Students come from different backgrounds and have different upbringings that influence their lenses on the world. Kumashiro says, “What students learn depends significantly on the unique lenses they use to make sense of their experiences” (2009). These include the ways that students have already learned that have shaped how they view the world and themselves. As a future educator, I believe that it is important to recognize that “students can see and conclude very different things depending on their life experiences, values and identities” (Kumashiro, 2009). From this, as an educator, I can be misunderstood by students as they can have their own assumptions and conclusions on my actions as their teacher.
Teaching is more than just delivering content to students. Furthermore, teaching is shaping students to be the best citizens in society as well as challenging their ways of thinking and lenses to help create a better world. As educators, teaching involves examining our beliefs and lenses, values that mold our lessons, and political views in order to encourage anti-oppressive education.
There will always be hidden messages in all areas of our teaching. Kumashiro says: “Teaching requires being careful and conscientious, but the goal is not to rid our classroom of harmful hidden messages since such a goal is unattainable. Rather, the goal is to conscientiously make visible these hidden lessons and the various lenses students use to make sense of them” (2009). I believe that in all areas of teaching, we should always be reflecting on our practice and thinking of ways to improve. At the same time, since our society has found comfort in the repetition of what is considered as common sense, as educators, we also need to invite our students to examine their lenses on certain topics that may be oppressive.
Reference: Kumashiro, K. (2009). Preparing Teachers for Uncertainty: A Sample Lesson. Against Common Sense: Teaching and Learning Toward Social Justice. pp. 35-43.