Reflection

Reflection

Of all the issues in education we discussed this semester, the one I felt most uncomfortable discussing was during the prejudice and bias unit. One of the groups we had the option of discussing was members of the LGBTQ+. At the time, I was afraid to comment about it because I did not yet understand it. I was very close minded about the hardships they faced and the significance of the movement and thus was unwilling to talk about it. My initial views of the movement were that "they're different from me and therefore they're wrong." After learning about prejudices and biases in general, meeting and befriending more members of the community, observing my friends' first hand accounts I think I understand it a little bit better now.  I think that reading Zaretta Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, made me realize just how wrong I was. Whether I as a person wanted to show support for the community or not is one thing. Going into the field of education, especially adolescent education is another. Middle/high school is when students really start thinking about who they are and exploring what is important to them. As their teacher, I need to step up to the plate and be the one who acknowledges their struggles and insecurities; I need to be someone who can show them that whatever they decide is right for them, they will be supported. Therefore the most crucial issue in education that I will learn to defeat is prejudice and bias in both my own heart and in my classroom. Through my studies this semester, I have learned that it is not enough to turn a blind eye to prejudice. You have to acknowledge it is there and explore why it is there. Only then can you begin to prove to yourself why you were wrong.

Source: https://www.nationalflags.shop/Rainbow-flag











Reference

Krueger, B., & Anonymous. (n.d.). Rainbow flag - LGBT pride flag. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.nationalflags.shop/Rainbow-flag