As I am sure I have said on this blog before, I am so incredibly happy with my life here. Beyond happy...blissful, ecstatic, thrilled. I have great friends, amazing students, fulfilling work, fantastic opportunities, and tons of fun. I am really thriving in this place, and I'm so excited for what's to come.
But it's not perfect. And one thing that really grinds my gears is that sometimes, my passion for social justice education is laughed off. Today as my team planned our next unit, I brought up a couple of ideas for activities that my own fourth grade science teacher (Tux!) sent to me -- one science-based, and one transdisciplinary. Then I hesitantly mentioned one activity that she sent to me that I think is a great one for sparking conversations, which is called Picture An Astronomer. In the activity, students have a guided visualisation of an astronomer after a long night at the observatory, then they write down or draw what that person looks like. The narrative is very careful to make no reference to age, race, or gender, so you can unpack their preconceived ideas about the dominance of middle-aged white men in scientific fields. Tux suggested using it pre- and post-field trip, so I mentioned it in that context.
As I began to describe the activity, as soon as I got to the phrase "old white men," one of my team members started to laugh. "I remember a conversation to this effect," he chuckled, referring to a debate on social justice issues we'd had one evening over drinks. Yes, I recognize that sometimes I can be a little too aggressive when someone says something that I find offensive -- and I'm working on walking the line of speaking up without pushing too hard. But never mind the fact that microaggressions such as that are deeply harmful to the feminist cause. Let's get to what I see as the greater issue here: social justice education matters. It matters beyond you and I and our different beliefs. I care deeply about encouraging my students to think in new ways, to be open-minded toward and accepting of difference. The PYP emphasises international-mindedness, celebrating our differences while embracing our common humanity. What a great goal.
Honestly, I feel to a certain extent that if one of the four white men in the room had brought that idea to the table, it might have been received differently. I may be wrong, but I find that when members of a majority group speak out for minorities, they're lauded for their effort, whereas I am brushed aside as an "angry feminist." (My cousin thoughtfully pushed back on me for my use of that term in a previous post -- but in this context I feel it's apt!) However, as the only woman on my grade-level team, I feel all the more passionate about speaking up for feminism. Social justice is important to me, and it should be important to every educator.
The bright side? For the upcoming unit, my fellow intern and I have been slotted two 45-minute lessons each week with all of grade 3. I've got my space to share this activity and have what I think are incredibly important conversations for young minds to consider.
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Currently reading: I'm in an articles phase, lots of stuff in my Pocket which I hope to share here soon!
Current high: several, but my top two: one of my students took first prize in a cooking contest with his dad today, and lots of fun social stuff on the horizon!
Current low: super tired...but looking ahead to a mostly restful weekend
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