Self Reflective Essay: Social Justice Issues In The Classroom

Through experiences, discussions, and self-reflection, my ideas and thoughts have shifted and progressed throughout my educational journey. After every education class I completed, I thought I had learned so much and knew everything about the subject. However, after each successive class, my mind and thought capacity kept increasing and even challenged, or disturbed, my previously conceived notions. Growing up in Hamilton, Ohio, considered an urban setting, one would think I grew up with other kids who represent multiple races and cultures. However, this was quite the opposite. In almost all of my classes, I was the only racial diversity. Most of my friends were white, middle socioeconomic, suburban kids who represented one culture. I think

It was not until I reached middle school that I was aware of the diverse school district that I had been attending almost all of my life. Once I had to take classes outside of my “honors” track, I began to see that the classroom norms that I was used to was not typical of everyone else’s academic experiences. Growing up in this type of academic atmosphere did not prepare me to be knowledgeable or aware of the possible social justice issues ongoing in society and outside of the classroom.

Since I grew up in what I view as a non-diverse environment, coming to college, I did not feel confident in my education about social justice issues in the school setting. Through a through enlightenment has opened my eyes to the issues of inequalities of race, income, culture, and gender. Social justice issues will without a doubt affect every single student in a classroom. Societal issues, home lives, and socioeconomic status will affect the minds of students, which will ultimately influence the realm of the classroom. For example, I remember one instance when I was in 3rd grade. I have been very fortunate to grow up in a

I may not be able to control what goes on in society, but I can make a difference by educating my students and preparing them with tools and knowledge so they can become active and participatory democratic citizens who can change the injustices of the world. It is imperative that I stay up to date with cultural and societal events and understand the entirety of an issue by seeing both sides to the story and getting the facts straight. I value a community of peoples who are supportive and respective of each other, who will build one another up and not tear each other down. Although this is an ideal situation, I know that this is not visible in all classrooms and takes a lot of hard work and commitment to achieve. Along with that, I feel that I must be fully in tune with myself, my identity, who I am. This reminds me of a quote that my mom told me constantly, “You have to love yourself, before you can love someone else”. This quote can be interpreted and applied to multiple circumstances whether it is romantically or related to teacher-student relationships. As a future educator, I must take care of myself, physically and mentally, before I can take care of my students and their needs. I must love myself and be confident and comfortable with whom I am as a teacher and overall a living, breathing human being. If I cannot achieve this level of acceptance and