I shared the other day about my shift towards more inclusive language in my classroom by actively working to stop saying “guys” or “ladies and gentleman” and instead using “folks.” People had a lot to say and I thought I’d share a few more thoughts.

Yes. There are lots of words and phrases one could shift towards that are inclusive. “Folks” just happens to be what works for me. And yes. It is hard to break the habits of using language that is not inclusive. Here is what worked for me.

I brought my students right into the struggle with me. A few years ago, when I learned enough to know saying “guys” or “ladies and gentleman,” was going against the inclusive community I wanted to create in my classroom, I explained to my students that I wanted to make a change.

I explained not just that I wanted to stop using those terms, but I also explained WHY I wanted to make the change. And I told them it was hard for me because I had been saying them for so long. And then I explained how I needed their help.

I asked my students to help me notice when I used the wrong terms. I taught them how they could stop me and correct me. And I taught them phrases we could use instead. I told them “Folks” seemed to work best for me, but shared other alternatives that would work as well.

And then, over the next few months we worked on it together. I messed up a lot at the start and the kids took real joy in correcting me. But they learned how to do it in a way that worked for them. And slowly, we all made the shift.

And now it is more natural. But I still need reminders. So every year, I talk with my fifth graders about our language and how I need their help. And it does so much more than just help me to make the shift towards my own more inclusive language use. It also does the following:

It teaches my students about the power of language and how we can use it to create more inclusive spaces and also how it can be used to exclude and erase people.

It shows my students that making a shift towards being more inclusive is work. And it is work worth doing. As @DenaSimmons says, “Equity is often at odds with efficiency.” But just because it is not easy, does not mean it is not worth it. And kids need to see that.

It shows my students that those in power (in this case me) make mistakes when it comes to equity and it teaches them ways they can collectively push back to help create change.

It teaches students how to play a role as observers, especially when they are in positions of privilege. And it teaches them how to notice problematic language and how to interrupt it and suggest alternatives.

And it allows us to actively craft the kind of environment that we want to exist in. Together. So those are just a few thoughts on language in case they can be at all helpful to anyone else.