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hello. i am enjoying reading the posts on discrimination in education! my post will focus more on teaching methods and learning content.

I come from a human rights based approach to teaching. i used this method of teaching while in the classroom, i have trained teachers both new to the field and those who have been in the classroom for many years on human rights education. the premise of this style of teaching is that to teach with a human rights based approach you are changing not only WHAT you teach but HOW you teach. the intrinsic change that can transform a person's life is seen when either a student, teacher or administrator commits to dedicating his or her time and passion to the study of human rights.

I work as an advocate for human rights with schools and teachers across the United States and have seen the real change occur when one or two dedicated human rights educators weaves HRE into his or her content area. i have seen entire schools dedicate early December to Human Rights Day.....to letting their students speak out on injustices that occur in their own lives to advocating for those who may not have a voice. i have seen the change as students are allowed to conduct an open minded examination of the world around them and to challenge the status quo that promotes inequity.

Through HRE we can hear our students as they respond to the needs of the world around them. By teaching for and about HRE we are creating responsible students and future leaders who can act on an issue they feel stronlgy about. The methods for teaching HRE are student centered and not driven by textbooks and tests. They provide tools that foster a safe, inclusive learning environment for all learners. HRE promotes teaching that the UDHR is the universal umbrella that encompasses the teaching of anti-bullying, anti-racism, anti-sexism, mutiple perspectives on culture, race, ethicity, religion and gender. If an educator has been trained in HRE he or she may become that passionate dedicated example of "walking the walk"...... as you teach, modeling is essential if the teacher wants to inspire his/her students

In your experience, what are the key obstacles to achieving these changes?

In my experience those who want to find a way to even the playing fields of education have proven that the strength and quality of the teacher can override the outside obstacles. if you allow the teachers the freedom to teach through a human rights lens, while still continuing to teach content, then you will have succeeded in creating a more fair.....just......classroom community...and society. When the students know their rights and are held accountable to be responsible for not only their rights but the righst of others.....you will be giving them a gift for a lifetime. they will be able to transfer the language from the classroom to their real lives. Because teaching about, for and through human rights education is about empowering your students to play a role in their community and shape their future. By validating their ideas and listening to their concerns will allow them to feel like they are a part of the international human rights movement!
Peace.
happy human rights day!