Philog #5: Privilege and Power Sharing

The article on white privilege by Peggy McIntosh brought up conflicting feelings in me.  It opened my eyes to many privileges I never thought about.  Part of me reacted with denial.  Part of me said “yes, I have many privileges that I was previously unaware of.”  After further thought I realized that I myself have racist attitudes, some of which I got from my mother who was born and raised in the gentile southern ways of the US South.  At this point in my life I have some barely conscious biases toward African Americans and other people of color.  Not always, but sometimes I find myself thinking that they are inferior to me in some fashion that I do not overtly identify.  I also sometimes do that with disadvantaged people.  In general I keep these biased attitudes from showing.  Rather instead they play at the edge of my awareness.  It has been disturbing for me during this past couple of weeks to face that reality about myself.  It is also true that I have been aware (usually at the very back of my mind, so to speak) of the many privileges that I have as a white male; I’ve become complacent about them and enjoyed having them.  

Now that I’ve come to these realizations, I’m left with questions about how to deal with my own prejudices and my casual acceptance of privilege.  I think that one of the pathways out of this is to make myself aware when I have thoughts like those and make a conscious choice to reject that thinking.   I should point out that I already am sometimes aware of my biased thinking and reject it (at least intellectually).  But I think I need to make that process more consciously than before.

Another response I can make is to take opportunities (and this is something I can do in my classroom) to find out more about the lives of the persons I would normally discriminate against and people who do not have the privileges that I have.  One thing I already know about myself is that my natural instinct is to make room for others and to share social power.  It’s just that now I’ve been made aware of the scope and dimension of these issues.  They can have a powerful effect in all groups where there is diversity among individuals.

What the topic of privilege now means for me in multicultural terms is that I have my own internal work cut out for me to understand and change my thoughts and feelings about people of other cultures or other groups.  I hope that this will be a lesson that I remember throughout the rest of my life.  I’d like to think that I can and will be an anti-racist and someone who in general is proactive in working for pluralism and power sharing for everyone.

Although I don’t know where I will be teaching or what manner of children I will be teaching, but I hope to be a teacher who will be aware of which students in the class are being oppressed or dominated by some overt or subtle form of discrimination.  This includes spotting and taking action when I see a student who is evidently at a disadvantage in some way.  I would hope to have the presence of mind and heart to work proactively to help eliminate obstacles and barriers for students.  Moreover, I want to learn more about things I can do to draw attention positively to the culture and experiences of all of my students.

Exclusion/Inclusion

The video we say in class opened up my eyes; it was my first glimpse into “inclusive” classrooms.  It educated me on a topic I was unaware of completely.  I was delighted by what I saw.  The presence in a classroom of individuals with some physical difficulty seemed to bring out genuine affection and care from the other students.  Perhaps in good part because of the presence of a special needs child, these classrooms have become caring and joyful communities.  I wonder if that is generally true for inclusive classrooms. 

There’s no doubt that the tasks of a teacher in an inclusive classroom are greatly multiplied, which could be one argument against inclusion.  However, this drawback can be overcome by providing these teachers with teaching aides.

One could also argue that the needs of the “special needs” student may very well not get met in a regular classroom.  Clearly a careful evaluation on a case-by-case basis is needed before a decision is made about the best environment for the special education student.  A child such as this could spend part of the school day in a special education class and part of the day in a regular class.  In any case, I see a tremendous social benefit of an inclusive classroom for all concerned as long as it is in the best interest of the special needs child.  There was no doubt in the video that the classroom experience was richer because of the presence of the special needs child. 

There are several issues I’m likely to face as a teacher as it is quite probable that I will be in a classroom of this type.  How will I handle the additional demands on my time to both teach my class and to make a good learning environment for the special education student in my class?  I noticed in the video that the students themselves looked after and assisted the handicapped child in their class.  It seemed that the teachers in these classroom had succeeded in fostering this attitude of inclusion.  That, of course, would be my goal.  But I imagine that much thought and planning and dedication is needed to successfully manage an inclusive classroom.

Some of my life experiences have predisposed me to be inclusive in my attitudes.  As a white child growing up in a Latin culture (Costa Rica) I experienced a culture that is by its nature quite inclusive, at least on some levels.  I also experienced exclusion based on my color at times, and so I’ve experienced the hurt associated with exclusion.  Another valuable experience for me was to have the opportunity to work for a school year as a teacher’s aide in a special education school.  I worked with children with a variety of different issues.  I came to admire the cheerful spirit and loving nature of so many children that were so-called handicapped.

Phlog #3

What does the phrase “an equal educational opportunity” mean to me?  To me, it means that every student will have the same opportunities to learn and access to the same curriculum.

What am I educating students to achieve?   At this point, I think that I will be educating students to achieve the full dimensions of the potential, equipped intellectually and socially for success both as individuals and as members of society.  They will be equipped with the knowledge and skills as well as the positive attitudes and social habits to successfully make their way forward in life.

What are your educational goals?   I have a number of goals as a teacher. When their high school education is complete my students should be able to think for themselves and be experienced problem-solvers.  They should be proficient and equipped with a broad range of academic and social knowledge and skill sets.  I want my students to learn (through their experiences in my class) to enjoy and relish the learning process itself and be equipped to be life-long learners.

What methods will I use to attain those goals?  Why will you use these goals and methods in your classroom (the justification)?  In my coursework and field experiences I hope to develop a broad range of methods of teaching.  The best inputs I’ve received so far come from watching my instructors this summer and from the book Teach Like a Champion.  I can say a number of things about methodology.  First, a cardinal rule in my classroom is that I will always be positive and enthusiastic.  A positive attitude is contagious.  I will communicate to my students and convince them of the value and satisfaction derived from working hard.  Mastery of a subject takes a concentrated effort.  I will demonstrate high expectations for my because I think they will consequently have high expectations for themselves.  I think my classroom should have a mix of large group, small group, and individualized learning.  I see myself presenting material to the entire class and eliciting the active participation of all.  I’ve been seeing (in the two courses I’m taking right now) the great benefit of collaborative small groups.  I think all of these approaches will prove effective and will provide changes to the pace of the teaching.  And I hope to find ways to provide individual attention to students both in the classroom and in before and after school conferences.

How will you take children from very different economic and cultural backgrounds, very different academic skill levels, and engage them all successfully in learning challenging academic material? As a math teacher, I will provide easy to understand explanations and examples of the course material, and will build from the simple to the more complex.  I will make myself available after classes to work individually or in small groups with students having difficulty mastering the material.  I will insure that the classroom is free of prejudicial behaviors and speech.  I will model pluralism by showing respect and appreciation of each student. I don’t expect to be teaching the students about their various cultures, but I will look for and take learning opportunities to have short discussions on the topic of diversity.

What methods and strategies will I use to ensure that my students are all performing at an advanced level?  I will use tests and quizes as one means of identifying the students who are not at the level with the rest of the class and will assign work to them to bring them up to speed.  I will recapitulate material when I see that not everyone is understanding it.  I’ll assign extra work to faltering students and will communicate with their parents.  I will request that they obtain one-on-one tutoring.  

The role of education, of the teacher, and of the student

Although I agree that education should prepared an individual for full participation in a democratic society, my own concept of education at the present is that it has many interrelated roles.  The role of education is to complement the role of parents and home life in enabling individuals to attain their full potential in life – their potential as autonomous individuals and also as a productive and well adjusted members of society. 

Education should provide an environment that fosters personal, individual growth; at the same time it should offer the student social experience that enable him/her to interact successfully with others, both in the enjoyment of social life and the communication and collaboration that are called for in the workplace.  Students should be equipped with knowledge so they can understand the world around them in its rich dimensions – enabling them to enjoy human culture and play an active role in creating culture.  Education should equip them with them with the range of basic knowledge and skills to communicate successfully and to manipulate their external environment.  Skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics.  Through education, a person should be able to think for himself, solve problems, and determine his own beliefs, values, and goals. And a final result of education is the formation of individuals who are life-long learners.

My views about the role of education follow in large part my personal beliefs and values.  In that sense they are well aligned.  The kind of education I describe above is to a large degree the education that I myself received.

As to my role as a teacher, I believe it should be that of a facilitator of learning and a guardian of it.  I would hope to create a classroom environment in which the students themselves are active participants while I as the teacher remove obstacles in their way.  That would include being a guardian of the classroom environment.  That means being vigilant in maintaining the classroom as a place where students are safe and free to learn.  It would include maintaining the classroom as a positive and enjoyable environment, one that is stimulating and even enjoyable though quite serious.  I believe also that my role is that of a leader, a mentor and a role model. 

As already mentioned, I see the role of students as being an active role.  I see learning as a self-directed activity.  So a student’s role is proactive; the student takes hold of knowledge.  I see the students as the actors in the play and the teacher as one who simply sets the stage. 

            My philosophy addresses the incorporation in the classroom of students from other cultures in several ways.  First of all, education’s role includes that of personal and individual development.  That means that it allows for differences, for diversity.  My own role as guardian of the environment is to make the classroom a place that’s safe and stimulating for all of the students.  The challenge... the question is how specifically will I as a teacher create this atmosphere of acceptance and celebration of diversity within the classroom?