intersectionality · Teaching

Personal Reflection

Educators have the responsibility of being their students’ best advocates. We should advocate for more books depicting diverse characters, reflective of the students’ background and interests. Students should also have access to books and materials that help them access the curriculum. If possible, teachers should also help students become more conscious and aware of the oppressive systems that impact their lives. Students have the right to know about the things that impact their education, and they also have the power to effect change. Lisa D. Delpit’s reading forced me to self-reflect about how I have and might experience a culture of power at work. I am aware that my biases and prejudices are blind spots. As an individual, I should also strive to become more self-aware. I believe becoming self-aware is something that will require constant self-examination and insight into how my experiences might affect my response during difficult discussions about race, gender, and disability. For example, my experiences discussing topics about the history of colonization and imperialism with white individuals are not always been positive. Thankfully, I have learned to be more patient, learned to agree to disagree, but I still remove myself from difficult discussions to avoid getting angry or offended.