Reflect

I am very fortunate. As a middle-class white male, I have never felt marginalized or discriminated against. I strive to ensure students see themselves reflected by the environment set in our classroom. Physical education and athletics can promote diversity, as a melting pot for all students of different backgrounds. I can make my classroom more equitable by helping every student feel like they are an important part of the class, regardless of their ability. Grouping students with different students periodically can help them feel like they are all on the same “playing field”. In addition, allowing all students to have the same opportunities in class will promote equity. This can range from being scorekeepers to group leaders. Physical education class allows us the flexibility to promote an equitable learning environment.

As a middle-class white male middle school math teacher, my experience with privilege comes from knowing that my race, gender, and socioeconomic background are often represented in positive or neutral ways in society and in the school system. I rarely have to think about being treated unfairly based on my background, and I can generally expect to be perceived as competent and trustworthy without overcoming negative stereotypes. My experience also means that I don’t face the challenges many students from marginalized backgrounds do, which allows me to move through professional and personal spaces more easily.
In a math classroom, the curriculum and materials may feel neutral, but they often reflect the contributions and achievements of white, Western mathematicians. While math is universal, it’s easy for students to feel disconnected if they don’t see people from their own backgrounds represented in the examples or problems we discuss. For many students, especially those who come from diverse racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds, the lack of representation can signal that their identities are secondary or even invisible within the academic context.
To use my privilege to create a more equitable classroom, I can start by ensuring that I’m intentional about incorporating diverse examples, problems, and historical figures into my lessons, showing students the global and multicultural contributions to math. I can also be an ally and advocate within the school by supporting policies and practices that promote equity, such as inclusive curricula and equitable access to resources. I can encourage students to share their own perspectives and experiences, and I can strive to make my classroom a safe and welcoming place for everyone. By doing so, I can help build a classroom environment where each student feels they belong and that their identity is respected and valued.

I don’t feel like I experience marginalization as a privileged white male in the middle class. To create a more equitable classroom environment, I feel it’s important to incorporate diverse materials and voices. In doing so this involves diversifying curriculum to include works from various cultures and backgrounds, allowing all students to share their experiences, and listening to their feedback. It is also important to think about our own biases and build strong connections with students to understand their backgrounds and needs.

I am a white, middle class, male who speaks English. Therefore, I experience much privilege and little marginalization.

In my classroom, I attempt to make as many voices heard as possible. I'm fortunate that as a Global History teacher, I have the opportunity to teach about so many different cultures throughout the world. We talk about South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. We bring light the history of various groups of people and discuss the various religions as well. Therefore, we elevate as many as we can.

In my classroom, I attempt to make it a safe space where all opinions are heard and valued. 

I have not experienced marginalization as a privileged white American in the middle class. I have never felt discriminated against in school, while applying for jobs, or living in my community. In my classroom, I would like to think that my kids do see themselves reflected in our curriculum, but I am sure I can do better. I think we have made some great changes to the literature that we are exposing our young students to. I know my own children have read literature and received lessons that were much more accurate than when I was in school. I think our district is trying to make these small changes in the right direction but we still have more work to do.  

I experience privilege as a white person who is educated, speaks English, is able bodied, and have grown up in the United States. I think sometimes I am marginalized due to being a female who identifies as gay. It seems that as I have become more educated on privilege in the last several years, I have recognized the areas in which I have privilege that prior to delving deeper I was unaware of. I think that when looking at our curriculum in New Hartford we do not see a lot of diversity immersed into it. However, I think the English department over the last few years has worked hard to try and bring some areas of diversity to light. I think when it comes to videos, training, and exposure it is important that we include more diverse discussions.

In a math setting, privilege and marginalization can still play a significant role, albeit in different ways than in other subjects. Privilege might manifest in access to resources such as expensive calculators, tutoring services, or extracurricular math programs, which can give certain students an advantage over others.  Additionally, students who come from backgrounds where math is valued and encouraged may feel more confident and motivated in their mathematical pursuits compared to those who have been discouraged or marginalized in this area.  

When it comes to curriculum and classroom materials, representation matters in math just as much as in any other subject. Teachers can use their privilege to ensure that a diverse range of mathematical perspectives and contributions are highlighted in their teaching materials.  This might involve incorporating examples from different cultures, historical contexts, and real-world applications to make math more relatable and accessible to all students.

To make the math classroom more equitable, educators can use their privilege to address disparities in access to resources and support.  This might include advocating for funding or grants to provide students with necessary tools like graphing calculators or access to online learning platforms.  Teachers can also create a supportive and inclusive learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, making mistakes, and exploring math in ways that resonate with their own experiences and interests.  By leveraging their privilege in these ways, math educators can help create a more equitable and empowering learning environment for all students, regardless of their background or identity.