Karli Merson

PSC-220-701

Chesapeake College

Dr. Deanna Reinard

February 22nd, 2023

Terms of Endearment

1. I do not believe Anthony’s explanation had any merit whatsoever. From what I’ve

learned: If you are not black, you cannot use the N-word under any circumstances. It is

my job as an educator to make sure that all students are being cared for and respected.

Even if Anthony was black, and another black student told me they were uncomfortable

with the word, I would speak to Anthony about it, but not as a lecture or in a way to be

angry, I would just explain that words like that hold a lot of weight, some more than

others. It would be a mindfulness talk.

2. Since I could clearly tell she was upset, I would most likely reinstate and ask “So when

Anthony uses the N-word, it makes you uncomfortable?” And when she would say yes,

that would be the end of the discussion. That word would no longer be used in my class

because all my students deserve to feel safe and not worry about language that hurts

them. I would also try to settle the tension by maybe watching a video or putting on

music. Conversations like that can be scary for anyone involved, so we can make it a

safe place. As for Keisha’s threat, I would have to tell her she can’t say things like that,

though in the real world, you could have consequences like that.

3. I think Keisha said it so Reggie didn’t have to, which in a way was really nice of her,

since it's good to have support. I would probably make a phone call to home so Reggie
 could be in a safe place to have the conversation without any fear of being seen by his

peers, who seem to have a lot of aggression towards each other. I would let him know

that nothing we said would leave that call, and I would take the fall if Anthony was upset

with me if Reggie wanted something done.

4. This one is tricky, since I am white. I feel like The most I could do is talk about

mindfulness. Since none of the Black students in the room used the N-word, I can focus

on the non-black students using offensive words, even if they’re not white. I could ask A

Black teacher for advice in the subject as well, give her the floor to speak about it while

making sure she stays respected by the students. My only fear of taking this approach is

that I don’t want to seem like I’m hiding behind another adult. However, the N-word just

hasn’t affected me in an offensive way; I cannot see through the eyes of a black person

and I cannot try to, so maybe it could be a collaborative effort. My students deserve to

feel safe, and it may take more than just me to truly get this point across.