I took the BuzzFeed quiz, one that I have taken before. As I was already aware, the only way I could have been more privileged was if my parents were wealthier and I, myself, was wealthier (not that I'm poor, but I am only a public school teacher!). My privilege is something of which I have been regularly aware in recent years, and I think about it often in relation to other people, my comfortable living situation, and just about everything. I was raised with the belief that "we have what we have because we work hard for it," but the older I get, the more I realize this is not true. Yes, I did what was expected of me and more in school, and I then got into a good college and did what was expected of me there, and now I have a good job with benefits and retirement. But the fact that I could do what was expected of me without any obstacles preventing me from accomplishing everything is a mark of the privilege afforded me. I never had to miss school to watch younger siblings while my parents worked double shifts. I wasn't chronically ill. The curriculum always represented me, even though I didn't think about that being a problem for others at the time. It made me struggle to sympathize with those who struggled. If you get what you get because of hard work, then you must not be working hard enough, right? That's not true, as I realize now and I remind myself as I see my students struggling to meet expectations in class.
