For EDUC 402 Diverse Classrooms

An important thing to practice as an educator is being anti-racist. It goes a lot further than simply not being racist. If you say you’re not racist, it may mean you aren’t participating in racist actions or microaggressions, but being anti-racist means being an active-witness. It means you actively address racist actions that you witness. This is important as an educator because kids sometimes don’t understand why what they are saying or doing is wrong if they’re copying the actions of an adult or another student. It’s also important to address racist actions of students while they’re still young and impressionable so they can be anti-racist adults. Furthermore, being anti-racist means you’re standing up for and protecting a student or adult that someone is being racist towards. Not only is it ethically right to protect the students, it also aligns with the first Standard for BC Educators which states that “educators value the success of all students. Educators care for students and act in their best interests.” Being anti-racist means valuing the success of everyone in the class.

As I begin my practice as an educator, I will be making a committed effort to be anti-racist. To do this, in addition to addressing acts of racism that I witness, I will teach my students about other cultures and the history of oppression and slavery that racialized people have experienced in the not-so-far-away past. Although it is part of the BC curriculum for some grades of socials studies, age-appropriate content could also be incorporated for language arts lessons in the grades that have different social studies focuses. I will also work to level the playing field and create equal opportunities for students in my class that may not have the same privileges as others.

As a result of my privilege and role within the education system, I will be in the position to educate students about racism and teach them to be empathetic towards racialized people and everyone they interact with. My privilege has aided in my ability to become a teacher and this role has put me in the position to educate and help others. My knowledge about Jordan’s principle may also contribute to helping students in the future.

When I have my own classroom, I want it to be an anti-racist environment. To me, this means creating a space where all students feel welcome and safe. This would happen by addressing any racist microaggressions that occur among students and staff members. It also means not singling out students whose cultures are part of what we’re learning about while, at the same time, creating visibility of all cultures and teaching students about different holidays and celebrations they may not celebrate themselves. Teaching students about how our current world is shaped by events in history, especially colonization, will contribute to them becoming more compassionate and understanding adults. Being aware of biases and not making assumptions about peoples’ lives or abilities is important for an anti-racist environment. Additionally, having the same learning standards for all students and encouraging students to reach them will set them up for success and help close generational education and wealth gaps.

While these things are harder said than done, continuing to education myself and recognize biases that are ingrained in me will help make the reality of an anti-racist classroom. Actively working against racism is the only way it will ever be changed and I’m in one of the best positions to contribute to that change.