As I got through the first section of this article, I was kind of amazed that this was considered ground-breaking stuff. The only message I got from it was that, apparently, I'm not supposed to be a small minded bigot when I teach. I was shocked...I had been going about it the wrong way this entire time.
After getting through it, though, I realized that it did have some useful information in it. The part I agree with most is when it talks about the curriculum. As a soon to be history teacher, I definitely want to try to give an accurate perspective on history from many different angles such as race, class and ethnicity.
I think the main argument of this article is summed up with the quote, "Educators cannot focus exclusively on the treatment of the Other and ignore other ways in which oppression plays out in schools." (31) It's not just a matter of not being a racist, but a matter of trying to change the things in your school that are.
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I agree with you, some of this was common sense to me. I plan on being a history teacher too. I don't want to leave any student out, I think having a day where students can share about their cultures could be helpful. It also gets them to talk to their parents/grandparents or anyone they live with to get some information about the past. This way they are learning how to do research. I think that not just the majority, but every student must feel comfortable and accepted in every classroom.
ReplyDeleteI hope other people get your sense of humor like i did. "a small minded bigot". That's exactly the way i feel towards anyone that would actually teach an oppressive curriculum. I too want to be a history teacher and what a subject to end any oppressive connotations and stereotypes that repeat in our school systems. All other subjects also have the potential to incorporate multi-cultural or "other" education but social studies is where it can be taken advantaged the most. I think if all of us social studies teachers start doing more and more multi-cultural education, instead of talking about it, our school systems just might actually change!
ReplyDeleteIt makes me sick that they even have to teach us this. The material doesn't make me sick, just the fact that this is what the world has come to... teaching us to be civil, seeing that it is, to a certain extent, an uncivil place. You personally have an EXCELLENT opportunity to get around the oppressive nature of education. Being a history teacher, you can teach both sides of the issue.... such as the secret civilizations the slaves had during the civil war. African-Americans would be honored to hear of their ancestor's rebelling against the south, but of course.. these things never get taught in high school.
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