The Social Justice Classroom

I believe that all children deserve to be treated with respect and fairness. Each learner brings his or her own personality, culture, and worldview to the classroom, and each of these merits acknowledgment and validation. All of the differences among students provide an exciting opportunity to promote dialogue, understanding, and learning with students. This learning can build empathy, community, and awareness of our interconnectedness. And all of this helps to break down stereotypes and prejudice, replacing them with respect and equality.

I believe that teachers are role models who have the power to transform their students, to help them achieve their best not just as learners of curriculum, but as human beings, from a social justice perspective. Educators are leaders and mentors who craft the space which shapes the experience and understanding of students within it. Because of this, we will have an enormously powerful impact on our young learners' lives. This is a great responsibility which is also empowering. I think of the lesson of the story "Holding Nyla" in Rethinking--Nyla's teacher modeled love, compassion, understanding, inclusion, accommodation, respect for others' differences--her students in turn learned these lessons, "embracing" Nyla as well. This was a simple, powerful example of how educators can shape the lives of their students.

I believe that our classrooms should be places of excitement and exploration. Kids should feel safe, welcomed, and provided with all of the tools and resources they need to grow in their learning. Classrooms should be environments where the highest ideals of democracy are in action, where boundaries are tested, freedom of thought is valued, creativity is encouraged, rich experiences are offered--all designed to appeal to childrens' sense of wonder and need to discover. Education is a powerful tool, and both a gift and a right for all children. Despite institutional inequities, the learning environment has the greatest potential for changing the future for the better.