Happy PRIDE month! Coincidentally, this week, I explored
how our identity and cultural affiliations influence how we learn. Seems like common knowledge, but have you ever reflected on why? How does who we follow on Instagram truly shape how we learn? Why do we surround ourselves with people who look or act the same? Does this lack of diversity hinder our chance to grow? These questions overflowed my journal as I began reflecting on my own identity and culture.
One of the first things I learned in my teacher-prep program was differentiation. Teachers are expected to differentiate instruction by ability, background, learning and cognitive style, along with many other factors for consideration. To a pre-service teacher this sounds 'doable', but to a veteran teacher, we know this can sometimes seem impossible. Therefore, we must remember to focus on the "whole child" and continue supporting our students to grow into the best version of themselves. First, we must encourage students to reflect on their own identity and culture. Here are a few aspects we consider you to reflect on about yourself before challenging your students to do the same.
Social media - How do the people you follow, or who follow you, influence your identity? Do you follow people who look like you? Why? How has your presence on Instagram changed over the years? Why?
Social spaces - How would you describe your social space? Who is a part of your social space? Why? Are you similar? How does who you include in your social space influence your identity?
Awareness - Do you watch the news? Are you aware of the struggles you're not facing? Do you consciously make decisions knowing how they might affect others with different identities and a part of different cultures?
As leaders and role models, we need to intentionally reflect on how we identify, how others see our identity, and why we identify the way we do.
Perseverance in education
I now want you to challenge yourself and think about your ability to persevere. Currently, students are disengaging when lessons are no longer "fun" and teachers are resorting to pulling out the Dell computers to entertain the kids. Why? What about our identity, our culture, has changed within the past 10 years when social media didn't exist? We need to teach perseverance. We need to embody perseverance. Life isn't always fun, we need to remind our students how to persevere and challenge themselves. Project-based (also referred to as problem-based) learning is a tool integrating prior knowledge, fostering collaboration, and active engagement. Providing students with connections, purpose, and realistic expectations can support Generation Z students excel and persevere in and out of the classroom (Seibert, 2020). Educators must stay aware, alert, culturally responsive and intentional with their words and actions as we set the example for the future.
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