Diversity, Equity, Inclusion in my classroom: attempting to bridge the gap between content and real-life

“I am looking out over a sea of young faces, minds impressionable, hearts wanting to expand. Their vigour for learning is infectious, and their need for equitable knowledge and skills is apparent. So apparent, that I feel as if I am ill-prepared to address their needs and wants”. As an educator, I am aware that my role expands so far beyond simply just teaching; my roles vary from facilitator to being a pastoral figure, and everything in between. According to author, Baruti Kafele, we should be “meeting young people where they are, as they are” (2022). It is my obligation to ensure my students feel included in my class and in my content. On the other hand, if schools and educational systems do not address the underlying problems created by inequity, no real progress can set forth. Furthermore, educators and their respective leaders should work hand-in-hand to ensure inequality is abolished and equity is rebuilt on a systematic level. All students should learn how to address social injustices and advocate for inclusion and diversity in their communities, even if they have not been disadvantaged by those inequities. I will attempt to highlight ways in which I connect my content to current global contexts; whilst further focusing on how I inspire my students to love Language & Literature and how my educators shaped me into the person and educator I am today. These topics should not be seen as mutually exclusive.

To begin with, even though we are purportedly living in a progressive society and world, there are still minority groups that are ostracized and persecuted based on a multitude of social injustices. To illustrate; barriers for historically underrepresented groups include ongoing racism, sexism, discrimination based on sexual preference or gender identity, ableism, socioeconomic disparity, and exclusionary learning environments” (Arif et al., 2021). These examples are a clear model as to why, we as educators, need to have representation of different ethnic groups, stories with LGBTQIA+ protagonists/ main characters, female protagonists, and characters or protagonist with disabilities, etc.; to amplify the voices and struggles that these minority groups are facing. These are but a few of the minority groups that deserve to be studied and highlighted in our classes. Books, novels, poetry, art, drama, and history should not be whitewashed, but rather celebrated as a step towards a more progressive world and society. Parkhouse and Tichnor-Wagner found that when students feel emotionally connected to what they are learning, see themselves in the material covered, and understand how the lesson applies to their present and future lives, they become engaged, invested, and excited about school (2019).

I currently work at a school in Mexico City, that not only promotes inclusivity but attempts to enforce it. Our dress code is gender-neutral, female-presenting students are not told what to wear on casual days, our bathroom passes are not gender-specific. We are encouraged to use preferred pronouns and inclusive language, and students are encouraged to express their identity and gender in any way they choose. We are also inspired to discuss and analyse, previously considered, controversial topics. To illustrate this, one of my favourite units to teach, is my protest poetry unit. We look at poetry that addresses racial inequities, LGBTQIA+ injustices, female oppression and femicide. I aim to use poems by poets who are from different parts of the world yet experience these same atrocities that we hear about repeatedly. I have been willing to listen, learn and expand my mind to concepts and experiences I had never previously considered. We often debate these social injustices, to educate those around us to be more open-minded. I do not teach tolerance, as no human deserves to merely be tolerated. I teach mutual respect and love, as cliché as that may sound. To illustrate, I want to showcase a mural created by a student of mine, during pride month of this year, at our school:

When I teach literature, either prose or poetry, I do not shy away from or protect my students from texts that use “strong” language as that is the clearest expression of the author or poet, and if we consider real-world contexts, we need to realize that students will come across this type of language use in their contact with people outside the classroom/ education environment. I also analyse protest songs alongside the poems (older and newer songs) so that they can relate to the differences or similarities they are currently experiencing or see in the world. English can seem daunting, especially to those who do not speak it as their mother tongue. I am familiar with this barrier to learning, as English is my second language and I know that if you do not fall in love with English, then it can become a boring subject. Thus, I strive to apply a Universal Design of Learning (UDL) model to ensure that all students are included. Making use of UDL allows me to create content and assessments while looking at my students’ individual capabilities and skills, while keeping the outcomes and objectives the same. I create the same project with broken down instructions and multiple options or topics. This allows the students to create an assignment based on their individual competencies, interests and lived experiences whilst still working towards the same goal.

My classes and content are also based on visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, and interactive learning abilities and methods of student engagement.  Furthermore, I make use of digital board games to learn, digital escape rooms to analyse poetry and student-centred activities to continue to develop 21^st century skills, maintain student interest and allow students a multitude of ways to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to achieve the required outcomes. I always encourage my students to challenge their pre-existing ideas by identifying personal biases and prejudice they may have regarding sensitive or difficult topics as listed earlier, without forcing them to change their views, simply to consider it from various perspectives. I have been quite successful with this as students do not feel coerced to accept views that do not align with their own, but they are exposed to multiple perspectives and can create space within themselves to become more open-minded and accepting of those around them.

This is the type of teacher and educator I want to continue being. One that is open-minded and wiling to learn and grow. I wish to inspire or encourage other educators to do the same. Growing up as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, in a racist, sexist, and homophobic county; our schools, and teachers did not address the representation that was needed by marginalized groups. I was ridiculed and bullied by students, teachers, and administrators for being queer and for simply attempting to be myself. I also always knew that I wanted to be a teacher because I would ensure that my practices never reflected that of those who were determined to see me fail. Education is, was, and will always be a beacon of hope. A hope for necessary change, a hope for enlightenment, a hope for a better future, and a hope for equity for ALL.

In conclusion, it has become obvious that the fast-changing and vast field of education requires its educators to be flexible and accountable in relating our content to the wider outside world and its very real situations. It is important because it equips students to become global citizens who are tolerant, empathetic, and willing to address issues to make real change to systems that continue to oppress minorities. Instead of young people,that just continue to perpetuate the cycle of hate and discrimination. When I studied my teaching degree, we barely touched on DEI in the classroom or in our content, now most education programs make it an integral part of the educator’s degree. According to the School of Education – American University; “Strong EdD programs teach educators to value the unique aspects of what makes each student different and helps them embrace those differences in the classroom” (2022). Though we still have a long way to go, by implementing DEI and real-life context into our classrooms, we are helping by leading the way forward and advocating for necessary change.

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