Social Justice Coloquia Reflection Essay

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Social Justice Colloquia Reflection
Throughout my time participating in several social justice conversations, I heard things that inspired me as well as things that challenged me. Attending conferences like these is so important- not just for future teachers but active teachers as well. Society is always shifting and there will always be new ideas that push our thinking. Staying alert to the different situations our students are dealing with will help us to become more effective educators.
My favorite session of the Social Justice Colloquia was the one about exceptionalities. One point that Dr. Caniglia repeatedly made was: “You are teaching human beings.” This seems obvious, but it was enlightening to be reminded of something so simple. Oftentimes, teachers look at their students as just numbers, and students view teachers as the “bad guy.” In addition, parents and teachers often uphold a barrier between them that hinders any form of relationship from forming. During a YouTube clip of Carol Ann Tomlinson, she tells the story of one of her students who went missing. When the police questioned her about her friends or where she sat at lunch in order to get any information, …show more content…

I believe Kent State to be a diverse community (especially compared to where I previously went to school), but as we listened to a white speaker address a room full of white students, I realized we may not be quite as advanced as I thought. Dr. Kist later informed the class that he has only had one or two African American students graduate from the INLA program. These both seemed unbelievable to me. It made me recognize how blind to these issues I could be. I had never even noticed that my major, students and professors, were all exclusively my own race. However, if I was constantly the only white person in the room, I think I would notice. This is an aspect of privilege I have that I did not even realize

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