If educators make clear that they are in this together, that they value their students’ expertise and experience with online learning, young people will work with us to create a virtual teaching space where everyone engages and feels welcome.
In a time when it is so important for adults and young people to do their best to work with each other, here is a list of behaviors that adults do surrounding technology that deprive young people of the benefit of the doubt.
Focusing on benefit of the doubt and fairness will prepare your community to have better conversations about current events as well as increase your community’s ability to manage discomfort when discussions make people uncomfortable.
What if we shifted the way we talked about, thought about, and viewed teens? What if we took them and their concerns seriously? What if we stood up to other adults, especially adults in positions of power, who mock and dismiss young people’s thoughts and opinions?
Using dignity as a framework to navigate conflict and analyze behavior requires a radical shift in thinking. Here’s how we start.
George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. Christian Cooper. We are in a dignity crisis, here are resources.
How can we help prevent and respond to the misinformation and xenophobic bullying while Coronavirus is a constant topic of conversation and anxiety?
We asked young people around the country to share their views on the political process and if voting was important. Even for those who aren’t 18 and therefore can’t vote, their opinions are heartfelt and contradicts the perception that young people aren’t engaged in the political process.
Dignity gives us a new path forward to build the relationships we must have. Our schools depend on it. Our communities depend on it.
Dignity gives us a framework to think about ourselves and others, motivation to reflect, and a constant reminder that other people matter, an idea that should be the baseline we bring to all of our interactions.
We will repair our communities. We will support each other who demand civil discourse and personal responsibility.
© 2020 Cultures of Dignity.
