For the majority of my life, I actively worked to deny some of the main characteristics that comprise my background, namely that of my race, class, and gender. In readily shunning and degrading my Egyptian heritage, I sought to become more “American”. In hiding my family’s wealth, I sought to become “just like everyone else”. And lastly, in ignoring gender roles as a child, I sought to avoid the expectations of the already-present force of body image and beauty amongst my peers and within the media. For the majority of my life, I lived in fear of my identity, or perhaps more accurately, lived in confusion by it. Yet, for the majority of my life, I lauded myself a staunch advocate of those different from me and a steadfast believer in the abilities of all. However, in denying my own identity, I denied my own frame of reference; in silencing myself, I perpetuated the very status quo I claimed to fight against. While it is important to note the entirety of my identity is not synonymous to my race, class, and gender, make no mistake—my race (Arab American), my class (upper-middle), and my gender (female) have all contributed to my lived experiences. They have affected my upbringing, my schooling, and even my way of thinking. As I now work and continue upon my journey as a Student Affairs Professional, I realize all the more power that identities play in an individual's life, not only because of what they given as a result, but of what they are not.
In learning about inclusive education, I found it incredibly important to keep in mind the role that colonialism played in both countries. In many ways, the native majorities of both countries were excluded and subjected to extremely harsh, inhumane levels of oppression that still exist to this day. While the United States still largely perpetuates systems of oppression, expressions of discrimination can be more subvert, though overt forms of oppression and discrimination still exist as well. In South Africa, these forms of oppression and discrimination seem to be much more overt overall. All in all, both countries describe inclusive education as a means to provide a right to someone, not just to keep them from being excluded, but because they have a right to be included. I thoroughly enjoyed reading my group's text regarding Culturally Relevant Teaching. Essentially, the text describes the achievement gap and provides a means by which to combat it. In using the term achievement gap, I am referring to the persistent disparity existing between students of prioritized populations relative to other students in regards to achieving academic success. However, the text points out that these students don't fail because they are incapable; they fail because educational instruction and educational expectations are less challenging and therefore do not help them develop higher level thinking skills. Culturally Relevant Teaching confronts this trend by encouraging educations to become aware of the impact that cultural differences have on an individual's way of learning and processing information, incorporating techniques that then capitalize on that knowledge, and create a supportive yet intellectually challenging environment for students. As I mentioned earlier, identities, particularly cultural identities, play a large role in an individual's development. It should only follow that it plays a powerful role in their cognitive development as well. Overall, I hope this Changemaking experience expands my worldview. I never strive to walk into a room claiming all the answers. Instead, I hope work directly with the people affected and enter into a mutually beneficial learning experience that leads to positive social change. |
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