Preventing the Next Ahmed: How Tough Talks Create Better Teachers

I recently wrote about the troubling case of Ahmed Mohamed and the teaching and administration issues that arose from his ordeal. It’s a difficult job to inspire students while also guarding their safety. Sometimes these issues collide; Ahmed’s clock represented an avoidable convergence of administrator concern, student creativity and unequal treatment of minority students.

Studies show that educators continue to link race to expectations for student behavior and performance

The extent of the Texas high school administration’s response in the face of Mohamed’s explanation of his project is particularly troubling. Research shows that even the most well-meaning educators have a tendency to link race to student performance and behavior, which undermines their learning — and stays with students the rest of their lives.

It is particularly disturbing when educators or administrators downplay the achievements of students of color. The story of Ahmed’s clock has highlighted standard patterns of this discourse in the national media. The inappropriateness of both the initial reaction, detainment, and suspension, combined with the media’s shift to an “Ahmed didn’t build that” narrative, illustrates the common presumptive stances educators must fight as they engage students of color in the classroom.

Building a better classroom for all students: confronting prejudice head-on

As educators, we should be aware of our own adoption of such responses to students and resist the tendency to see student hacks as cheating or copying when they are, in fact, clear attempts at applying learning.

No teacher likes to think he or she might be treating students unfairly, but research consistently supports this premise. The National Education Association provides strategies to prevent racism and cultural prejudices from taking hold in the classroom.

Investigating racism in education during teacher training

The NEA suggests that teacher training needs to address:

• The concept of race, cultural differences and bigotry
• How teachers can be mindful of the messages they send to students
• Ways to engage in routine reflection on equity for students of all races and cultural backgrounds

Professional development and continuing education benefit from examining cultural and racial biases

It’s also appropriate to engage teachers in ongoing, consistent discussions and professional development on the topic of race. Whether it’s their first year in the classroom or they’re seasoned veterans, participating in tough conversations can get teachers to acknowledge and resolve the inappropriateness of their initial reactions to student ability and behavior.

On a teacher and administrator level, discussing Ahmed’s clock helps educators reflect on the pedagogical basis of their personal relationships with students of color and to review their own school data, from suspension to performance, to examine what role, if any, they had in the results. It’s also a catalyst for teachers to examine best practices for handling unsolicited student work — or simply interacting with their students.

Classroom discussion of racism and cultural bias: ‘Your experience is valid and valued’ is a crucial message for students of color

H. Richard Milner, author of “Rac(e)ing to Class: Confronting Poverty and Race in Schools and Classrooms,” recommends that teachers bring racial and socioeconomic discussions into their courses. Exploring issues that are relevant to the community of students in each classroom provides engagement that standard textbooks are incapable of, thereby valuing students’ culture as an essential piece of their learning environment. This also works to transform instructor perceptions of students, giving them an opportunity to understand their pupils on a deeper level and allowing a context for student behavior.

The notoriety of Ahmed’s clock makes it a particularly good topic for discussing racially motivated responses with students. These conversations show students of color that their stories and experiences are worthy of classroom time.

An inspiring view of Ahmed’s clock: education as play

In addition to addressing issues of race, a discussion about Ahmed’s clock can also expose entire classrooms to something laudable: the inspiration of viewing unsolicited work and education as play. As students wrestle with the difficult issues of knowledge transfer and intrinsic motivation, inspiration and engagement is exactly what educators are looking for.

Because students have ready access to programs and materials that encourage them to engage in applied learning and hacks like Ahmed’s clock, it is essential that they and their teachers employ critical reflection in response to their projects and discussing such issues ahead of time can prepare both teachers and learners for for this. Everyone should acknowledge that the simple act of asking a student “What’s this?” can unearth purpose when they bring unsolicited work to the classroom.

School hack: recognizing students who apply learning in the real world

Responsive curiosity can allow teachers to recognize a motivated self-starter who has attempted to apply learning to a real-world project due to genuine inspiration. This can be the case even when the project might spark questions or debate. Furthermore, this is an excellent time for educators and administrators to develop a policy for handling tinkering or hacks at the school level, whether through formal or informal policy.

Learning through process and projects should be rewarded

Turning issues that arise with unsolicited student work into an opportunity to discuss the project or the process, rather than a trip to the principal’s office, rewards the student’s actions and enhances his or her overall relationship with education. It also helps to align student understanding with the bevy of potential issues that might arise as they hack and tinker.

While schools should create an appropriate set of expectations and rules regarding all student inventions or hacks, last week’s piece identified that it is essential that faculty and administration take care in and tend to their reactions to such creativity, particularly as it comes from students of color. To avoid any “new Ahmeds,” the best thing we can do is talk about his experience — and how we can better serve students like him.