CURRICULUM
BUILDING ANTI-OPPRESSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
In this excerpt we address the question: How can educators and admin- istrators build anti-oppressive learning environments in their schools? We focus on eight guiding principles and provide examples, experiences and best practices for each.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR EDUCATORS
1. EXAMINING BIASES
Addressing Anti-Asian Racism: A Resource for Educators
This curriculum insert was excerpted from a new 90-page resource called Addressing Anti- Asian Racism: A Resource for Educators. This educator document is the first of its kind in Canada. It positions Black lives and Indi- geneity as essential to addressing anti-Asian racism and offers historical and contemporary learning and strategies for members to use to disrupt racism in schools. This resource is available for free download at
etfo.ca.
In elementary school my teacher called my parents in for a meeting to recommend that I receive ESL support because I didn’t say very much in class. Perplexed by her suggestion, my parents clarifi ed that I was born and raised in Toronto and that my fi rst language is English. She was surprised. My teacher had assumed based on my Chinese identity that I was a non-native English speaker. Her assumption stemmed from the stereotype of Asians as “forever foreign.” We all have implicit biases that inform our beliefs and actions. Our task as educators is to vigilantly examine our as- sumptions by refl ecting on questions such as: Why do I feel or think this way? Are my beliefs informed by evidence or based on assumptions? Where do these assumptions come from? “Perpetual foreigner,” “model minority,” Asian boys as “weak,” Asian girls as “passive.” How might these histori- cally entrenched and racist stereotypes be informing my practice? Most importantly, What am I going to do to change that? When we see our students as individuals as opposed to monolithic groups, we start to unlearn problematic associations. Examin- ing our biases and microaggressions often entails a degree of discomfort. But this is usually a good sign that the work we are doing is anti-oppressive.
2. CHALLENGING POWER AND PRIVILEGE
An anti-oppressive educator continually examines their own power and privilege and teaches their students to do the same. What is power? What is privilege? Who has it and who does not? How can we make things more fair and equitable? Consider these questions regularly in your decision- making and interactions with students and families. Work with your students to defi ne these terms and embed these questions in all areas of learning. At the primary level, I engaged students in inquiries about, “Power on the playground” and “Why is it easier for you than me?” to uncover concepts of privilege. There will be times where your power and privilege may cloud your judgement. It is important to model vulnerability for your students and say, “I made a mistake,” “I’m sorry,” “Here’s how I will do better.” When we hold our- selves accountable, we empower students to engage in diffi cult conversations and question power systems.
3. RECOGNIZING INTERSECTIONALITIES
Intersectionality is crucial for destabilizing assumptions of “Asian-ness” as monolithic. We know that “Asian” encompasses diverse cultural and ethnic identities, and it alone does not account for differences of class, gender, sexuality and ability. It is impor- tant to teach students about class, gender, sexuality, and ability in order to help them understand that identity is complex and fl uid. One essential resource is trans author Vivek Shraya’s, The Boy & the Bindi, about a young boy who wants to wear a bindi
36 ETFO VOICE | SUMMER 2021
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
