Social justice education has helped me mature in the art of teaching over the last 17 years.
Each year, regardless of what capacity I serve in, I always focus on providing better educational outcomes for my students and their families.
I love teaching because I know children are our future, and I want to teach them how to reach their fullest potential in life.
Reflecting on my journey, I have always taught children public schools have purposely left behind, have overlooked, counted out, and given up on in many respects.
Growing up, I saw teachers as activists speaking out against these atrocities in our school PTA meetings and in the community.
Their advocacy inspired me as a student leader. We don’t tell the stories of Black teachers who have dedicated their lives to efficiently educating Black children and being activists for change against an oppressive public education system.
As a teacher, I now write about their stories and have created the EdLanta Student Coalition, empowering my students to be leaders for change and young activists.
Black students deserve to have teachers who will inspire, empower, and help them become productive citizens.
Every day I’m in a school or teaching virtually, I’m inspiring, empowering, and modeling what citizenship looks like for my students.
Our work as teachers impacts our students in and out of the classroom. This is one of the reasons why I love teaching. I get to inspire, empower, and help my students become productive citizens.
It’s paid off, too. Last year, utilizing techniques I picked up from my work with the Profound Gentlemen, I managed to have a 93% homework turn-in rate online. During the onset of the pandemic, at its most chaotic point.
I’m currently working on my Masters in Special Education. Last school year during the pandemic, I was a founding part-time teacher at a new school, 7 Pillars Career Academy, working for Christian Guillen, one of the most innovative educational leaders of our time.
Returning to a full-time student course load took me away from teaching but didn’t take me away from being an activist for social justice. So, Ms. Guillen created a space for me to teach a journalism class part time through the school’s Passport Program that focuses on social justice.
This is social justice innovation. It’s educational leadership and cultural inclusion in curriculum. It’s why I love teaching.
An original version of this piece appeared on EdLanta.
