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On Social Justice in the Classroom


In regard to social justice and its usage in the classroom, I had my own preconceived opinions and ideas about it. So I hoped that researching this topic would open up some perspectives for me and allow me to see different points of view. I also wanted to find a convincing argument for why it’s philosophically and politically sound to educate students as if they should be revolutionaries. Unfortunately, I did not. One of the first articles that pop up when you google the topic is by Edutopia.org and it’s called “Creating Classrooms for Social Justice”. From the header alone, I knew that there would be some holes to poke in this one.

The subtitle reads: “Teach your students about making positive change in the world by connecting with them, discussing real-world problems and multiple perspectives, creating classroom community, and including authentic assessment.” Like with all complex subjects, some of these claims I believe are valid and agreeable – others I think are just wrong. Obviously it’s important to teach students about real world problems, as well as working to think about solutions to those problems critically and effectively. I also think it’s equally important to consider “multiple perspectives”. These are crucial skills for everyday life outside of the classroom that I believe every student needs. HOWEVER, the first suggestion, that we should be teaching our students about making positive change in the world, is not at all what I think the goal of public education should be. If individual students feel inspired to make positive change, that is up to them. But as a teacher, I don’t believe that it’s my job to tell a student what they should and shouldn’t change in a society. That’s up to them to discover on their own, using the skills previously mentioned to enact the change they want based on their own individuality.

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