People are People

In the movie, The Muppets Take Manhattan, the owner of the diner is often telling the other characters that, “peoples is peoples.” My students know that that is one of my favorite lines in the movie, and often quote it with me. I want my students to understand and know that people are people. There is no room for prejudice or discrimination in my classroom, nor should there be anywhere else. They are the ones who actually wanted me to write in my blog about this topic, because they know it is very important to me that each and every person feels welcome and valued in my classroom.

There has been a great deal of tension over this topic, and I do not want to stir up a hornets nest. However, I do want to honor my student’s request and share with you something that is near and dear to my heart. I could give you reference upon reference on the topics of inclusion and diversity in the classroom, and in a future blog we may explore some of them. (Feel free to reach out and ask for some if you don’t want to wait.) For this blog, I want to speak from the heart.

I already discussed in the previous blog, Who’s Your Favorite, that each student should feel that you value them and are glad to see them each day. This is a large part of creating a classroom that treats each and every person with value and acceptance. You must model the attitudes you wish to see in your classroom. Students will hear far more in your actions than they do in your words. If you show signs of prejudice, they will pick up on it no matter what you say to the contrary. Teach your students that all people are people deserving of respect by respecting the people you interact with. They will see it, and they will learn.

Don’t stop with actions, though. You must have the conversations about how people are people, no matter what. My students know that I do not consider any person less deserving of my respectful treatment. Do I always like and respect actions and choices? No. There are always going to be times when you disagree with someone. That is just life, but that doesn’t mean you treat the person any less. My students know the quote from the muppets because we have these conversations, and I always end them with, “Peoples is peoples.” I know these conversations can be scary and stressful, but if you do not have them, your students will get their ideas and information somewhere else.

Another way you can teach your students about these topics is to read books/articles about people from all different walks of life and backgrounds. Teach students to empathize and relate to people that are not like them. There are so many options out there for teaching about differences in race, religion, family structure, lifestyle choices, gender, etc. I am not saying advocate for any choice, I am just indicating that your classroom could be a safe place to learn that the world is diverse. That is where I like to use novels and non-fiction books about all different kinds of people. The goal is to help them to find similarities to these people and begin to realize that people are people.

There is so much more I could say, and at some point I may get more specific. The goal of this blog is not to pinpoint specific examples but to help you see a general truth. Your students need to see that you value people, that you value them, no matter the differences. They need to be able to learn in a safe environment that the world is wonderfully diverse, and that they can empathize and connect with people who may at first seem to be vastly different than them. Your students need you to teach them that all people are deserving of proper respect, no exceptions. If we can help them learn any lessons when we have them, this lesson will truly help make the world a better place. Remember, “peoples is peoples.“

Reference:

The muppets take manhattan. (1984). [DVD].