It was the story she told of a young student she had while on a practicum, who made some racist remarks (insinuating that all black people should be in jail), and whom she educated on why saying something such as that was completely inappropriate.
Satisfied with herself, she told her host teacher who stated that the students family would be very upset with her. That the students father was openly racist and was raising the child the same way.
Prof. Sandhu did the right thing, but the fact is, had this been an older student, a student the age I will be teaching, what will I be able to do in such a situation?
An older student would have much more deep seated beliefs instilled by their parents. Not only that, but many discipline options at a school require the cooperation of the students family to truly be effective, and if the family is intolerant, the required support will most likely not be forthcoming.
So then what? Try as you might to educate this student on the inappropriate nature of their comments, the chances of being successful are slim. This could give the student a feeling of invincibility, and that is not something that is conducive to a happy and safe classroom.
Its a dilemma for sure.
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