How do you experience privilege and marginalization? The survey stated that I checked 93% more than other quiz-takers, so I definitely experience privilege in many ways. I am a white, educated, heterosexual, employed, insured married individual that owns my own home. I live in a very comfortable clean safe secure community where everyone looks just like me. I grew up in a two-parent home, not far from where I live today, so I have never had the opportunity to experience a different environment or lifestyle. My marginalization comes from the mere fact that I am female. Because of this, need to work harder to succeed at many things and am sometimes discouraged from doing, saying, or having my own opinion. Who sees themselves and their own lives reflected in our curriculum and our classroom materials? In the middle school math curriculum, I feel like most problems are pretty straightforward as far as content goes, however, I have seen changes in the presentation and representation of word problems over the past several years. For example, the names of people being described in a word problem are more diverse, occupations that are discussed are not so gender specific, and examples use different real-world scenarios. How might you use your own privilege to make your classroom and school more equitable? I can make my classroom more equitable by creating content and a curriculum that is reflective of my students. Have extra pencils, paper, and calculators available for student use. Show kindness to students who are new to the district, or compassion to those who may feel isolated or troubled.
