I like the idea of bridging differences, but I’m not sure I buy it. By trying to be “colorblind” or not see male or female, we end up reverting to the default (in America it’s the white, straight, cisgender, middle-class man) many times. I think this is where the idea of intersectionality comes in – respecting differences while understanding the ways in which those differences play out in our lived experiences.

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I like the idea of bridging differences, but I’m not sure I buy it. By trying to be “colorblind” or not see male or female, we end up reverting to the default (in America it’s the white, straight, cisgender, middle-class man) many times. I think this is where the idea of intersectionality comes in – respecting differences while understanding the ways in which those differences play out in our lived experiences.

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Education “will be used or to foster conformity or to promote freedom.”
So.Much.This.
Doing education (the process of teaching) is finding the balance between the two I think. I need conformity to the rules of the classroom so my lessons don’t devolve into chaos, but I also want to encourage students to feel free to express their own ideas and think through ways to make their own lives more radical.

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Education “will be used or to foster conformity or to promote freedom.”
So.Much.This.
Doing education (the process of teaching) is finding the balance between the two I think. I need conformity to the rules of the classroom so my lessons don’t devolve into chaos, but I also want to encourage students to feel free to express their own ideas and think through ways to make their own lives more radical.

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But focusing on the differences is great!!! Differences are important! By not focusing on them, we’re still focusing on them, just without realizing it. Also, if I’m not consciously aware of differences, then I can tend to universalize my experience as a white person.
This is what the American Women’s Movement did, universalized the white, middle-class, straight women’s experience to represent ALL women, and it left some women feeling very left out.

While I think your goal of not noticing differences is a good one, I don’t think real life works like that.

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But focusing on the differences is great!!! Differences are important! By not focusing on them, we’re still focusing on them, just without realizing it. Also, if I’m not consciously aware of differences, then I can tend to universalize my experience as a white person.
This is what the American Women’s Movement did, universalized the white, middle-class, straight women’s experience to represent ALL women, and it left some women feeling very left out.

While I think your goal of not noticing differences is a good one, I don’t think real life works like that.

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“…now it becomes clear that what really matters is the fact that, to be a teacher, you should expose yourself, put your very energy to it, make it “alive” with who you are.”

True story. If I can’t be my authentic self in a classroom, then why am I doing it? Iit’s already hard enough to prepare lessons for them, I don’t want to prepare a lesson on who I should be for myself on top of all that.

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“…now it becomes clear that what really matters is the fact that, to be a teacher, you should expose yourself, put your very energy to it, make it “alive” with who you are.”

True story. If I can’t be my authentic self in a classroom, then why am I doing it? Iit’s already hard enough to prepare lessons for them, I don’t want to prepare a lesson on who I should be for myself on top of all that.

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Students are not widgets!
Universities are not corporations!
We should be shouting your post from the rooftops!

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Students are not widgets!
Universities are not corporations!
We should be shouting your post from the rooftops!

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