Do I have the full picture?

To understand what the "full picture" is in education, you must first know what the partial picture is. In education, we already have the partial picture. A simple example of this would be how public schools teach history. I took the liberty of looking up some common history textbooks used in schools and textbooks I remember using in high school, and every single book I found was written by a white American man. How can we get the full picture if we only have one perspective? 

There are so many different stories and perspectives on everything that happens in our world, and yet we hear the same, very few stories in our public education system. Our education system and textbooks focus heavily on the experience of white Americans. When we discuss other races, we give brief stories that only focus on the final moments of overcoming racism. We don't talk about their achievements. We don't talk about the years and years of oppression and abysmal things that happened to them. An example of this would be the story of Ruby Bridges. The only thing I learned about her was from seeing a picture of her walking into a white school. I only saw her one moment of overcoming a racist boundary. I never knew about the awful remarks, the ostracization, and the rocks that were thrown at her. History books only show a glorified version of America overcoming racism and the achievements of white historical heroes, but that is not real history. That is not the full picture.

To get the full picture, we need to find unspoken stories. We need to listen to marginalized groups. We need multiple perspectives. If you look up Ruby Bridges, you will still just see the picture of her walking to school. It is more challenging to find pictures of the awful things happening, but if you listen to her story... you will get the full picture.

Stories: Whose are told and whose remain in the margins?

Whose stories are told and whose remain in the margins?

To answer this question, we must first know what it means to be in the margins -- or be marginalized. Someone who is marginalized has very little power or influence and experiences discrimination because of their identity. Someone can be marginalized because of their race, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. For example, a black gay woman would absolutely be considered marginalized. She could face discrimination for being black, for being gay, or even just for being a woman. Women make up almost half of our world's population, yet we are still considered marginalized as we face discrimination for our identity.

When it comes to learning about our nation's history, we often only see one perspective, and that is the white American perspective. Historical events are told from the white American's point of view and often neglect the perspective of those at the time that were of a different race or nationality. Hearing only one perspective is not helpful for anyone. There is no moment that is remembered exactly the same by all participating parties. Everyone has a different perspective, so we cannot expect there to be a single narrative story of American history.

As a teacher, it is important that you tell stories from multiple perspectives and read with a critical, watchful eye. A historical event may be viewed completely differently by another cultural group, and that is okay. People often say that there are multiple sides to every story and that you need to hear everyone out. This same saying goes for history and our society as a whole. You need to make sure that your students who are in the margins of society feel uplifted and heard.

How do we talk about issues that matter?

Often times in our society, we avoid talking about important issues in order to not make people uncomfortable. We don't want to "step on anyone's toes". I think that it is time we start stepping on toes and pushing boundaries when it comes to important topics like race, identity, poverty, etc.

How can we go about discussing these issues?

To properly discuss issues that matter, we must first create a welcoming environment. People will not open up about their true feelings if they feel uncomfortable or not welcomed. To create this environment in a classroom, you need to build relationships with your students. Learn about your students' cultures, hobbies, and families. Not only should you learn about your students' personalities, but let them see your personality as well. Let your students have a glimpse into your life and see that you are a human being just like they are. When your classroom feels like a community, students will have more confidence to speak up.

While it is important to be respectful, you do not need to prioritize comfort over diving deeper into the discussion of issues that matter. I have met many White Americans who are completely uncomfortable with talking about race and avoid it entirely. This does not help us progress. This does not help us become better people.

Simply opening up the space for discussing important issues is better than not doing so. You can ask your students how they feel about a current issue and allow them to discuss it with their peers. Some students may have polar opposite viewpoints, and that is okay. Listening to the opposite stance and internalizing it makes you a wiser and more understanding person.

What is the Purpose of School?

 

Image from: https://youthareawesome.com/purpose-school/?doing_wp_cron=1661890942.4685699939727783203125

    School, teachers, and the education system can be viewed from many different angles. Teachers can be seen as glorified babysitters whilst schools can be viewed as free daycare services. The education system can also be seen in a positive light. It can be a great place of knowledge and social development for children.

    Nowadays, schools fill a lot of important roles besides just providing standardized knowledge. In the past, socializing was often not acceptable during school hours. As a child, I was often scolded for talking to my peers. It is much more common now for schools to be seen as a place of social and emotional development as well as a place of academic development.

    In "What is the Purpose of School?" by Stephen Sawchuk, he states that services like school health centers, social workers, and nurses have proven to be popular in current times. The role of schools has expanded vastly over time, and it seems that most people will look at this expansion as something positive.

    So, what is the purpose of school? The answer to this question will change with each and every person you ask. I believe that the purpose and role of the school system are ever-expanding. Schools should provide a safe and nurturing environment for all students where they can flourish not only academically, but also socially and emotionally. Schools should also be able to meet the needs of their students (i.e., providing food, a school nurse, disability assistance/programs). There are obviously budgetary limits that schools have, but I firmly believe that schools must meet at least the most basic needs of their students. The purpose of school is to not only prepare the students to succeed academically but also to prepare them to succeed in the real world by providing them equal opportunities to thrive.

   Cayenne Frazier

Introduction

Welcome to my corner of the internet!

A little about me:

My name is Cayenne Frazier and I am a Junior and Texas State University. One of my favorite teachers on TikTok is Ms. Chang (@mschanggifted). I've watched her for a long time and enjoy her videos. She creates videos where she reenacts situations that have happened in her classroom. Her videos also show tactics she uses in her class. One of her videos shows her use of "desk pets" as a positive reinforcement tactic.

Why teach?

I have wanted to become a teacher since I first started school. School has always been what I am good at and enjoy, and I truly admired all of my teachers. I also have had a lot of experience with babysitting and just truly love working with children. My teachers made a huge impact on me, and I want to do the same for my future students. I do not have any teachers in my family, and my family honestly tried to discourage me from becoming a teacher. Becoming a teacher has always been my dream, though, so I am following through with it. I also have a passion for math and would love to instill that into my students or at least stop any confusion or hatred they may have for the subject.

After working with third and fourth-grade students this summer, I would love to teach one of these grades. I feel that I got along very well with this age group and loved their excitement and passion for learning. I hope to teach all subjects, but if I end up at a school that separates subjects in elementary, I would likely choose math. I worked with a class of 12 students this summer but would love to have a little bit of a larger class. I would like to work at a school that has around 15-20 students per class. I feel that it is easier to connect with students with this amount.