Educating through Positivity

“Students who feel their experiences are unwelcome, judged, stereotyped, disrespected or invisible find it extremely difficult to engage in meaningful discussion of identity and justice issues.” (Teaching Tolerance, 2016).

I would extend this to say that students would have a hard time engaging in any sort of discussions or activities in an environment where they felt marginalized. For these reasons, it is important for me to create a learning environment in which students are seen, heard, and appreciated. I believe that our classrooms are the most effective when teachers create a holistic environment for education, which includes empathy and understanding for the different nuances of each student’s experience.

In his book on nonviolent communication, Marshall Rosenberg explains that each person’s actions are ways in which that individual seeks to fulfill their needs. This philosophy can be applied to students who become bullies. They have chosen violence — albeit oftentimes unknowingly — as a means to convey their feelings of marginalization or lack of self esteem. While researching anti-bullying measures, I was very inspired by a case study that created an intervention plan based on culture-specific and ecological perspectives of the target student (Cadenhall, et. al 2011). Their study used empathy as a means of getting to the root of the target student’s actions. By doing so, they displayed the importance of giving individualized attention to students and their specific experiences.

As a teacher, I have the perfect opportunity to teach by example. I can show students what inclusivity, empathy, and equity look like. Through the writing and carrying out of classroom rules, we can practice these tenets together on an everyday basis. While it is important for me to show an openness and understanding when it comes to diversity, it is equally important that students understand those qualities as well in order for them to treat each other with respect.

I am currently in a teaching situation where all of my students come from a different cultural background than my own. They are Korean and I am Filipino-American. From the beginning, there were no explicit expectations of the cultural competency necessary to carry out this position. However, it is implied that there would be more harmony in the classroom and in the workplace were I to take the time to learn about the culture. Whether or not it is a requirement, it is very important to me that I understand my students’ experiences and the ways in which I can curate a learning environment more conducive to their learning styles.