“Multicultural education acknowledges that schools are essential to laying the foundation for the transformation of society and the elimination of oppression and injustice.”
This portion of the Enduring Understanding statement for the course objectives on Tuesday evening struck me as powerful. What an incredible responsibility and honor is ours, as educators in the public school system. I wonder if most educators, in the trenches of their classrooms day to day, recognize the immense and immeasurable impact of their small actions upon the ‘laying [of] the foundation for the transformation of society and the elimination of oppression and injustice”. How would we modify our actions and methods of teaching if we did?
Our classrooms are miniature models and reflections of society. In recognition of this, how will I utilize my understanding of multicultural education and create a global awareness among the society of my students? What oppressions exist within my classroom? What injustices, however minute or grand the scale, are creeping into the relationships among my students? How can I most effectively help them become aware of these issues? What are the effective strategies of elimination? How can I best teach and inspire these children to have the desire to creatively and cooperatively problem solve to eradicate these issues?
As indicated in the Enduring Understanding, the answers to these questions would perhaps not only create an improved atmosphere in a classroom’s environment, but carry the potential to shape young minds as the leaders of tomorrow in a global outlook containing the power of transformation of our society, and perhaps the entire international community of the future!
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