#seemeforme

But more than that, I want someone who stays when things get hard. Someone who doesn’t shy away from my failures but instead picks me up, dusts me off, and reminds me that I am more than my mistakes. I want someone whose belief in me doesn’t waver, even when my own does, someone who doesn’t see me as a project to fix but as a person to love.

I want to feel safe in their presence, knowing I don’t have to be perfect to be cherished. I want to be able to fall apart without feeling like a burden, to know that my struggles don’t make me unlovable, and that even in my darkest moments, they will be there to hold my hand.

We’ve talked a lot in this class about the obvious need for equity in classrooms. During our LGBTQ discussions, the topic of “space spaces” was brought up. As a class, I understand that we decided that the general meaning of a safe space was a place, such as a classroom, where people (students) should be able to discuss their feelings and opinions and ask questions without fear of judgment or retaliation from teachers or their peers. As soon as we started talking about race and religion, however, that idea faded into the background. 

Race and religion are two incredibly important and personal topics, just like gender and sexuality. Children who don't have a space to learn about and ask questions about race and religion (as well as gender and sexuality) may very well enter their adult life without a clear understanding of themselves or their peers. 

It’s unbelievably stressful for students to deal with racism in the classroom. I think the most obvious example form our readings would be from the Anderson article, which states that students face ““psychological trauma” [from] constant racial harassment” (Anderson p.5). This article also points out that students who have to deal with racism in schools suffer from “lower grades, less academic motivation, and less persistence when encountering an academic challenge” (Anderson p.3).  

Religious oppression in a classroom environment is just as damaging to students as racism. We have almost all experienced a situation where we have witnessed a student or a peer or a stranger fall victim to a snide remark or cruel joke on the expense of their religious affiliation, i.e. clothing (like a hijab, kippah, turban, or traditional dress, etc.). From a recent reading, we reviewed that turbans (dastaars) “symbolize a devotion to the divine and values like honesty, compassion, generosity, and humility” (Green p.1). If more people understood that, then hopefully there would be a greater toleration and acceptance of people who look and worship differently than we do. 

Long story short, both of these topics revolve around stereotypes that hurt and hinder our students the second they leave their homes each morning. As teachers, it’s our job to make sure ALL of our students get the same maximum benefit from our classrooms, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, etc. 

The picture that I chose was taken in McCracken Hall on the second floor. Obviously, my topic for this post is not related to lactation or meditation rooms. However, this room is multi-purpose and is in a central location in McCracken to all who need access to it. I am using this picture to highlight the need for multi-purpose rooms (a “safe space” if you will) in modern schools where students can feel free to question and discuss harsh topics, such as religion and race, that is smaller and separate from the general classroom. This way, students can speak to teachers, counselors, and other students in a more intimate setting where genuine discussions and learning can take place. 

If students had a place in their schools where they could go to discuss these topics, they would undoubtedly be better prepared to interact in society. Hopefully, they would also have a better understanding of and more compassion for those who are different than themselves.