As a future teacher and someone who has worked
with children the majority of my life, I am invested in providing the best
opportunities for them and giving them all an equal chance to be successful. As
optimistic as I may be about this topic, there will not be equal opportunities
for all the students I encounter. Racism, sexism, ableism and many other
structural oppressions are present in the daily lives of our students,
especially in the education system. Schools often try to combat this by
enforcing a multicultural education where diversity is celebrated but it is often
in a tokenistic form (L. Lane, personal communications, February 24, 2016).
Many programs do not acknowledge the structural systems that have kept
different groups of people oppressed or how one is supposed to acknowledge
their own position in the world. That is why I think it is of key importance
that before a teacher begins to tackle large problems such as this, they begin
by understanding their own privileges and how to address oppression in the
classroom.
Teachers must first
begin by unpacking their own place in society in relation to their privileges.
Social inequalities work at a structural and institutional level in that it has
been normalized to the point that it is difficult to detect and address.
Therefore, many people reproduce inequalities without even being aware of it. I
believe that one of the best ways to better understand ones position is to try
things that go out of one’s comfort zone. For example, two years ago I went to
Namibia and volunteered in a school for a month. Being immersed in another
culture and meeting people that were drastically different then me brought me
out of my middle class westernized “bubble” that I had been living in. Now, I
understand that traveling halfway across the world is not practical but
joining different clubs, meeting new people, or even reading or watching
material that challenges your thinking can help to create a self-aware teacher.
What arises from a teacher who is aware of their own privilege and the overall
structure of society is a person who is empathetic, compassionate, and
motivated to create change. Drake, Reid, and Kolohon (2014) found that teachers that are
facilitators are not as effective as teachers who are activists. These teachers
are able to facilitate deep learning outcomes, create interesting learning
activities that challenge student thinking, and recognize and attend to the “Be”
of learning (Drake, Reid, & Kolohon, 2014).
Retrieved from http://pep-teacherleadership.blogspot.ca/2013/03/as-teacher-leaders-we-should.html
Teachers that are
self-reflective and activist oriented are better able to implement 21st
century literacies into their classroom because they understand the importance
of the skills they provide. One of the best ways they can help students is by
facilitating critical thinking opportunities. The 21st century society
that we live in requires people to be critical literate and able to challenge
current social paradigms to be a contributing member of society (L. Lane,
personal communications, January 6, 2016). Teachers who are empathetic and
compassionate are open to the difficult discussions that come with topics such
as mental health, multiculturalism, and moral literacy and this helps students
facilitate their own learning. For instance, if a child mentions social
differences, do not criticize or discourage them for their observations. Rather
talk to them about their observations and answer any questions they have (Plous,
2016). Being open to children’s ideas and observations tells them that they
have a safe space to think about difficult topics and have discussions that are
uncomfortable. When teachers become activists instead of just facilitators,
they create an environment that is conducive for 21st century
literacies.
In case you are further interested in the topic of activism and social justice for teachers, here is a tedtalk by Artika Tyner who is an educator and lawyer that encourages leadership advocacy and social justice education in our schools. The systems of oppression trickle down to effect every generation of people and it can often prevent children from making a difference (e.g. black boys from low SES areas often fall behind in school because they do not have access to preschool learning opportunities). It's the teachers job to be an activist and provide learning opportunities for students that fosters their leadership and activism as well.
References
Drake, S. M., Reid, J.
L. & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and assessment: Engaging
21st Century Learners. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press
Plous, S. (2016). Tips
for Elementary School Teachers. Understanding
Prejudice. Retrieved from http://www.understandingprejudice.org/teach/elemtips.htm
