Growing up, my friends were always of a different race than me. I had very few white friends and the majority of my friends were Hispanic. I saw first hand what challenges they faced that I never had to. One of my friends never had lunch money and often didn't get lunch because her parents couldn't afford it. That was something that I never had to worry about because my parents could speak English and had good jobs. Having lunch everyday was a privilege that I did not know I had. My friends were always treated as less because of their skin color. They were treated as if they weren't smart enough to get into college. I never had that problem. Even when these issues were right in front of my face, I did not realize that I had privileges that they didn't. I always saw them as equal to me because they're my friends and I support them every step of the way. Others didn't see it that way.
I think growing up seeing what it was like for my friends will only help me in the classroom. It's hard to be aware of your privileges while they're happening. You don't notice what you have until you look back and see what others didn't have. As a teacher, I think that I might be more biased towards the kids that have the advantages because they'll be the ones who are performing at the highest level. I can combat this by focusing more attention on the kids who aren't doing so well. The best way to tame the biases that I might have is to focus less on where the kid comes from or looks like, and focus more on what they need from me. If I can give them one thing that they didn't have before, fix one problem that can't be fixed at home, then I have done my job correctly.
I agree with your statement that you didn't see your advantages as privileges even when the issue was staring right back at you. In our society, it is too easy to overlook privilege as something else. I find myself thinking that I earned something when really it is just a benefit of my social class. Most of our lives we are blind to white privilege and it is difficult to change the way we view the world. The privileges that we have received all of our lives are what shape us an individuals, so it is difficult to look at them as something negative.
ReplyDeleteI love that you shared your own personal experience to help us understand how, even as a child around your friends, you experienced white privileges and did not even realize it. Everyday, we are faced with privileges that we have not rightfully earned and this can effect how we live our lives. Truthfully, we take advantage of these privileges and until we take a moment to see how we are treated differently and at an advantage to others, we will continue to be blinded by them. And I agree with you that as educators, that if we can give our students knowledge or experience that they may not receive anywhere else, then we have succeed as teachers.
ReplyDelete