A Place at the Table

Learning languages opens up many doors for individuals beyond just improving a resume. Doors for friendship are opened as well as for understanding things in new ways. Learning Spanish can lead us to reflect upon the meaning and history behind certain English words and expressions we use and increase understanding, not just of our language, but of how it contributes to the way we see things.

Nelson Mandela said, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."

Transcending the language barrier transcends so many other cultural barriers that can lead to misunderstanding on both sides. In fact, speaking the language fluently is not always the point. It is about making the effort to bridge the space that divides people.

With these things in mind, our classes watched a short film called "A Place at the Table" which was developed by an organization called Teaching Tolerance. It is a resource borrowed from the Sonoma County Office of Education and we were lucky enough to get a hold of a copy. Two days of class time were spent watching the video and then discussing what kind of discrimination exists inside of school and out, what we can do about it, whether or not it is important to know where you come from, whether invisible privilege exists for certain groups, and what, if any, are the obstacles to obtaining our dreams.

I welcome reactions to A Place at the Table from students and parents alike.

Thank you to students who provided very insightful and enthusiastic discussions about respecting diversity. :-)