Is there a right or wrong standard that as educators, we are responsible in relaying to our students? Are we entitled to instill morality or simply mold our students to become better citizens with the tools/resources we could provide them? Is it better to ignore or oppress to avoid resistance from outside forces?
Tuesday's class offered more insights to the reality known as urban education. We discussed about the "-isms" that are roaming the halls of public schools each day and increasing in regards to its oppressive nature. We learned how it is vital to think, process, learn, engage and do as an educator, while keeping perspective of who you are and what drives you to be better for others to be better. The conflict between "saving students" versus "saving themselves" was an old-age topic that resurfaced for many of the future educators in the room that day. And my discussion group analyzed guilt that non-white and educated Donovans have felt within their roles as a teacher in an urban setting.
I strongly feel at the end of the day, we have to be humbled for the paths that we traveled to arrive at this point. Our discussions, classes and assignments may cause tensions and deep thoughts each time, even creating a slight internal shame or doubt. But it is key that we take these various perspectives and resources and apply them to our students. We may not be able to help them all, but we will have the chance to make them reflect that the education they received from us was one of their educators that made them feel like they deserved (as Matt Raymond suggested) that special opportunity within their education
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