Willow's Classroom

When you are in the classroom, you will have students of many different backgrounds and many different cultures. As a teacher, it is our job to be aware of that rather than just say "I don't see color". This phrase is problematic because when we are ignoring the fact that our students are different from each other, we are inherently oppressing those who are marginalized. It is when we acknowledge the differences of our students and understand the historical oppression of people of color that we are truly allowing our students to experience equality in the classroom. In the video "Children from Underserved Backgrounds", she talks about the study of how children from Mexican heritage are good at working together on projects and work, while students from European backgrounds normally take turns or one person is the "boss" and the other follows. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the strengths of our students based on their backgrounds and how ...

 Having conversations about things that spark controversy or emotion can be difficult to navigate. It is hard when people are not equipped to handle these conversations and can shut out other people's beliefs that are different from their own. So, how do we talk about the issues that matter? Like it says in our module, Engaging in civil discourse does not mean prioritizing politeness or comfort over getting to the heart of the matter. Basically, while these conversations can be uncomfortable, it is worth putting aside our own reservations and be receptive to opinions different than our own in order to have these open discussions. We won't be able to get anywhere if we are holding so tightly to our own thoughts that we do not leave room for others to influence us. In A Letter to the Students of Color Who Were in my History Class, Dylan Wray explains how not acknowledging his privilege or bias affected the students of color in his classroom. He explains how it was easy for him as...