This week's readings were very insightful in regards to learning more about the culture of whiteness and it’s dominance. I believe that we should discuss all cultures that exist in our classrooms, including whiteness. I’ve heard a lot about the term white privilege but not necessarily whiteness. The article, Why Talk About Whiteness, enlightened me on the fact that whiteness tends to fall under the radar and the fact that it’s not really discussed could be a problem for the racial justice movement. I need to do a better job with acknowledging whiteness as a culture/race that needs to be discussed just as much as different races of color. My plan moving forward is to continue to read up on the Whiteness Project and possibly look into reading the book, Teaching While White, because the author brought up some very good points in the article. For example, she stated that making whiteness visible, understanding the diversity and history of whiteness, and going beyond white privilege can help educators find positive answers to the question: What does it mean to be white? I believe that understanding the importance of acknowledging and understanding the diversity and history of whiteness is one of the many ways that is going to help us learn how to co-exist and learn from each other in a more positive way.
Reflecting on this week’s reading, Ms. Wild in Yo Miss! reminded me of myself in regards to being extremely mentally exhausted thinking about life while at the same time bringing what happened at work home with me. I have been teaching for about 14 years and my class this year has been one of the most challenging classes in regards to defiant behavior, lack of attention and chronic absenteeism which is a recipe for teacher burnout. Like Ms. Wild, often times I find myself at home reflecting on my challenging day, asking myself what can I do differently with child X, how can I help these students be more engaged while questioning my reason for choosing education in the first place in addition to thinking about everyday life issues such as family, finances and etc... After my mental digressions, in the end I’m reminded about how blessed I am and all the positive differences I’m continuing to make in the classroom and in my personal life and that’s what drives me. This article was j
Hi Porshe, I enjoyed reading your blog this week. I agree that whiteness as a culture/race needs to be discussed just as much as other races. I understand that we all feel most comfortable discussing what we can relate to most, but it is important to also discuss those we are unfamiliar with. This also models for our students the appropriate way to discuss and inform ourselves, and each other, on matters that are new/different from us.
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