Welcome to the course blog! I am truly excited about teaching this course, and I hope that you find it to be an enlightening and enjoyable educational experience. As mentioned in class, we will be confronting some challenging issues, many of which might generate strong intellectual and emotional reactions. This blog serves as a mechanism for everyone to process these responses and to learn through engagement with others. Since none of us is as smart as all of us, we can gain further insights by taking in the ideas of our learning community members. While we may disagree on here, it is essential that we always demonstrate respect and maintain an open mind.
In order to participate, you will need to have an active Google, gmail, or Yahoo account. You can obtain a free account by going to either website and signing up. Once you have accomplished that task, return to this page and click on the heading "Blog Topic 1" above. If you scroll down, you can read my instructions and enter your comments in the box. Come back a little while later, click on the same link, and read your colleagues' posts. It would also be great if everyone could at least publish their photo in the "Followers" section on the right-hand side of the page. That way, we can learn each other's names and connect faces with ideas.
I will post five blog topics during the term. For each topic, I would like for you to produce a 1-2 paragraph thoughtful comment that shows your honest reflections and includes some type of contribution to our understanding of the issues at hand. Then, after reading the posts of your classmates, I'd like for you to jump back into the conversation -- either by critically responding to someone else or by adding to your previous post with further insights. Feel free to continue the dialogue if you wish. You will be graded on the value-added nature of your overall posts over the course of the term. Although I am certain that you will get the hang of this blog thing soon, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
TOPIC 1: How do you feel about taking this particular course and addressing issues related to diversity in classrooms and communities? What goals do you have for the class? What suggestions do you have for the instructor? What requests or comments do you have for your classmates? (You are not required to answer all of these questions, but I wanted to produce enough possible angles from which you can approach the topic.)
I am comfortable addressing topics of diversity. I am taking this course to supplement a gender and diversity issues course I took in the spring. My hope for this class is to expand on the theory I learned in the spring and find ways to implement theory in a practical and meaningful way.
ReplyDeleteI am a trained counselor. I am not a teacher. I hope to one day be an educator, but my experience in the classroom is limited to classroom guidance lessons. My hope is to learn how to take what I learn this semester and develop classroom guidance lessons to encourage high school students to think about the role diversity plays in our lives.
I hope my classmates will recognize I am a work in progress. I am constantly in a state of reflection. I sometimes speak without the use of a filter and I want you to challenge my ideas. I learn from observing others and learning from their experiences. I want to hear about your experiences as a person and an educator with the hope that I walk away with a greater appreciation for the role educators may play in tackling tough issues surrounding diversity.
I am excited about taking this course because I believe it will open my mind to things that I hadn’t thought about coming into contact with during my future teaching career. Before tonights lesson, I had thought of myself as someone who generally thought “outside of the box,” but I realized that while I may be outside of what I thought was “the” box, I still have a lot left to learn. My goals for the class are to gain strategies and change my mindset so that I can be an effective teacher to students on any social, cultural, ethnic level, and to give them the best opportunities that I can to succeed on an academic level, at least while they’re in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am excited about this course, I’m also afraid to learn some things about myself that I maybe haven’t always been so honest about. Everyone likes to think of themselves as pretty open minded, generally non-prejudiced, because acknowledging prejudice may make us think less of ourselves. I think this class is going to force each of us to peel back many years of what we have been taught about what being “different” really means, and re-learn how to relate to “different” people not only in our teaching careers, but our everyday lives. I am anxious to see how my mindset about what I really think diversity is changes in the next month.
I am excited about this course. I work in an elementary school and I have had the wonderful opportunity to attend meetings about diversity for teachers and assistants. I often leave those meetings feeling emotionally tired because I experience strong emotions when I participate in discussions on this topic. I am thankful that educators are talking about these issues and feeling a sense of urgency to understand and reach all children.
ReplyDeleteI have been interested in social justice issues since I was in middle school. I went to law school because I wanted to make the world a better place (as I saw it). Since I started working in an elementary school, I have felt like I do make a difference everyday. I hope this course will make me a better educator by making me more aware of the impact that all sorts of biases make in the everyday lives of students. I want to be a part of a teaching community that embraces each child and honors what he or she brings to the classroom.
I almost always second guess what I have said during discussions on this topic because I fear that I have offended someone or expressed myself unclearly. I will enjoy hearing what everyone in this class has to say and I promise I will keep an open mind and appreciate all viewpoints. It will be a wonderful opportunity to respect and embrace people's diverse opinions.
I see a few postings already, but I'm going to wait and read them tomorrow before responding again. As a current high school teacher of US History, I am looking for practical ways to integrate what we learn in ED 508 into my planning and instruction. Faces and culture have changed dramatically since I first began teaching in 1976 (yeh!!!). I've taken two lengthy breaks - 9 years and 10 years - and taught for 15 years in Wake County. For example, my first year teaching, I had only one student who had experienced divorce, two African Americans, no Muslims, no Latinos, and no students living with only one parent. Now most of my students are African American, there are 3-5 Latino students, 2-3 Muslims, and 1-2 Asians in each of my 3 classes, and over half the students in each class have been through a divorce and now live with a step-parent or only one parent. It certainly has made teaching our nation's history a lot more interestng, giving me pause at times and also many new insights as we try to do a better job of viewing different angles as different groups of people were affected by the same events in different ways. Looking forward to fresh ideas from my classmates too as how to better go about this business of teaching accurately and effectively (and justly?) in a more and more diverse environment. - cn
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to taking this course. It is my first in person class at State. Im heading back to schoo after a 15 hiatus...so smoke is coming out of my ears....been a long time:)
ReplyDeleteI expected more of a static experience... read this book...do this paper..and here is your assingment. The presentation of the material is very different and unexpectedly engaging. I hope the course will teach me how to incorporate thinking about social justice as a future teacher. I am nervous about not understanding some of the perspectives in the class, because I am not yet a classroom teacher. That is a context that I haven't been in. Some of the points last night made me wonder. Specifically, the story shared about the Korean student and his eye contact. I was suprised because my gut instinct was...Well a student should look a teacher in the eye...that is respectful...shouldn't all students adapt to the rules of the class? Then when I heard the discussion expanded, I felt bad. I understood better why considering a students perspective is going to help me understand and bond with the student. I need to be a student as well as a teacher:)
I hope the class will teach me how best to deal with students that are different than I am. Specifically, I am hoping the course will help me think about how I can approach parents that are very different than me. That interchange makes me nervous. I have always considered myself aware of bias, and sensitive to other people. Some of the statistics presented in class last night were sad. When I was listening to someone reference how they thought the testing for AG was unfair, it made me wonder what would I do, if that were me. It makes me uncomfortable to think that I will think that way. Because I have a big heart and think all children are deserving.
So I look forward to this class, to be a better, more aware person and teacher. I hope it will be very inspiring:)
This is my first semester in the MAT program and in my progress towards teaching. I'm really excited about the classes and looking forward to teaching. Both of the classes I’m taking provide me with great insight into teaching. I hope to gain practical knowledge of how to deal with diversity not just as it stands now but also over the years as the social meaning of diversity changes. I also hope the lessons we learn in this class stays with us for a long time so we can be ambassadors of equity and we pass that message on to future generations. I wish this class was a required course in either High School or at the undergrad level!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of this class named “Diversity”, our class is not very diverse. Although the students form a diverse group, why are the teachers not diverse? I believe, expect for 1 or 2 African-American teachers, all my teachers were "white" American. Don’t you guys think we should encourage a diverse set of course concentrations as well? Engineering, math and science has been stressed so much that most of the “smart” kids in the minority groups become engineers, doctors, or lawyers or whatever. Why don’t we ever encourage these kids to become teachers? They would have a lot to offer with their multitude of backgrounds and experiences. All kids are taught to be engineers or lawyers and most other professions are not worth anything. How do we go about changing this aspect as this is part of the obtaining social justice?
I am looking forward to this course. Diversity and social justice are deeply complex and fascinating topics. They can elicit passionate responses from a wide spectrum. I must admit that I am not fully comfortable talking about it, but namely because of the complexity and in areas where I feel my knowledge does not extend. But that is why I am excited about this class...to learn more about my biases and how to understand diversity so that I can make my best efforts towards equality when I become a teacher and even in every day life. I feel strongly about what is morally right, but sometimes it is the "how" of getting there that becomes overwhelmingly complex in the context of systems. So I am also looking forward to learning about the strategies for how to achieve social justice. I think it goes beyond the classroom and is inextricably society and politics, but I also believe change begins with education. It doesn't provide instant gratification and it requires dedication and persistence. Thank you for your enthusiasm. I have learned so much in my classes in the MAT program and I am grateful for that. But it is nice to have someone "shake it up" and instill excitement. This class has already reaffirmed why I want to be a public school teacher and I hope it will provide me with more classroom survival tools. For example, practical ways to make the content relevant, interesting, and engaging to a diverse body of students while teaching the content standards. My other classes have taught me research based effective teaching strategies but so many of them seem impossible to implement in courses with EOG tests. That would be my only concern for the course. Otherwise, I look forward to getting to know everyone and learning from all of you about these important topics!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated Nancy's comment about being tired and stimulated by topics of diversity and social justice. I have the same experience, but my frustration comes when I am all excited and nobody around me is. I lose steam fast and feel deflated because it seems nobody is as excited. I know in some ways educators are tired, especially public school teachers. I have worked with a lot of great teachers doing great things, but the joy for teaching is gone because of all the paperwork.
ReplyDeleteI pose this question. Clearly, this class is going to be high energy. How do we take that same energy and maintain it in our classrooms?
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ReplyDeleteI hope that this course proves to be useful for me in my future career as an educator. I understand the importance of learning about diversity and celebrating everyone’s differences, but I often time believe it is hard to put into practice. Hopefully this course will open up new ideas and ways of thinking for me that I may be able to pass along when in a classroom. Breaking down the barriers that exist amongst different races, ethnic groups, across genders, and any other form of diverse group has to start somewhere, and if I can join in the beginning of the process by educating myself and then passing what I have learned on to others, then I would love to do so.
ReplyDeleteOne potential issue I do have with this course is of the desire that most everyone has of being politically correct. It aggravates me how we, as a society, have to constantly watch how or what we say because, somewhere, some group will be offended. I do believe that you should not say or do things that would offend people if you are able to, but I think people are too quick to put themselves on the defensive and accuse others of insensitivity rather than try to educate others on why something is or is not important to them. I think this makes the gaps between people even larger and makes people scared of those they don’t understand. I hope that we are given more guidance on issues and topics such as these rather than to avoid them at the risk of upsetting someone.
I try to have an open mind when dealing with people of diverse backgrounds. I want to learn about what is important to them, so that I may be more open-minded to everyone. However, I do realize that we are all different and you can not begin to fully understand everyone. However, I want to make an attempt at doing the best job I can so that I can give all my future students an equal opportunity to learn and meet their goals.
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ReplyDeleteI am really excited about this course, and the first class only further increased my interest. I have always been fascinated by the interaction between various cultures and I am very concerned with becoming an effective teacher of diverse students. I am entering the MAT program with a background in Art History. My earlier studies involved exploring the levels of perspective and bias created by a social, cultural and personal background in a particular historical moment. But I was focused on historical biases at the root of art production. I entered the classroom as an English teacher in French elementary schools for a year. The experience of being a cultural outsider in the classroom made me blatantly aware of my own biases.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping this course will provide me with practical approaches to bring that personal awareness into use in my classroom interactions with the students and curriculum. I also hope this course will help me transfer the critical thinking skills I learned in Art History to understanding contemporary cultural diversity, and establish a method for social justice education. I am increasingly aware of my own ignorance upon returning to school, and I am eager to hear the approaches and perspectives of my classmates. I try to actively observe and listen, and stay open to learn as much as possible from others.
When I first signed up for this class I had some preconceived notions about what it was going to be like, and I was not excited. My expectation was that this class was going to be an exercise in promoting the following train of thought:
ReplyDeleteDiversity is about accepting the fact that we have differences. As teachers, you will need to help your minority students understand that while they are not white, like most of their teachers, that it is ok not to be white and that you will treat them as if they are white. You might need to occasionally incorporate some cultural information, or create a context in which to "celebrate" the positive stereotypes we have of a certain culture, within your curriculum, but it is more important to communicate to your students that we should all treat each other as if we are all white.
Honestly, that is about what I was expecting. A course that tried to cover a topic that is deemed "necessary", but without much depth or the presentation of any challenge. So you see, I wasn't expecting much. I was expecting white people to say that we plan on treating everyone like they are white so that we thereby embrace "diversity".
If you can't tell, I have a serious problem with how I assume many white people view the issue of diversity. I could be completely wrong in my assumptions, as we all know what happens when you assume, but my past experiences with diversity training has been sub par. I don't want to hear anyone tell me that if we just treat a minority like they were part of the majority, that everything will be ok. It won't! If I were a minority, I'd want to be appreciated and celebrated for who I was as an individual, not thrown in with the majority to somehow make my differences transparent or acceptable.
Sorry about my rant, but that is how I feel. I am greatly relieved and unbelievably excited that this class is nothing like I was expecting it to be. I was majorly challenged on my perspective within the first hour! I like to think of myself as a forward thinker, and one who loves and celebrates the differences of others, but I have learned in our first class that I still have to climb outside of myself to address diversity on the whole - not just in part as it relates to my personal views.
I can't wait for what else I will learn about myself through this class. I know that I will leave it with a better understanding of diversity and have it truly impact my teaching methods and my contributions to my community.
When I signed up for this class I said to myself, "its just going to be another class about diversity." I was not excited and did not really believe I would be expanding my horizons beyond they typical discussions about diversity. But then I looked at the books for the class and saw and element I was not ready for, "Social Justice". I was an environmental studies major in college and learned about environmental justice and really enjoyed learning about that and actually wanted to be an environmental justice lawyer (but that didn't happen). When I realized it was not going to be the same old discussion about diveristy with an inclusion of a justice aspect I became very excited and eager to learn more.
ReplyDeleteI want to be a part of the solution and no longer a part of the problem in regards to diversity in the classrooms and communities. I feel this class will provide the first steps I can take to achieve this goal and help spread it to all the students I hope to teach. I want to be able to incorporate instruction that is rich in cultural and ethnic histories to help my students realize their full potential and help to break down stereotypes.
I am releaved to know that I will learning new ideas about diversity and not just a sugar coated version of it. I don't know if I would say I am looking forward to revealing truths about myself but I know it something that needs to happen in order for me succeed in implenting Social Justice in my future classrooms.
I am so excited about this class! I love the energy and chemistry with the professor and students. I feel like an environment has been created where people feel as though they can say what is truly on their mind and the responses to their feelings are meant to open our minds to other thoughts and perceptions, not to criticize one another. At first I felt uneasy discussing topics such as race, but after last night's class, I have no reserves about how I feel and have no reason to be nervous. I think Dr. Greenfield did an excellent job in promoting an environment that is conducive to acceptance of other people's ideas.
ReplyDeleteBefore last night's lesson I would have said my goal for the class was to learn about diversity and how to handle some of the issues that may arise because of a diverse classroom. After last night, my goal has done a complete 180. Currently, my goal is to gain knowledge and experience from other students and and their perspectives on issues. I want to broaden my viewpoint on issues. I also hope to learn where I may be a good person caught in a bad system for instance. I hope to open my eyes to situations just the way that the human/eahs exercise did.
I thought that Dr. Greenfield's statement about good people can do bad things and not even know it as a result of a bad system was very important. I had never even considered that potentially by "following the rules" you may be doing more harm than good. I have never had a teacher open my eyes to that.
I’m taking this course along with ECI 579 as I start my path toward becoming a secondary English teacher, and as many others have expressed, I am very excited about the class, as well. I believe this course will be amazingly engaging due to our class composition and the subject matter itself. "Diversity" is a deceivingly simple-sounding word, but the concept itself is so complex that it's difficult for me to actually define. What I do believe about diversity, however, is that the idea of “the other” or of difference, in general, tends to make people uncomfortable. We claim that diversity is such an amazing thing (and indeed, it is), but why does interaction with “the other” make us uncomfortable?
ReplyDeleteAfter our starter activity yesterday, I came to a greater awareness that in order to effectively appreciate diversity, we have to see any encounter with the other as an opportunity, not a problematic collision. For example, after reading the starter activity handout yesterday, I thought, “Hmm..looks like the coexistence of these two different ‘types’ of people will lead to some problems. How can we solve them amicably?” It never occurred to me to think, “What a wonderful opportunity to be placed in a world with people so different than we.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like hearing different viewpoints or experiencing “diversity.” But I do believe that, in general, Americans are uncomfortable with encountering difference (this may be global, too; I don’t know). Is there an effective way to address this in the classroom? I hope to learn.
After taking this course, I also hope to feel better equipped to actually address the social injustice that is at work today in our classrooms, and everywhere. Idealistic? Oh, yeah. But aren’t we, as teachers, in the position most able to address these injustices? I believe teachers truly are the most qualified to effect such change. On another note, I tend to be fairly shy, and at times it’s challenging for me to contribute to group discussion. However, my goal to participate as actively as I possibly can in this class. I have no teaching experience (which is why I’m in the MAT program), so my contributions will likely be based more on gut-instinct than experience, but I look forward to learning from the veterans. I think class last night went really well!
I was a little apprehensive about taking this course because the title allows you believe that it is going to be a general overview of diversities within the school and community. However, after our initial meeting yesterday I have to say I am very excited to jump in and begin to deconstruct my own experiences and attitudes towards diversity. I'm looking forward to the many discussions to come!
ReplyDeleteMy main goal for this course is to be able to evaluate my own teaching practices and be able to truly realize if they are "helping or hurting" my students. Looking at my own teaching experience I can already say that I have grown tremendously in the past 3 years, but have a lot of work and reflection to do. I am hoping that this course will challenge my beliefs and ultimately make me have better teaching practices. I absolutely love my job teaching kindergarten students because I get to see students everyday that are not yet (for the most part) influenced by race, religion, gender, socio-economic status etc. They are genuinely excited and happy to be friends with everyone in our classroom.
I am looking forward to this course. As a former teacher and former school counselor, I have repeatedly witnessed inequities in the classroom. While sometimes difficult and uncomfortable, I have addressed some of these issues with teachers, students, and parents, as well.
ReplyDeleteI think it is helpful in our professions and our lives to take a course, workshop, sit in a presentation at a conference, etc., such as this, from time to time. (I'm not certain of the exact frequency this should be done however.)
For me, every conference I attend, which is 2-3 a year, I attend a session focused on diversity and multiculturalism. For me, it serves as a great reminded of the segregation, oppression, and inequities that still exist in the world. I think they will always exist, but we can certainly strive for equality and social justice, even though we will never reach it.
Joann, I appreciate your concerns. I think we have all been in situations as yours, "thinking you have it figured out and then wondering what you were thinking." It is tough for teacher's to address the issues you mentioned, and as hard as we try to keep those biases out of our head they creep back in. They are in the TV we watch, on the radio, at the local store...we can't escape their influence. I think we all will have our certain biases at the onset of a situation. We can dispute them however and that, for me, is where the power lies and probably why I stay in a mass state of confusion regarding diversity and social justice.
ReplyDeleteFor my follow up comment, I'd like to agree with Stacey in that I really enjoy Dr. Greenfield's energy and the connection I feel like we have as a class. I think that the activities that we all did yesterday helped build our relationship strong from the beginning and allowed us to open our minds to a new way of thinking and seeing each other from a different point of view.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the articles we were assigned last night, I already feel like I am a different person. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I wasn't consciously aware of all of the stereotypes that were out there, even in regards to white privilege, which I never realized existed. I can't wait to see what else this class opens my eyes to, and I hope everyone has the same experiences and find them as rewarding as I have so far.
I am really looking forward to the discussions we will be having as part of this course. Already it is really drawing on my nature to debate things, and, as my husband told me, it should suit my "liberal sensibilities" just fine.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, although I profess myself to be a bleeding heart liberal, I am still a white girl that grew up in a white neighborhood with white peers and white teachers. Even the preschool where I work is predominanty white. While I now have friends of many backgrounds, cultures, etc., I could never begin to presume that I have any idea of how their backgrounds affect their lives.
So what do I need to do to gain a better understanding of people who are not like me? I can empathize and sympathize (to a point), but I am hoping to uncover those "blindspots" that can hinder interactions with friends, peers, and my current and future students.
Santhiya-I just had a conversation with a colleague, who happens to be 1 of 2 African American teachers at my school about the importance of having teachers not just of different races, but genders, backgrounds, etc. so that students do feel they have a connection with a grownup, even if it is just because of the way they look. Relationships are a major part of being a teacher and the bond formed can also cause a student to be successful or not.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Stacey's comment, I also thought that Dr. Greenfield's statement about good people can do bad things was very eye opening. We all want to be the best teachers, community members and people we can be but what we often forget is that we impose our own BIASES on others by trying to do "good" things. I am now rethinking some of my actions as a preschool teacher. Such as "criss-cross apple sauce" for sitting at circle time, or having the children look in my eyes when talking to them. It's like we discussed in class, are these really "good" things even though I have the best of intentions? Maybe, but there might be a more comfortable position for a child to sit and would it change anything in my circle time? Yes the child might have a better experience because I allowed them to take part in how they wanted to sit and did not choose the best way for them.
ReplyDeleteThank you Stacey for reminding me of this comment!
When I registered for this class, my goal was to gain insights about diversity that would help me better facilitate learning in my course offerings at the art facility where I have worked part time for fourteen years. My passion is combining art and science in an interactive and experimental environment with kids ranging from 4 to 12 years old. I have had no formal teacher education, nor experience in a tradition classroom. My undergrad degree, received many, many years ago, was in Math and Computer Science.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading, “The Light in Their Eyes”, I realized that “insights about diversity”, was the tiniest tip of the iceberg. Social justice was the unexpected component, prompting me to sincerely think about living a disadvantaged life in someone else’s shoes. Bicultural students, with which I have felt great rapport, have always been a part of my program, but now I wish to greet them and all my students with more informed eyes. My goal has expanded. I want to identify my inner prejudices and biases; however acquired, process multiple layers of emotions, strive for greater understanding and emerge with a more just worldview.
I had a class with Dr. Greenfield last semester, so I knew what to expect, as far as what information and energy he would bring to the table. To be honest, however, I did not expect to see few minority students in the classroom. My hope for the classroom was to see people from many different racial groups (white, hispanic, asian etc). Sometimes it can be disappointing because many of the classes I have taken, whether it be undergrad or grad level, dealing with race and culture have been taken predominately by white students and less by people of color. I'm very excited about the topics we will cover and the discussions that will go on but a little disappointed that there will be a lack of contributions to the classroom from people who may have had the same experiences as myself being of the same race. It would have been interesting to see if an african-american/hispanic student would have experienced or seen things in the same light as I do or if their thought process and/or values were completely different from my own.
ReplyDeleteI understand that certain issues covered in class may make people a little uncomfortable, myself included. It's only uncomfortable because it's not familiar to us and we need teachers who are willing to push the enevelope and force us to recognize that different doesn't mean wrong.
To follow up to Santhyia's and Carter's comments regarding the race of teachers, I have to say I agree. We see very few teachers from non-majority backgrounds. In a perfect world, where social justice was actually realized, I guess it wouldn't really matter what race the majority of our teachers are because all students would experience equity in terms of access and opportunity. However, we -need- good teachers in the classroom from ALL backgrounds. What's wonderful about the teaching profession is that educators truly do serve as models, and they truly can make a life-long or life-changing impact on the life of a child.
ReplyDeleteWhen I worked at the NC Legislature, I interned for a Representative whose advocacy for vulnerable populations really awed me. I recall her telling me this story: She was speaking to an educator who was Black about the need for more Black teachers in the classroom. The Representative said, "We need more Black teachers so that Black students can see people of their race -as- teachers." The educator responded, "Not quite. We need Black teachers so that little white boys can see Black teachers in the classroom." The Representative told me that the conversation raised her consciousness and made her think about the benefits of having more minority teachers in the classroom in an entirely different way. She welcomed this new perspective and totally agreed with it. What do you all think of the educator's comment?
I am inspired by this class and the discussions that it has fostered in just two days! I am extremely passionate about diversity, multicultural education, and especially social justice. I did not grow up in a diverse (enough) environment. I did not embrace differences and diversity until I went to college and saw first hand what NOT embracing it breeds... ignorance and hatred. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the education I have had that has given me exposure to world cultures that I would not have had it if my choices had been different.
ReplyDeleteAs the class unfolds, I am somewhat nervous about my role in a class centered around diversity, although this is my favorite thing to discuss in the world! I have actually been silenced many times in my life and still struggle at times to overcome the challenges that accompany those experiences. I am a 29 year old white woman, raised in the South, who is married to a 40 year old black man from Haiti who speaks with a pretty thick Haitian accent that isn't obviously Haitian b/c he also speaks Spanish! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out all the complexities that surround our identities (together and seperate) - or how I (we) may have been silenced over the years! When my husband and I began dating, my mother, who holds a PHd in Multicultural Education, explained to me that while she had spent her whole life teaching me not to judge or discriminate against "others" - that this didn't mean she had taught me that it was okay to seriously date "them." I'll never forget the way I felt at that moment. I wanted immediately for someone to explain to me how one can study multicultural education for more than a decade and still say such a thing. I didn't ask her. I still don't understand what the disconnect was. I want to know what is/was missing in the curriculum that allowed my mother to say such a thing! I was shocked, disappointed, confused, and intellectually lost.
It is that feeling that I re-experience each time I hear people talk about diversity in "safe" or politically correct ways, or repeating stereotypes by explaining away stereotypes. As others have mentioned - obviously the only way to talk about our differences is to trust that we are all trying to learn from one another and that challenging and listening to each other is the only way to do that. I want out of this class much of what I have already gotten - honest discussions and challenges to our current ways of thinking. And I would encourage all of us to think about the ways we "disconnect" from these discussions when we aren't inside the classroom (as students or as teachers).
Sorry for the long post... I hope you can understand that my nervous energy and sensitivity to discussions about diversity stem from these experience that I (we) live, in some way, shape, or form, on a daily basis. I hope that I don't talk too much, but that I do talk! and am able to share and contribute to discussions inspite of myself! I already have felt very comfortable talking in small groups, and I appreciate the trust and honesty that the class has already embraced.
I am excited to be in an environment where we can discuss diversity issues openly without fear of offending someone or coming off the wrong way. As a white middle class male of post graduate educated parents I have experienced all the advantages of white privilege. I know that I heve felt uncomfortable discussing issues of diversity because my demographic can come across as uninformed or condescending. As a result I don't initiate discussions about race except with close friends. I also have felt like I need to qualify or prove my understanding to people. "My best friend is an Arab Muslim, my brother in law is a Muslim Egyptian, I have several homosexual friends, etc". I recognize the need to become more aware and empathetic as a person in order to be more effective as an educator.
ReplyDeleteI think that I have had a false sense of multi cultural awareness during my years in the Army because my soldiers were a diverse group from every major minority group and socio economic background. However we didn't celebrate thier diversity - we instead chose to be "color blind" and treat everyone exactly the same. It worked in that application. "I don't care what color you are - everyone is Army Green." I want to learn how to intiatiate discussion, engage people that don't look like me and work towards social justice.
I didn't know what to expect from this class, to be honest. I wasn't lookiong forward to being lectured aout the value of diversity. I do value diversity, tremendously. I always thought of myself as a person who valued diverity, and I always thought of myself as a good, well intentioned person. I still do think that, but if I really look at what I do, I realize I have some hard questions to ask myself. I was particularly struck by a comment the first night of class that someone had been caught in the difference between being and advocate and being a representative. Afterwards, I had an interesting conversation with myself on the way home (yep, I talk to myself!) about speaking for someone without speaking TO someone first, and even about the value of speaking for anyone in the first place - doesn't that sound condescending? I think we do need to be advocates, but as a teacher-to-be, and as an English teacher specifically, one thing I want to make sure is that I teach my kids how to speak for themselves and not allow themselves to be silenced, but have confidence in their own voices. Now I was a fairly vocal EAH in the excercise, but I absolutely acknowledge that I would have been one of those well intentioned humans who would have been working inside the box and inadvertantly silencing the EAHs. I cringe to think that in a well intentioned way, it is entirely possible one day that I will inadvertantly silence one of my students. I find that thought rather daunting. I don't expect perfection from myself, but I do expect progress and my expectation of this class now is that it will force self-reflection and I will ask the hard questions, and I will develop a better way of looking at these issues such that I do get outside my comfort zone and make those steps forward not only in the way I think, but in the way I act.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated that Jennifer admitted to being "a work in progress"- everyone is "a work in progress." And I think this course is really going to open a lot of people's eyes, myself included, to what biases we hold and how we can use that self reflection to the benefit of our students or future students. Getting students interested and invested in learning about multicultural education and social justice education is something I look forward to learning in this class.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to follow up on the idea of "political correctness" raised by an earlier comment. I've heard comments before about being defensive about words, and how it can be a burden to be politically correct. I value language, and am particularly sensitive to the language people use. I do beleive that we as a culture and as individuals absolutely should watch what we say and be aware that certain words and phrases are offensive to others. What I find interesting is that the blame gets put on the people who are offended, not the ones who did the offending - however inadvertant the offense may have been. Somehow, and it was stated this way above, the blame gets shifted because the offended person is too quick to be defensive. Even further, the responsibility for correctng the problem is put on the person offending to educate the offender. I certainly advocate telling someone why something is offensive, but I see this as such a relinquishment of responsibility on the part of the person who made the "politically incorrect" (and I dislike that term, because it's so whitewashed - pardon the pun). If you accidentally bumped into someone on the street, you say you are sorry. You didn't INTEND to bump into them, but you still apologize and if you knocked packages out of their hand, you pick them up...the burden should not be on them to say, "gee, dude, you nearly knocked me over, say you're sorry and help me retrieve my bags because that is the polite thing to do"....
ReplyDeleteOpps, typo. I meant to say the responsibility for correcting the problem is put on the person offended to educate the offender. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI am very excited about this course. I love reading about different cultures and how they interact with each other. While I’ve taken several courses that touch on the topics in this course, I hope to gain a lot more experience in understanding multicultural issues and the idea of social justice education, which is new to me.
ReplyDeleteI make an effort to recognize biased things in my everyday thinking and call myself out on it, but I often surprise myself with what I still catch myself thinking. I find it difficult to articulate why I feel such strong emotions on this topic, and I hope this class will help me with that.
I am in my second semester in the MAT program, and I have not yet taught in a classroom. As a future middle school science teacher, I really look forward to getting as many students engaged as possible, and a deeper understanding of what privileged and disadvantaged backgrounds students come from may help me.
and M is Megan Shaw. Sorry about that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Aaron said about initiating race discussions with mostly close friends. It can be difficult and daunting to start one of those conversations when I don't know how the other person will take my overtures. Will they be offended or will they welcome it? I practice, I've never had a bad conversation about race, culture, or ethnicity, but the initial fear and discomfort is still there.
ReplyDeleteMegan Shaw
I like the discussion about talking with close friends and family. It's not easy. She's since passed, but my former step-mother-in-law considered herself very liberal-minded and yet frequently made comments which were unbelievable - even about her own grandchildren - who's mother is Filipina. I wanted to challenge her so many times, and I confess to my shame that I just chickened out.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit at first I didnt like the knapsack article. I have always prided myself on the fact that Im not racist. I come from a city. I live in Durham. I am proud that my kids go to diverse schools, my daughters best friends are of a different race. I dont see race. I see people. I spend alot of energy trying to be nice and kind and good and fair.
ReplyDeleteSo when I began reading the knapsack article it made me uncomfortable. I had this feeling like "Thats not me. I dont think like that. Im not racist, I dont see the world in terms of race-this isnt me." I had a strong negative feeling. Honestly, it made me uncomfortable and I was thankful that I had already done the homework on the other two articles. Midway through I just didnt like it and put it down. In class everyone seemed to like it and be touched by it. I was so surprised. I silently didnt agree...until a point was raised- the idea of the "flesh colored bandaid". That hurt.
During the hour drive home I realized something. I spent so much energy saying in my head- thats not me, Im nice, I try and be fair, I try and see the world not by color or ethnicity but solely on if people are good. I spend so much energy saying Im not racist...and when Im a teacher I will motivate the students I have. Thats when it hit me...I missed the point. On the drive home I realized... It isnt about me and if Im nice. It is about considering small things that I never considered that create the shared social norm. The idea of the flesh colored bandaid really got to me. It made me deeply sad. I have children, I have put attended to countless boo boos. I thought of a mother and child and a flesh colored bandaid that wasnt my childs. There is something, powerfully and inherently wrong and painfully sad about that.
I have insulated myself by saying Im not racist thinking it was a measure of me being honest and kind and good. But really considering racism/multiculturalism isnt about being "not racist" it is about fully acknowledging legitimate blindspots, flesh colored bandaids, acknowledging the silent social norm. I like how Jewel said "UNCOVER" blindspots. I will try and notice more about what affects other people and try less to protect myself by saying "thats not me".
It isnt about being kind, it is more about being aware. I cant help until Im really aware.
I have lots to consider.....
Jennifer - "I sometimes speak without the use of a filter and I want you to challenge my ideas."
ReplyDeleteFilters are very overrated. They get clogged and keep people from saying things! We silence ourselves and others with some of these unnecessary filters. I look forward to your filterless observations and opinions!
Hannah - "I had thought of myself as someone who generally thought 'outside of the box,' but I realized that while I may be outside of what I thought was 'the' box, I still have a lot left to learn."
Me too, me too.
Nancy - "I almost always second guess what I have said during discussions on this topic because I fear that I have offended someone or expressed myself unclearly."
It's hard not to worry about offending, but I am hoping that we are all in a position where we can take and digest everyone elses words, look at ourselves and find out why we would be offended, and use self reflection to further our class discussions.
Charley - I wish that I could see the change that you have seen in the classroom. I really look forward to hearing more from you, even though you were "the cream of the crop" guy on the first night. Thank you for letting me see one of my blindspots because of that.
Joann - "I was surprised because my gut instinct was...Well a student should look a teacher in the eye...that is respectful...shouldn't all students adapt to the rules of the class?"
Congratulations! You are now aware of a blindspot, and I have to admit that I never considered the viewpoint of the student either, so another blindspot exposed for me as well.
Santhiya - "Speaking of this class named "Diversity", our class is not very diverse."
Your observations was very interesting, but it made me think of something else as well. Why do we generally classify diversity on our outward appearances? Embracing diversity to me is about creating a depth of understanding, and yet we focus on "diversifying" a group by dehomogenizing shallow differences that are easily seen. I think I would like to challenge the fact that we are not a diverse group. Perhaps not in appearance, but most certainly we are diverse using a different system of measurement.
Milner81 - "I also believe change begins with education."
I agree. It makes me think of those commercials, "The more you know". Change is brought about by expanding what you know.
Larry - "I think people are too quick to put themselves on the defensive and accuse others of insensitivity rather than try to educate others on why something is or is not important to them."
Hopefully we can work on that with this class. Being on the defensive is not just limited to pointing out insensitivity, I think we, as a society, are too concerned with defending our opinions, thoughts, and actions - we are too concerned with being "right" or "justified" all the time.
Stephanie - "The experience of being a cultural outsider in the classroom made me blatantly aware of my own biases."
I honestly with that we could all have the same kind of experience at least once in our lives. I think it would be a valuable experience to be a cultural outsider. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Elizabeth - "I want to be a part of the solution and no longer a part of the problem in regards to diversity in the classrooms and communities."
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more. I never thought I was part of the problem until the first night of class. I proudly thought I was outside of the problem so that I could work on forwarding the solution. Now I know, just by that line of thought, that I am definitely the problem, hahaha. Thanks for helping me admit that!
Stacey - "I also hope to learn where I may be a good person caught in a bad system...."
I hope that I can recognize the bad systems and work to change them.
Emmy - "Idealistic? Oh, yeah. But aren't we, as teachers, in the position most able to address these injustices?"
Absolutely! And idealism is the catalyst for significant change in my opinion.
Carter - "...I get to see students everyday that are not yet (for the most part) influenced by race, religion, gender, socio-economic status etc."
I hope that we learn to help students take control of that influence as they mature and generate positive consequences.
Jeffrey - "I think [inequities] will always exist, but we can certainly strive for equality and social justice, even though we will never reach it."
"Never" is a strong word. My thought is that if you think it isn't possible, why would you waste your time striving for it? It can be done, but we just haven't devised the means to accomplish it.
Heather - "...although I profess myself to be a bleeding heart liberal, I am still a white girl that grew up in a white neighborhood with white peers and white teachers."
You described me with that statement as well, except that I had never really acknowledged it. Thanks for opening my eyes.
Jewel - "...now I wish to greet [bicultural students] and all my students with more informed eyes." So do I, and I am glad that this class is allowing me to see my deficits of understanding.
Anisha - "...many of the classes...dealing with race and culture have been taken predominately by white students and less by people of color."
That is an amazing observation. I wonder why that is the case. Why do people of color choose not to take diversity classes? That would be a great research project.
Krays - "...repeating stereotypes by explaining away stereotypes."
That was a brilliant statement. You gave me so much to think about with that. Thank you.
Aaron - "I also have felt like I need to qualify or prove my understanding to people."
Yes. It is strange how in our society we not only defend ourselves without need, but we must also promote something that should not require promotion.
Mariel - "I don't expect perfection from myself, but I do expect progress...."
ReplyDeleteI love that statement. You have inspired a new mantra for me - "Not perfection, but Progress."
Megan - "...I often surprise myself with what I still catch myself thinking."
I am with you on that point! I can't believe some of the things that go through my head that I would berate anyone else for thinking or expressing. Enter my new mantra - "Not perfection, but Progress!"
Joann - "...I realized...It isn't about me...I can't help until I'm really aware."
Wow, that was an awesome post. I'm so proud of you for sharing that with us, and for putting it out there that you can't help unless you are aware. I knew the need for awareness, but I didn't take the next step and connect awareness as a requirement for "helping". Thank you!
I need to chime in for a quick second. I want to say that this blog represents by far the best electronic discussion that I have ever witnessed (and it's just our first one!), and I am truly moved by the depth of insight and openness displayed here. One of the beautiful things about this pathway into multicultural/social justice education is that we truly get the special opportunity to become better educators and people overall. Yes, I have been forced to confront my own biases along the way, and while it may have been painful at times, the end result is a sense of liberation. Furthermore, the very notion of doing this walk together seems to make it a bit easier and more valuable, as the wisdom from peers helps us to grow and can validate the process even more.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to conceptualize my role as "kind moderator" so that students can essentially own the process, but if you do have a question or comment for me, I'm more than happy to jump in.
Keep the learning going!
I can't take credit for the "progress, not perfection" - it's an old 12 step philosophy. I have lots of family in recovery and work with addicts in recovery with my job and they inspire me daily.
ReplyDeleteSanthiya, I really appreciated your observation on the racial homogeneity of our class, and what that says about the demographics of teachers in the classroom. It really made me think about the power teachers can have, just as an example of humanity. There are so many levels to the teacher's position; an explicit educator of the curriculum and an implicit model of an individual. Starting to understand the complete richness of the teacher's position in the classroom has made me more aware of what all students are missing out on by not having a larger diversity of teachers. I found Emmy's response even more illuminating. I always thought that minority children were missing out most by the absence of examples of minority teachers, but I can now see that white children are missing out just as much. I think representation of gender among teachers would also be an interesting element of the homogeneity. The lack of male teachers, particularly in Elementary schools, is just as disturbing.
ReplyDeleteThe way I would respond to this lack is too use the power of the teacher's role in the development of students' perspectives. What I mean, is the idea of leading by example. In my own life, I was inspired to become a teacher because I want to share the love of learning that was instilled in me by several wonderful teachers. So I think the strongest tool a teacher has is their behavior as an effective teacher in the classroom. Hopefully, by implementing social justice education and connecting personally with the students, we can inspire more students from diverse backgrounds to want to enter the classroom.
Courtney C.--Never is a strong word...I use it sparingly. We can still strive for social justice however, just as many strive for perfection...we know we will never get there but we continue to move in that direction. The problem arises when we say to ourselves that we must reach perfection or we must reach equity. At that point we subject ourselves to emotional anguish that leaves us less "happy" than when we began the journey.
ReplyDeleteMy point here is that our happiness does not lie in "striving" for social justice (equity) but accepting that there will always (strong word) be inequity whether we like it or not. Jeff
Jeffrey - Thanks for making the comparison with striving for perfection. That helped me to look at your point differently, and gave me the opportunity to examine my initial reaction to your words. I'm not sure that I am ready to give up my hope that there will someday be equity, but I enjoy being challenged to look at my opinions critically.
ReplyDeleteI think that this blog and all of your comments have really opened my eyes to what could be my potential blindspots, that I didn't even know I had. I never thought of myself as a racist as Joann was saying, but I never thought of some of those items in the Invisible Backpack article as a privilege and they are just that. I feel like this class has taught me to open my eyes to different people, situations, and scenarios. I believe we are all good people at heart, but I think some people get caught in the wrong crowd, like in Joaquin's situation, and then others get caught in a bad system that doesn't allow for the progression that is really needed in society. I will strive for social justice in my classroom, but I feel like it is almost unachievable in today's society. I don't like to be negative, but I feel with a lot of the rules and regulations about what you can and can not talk about in classrooms these days prevent us from the ulitmate goal of social justice. I think my biggest question going forward in this class is, "How do we achieve social justice?". I appreciate everyone's comments and participation in class and the blog, because I feel that every comment opens my eyes to a new viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteJoann, I think you just illustrated one of the more beautiful points of the "Backpack" article. There is a certain degree of obliviousness that goes hand in hand with privelege. Whether it is our choice to be in this state or we have been conditioned to be so, it is there. I think you are just coming to terms with that oblivion. By addressing it, you further show that you are, in fact, kind and good and fair. Sorry if I got psychoanalytical.
ReplyDeleteI was a little apprehensive coming into this class. I thought it was going to be another feel good class about diversity. I have attended a few workshops on multicultural education and they never really discussed the touchy part that we all know exists. It is unfortunate that discussions on race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. elicit this type of censorship because until we are able to discuss them openly progress is limited.
ReplyDeleteI loved the well-known comment Dr. Greenfield said the other night because it is very true; the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I have always believed my self to be a very open minded person, sympathetic to other’s plights. However I realized during my first year teaching I was contributing to the underachievement of one of my students even though my intensions were good. He was a fourth grader with more home problems than most adults. Due to his unstable home life I would excuse him from the occasional assignment thinking I was helping to relieve some of the pressures of his life. At the time I did not see this as a contribution to his underachievement. Instead of teaching him to try even when faced with hardship I provided him a disservice by pitying him and not challenging him to his full potential. I now feel guilty that I assumed that because he was of low SES he needed sympathy instead of understanding.
Reflection is a huge part of being an educator and I hope that in this course I will be able to recognize some of my blind spots thus making the reflection process a more honest and constructive one.
When I first signed up for the class I did not even look at the title. I signed up because it was required and I knew I needed it. A few weeks ago when I was starting to "organize" myself, I saw the title of the course and thought to myself..."Oh boy". When I saw the title "Exploring Diversity" I thought it was going to be about looking at different cultures, thinking of ways we can "include" everyone and rpeating to us to remember everyone is equal. In all honesty it was not a topic that I thought "Oh, how interesting". It doesn't mean that I'm not interested in diversity or anything of that sort, but it means that often these things cannot be "taught".
ReplyDeleteAfter our first class on Monday my opinion has changed. I think the class is going to be something entirely different. At this point, I'm not entirely sure what direction we are going to be going in, but somehow I think it is going to teach us something different. At the very least we will be able to see and we are ADMITTING that we all have biases and we all, even if they are deep, deep down inside of us, have these little thoughts and feelings about certain people. But the fact is, it will be very, very hard to eliminate these deep or even "hidden" feelings. But maybe the class will at least help us to recognize them and just be more aware. We will make ourselves think twice when we are in the classroom. Don't assume anything.
I am very excited to take a course specifically devoted to diversity in the classroom AND in the community. My course of study is Social Studies, and I hope to one day teach at the collegiate level as a minority studies history professor. I have focused my post-secondary education on multicultural education and have enjoyed the work of multicultural education authors such as James Banks, Margaret Crocco and Gloria Ladson-Billings. Needless to say, this course is right up my alley. I believe the Social Studies are the gateway for multicultural education to be implemented in schools; as James Banks says, "when individuals can participate in a variety of different cultures they are more able to benefit from the total human experience." I hope that this course will teach us specific was of how we as teachers can not only infuse diversity into the curriculum, but also how to teach students to construct their knowledge of diversity, reduce prejudice, and empower the school culture and social structure.
ReplyDeleteAs far as suggestions go, I think it would be a solid learning experience if we as a class found out new things about the different cultures in Raleigh. How often have we sought out information about the Asian population in the Triangle? What about the Indian population? How can we be successful teaching diversity if w edo not know the demographics and history of the cultures in our own back yards? I challenge us as a class to go out and learn something new this month about the diverse cultures in Raleigh and think of ways we can use this information to our advantage in the classroom.
Courtney--I think "hope" is very powerful. I "hope" that I will be happier tomorrow than I am today. I strive for it, but know that I will never reach complete bliss. I attempt to make choices, cognitively and behaviorally, that help lead me in that direction. I know however, that there is always the potential for me to be happier even the day after tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI have "hope" that equity will become more prevelant tomorrow than today. I will strive to help the cause, but know that it is ultimately up to those who experience feelings of injustice to accept responsiblity for their secondary feelings of anger, resentment, etc. I personally think that is where the power lies in social justice...helping the "man who has preference for other men" accept these inequities and move forward rather than changing his behavior (not holding his partners hand in public) to accommodate the oppressor. I see this as an issue of control and responsibility. I think many of the same objectives could be reached taking a more individual approach. It does take a group of individuals to form a society.
Great dialogue by the way!!!!!
Jeffrey, You are right - great dialogue. Lots of food for thought. I am hearing a bit about "responsibility" which gives me pause. I am not sure why it is "ultimately up to those who experience feelings of injustice to accept responsibility for their secondary feelings of anger, resentment, etc." Can you explain that position a bit more?
ReplyDeleteMarielswig--Good question...As Dr. Greenfield stated last night, "our view of reality is only our view, not reality itself." To add to that statement, "we are not disturbed by reality but the VIEWS which we take of reality." Epictetus, a Roman Philosopher noted this two thousand years ago. Basically, we construct our own reality. We are responsible for our own emotions based on the reality we construct. The views we hold of reality dictate our emotions, not the actual events.
ReplyDeleteTo refer back to my example above, for the "male who has preferences for other males," he fails to hold hands with his partner, not because others will reject him but because of his thoughts of being rejected. This, is a philosopically different viewpoint than what I have received in this class to date, which leads me to questions the approach of social justice education. Thanks for the question.
Jeff
Stephanie - I was thinking about the same "diversity" issues in our represented class today and in the under representation of male teachers at the elementary school level. I have been volunteering in a 4th grade classroom in a public school in Cary. After my first day with the class, several of the boys asked the tecaher when I could come back. They wanted me to takethem outside during lunch and read with them and just hang out. The most vocal advocates for me are several boys who do not have their fathers in their lives. The lack of positive male models in the early education system combined with the "crisis in masculinity" as described by Jackson Katz in "Tough Guise" is a major hurdle to social justice as it relates to male female relationships.
ReplyDeleteThe second point I had was about the diversity in our classroom. While the majority of the the class are white women there may be some of the other types of minorities for lack of a better word. I was listing the different groups that I associate with and many can be hidden or blind spots. How many students are non Christian, homosexual, have dealt with learning disabilities, come from single parent homes, grew up or are currently in a lower socio economic class, grew up in North Carolina or the southeast, or have a physical challenge of some sort. Those differences are just as important to understand and work towards social justice as some of the most visible characteristics that are associated with discrimination and limited opportunies.
This is Mariah. For some reason, it won't let me post from my Yahoo account and Google mysteriously chose Milner 81 for me.
ReplyDeleteI am getting pumped by all the enthusiasm and thoughtfulness in this class. In response to some of your thoughts about the lack of diversity in our class...I too felt a little strange that first night, talking about diversity and looking around the room to see few minorities represented. I think this kind of class could be so enriching and enlightening with input from more diverse perspectives. How often does anyone get the chance to sit down in a culturally and ethnically diverse group and discuss racism and social justice? It can be such a touchy and uncomfortable topic for people, especially, I imagine, if you are the minority in the room. How can we create more opportunities like this so it is not such a taboo topic? People of different ethnicities, races, and gender need to be able to talk openly with each other about these things. Otherwise, we may never fully uncover our biases or develop the appropriate empathy for each other's situations. In regards to this class, it is true, we are all diverse in our own way. We all come from a different background and have had different life experiences to bring to the table. It will be and is already eye opening.
I am still reflecting on the "White Privilege" article. Whenever I have thought about equality, I have always thought about raising the level of advantage for the underprivileged group. I have never thought about it as requiring a reduction of the advantages of the overprivileged group. I am still pondering how I contribute to racism by holding on to my advantages and if there is anything I can do on a personal level. I too, have never thought of myself as being affected by racism.
Also from that article, when she was listing off the invisible advantages, I thought how interesting it is that they are called "invisible." While they are invisible to those in the position of privilege, they must be eye pokingly obvious on a daily basis to those who are not.
Aaron you make a great point. There are many differences among all of us that are not apparent until we make a deeper connection. These differences can be a huge barrier between a student and teacher. Especially if the students feels the teacher cannot or will not take the time to get to know them and appreciate all they have to offer as an individual.
ReplyDeleteI am so impressed by all the points that have been made in this online discussion. There is so much energy and insightfulness. You all inspire hope for social justice!
ReplyDeleteSome of the feelings that I am sorting through are overwhelming to the point of tears.
I have been reliving my personal experiences with desegregation of Blacks and Whites in the rural south. On the first day of school, my eighth grade year, I rode miles (as well as many other students) on a school bus to a school in an unfamiliar town. Community schools had been closed and everyone was “bussed” (word for forced without choice) to a central location. There were fights in the halls, cafeteria, in the locker rooms, on the playgrounds; even in the classrooms. It was violent. It was frightening! People were pushed, shoved, slapped, verbally abused and threatened! People were injured by knives and brass knuckles. So much anger was expressed because of different skin colors being forced to attend school together. Needless to say there was not a great amount of academic learning going on. By the end of that first integrated school year, there was tolerance, nothing more.
It was in high school when some friendships were finally formed. It took time to appreciate what was beneath the color of our skins. The social attitude was that we had achieved “equality for all” in education. We believed that we were overcoming racism. That was over 30 years ago. What progress has been made (concerning racism) in education in 30 years?
You’ve helped me to understand, (especially in class on Tuesday night), that even the little things have a profound impact. I changed the band aides in my classroom first aide kit. I checked to assure that we had “premixed” multicultural flesh colored paints readily available for use. Next time someone asked me for a pair of left-handed scissors, I will do my best to find a pair!
Acquiring a better understanding of the numerous effects related to achieving social justice, including my long lived privileges, promises to be long, yet worthwhile journey.
Jewel - wow that is exactly the type of reaction I was hoping to hear from someone in the class. I grew up in suburban New York in an affluent neighborhood that had many students of Asian descent (both western and eastern Asia) but who were all of the same economic class - their parents were all professionals. When I moved back to NC (I went to Wake Forest and spent 2 years at Fort Bragg) 3 years ago I read a book called "Blood Done Sign My Name" by (?)Tyson to better understand the struggles of racial tension in the state during the 1970's and 80's and how they continue to play a role in how we as Raleighwoodians interact on a daily basis. I want to be empatheic not just so I can be a more effective educator but so I can be a better person. I was reading some of President Obama's comments on race and how even if we understand each "other" and are tolerant it isn't enough. If all we do is act professionally during the day and give everyone spcial justice between 9-5 but revert back to self segration during leisure activities we have stilled failed, and there is more work to do.
ReplyDeleteHow do we get every American over the age of 5 enrolled in ED 508?
Well, I wrote my post before noon yesterday(Tuesday) and decided to come back on tonight(Wednesday) to do my response. My head is now spinning. I was not expecting to have to read that much.
ReplyDeleteA couple follow up comments I have. One, I totally agree about the energy of the class. Two and a half hours is a long time and I was not thrilled by any means about having to do it. However, after the first two classes, I found the time moving too fast and was a little disappointed we were not meeting again tonight. Although I don't agree with everything that has been said in there by everyone, it is such an interesting topic to listen to.
Secondly, to the comment about the class not being very diverse, I too wish there were more people of different races and ethnic groups. Not that everyone is not different in their own way in our class, but it obviously is largely white, and white female at that. My mother recently completed her masters in education at a historically black college in NC and I was talking to her about the class. She too had to take a course such as this for her program and said it was her favorite course she took. I am very interested to further talk to her about her experience. I'm sure it will be very different than mine, since, though I am in the minority in gender, I am still in the majority in race. She, however, was a minority in the race category and I am sure that her experience was quite different than mine will be.
The comment regarding the mother who has a PhD in multicultural education and then her response to you dating a black man, I find very interesting, and not in a good or bad way, just interesting. I think that is how most people are though. They believe in something, until it actually exists in their lives. I know I have experienced similar things in my life.
I also agree with the comment about sometimes people feel they have to justify that they are not racist or biased or anything of that nature by listing the diverse set of friends or family that they have. I am guilty of that myself.
I also think I worded something I was trying to say in my earlier post in a bad way. I will not try to change it now, as it was already said, but I didn't get my point across in the way it was running through my head.
One final comment, it seems everyone is very excited about this class now after the first couple of meetings. I wonder though, for how many of us will that excitement die down once we get our final grade for the course?
This is my first posting on the ED 508 blog, so please go easy on me here. As far as what I feel, I'm interested in learning how other teachers and future teachers are experiencing in diversity. I've seen a lot in teaching so far such as the abscence of diversity while teaching at a private school. I've also seen just the opposite having taught both long and short term positions in the Wake County Public School System. This has been especially in real life for me when I have worked with in Special Education and teaching ESL. I have also experienced this having been a foreigner in another country for long term assignment in Greece, and in Belize. I will see it again when I go to Brazil this summer and also experience the Amazon and the communities of people that live there.
ReplyDeleteAs to the questions that Dr. Greenfield posed, here is what I can answer. I've had the chance to talk to some people in the class, whether I know them previously or just met. I'd like to say to all those teachers out there to realize that the possibilities are endless in this profession, especially if you like to travel. Right here in North Carolina it is possible to experience different cultures too. My personal goals for this class is to network with teachers and soon to be teachers. My goals are also to find a new level in professional teaching. It's also important to me to heighten my own sense of awareness and to re-visit it by sharing experiences.
One thing that can be frustrating about blog writing is that when you look back, you think to yourself "Oh! I wish I had said that!" Everyone is making such interesting comments and many of you seem to be saying what I am thinking.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea that Anisha mentioned of "pushing the envelope". I went to a private, Episcopal school from K-12and we were 99% white. Race wasn't something that really came up very often and teh idea of "diversity" wasn't taught other than historically speaking. But as a result, I think too many of us are afraid to talk about any issues racially related because we didn't talk about it in growing up. In the classroom I think it can be especially frightening. I have only been teaching for years adn as a young teacher I am often afraid that I am going to unintentionally upset a child and consequently he or she will go home, tell their parents and who knows from there. (Unfortunately, with 8th graders, I cant say some of the things that Dr. Greenfield has said! I cant say from day one " I will offend you this year!")BUT, something needs to change in terms of being "afraid".
I am currently teaching Language ARts at another private school in the area and we were reading WArriors Don't Cry. It is a memoir by Melba Beals who was a member of the Little Rock 9 during the start of integration in Arkansas after Brown v. Board. Out of the 53 students in teh 5 periods that I teach, there are only two African-American students. Coincidentally, theya re both boys and in the same period.
During that one class period I was always nervous that something would be said and somehow they would be offended by something I said or something we read or even the lack of concern that some of the other students would have while reading the book. I made it in my mind about the boys. I know that ,ad here I am on the blog admitting it.
I am embarrassed about it because I know I didnt have this feeling when we were reading other novels about white people being abused or beaten. It is just such an odd thing to recognize such a thing in yourself. Neither of the boys is very vocal and they tended not to speak up much in class unless prompted. I found myself consciously thinking about what question I was going to ask them so it didnt seem like I was asking them because it was focusing on their race. I DIDN't want to make them the representatives for thier race but everyday in my mind thats what I was doing.
My point to all this rambling is that Ia m glad that Dr. Greenfield is pushing the envelope and not tiptoeing around anything. I am glad that we sat in our groups last night and, as strange as it was, we all went around and talked aout our own biases. I dont view myself as a racist or sexist or anything -ist but sometimes it is a result of your experiences and you are just ignorant unless you are are taught, it is just hard to know.
Joann, thanks so much for your honesty. I love those epiphanies that hit us when we least expect it! I think your thought process is evidence of social justice - you took action in yourself and as we are learning this is the first step! I admire the way you took us through your experience!
ReplyDeleteMerielswig, on your follow up about "political correctness" - thank you! I agree with your thoughts - point well taken! I think what I meant to say was that we are too careful sometimes with the way we share experiences and the language we use to do so. I have often felt (mostly in past diversity discussions) that we feel like we have to be too protective - we should definitely be respectful of how words can hurt, but exploring those words are such a crucial part of the diversity discussion and the unraveling of social justice.
btw, krays is me, Karen... i had to change that but was a little too late (it was from the blogger acct I already had and I figured it would be a bit confusing!
ReplyDeleteI kind of wonder, after reading the three chapters last night, if the direction Dr. G wants us to head in is NOT to be uncomfortable as professionals talking about this...reflecting about this.
ReplyDeleteRight now we are in an environment where the discussion has begun (for some of us it has expanded a discussion we have been apart of in other arenas). There have been alot of posts on ...but it feels uncomfortable to talk about it, I have to "qualify" my remarks, I dont want to sound a certain way...
I just wonder if the end result is when you have new knowledge it changes you. And the hope of this course is when you have new knowledge (and we all have varying degrees of it) then you too can be an agent of change. People, in general, have raised ideas like "how do we affect social justice...what can WE do, the school system is frustrating, and programs are unfair...etc etc". Is the answer not this: There is no right answer...but if you are aware than you CAN do something. Something?
Replacing bandaids...in a staff meeting addressing something you noticed....something.
I think, for me, now, that you cant get around blindspots until you see them. I think I will have them creep up on me. (I had some funny ones come to me last night:) ). I'm thinking reflecting about blindspots is a lifetime thing. And that what this course is suggesting is that you have to do something. It is up to you, how much of a degree that you have been touched or affected or enlightened or whatever word you use. It is a choice that goes beyond this course. It is considering the way you view social justice, and asking yourself what am I going to do.....
For me, Im going to feel less proud about not being racist. Im going to reflect more about the world my students live in. And I am thinking about being a teacher. How am I going to affect a more just education system. I dont have that answer ....yet.
Sorry if I got all Kum Ba Yahh on y'all:)
Wow, we've got some great discussion going on here on the blog. Several people have raised the point that we haven't been tip-toeing around issues in class. Is this really true? In the reading we have learned that emotions aren't necessarily non-academic; in fact, emotions and social justice education are closely linked. Have we truly had a discussion in class where someone has gotten passionate about an issue to the point where they did not know how to respond? I am certain that over the course of the next few weeks we'll have some of these experiences.
ReplyDeleteHeather, I definitely relate to your post about having liberal political views yet growing up in a white neighborhood. I grew up at the beach, we had a grand total of 6 African Americans graduate in my class and one third generation Latina student. However, on the other side of our county, the demographics were nearly reversed. I look back and see how we as a learning community at my high school judged the other schools in the county, claiming that we brought in all of the tax dollars yet had the least amount of funding. Clearly this was not true, but nonetheless something for the administration to gripe about. Now that I have a much better education I see why more effort was taken for the minority race students in the other schools. Their cultures did not place value on education and oftentimes the students would not graduate. The graduation rate at my high school was very high, so why repair something that isn't broken? I would like the opportunity to go back and see how the schools have changed in my county since I graduated five years ago and see if anything has changed.
Dawn, thanks for sharing your story about the fourth grader in your class once. Challenging students to rise to the occasion is very important in equity education. All students must receive the same opportunities to learn and succeed. Getting rid of our blind spots and biases is a large task at hand that each of us must address to be effective educators in today's world.
I agree with Courtney that filters are overrated!
ReplyDeleteI liked the story about the need for diverse teachers so the “white” kids can learn more! I think different types of teachers from different race, ethnicity, color, and religion and so on will benefit any student so they can learn to be open just like we are leaning in this class!
Dawn, your story is going to be so important for us to remember as we ourselves teach. Thanks for sharing! It’s so hard for us to distinguish between being nice and adjusting and doing the best for the kid.
I’m so glad about the path this class is taking. I’m so glad I get to learn and share in this class! I would like to know why we are still talking about it though. We’ve been learning about the Greeks, the, Romans, Africa, India and China in our history classes for a long time now. Why are the parents, who were students not too long ago studying history, still resistive to change and diversity? How can we really make a lasting change? This goes back to Kare's mom who studied multicultural education but did not let her date multicultural men. When it comes to their own life, people tend to go back on their biases.
How is the UK far ahead of us in this game? This class is teaching me how to deal with diversity but I think we also need to look at what hasn’t worked so far. I think the communication in this class is really helping all of us. I hope to be able to communicate the same ideas to kids when I become a teacher.
Courtney, thanks for sharing the thought about my comment. You made a very good point. We are all different from others. All of us know no one can have the same fingerprint, DNA or eye print. I think we all need to think at that level and that's the goal of social justice.
ReplyDeleteSo, I am late with this because apparently blogging to too hard for me!! It took me way too long to figure out how to even get to the page to write your comment; and when I did write my comment, it would not post, so I tried again and somehow my entire comment was deleted. Needless to say, blogging so far is not my favorite. However, I have worked through my technology incompetence and finally have got it!
ReplyDeleteI am very excited to be in this class. I am eager to learn about diversity and ensure that I am prepared for what it may bring into the classroom setting. I am not a teacher, so it will be somewhat new for me. I work one-on-one with kids with disabilities and although, it is an extremely diverse group, the kids are never in one setting together.
I am also excited about our class itself and instructor. I love the fact that Dr. Greenfield is full of energy and enthusiam, this helps keep me entertained and interested, thus keeping me engaged rather than dazing out and staring at the clock!
I have never met anyone in our class before Monday, but I feel that we are a group that will work well together. I like the way our class is able to discuss and talk about each topic introduced in class. I like hearing other peoples’ opinions, I feel that I learn from them and it also kind of serves as a way of ensuring that my feelings or opinions are not ridiculous if someone else is thinking the same thing.
Elise…this is what I meant by being able to hear other peoples’ feelings and opinions, it makes me feel that my feelings and opinions are not crazy if someone else feels or thinks the same thing (and if they are crazy, at least I’m not alone)! I was raised in a small town and went to a smaller high school-there were 2 towns at my one high school, both of my parents were raised in my town, as well as went to my high school. My school was not a very diverse school, it was primarily white and diversity was not talked about much either. We would have the occasional fight between a white guy and a black guy because someone would say something derogatory toward the other.
ReplyDeleteI also have the same concerns you do with unintentionally hurting or offending, not so much one of my clients, but more so their families. I took a class my last semester of undergrad called “Interpersonal Relationships and Race”. This was a very eye-opening class for me. It taught us how we, personally and as a society respond to race and how it affects us. The teacher for this class was a large black man that was over 6 feet tall and over 200 lbs. He came into class and said “I am black” and people that say “I don’t see color are lying, that you can not look at me and say that you do not see a giant black man”. He was extremely open about the different issues regarding race. The class was specifically chosen in order to have a diverse setting. We would sit in a large circle so everyone could see everyone and we would have very intense and personal conversations. I am hoping to learn more about what I began learning in this class.
Joann,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this:" For me, I'm going to feel less proud about not being racist. I'm going to reflect more about the world my students live in."
You also mentioned something about "qualifying" our remorks. That hit me - because I do that. I didn't even realize that I do this until I read your post. It's really amazing what we don't know we do! One thing that I loved from class tonight: Power is most powerful when it isn't seen or heard (didn't get the wording totally right, feel free to chime in, Dr. Greenfield!) This is SO true! I love it! Can't wait to keep discussing/learning/sharing! Thanks for opening my eyes a little wider... ;)
The discussions here are very interesting. I never posted my second comments yet.
ReplyDeleteElise, I know the feeling about teaching at a private school. I think it is good that the students there are at least being exposed to outside cultures. I remember when I was teaching in a private school how sheltered many of the students were as well as many of the parents.
Larry, I want you to have courage as I am also in the minor in personal demographics. Having experience teaching in some public schools I was a racial minority as well as a substitute teacher on long-term assignment----double whammy. It's good to have that kind of experience because it only makes you a good teacher.
Dawn (and all), your activity with the crayons was similar to an activity I completed in the spring that some of you may be able to adapt for your setting or age group. Our instructor gave us a bag of art supplies and crafts and charged us with the task of creating a mobile demonstrating particular identity models.
ReplyDeleteWe were at separate tables and working in groups of 3-5 using our bag of goodies. My group noticed the group in front of us had a Polaroid camera, lots of cool blinking gadgets, etc. We kept working not looking behind us or around us at what other students had. We were just focused on our work…
During the presentations of models it became clear to the last group that they were grossly lacking supplies. They even said at the beginning of their presentation they were only given a hanger, glue, pencil and paper. Our instructor asked how that felt. They were not happy. Then she asked how many of us had noticed what other people had. Why had we not looked around? Why didn’t we share what we had?
Long story short…. Not only did we demonstrate our identity models we were also given a valuable lesson in classism. We were so focused on our work that we did not look around us to see what was going on with other groups. Perhaps if we had we would have given up some of our supplies and resources to help out another group.
How many of us look around at how much we have and offer to share it with those less fortunate? I know the mobile activity caused me to think twice about all the stuff I have and what resources I can share or refrain from consuming. Our gifts do not have to be material. They can be in the form of labor for an issue we care about, sharing the gift of knowledge through speaking to groups of people for free (e.g. speaking at your house of faith) or perhaps your gift is not consuming or purchasing so many resources.
I think we are all very focused in how to implement activities in the classroom and that can be overwhelming. I think the same changes can start at home, with our faith based organizations and houses of worship and then into our job settings and classrooms. There are a lot of ways to spread the message of social justice.
As many of you have written, this course so far has certainly been a different experience than most would have expected - LOTS of energy! (Where does the time go, and have I ever stayed awake so easily after a day of teaching? - Incredible!) The contrast is bitter sweet - 5 mins into every faculty meeting, and I'm zzzzz. Dr G's energy, though, reflects I think the whole purpose of this course - to shake us up (so we can shake others up) and change the way we think and do things, how we view the world and can help others redefine their world view. Anzaldua's poem and 'Flaming Tongue' article are two cases in point: people who think they can stop the "overthrow" of English cannot insist that their world be defined in only that form of language - the world is changing all around us; despite any laws anyone might pass, Spanglish is here and Spanish is coming (but will we call it Spanish?) How much of what we value (we?) will change with the language? Will it be painful to "translate" into new language forms, or will it be something that just happens over time? For me, maybe some pain, but my grandchildren have Dora and Diego every morning to help them...
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