how to handle religion in the classroom


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When students read different texts such as lyrics from songs or they read a passage from the Quran or the Bible, they are utilizing their critical thinking skills to make meaning and connection to texts. Explore the schedule and register todayspace is limited! Schools must be vigilant about these bullying behaviors. For teachers of younger children, religious diversity may lead you to have conversations about why some students do not eat lunch during specific times of the school year. Advances in scientific methods and concepts can be traced to times in history when different religions were revealed to civilizations. For example, Jewish boys wearing yarmulkes and Sikh males who wear patka or dastaar (head covering), experience bullying based on their attire. The study of religion may naturally occur within the context of studying other topics. Must public school officials make school facilities available during nonschool hours for religious use by religious organizations? As Matthew Yellin points out, when it comes to religion, all too often good teachers in good classrooms shut down real inquiry for fear of addressing the whys and howsand the opportunity to learn from each other is lost. Religious education in England is based on the view that students should not just be learning about religion, but from it. By continuing to navigate this site you are consenting to the collection of information via our use of cookies. Dr. Mark Chancey, professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University states, If we as a nation want to understand how to relate to the rest of the globe, then we need to have a richer and deeper understanding of different cultures including various religions. In general, schools can: We must work to prepare teachers to help students appreciate, respect, understand and learn from students of other cultures. Join our mailing list, We use cookies to enhance your experience of our website and help us understand where we can improve it. 's' : ''}}. Turn what's often called "a tough age" into an age of opportunity by actively promoting respect for differences, including religious differences. Exploring music related to different belief systems exposes students to a variety of genres of music. I feel like its a lifeline. Regardless of grade-level, the following four principles should form the foundation of conversations on religious diversity: Depending on the grade-level you teach, the discussion, conversations, and activities you have on religious diversity will take different forms. This includes teachers, paraprofessional staff, parent volunteers, bus drivers, school librarians and nurses, cafeteria staff, and others. Additionally, they will be able to learn about different traditions associated with religious beliefs. Teachers are not omnipotent, nor should we want to be. Follow-up blog:Agree to (Respectfully) Disagree. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Whats Law Got To Do With It? For more information on our cookie collection and use please visit our Privacy Policy. Religious diversity is the coexistence of more than one religion in the same setting. Public schools are not religion-free zones. StopBullying.gov. The school can send a strong message of inclusion and respect for diversity when students are hearing it from the many different adults they see and speak to every day. And surprisingly, while most Muslim bullying is by students, one in four incidents involves a teacher (Mogahed & Chouhoud, 2017). Ask students to share their thoughts and opinions. Check out all of the articles from Teaching Tuesday and return each week for a new post. One way to do this is by listening to a song or poem about freedoms. Join our mailing list to receive occasional emails from EqualiTeach with useful information, news and articles. Classroom materials available in the Resource List within the webinar. It does not store any personal data. As the population of the United States grows increasingly diverse, so does the level of cultural diversity in the country. The next generation of citizens will be equipped to promote greater tolerance in schools at all levels, in the workplace, and in the global community (Gardner, Soules, & Valk, 2017). Is there a solution to the student's situation? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. (Summer 2017). Login or create an account to save resources to your bookmark collection. By creating a classroom culture in which religious diversity is respected. Many students end up missing school and important school events in order to honor their religious practices. But the fear of engaging is entirely understandable. For older students, the topic may be integrated into classes on social studies, history, literature, art, music and comparative religions. Schools must take steps to protect students and investigate possible discriminatory harassment, as soon as they know or reasonably should know, even if a parent or student does not file a complaint. In middle school, students can meet Common Core standards by analyzing different pieces of religious work.

necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you American Muslim Poll 2017: Muslims at the Crossroads (Dearborn, Mich.: Institute for Social Policy and Understanding). The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects a student's rights to freedom of religion and freedom of expression. Tech and Engineering - Questions & Answers, Health and Medicine - Questions & Answers, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. How do you help students of all religionsor no religionfeel safe, supported and accepted? Learn why religious diversity matters, the role of the teacher, and the applications in elementary school and middle/high school. The instinct in these sorts of situations can sometimes be one of self-preservation. High school students will soon enter a wider world where they will engage with individuals from vastly different religious and cultural backgrounds. flashcard sets, {{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | For example, students could use holy books (Bible, Torah, Quran, etc) to identify themes, compare texts, or interpret figures of speeches. Religion and creed are protected classes under Washington law.

Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Teaching and Learning in the Age of Trump: Increasing Stress and Hostility in Americas High Schools (Los Angeles, Calif.: UCLAs Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access). The climate of the school is set by the adults. The young person has heard or experienced something that has triggered this train of thought.

I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. This webinar, designed for high school educators of all subjects, offers practical suggestions for teaching about religious diversity in ways that reduce prejudice, promote mutual respect and help students prepare for college and career. This article originally appeared in the August 2018 IDRA Newsletter by the Intercultural Development Research Association. We understand that connection with the tie to the Across education, we are hearing the phrase "science of reading." Visit settings to provide a controlled consent. We share information about your use of this site with our social media, advertising and analytics teams who may combine it with other information that youve provided to them. The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Technical Assistance Center (www.pbis.org) can help. Know Your Rights about Religious Expression at School, Addressing Bullying Based on Diversity, Race and Religion, Instructional Resources for Teaching about Religion. Many youths face bullying and harassment in school because of their race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation or disability. As teachers, we provide service to our communities inside of our own classrooms by encouraging and promoting service to others with our students. Materials include professional development recommendations and strategies that can be used immediately with staff to foster inclusive learning environments. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Out of these, the cookies that are categorised as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. To teach their followers about the tenants of their religion, the prophets would use stories or parables to illustrate a point or to make a concept comprehensible to them. Bullying Awareness & Prevention Understanding the Bullying Trend and Discovering New Ways to Combat It, Understanding Other Religious Beliefs This lesson helps students learn more about different religions and discuss the importance of religion freedom, Teacher Resources Instructional and Learning Resources, Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, Prevention of Bullying in Schools, Colleges, and Universities: Research Report and Recommendations, American Muslim Poll 2017: Muslims at the Crossroads, Teaching and Learning in the Age of Trump: Increasing Stress and Hostility in Americas High Schools, A Matter of Life and Death Two Scholars Make the Case for Teaching Religious Literacy,, Equity Connection - Online Community of Practice, Research Center (Newsletters, Infographics, Publications), Learning Goes On A COVID-19 Resource for Education. You can challenge your studentsto investigate when these individuals arrived at their discoveries and to trace them to the time periods associated with one or more religious dispensations. P.O. In high school, students have background knowledge about diversity and different religions. We are learning that the science of reading incorporates research across disciplines including developmental psychology, cognitive Online course and curriculum development requires a team of dedicated and talented people. In early education, the subject of religion may naturally arise in discussion of families, communities, and different cultures and holidays. accurate as of the publish date. Our vision is an equal, inclusive and diverse society where everyone is valued and able to succeed. Embracing various religious beliefs in the classroom requires intentional thought and planning. Safe and supportive school climates are critical to preventing bullying. Does it matter what religion the student is? Rogers, J., Franke, M., Yun, J.E., Ishimoto, M., Diera, C., Geller, R., Berryman, A., & Brenes, T. (2017). enquiries@equaliteach.co.uk, Contact an individual in our team Mogahed, D., & Chouhoud, Y. Is it constitutional to teach about religion in public schools? With the increase in cultural diversity, we also see a rise in religious diversity, the coexistence of more than one religion in the same setting. For example, when a young person raises a question about religion promoting sexism, is it about something they have read in a religious text or a personal experience they have had? Giving Students a Choice in Matters of Faith. (2018). These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". It is just something that makes people unique! copyright 2003-2022 Study.com. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Want more? The IDRA EAC-South is the equity assistance center funded by the U.S. Department of Education to provide capacity-building technical assistance to school districts in Washington, D.C., and 11 states in the U.S. South. Let's talk about specific strategies to use in different grade-levels and how these strategies meet national objectives.

But where do you start? This should give you all the information you need to assess what the real learning opportunity is and what you may need to cover in your answer. These items are sometimes forcefully removed by other students as a means of bullying and intimidation. Generally, yes. Guo, Y. 231 lessons A transcription for this webinarcan be found here. Whether the answer to a pertinent but difficult question is tackled immediately after being asked or after much planning, it is always important to create a safe space for discussion. Any sources cited were A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center1991-2022, Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. This website does not fully support Internet Explorer. Use primary sources. Apportionment, Enrollment, and Fiscal Reports, Express these beliefs at school, in homework, and in school assignments, Pray or study religious materials during recess, lunch, and other non-instructional time, such as before or after school, Pray or discuss religion with other students during the school day in the same way that students can engage in other conversations with students, as long as it is not disruptive and does not infringe on the rights of other students. All rights reserved. Monitor locations in and around the building that may be bullying hot spots. Areas that have little or no adult monitoring or supervision (such as bathrooms, playgrounds and the cafeteria) may place students at higher risk of bias incidents. Perhaps you will explain the different types of celebration that will take place over winter break. It is however worth noting the expectations that are placed upon us as practitioners in the UK. Equaliteach CIC How does this student's scenario relate to the First Amendment? The Welcoming School website (www.welcomingschools.org), a project of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, offers parents and educators resources for creating safe and welcoming schools for all children and families. How may the study of religion be integrated into the public school curriculum? The cookie is set by Google and allows us to see anonymised data about this website's performance by logging site visits and page views. Certification office, Standards board, more Fellows' Network, NBCT leadership, more School, educator, publications, media, more, Approved lists, requirements, guidance, more, Paraeducators, counseling, librarians, more, State grant application, Medicaid, more, Budget requests, session overview, more. Yes. Depending on the grade level you teach (or, hope to teach), the impacts of religious diversity will be different. Applications for Middle Level Educatorsoffers recommendations on how to implement lesson plans that enable students to express their own identities while learning about diverse religious and nonreligious beliefs and how to use a variety of resources to explore common themes among different religious traditions. We may also use third-party cookies that help us understand how the website is used. Olympia, WA 98504-7200. Lead their classes in prayer, devotional readings from the Bible, or other religious activities; Persuade or compel students to participate in prayer or other religious activities; Voluntarily pray at non-instructional time before, during, or after the school day; Pray with fellow students during the school day on the same terms and conditions that they may engage in other conversation or speech; Pray when not engaged in school activities or instruction; Read their Bibles or other scriptures, say grace before meals, and pray or study religious materials with fellow students during recess, lunch, or other non-instructional time. May teachers teach about religious holidays? equity@k12.wa.us. When you incorporate these ideas into your teaching and learning practice, you are not onlyteaching the content area standards, but you are also addressing the English language arts standards. Websites, SBE Elections, Contact Info, more Learning Standards & Instructional Materials, Professional Certification Webinars and Presentations, Privacy and Data - Protecting Student Privacy, Resources for Districts: Religion in Schools, Information for Families: Discriminatory and Sexual Harassment, Complaints and Concerns about Discrimination, Common Religious and Public Holidays 2019-20, Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools. For example, you can collaborate with the schools music teacher when studying different countries. Therefore, it is lawful for schools to excuse Muslim students briefly from class to enable them to fulfill their religious obligations during Ramadan. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons Required fields are marked *.

Follow-up blogs: A three-part series that responds to participants' questions and comments. Learn more about Grand Canyon Universitys College of Education and our degree programs and join in our efforts to elevate the education profession. In every classroom, teaching about religious diversity not only prepares students for conversations in the real world, but also helps meet Common Core objectives. Your email address will not be published.

Student safety begins in the classroom but extends to every space on campus. Teachers may teach about religious holidays as part of an objective educational program that focuses on teaching about religion; however, celebrating religious holidays is unconstitutional. Suite 11, 31a St Neots Road, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 7BA, 01480 470660 Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. As a teacher, you may feel nervous about discussing religious diversity, but this does not mean you can omit it from the classroom. Visit Resources for Districts: Religion in Schools. Appraising Teacher-Made Materials for Literacy Instruction, Selecting Educational Resources for Diverse Students, Religious Diversity in the Workplace: Definition & Laws, Activities for Gifted Students in Elementary School, Gender Differences in the Classroom: Physical, Cognitive & Behavioral, Verbal & Non-Verbal Communication Strategies for Students, Steps in Preparing Educational Assessments, Promoting Community Involvement in Schools. Help Students Respond With Empathy and Respect. Developmentally Appropriate Practice Strategies & Examples | What Does DAP Mean? For more information, visit Information for Families: Discriminatory and Sexual Harassment and Complaints and Concerns about Discrimination..

It is also important to remember that you dont need to be neutral yourself when discussing difficult topics. This article focuses on religious diversity as a protected civil right, how schools can foster more inclusive learning environments, and recommendations for educators. As a classroom teacher, you can easily incorporate the idea of storytelling by having students research their own religions stories or legends and share them with their classmates. After-session pack:A PDFwith activities and lessons.