculty members. Cafeteria staff reminded students of
restrictions and privileges in the lunch lines regarding desserts and drinks. During
sports practices, coaches engaged in team-building activities to end the day.
In 2014, we connected Mix It Up Day class announcements with
the drama club’s spring play, I Never Saw
Another Butterfly. Set in World War II, the play explores themes of persecution and endurance. Loudspeaker announcements introduced new
concepts to each class and connected themes from the play to
literature and history students were studying in their classes. Here is an announcement given early in
the day: “In 1920, American women finally got the right to vote. Around the
world, many girls and women are still deprived of their right to vote,
education, and equal wages. Jack in Lord of the Flies says,
‘It’s time some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave deciding things
to the rest of us.’ In this class GREENS will keep quiet and leave the speaking
to the rest of the class. GREENS are not allowed to speak. Experience for a
class period what this means.”
Teachers could then opt to show a short video about the women’s suffrage
movement in the United States.
Announcements
later in the day encouraged students to overcome differences and build an
inclusive community. Here is the announcement from the last class period: “In
1991, Rodney King pleaded for peace in Los Angeles asking, ‘Can’t we all just
get along?’ An EA sixth-grade parent, said, ‘It is not necessarily your
background that defines you, but it is how you live your life that defines who
you really are.’ In this class, you will
take lessons you have learned during Mix-It-Up Day to make every person
in the room feel safe, secure, and respected. What behavior
is important? How is this different from everyday
classes? How does this feel?” A video of Rodney King
speaking was available for viewing.
Calendar
for Long Term Planning
Announcements have to be composed. Videos have to be previewed and
selected. Surveys have to be evaluated. T-shirts have to be
ordered. We need to communicate goals
and plans to the faculty and staff. The
Student Council meets during a hectic thirty-minute lunch period once every six
days. A project of this size is daunting
for sixteen middle schoolers and their faculty advisors. How do
we pull off this mammoth undertaking?
Here is a taste of our long-term calendar. After setting the date in the fall for the
spring, we start by November to…
1.
Plan
Slogan Contest for mid-January (Each advisory creates uplifting, diversity and
inclusion promoting slogan. Winning
slogan is T-shirt slogan.)
a. Make announcement to
Middle School—Do a skit with t-shirts?
b. Hold contest/slogan
making during Advisory: DATE?
c. Judge slogans during
meeting: DATE? Invite administrators, diversity coordinators?
2.
Prepare
T-shirt order (at least one month in advance.)
a. Decide colors (4
different colors with same slogan design)
b. RANDOMLY assign
students, faculty, staff colors and make a list of T-SHIRT SIZES BY HOMEROOM
3.
Set
and communicate PURPOSE: Using Teaching
Tolerance Anti-Bias Framework, communicate goals via announcements, skits,
posters, bulletin boards, etc. for our Mix-It-Up Day activities, from
pre-planning, to the day itself, to post-day activities in EAMS.
a. Coordinate with
drama/choral teachers.
4.
Prepare
for the pre- Mix: ADVISORY 1-2 weeks prior to MIUDAY.
a. Plan activity and inform
advisors.
b. Prepare Pre-Mix Survey
adapting TT’s survey questions.
5.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DURING MIX IT UP DAY-- Prepare the day’s rules, restrictions, privileges, etc.
6.
Assembly
or ADVISORY DURING MIU DAY? Decide and Plan!
7.
End-of-Day:
PLAN Sports Block?
8.
PRE-MIX
ASSEMBLIES, TEACHER MEETINGS, & ADVISORY: How to engage FACULTY AND
STUDENTS?
a. Pre-Mix Talk to faculty in
person
b. Announce to MS DATE
& Purpose of day
9.
After
school day before MIUDAY:
a. Sort T-shirts by
homeroom and distribute
b. Decorate school with
posters and signs
10.
POST
Mix survey: Around 1-2 weeks after MIUDAY
 |
| Pre-Mix Climate Survey Results |
Providing
Advice and Support for Faculty and Staff
Adults and students have varying comfort levels with such an
all-day social experiment as Mix It Up Day.
To assist them we provide detailed suggestions and timely information
such as the following: advice for providing a safe learning environment, climate survey results, video
content and discussion questions, alternative activities, and clearly
articulated learning objectives. (PDFs
of our Advice to Faculty are
available at links below.)
 |
| Teacher lists all actions taken to bring MIU DAY lessons to life. |
Some teachers create
simulations or special lessons such as making a “Mix It Up quiz” and giving
answers to one group, creating a work sheet with examples all about the
unfavorable qualities of one T-shirt color (or favorable qualities of another
T-shirt color), giving treats to one group and not others, allowing special
seating for one group and denying seating to another, and more. In our conversations with teachers in the
weeks and days prior to MIUDAY, we emphasize the goals and spirit of the day:
1.
Create
this experience in a safe setting.
We acknowledge there is a danger of trivializing important social
problems. Teaching Tolerance explains
simulations this way: “The basic theory behind simulations is to allow students
to assume the roles of other people and act out scenarios in order to gain
deeper insight into historical events or phenomena.” We make announcements prior to and during the
day to encourage students to understand the importance of engaging in the
simulation with an attitude of serious exploration.
For example:
o
“We don’t expect you to be able to understand
someone’s lifetime of oppression by being denied privileges for one class. However, you can reflect on your feelings
from one short period of time to better understand those who are oppressed for
a lifetime.”
2.
Don’t
group students according to characteristics that represent real-life
oppression. Strive for a diverse facilitation team. In creating T-shirt groups, we
use random designation, thus no group is more heavily weighted with
participants from a particular racial, ethnic, economic, gender, or social background. Additionally, our planning team of faculty
includes diverse members of administration, faculty, and staff guiding our
diverse team of sixteen elected student leaders.
3.
Allow teachers and/or students to opt out. Avoid simulations that can trigger emotional traumas. Via meetings, memos, and treats
in the faculty room, we ask all faculty members to participate in the
simulation during their classes at the level with which they are personally
comfortable, although we give numerous trainings and examples to help faculty
step out of their comfort zones. We
realize some faculty may choose to opt out.
Students report via surveys that they are disappointed when faculty opt
out, however.
a. MANY
OPTIONAL FACULTY ACTIVITIES are possible:
· Do a crumpled
paper exercise to show how hard it is to repair hurt feelings.
· Throw a
ball of paper in a recycling can from seats in rows to show how unearned
privilege works. Discuss how this
related to society at large.
· Read a story
about differently abled people, do discussions of WWYD, etc.
·
To those teachers who do choose to opt out of
simulations, we suggest language to help students continue to perceive the
importance of the experiment. They could
say something like the following:
o
“I believe in a world without hatred or
prejudice….. My classroom is going to be
a safe space for everyone. Therefore, I
will not conduct this experiment in this room.”
OR, they may say, “I believe such a role play is more harmful than good
(EXPLAIN WHY). I would rather have a
discussion (or conduct class as usual, etc.).”
·
Students also may opt out in several ways. They may ask the teacher for permission to
leave the room to go to the office or nurse, both designated safe spaces
(permission granted). They may find
another student to be an ally who helps them. They may question the teacher. Some students stage nonviolent or silent
protests.
o
Teachers can use any of these responses as
discussion starters to enhance understanding of the purposes of the day and to
connect such responses to history, literature, and current events.
4.
Participate
in the day: --ANNOUNCEMENTS & VIDEOS: During
the day there will be announcements over the loudspeaker about one minute into EACH
class.
·
There will be a summary of a scenario and an
invitation to think: “What Would You Do?”
There will also be a restriction or privilege for various groups in class.
We ask adults to help interpret these in light of historical, literary, or
current events.
·
Example: “All BLUE T-shirt students will now
give up their seats and stand at the back of the room.” Or
“All Greens will remain silent during class.” Or, all pinks and oranges
will try to help each other.
·
Play the WWYD video provided for each class
block. We recommend teachers show at
least the first 3 minutes, although showing the full 7-10 minutes brings the
point home and allows students to see many responses to difficult situations.
·
Invite students to answer three questions below (in
writing and/or discussion).
·
Debrief before dismissing class.
·
In addition to these ideas, we welcome teachers
to construct their own class lessons, related to academic subjects.
5. What Would You Do Videos:
Mix It Up Day (See links below for videos.)
Through the day, the progression of videos will help students see
a variety of bigoted or disrespectful actions of bullies and the different ways
people respond: by being bystanders or upstanders. Even upstanders have variety in the ways they
respond. Some react with anger, even
rudeness, as they confront injustice, while some respond with calm courage and
respectful persistence. Students can answer these three questions to help them
reflect:
· What was the injustice in the situation?
· What did the upstander do to help?
· What would you have done to make the situation better?
 |
| Students use "stickies" to share observations about discrimination. |
6.
Use TIME
OUTS & JOURNALS: Many teachers use a system of “time-outs” in the classroom. If a teacher is seriously applying a
restriction to one group of students (ex. “Yellow t-shirts cannot use books….”),
or conversely if they are privileging a group of students (ex. “Greens can have
candy….”), the teacher calls a “time out” from the simulation.
- The
time-out is probably our strongest teaching tool in the simulation.
·
Gather and engage the students in the class in a
discussion of the meaning and implications of unjustified restriction and
privilege. Ask, “Do you understand why I
am speaking like this? What character in
our book spoke this way?” Or… “Would you be able to learn anything if a teacher
really treated you this way? Explain.” As students identify their feelings of being
restricted and privileged, we tie these experiences into topics in history, literature,
current events, and/or school culture.
·
As soon as each student has had an opportunity
to process the simulation, the teacher will ask if the group is ready to go
back into it. Students may also use the
“time-out” to clarify a point or to help process the simulation.
·
Another option is to invite students to reflect
on their experiences, announcements, videos, etc. in writing in journals or
“sticky notes.” These may be shared
later or kept by students.
7. We notify families and students in advance. During the weeks prior to the
all-day social experiment, our Middle School head, Steve Morris, writes
articles in his weekly newsletter, advising families of the upcoming day, its
goals, topics to be discussed, and how the day will be different from other
days. Assemblies and pre-Mix surveys also help introduce the day to students.
 |
| Sidewalk chalking is one of the day's activities. |
8. Allow time for debriefing; include journal
writing; ask
open-ended questions: “What happened in today’s simulation?” Connect to real-life experiences and how to apply what’s been learned.
Take
time-outs during class to allow time for debriefing, as described above. Additionally we ask English and history teachers
at all grade levels to assign a short journal-writing assignment after the
day. Classes can share the journals the
next day.
a. Remind students to disengage from the
role-play at the activity’s conclusion. Remind
students to think about the lessons
of the day, whether or not the class has been one of simulation, discussion, or
a regular class day. In addition,
faculty members are present in the halls to remind students of the spirit of
the day.
9. SPORTS: Regular
practice with an emphasis on teamwork, sportsmanship, and community:
We request that each sports team start practice with a warm-up that celebrates
team unity and talents of team members, no matter our T-shirt color. To promote a welcoming community, coaches,
please ask your teams to enact the type of sportsmanship, teamwork, and
generosity of spirit that will make everyone on the team feel included and
treasured.
a. Example:
Toss ball around the circle, with each throw accompanied by a thank-you, an
appreciation for the other person, or an idea for making the team strong: “I
appreciate how you always hustle for the ball.”
10. Post-Mix Day Advisory: We ask homerooms or advisories
to complete a brief Post-Mix Survey. These
often inspire discussions. Here are
examples of survey questions:
· What
did your teachers do to help you understand the lessons of the day?
Suggestions?
·
How did you feel when you experienced restrictions
and/or privileges?
·
Did you connect themes from the videos or announcements
to any current events, literature, history, and/or other topics you have
discussed in your classes?
·
How can you stop discrimination and bullying of
all kinds at our school?
Can you stand up for someone if he/she is being treated unfairly? Explain.
·
EXPLAIN how the day has changed the way you view
the various types of diversity, bullying, and “upstanding.”
·
Would you want to experience Mix-it-Up Day
again? Why or why not? Suggestions?
Ideas?
·
Was MIX IT UP DAY was
a powerful learning experience? Agree or disagree.
Student Reflections Provide Powerful Inspiration
This 2015 surveys
were particularly affirming. An
overwhelming 90% of student respondents agreed, “I would want to experience
this day again.” Sixty-four percent
agreed, “Mix It Up Day is a powerful learning experience.” Seventy-five percent agreed that the “videos
and activities of the day helped me understand the MIX IT UP DAY themes of Identity,
Justice, Diversity, and Action.” We have
room to grow in the “action” area, as shown by our question assessing whether
any students were inspired to act for social justice and equality. One week after Mix It Up Day, 39% of
respondents answered YES to this question: “Have you done anything to ‘Make Them Hear You’ about injustice,
disrespect, or bullying since MIX IT UP DAY?” Not a bad start!
To convey their
hopes for the day, our student leaders made the following statements to the
faculty based on their experiences prior years:
·
This day gives us the opportunity to understand what people have
gone through when they are socially neglected or stray away from idea of
normal.
·
It brings people closer together and they take is as a lesson and
not a day off.
·
We fear what we don’t know and knowledge is power, so it is
important for kids to learn more about different people so it eliminates
prejudice.
·
Mix it up Day is an opportunity for those who aren’t discriminated
against to experience what it is like to be judged just because you are
different.
·
This day depicts what happens to real people and all my peers
should be able to feel how people have felt all over the world.
·
I love Mix it up Day because not only does it teach us how some
people get discriminated against, it shows us how to stand up for those people.
·
In Mix it Up day we are able to step into someone else’s shoes and
experience discrimination from a different perspective.
In surveys and journals, students’ narrative comments are
particularly effective in conveying the power of the day.
“Although I felt special, it
seemed unjust that students were not being treated equally. Even though being privileged felt good and
had its perks, I hated the fact that it came at the price of others’ treatment. I also learned how frustrating it can be when
you teacher doesn’t call on you…. My
position in the class didn’t depend on how smart I was, it was just determined
by the color of my shirt. I should’ve
taken action by letting someone sit on the couch with me…”
“Today was fun because of the
different people I sat with at lunch and the different people I walked with in
the halls. On my way to history I walked
with some of the kids on the football team that had the same [T-shirt] color as
me instead of my regular group. I also
got to talk to a teacher at lunch with some friends, and we all talked about
how our day went…”
“Yesterday I learned that I
should try my best to stand up for others even if I am extremely afraid….”
“For every single one of my
classes, teachers made assumptions about who the students were by their shirt
color. I felt like no one was listening
to me. I realized that there are women
being mistreated in our world because of their gender. In other words their ideas are not always
heard and they potential is not always taken into consideration. Throughout all my classes, I felt extremely
uncomfortable knowing I was acting as a bystander. I wanted to do something, but was afraid to
stand up. Moving forward, I will always
stand up for people being mistreated, because I would want someone to do that
for me.”
“I learned a lot of very valuable
lessons during Mix It Up Day. I learned
how people do mean and horrible things to other people just because of their
race, religion, and disabilities. It
made a huge effect on me when the people stood up to defend the person that was
being discriminated against….”
“I learned that some people
live this everyday and it’s not a joke.”
“Now I understand that
sometimes you should stand up and say something like the Blues did in English
class with trying to start a silent and non-violent protest…. Later in the day, I was not treated well, so
I stood and we protested. The Blues and
the Pinks even walked right out of the classroom….”
“When I think of my feelings, the lesson I get out of it is
this: stand up for yourself and never, ever judge a book by its cover (or in
this case, the color of our shirts).
Although I had my own ups and downs, I am glad we have this annual day
to teach us more about race, religion, ability, ethnicity, gender, age, etc.,
and I am looking forward to next year.”
Keep on Keepin’ On
Make Mix It Up Day work for your school. Start small, with a Mix It Up Day at
lunch. Engage teachers from a variety of
disciplines including the arts and physical education to infuse diversity and
inclusion themed activities in school plays and athletic activities. Plan assemblies or advisory discussions of
your school’s social climate. Involve
your cafeteria staff and administrators.
Go for a full-day social experiment.
Use the resources below to help you make your school into a welcoming
and inclusive community of UPSTANDERS for all!
These lessons will be long-lasting.
We can defeat the isms and keep on building a peaceful, equitable, diverse,
and just future.
--Susan Gelber Cannon
I
am white, and I argue this is the time in our country’s history to affirm that “Black
Lives Matter.” I use this analogy: “It’s
like a body. Obviously, we want our whole
body to be healthy. But if I am
diagnosed with lung cancer, I want that cancer treated now. I won’t be going to doctors saying, “My Body
Matters.” I’ll be saying “My LUNGS Matter.” 
Ladson-Billings
explains, “When students feel they’re not part of the classroom, and in fact
that it’s openly hostile to them, then they do a couple things: they can either
withdraw so they just don’t participate, OR they act out.” And, because teachers don’t take many courses
in cultural competence, they need to catch up.
