I got to spend an amazing hour with some 1st and 2nd year teachers last week, thanks to @saravdwerf. In that time, the topic of this week came up. I thought I would thread out some of the things that I shared, on the eve of the election.

In 2016, I was not prepared for the day of the election or the few days after. I watched in horror as some of my students shouted slurs towards my other students. I didn't have a plan for how to react, what to teach, or what to say.

My hope is first that this hatred will not enter into your classroom space; and second that if it should, you feel prepared to handle the events of the days to come, as best as you can, as both a human and a teacher.

Maybe this thread will help.

Advice #1:

DO NOT ASSESS YOUR STUDENTS THIS WEEK.

Tomorrow, the day of the election, there will be a buzz in the air. Students know that tomorrow is an important day. Many of them have been actively participating, even though they are not old enough to vote.

Their brains are buzzing with excitement, which will take up cognitive space. Assessing students this week will produce results you'd expect; some students will not assess well that usually do because they are cognitively busy being worried about the election.

The day after the election is not the day to assess either. Again, students are emotionally invested. Many will be disappointed, scared, anxious, and confused. Their cognition will be affected, meaning you aren't getting a true understanding of their ability when you assess.

So if you're not going to get the results you want, you shouldn't do it.

Personally, I wouldn't assess all week to let my students' brains calm down so I know I am getting an accurate assessment of what they CAN do, not what they can do when their brains are overthinking.

Advice 2: Do not plan an entire lesson on the election for the day after the election.

Reason 1: Trying to plan the perfect math lesson around the election is time consuming, and most likely a waste of your time because your students' brains will not be focused.

Reason 2: For many students, the results of the election (which will not be known tomorrow night) will leave them feeling scared and anxious. Talking about the election for an entire block of math class in a math-based lesson could only exacerbate those feelings.

DO talk about the election. Plan a #slowrevealgraph, or a #noticefeelwonderact based on an image that will take approximately 15 minutes at the beginning of class.

Invite the conversation genuinely and hold space for students to share their feelings openly **IFF you have created a culture that is respectful of everyone in your room**.

Ignoring the fact that a major day passed in the sequence of their young adult lives does not allow you or them to be seen as human beings. The election is important; its results matter for the humanity of many.

I recognize that Advice 2 may feel somewhat impossible to balance all the pieces.
Synopsis: Plan for something small about the election (a writing prompt, a math opener), but don't force a conversation or math lesson to last all day. Be open to diversion as your students lead.

Advice 3: It is ok to do math the day after the election. Make sure it is an activity with options and choices.

For some students, doing math that is not contextually related to the election will seem like a reprieve and a safe space. It is ok to provide them with that security by learning about quadratics that model projectile motion.

With a lift from my friend @JennSWhite, you can provide choices virtually by asking students to rename themselves with a number or letter in front indicating how they would like to work that day.
1 = by myself
2= in a group quietly
3=work with others who want to discuss

The same is true for teachers who are teaching face-to-face: Allow students the option to work independently from their peers, with a group but quietly unless they need help, or with a group that wants to discuss.

A @Desmos lesson on whatever your content is would be perfect.

Advice 4: Be prepared that students may say things that are cruel to others.

You need to respond. You cannot let it go. The humanity of all your students is your utmost importance, no matter your political affiliation.

A few years ago at the @AMTENews conference, one of the keynote speakers (who I cannot find the name of, please help me colleagues), gave a simple formula to address hurtful statements that go against the humanity of others.

1. Name It.
2. Claim It.
3. Stop It.

An Example:
A student says "We are going to throw you back over the wall" to a student that appears to be Hispanic.

1. Name It: "I heard you say that you think we should throw someone over a wall".

2. Claim it: That statement is xenophobic, and shows that you don't value people from other countries.

3. Stop it: In this space, we value all people. We have worked hard to show that all people are valuable no matter where they come from. Do not use that language in our classroom.

Should you do this in front of students or pull the student aside?

It depends on the situation.

In an instance in the past, a student used a homophobic slur in my classroom. I wanted any students in my room who identify as LGBTQ+ to know that I would address harassment like this and stand with them in who they are. I addressed the slur in front of the whole class.

In a different situation, a student said something racist to another class member under his breath so that only the two of them heard it. I addressed the racial slur in the hallway between the two members of our space.

How you respond depends on the situation and who is involved.

WHETHER OR NOT you respond is not up for debate. You will respond.

Not responding conveys to your students who are the recipients of the hateful words that their humanity, their identity is not valuable to you; that they don't matter; and vicariously that you agree with the slur that was said.

You must respond.

If you didn't know what to say before, you do now.

Name it; Claim it; Stop it.

@saravdwerf added an excellent word to this advice which is to practice with someone you know. Ask them to say something derogatory to you, and practice how you will respond.

Work on keeping your voice steady, work on your body motions. Convey the message clearly that this is not ok.

Advice 5 (last one): Have APLAN

Echoing @ValeriaBrownEdu and others #onhere, do NOT go into Wednesday with nothing. Your students' humanity deserves better.

Hopefully this thread will lead you to think through what your plan is for Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as the rest of this week.

Again, the goal here is not only for YOU to not be surprised by what could possibly happen, but also to prepare you to stand for the humanity of the students in your space. All of your students.

If 45 wins the election, be prepared for students of color to feel threatened, isolated, scared and anxious.

Be prepared for DACA students to be concerned about their well-being.

If Biden wins the election, be prepared for White, conservative students to feel like the world is lost.

Again, despite your political affiliation or the skin you have in the game, your job is to recognize and respond to the humanity of all of your students.

May you find peace in the next few days; may it actively seek you and may you allow yourself to give in to the peace that comes.

End Thread.

I'm sure there are other pieces of advice that would greatly help your students over the next week that are not mentioned here. Feel free to drop them in the thread below.

Tweet about an easy check-in this week from @teachntransform: https://twitter.com/teachntransform/status/1323317244080857088?s=20