I believe that it takes action to create change. Once one uncovers their implicit blindspots, they should acknowledge their current ways of thinking and how they can change them in subtle yet real ways to effectively create change. To understand the perspective of my students in the room, I think that Hedreich’s last rule, “don’t get defensive”, is increasingly important to practice. When I was student teaching, if a student corrected me, I was often quick to justify my thinking. Yet, I now know and have practiced asking students to elaborate on what I said or did made them feel and how I could change it. I appreciate Hedreich’s words and often follow them in my own life, “Get it wrong, apologize, and learn”. Navigating the ever-changing world we live in will be a little easier if we, like I mentioned in my last post, remain open to empathy and valuing each other and others’ experiences. Number 4, “Work toward language inclusivity”, also reiterates this. Although the speakers of the podcast took an academic stance on this, I think that the word “inclusivity” promoted me to remind myself that it is important to students to know that they are accepted in the classroom, and this can be accomplished by not correcting students on how they speak, but offer them opportunities to practice speaking in different contexts.
