I’ve struggled with this blog post for weeks. I go in every few days to revise. But the edits never feel “just right.”
I’m not one to post about political subjects. I know I have followers on all ends of the political spectrum, and I want to be respectful to everyone.
The intention behind this blog post is not to shove politics down anyone’s throat. It is to bring awareness to cultural biases and how we, as educators, can do better.
And I genuinely believe we do want to do better. But where do we start?
1.) Listen: & I Mean, REALLY Listen.
Listen with an open mind without getting defensive.
If you don’t know me, I am a special education blogger. I follow other special educators on social media. I can relate to their experiences with student meltdowns and diaper changes.
However, in a field that is predominately white and female, I realized my newsfeed was lacking diversity. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE following these special education teachers. But in addition, I started actively seeking out Instagram accounts led by teachers of color.
Doing so has changed my entire perspective on social justice and cultural bias. Writing this post is not easy. I don’t like admitting I am wrong or naive. Knowing these injustices are occurring, yet doing little to educate myself on ways to be better, is another subtle way that Privilege exists.
But my passiveness has gone on for too long. It’s time to do better.
2.) Represent -Because Representation Matters.
How are you representing people of color in your teaching? This article is an excellent start for teachers wanting to create a more inclusive classroom.
Is your classroom library
3.) Understand Privilege.
“As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage.”
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