Introduction: Creating classrooms for equity and social justice, Assignment A

 One of the first ideas that stood out to me in the text was the claim that schools and classrooms should function as "laboratories for a more just society rather than the one we now live in" ("Introduction Creating Classrooms," 2023). As both an educator and someone trained in sociology, I immediately felt drawn to the tension within that idea. I often find myself connecting individual experiences to larger social structures and systems. Because of this, I struggle with viewing schools as neutral spaces. While schools can create opportunities for empowerment and growth, they can also reproduce broader inequalities that exist outside their walls. Johnson's discussion of privilege and systems of inequality helped me think through this tension, particularly the ways systems become normalized and reproduced through everyday practices ("Introduction Creating Classrooms," 2023).The reading's argument that teachers are often perpetrators and victims also resonated with me because it felt deeply personal. As a teacher, I want to create spaces that challenge inequity, but my school environment demands compliance.  

In the middle of the text I was drawn to the argument that curriculum should be rooted in students' lives and equip them to "talk back" to the world ("Introduction Creating Classrooms," 2023).I connected this idea to hooks' work Talking Back, where voice becomes an act of resistance rather than simply participation (hooks, 1989). This resonated with me because I view education as a form of liberation rather than simply content delivery. As a social studies teacher I want students to ask the difficult questions: Who benefits? Who suffers? Why do systems exist as they do? Yet I found myself reflecting on whether I consistently create those opportunities or whether institutional expectations sometimes pull me toward compliance rather than critical engagement.

Near the end of the reading, I appreciated the emphasis on trust, care, and students seeing themselves as truth-tellers and change-makers ("Introduction: Creating Classrooms," 2023). As someone who often analyzes systems and inequalities, I cam sometimes become focused on identifying problems. This reading reminded me that a sociological imagination should not only help us understand the world as it is, but also help us imagine what it can become.

Argument Statement: The author argues that schools should function as transformative spaces where curriculum rooted in students' lived experiences develops critical consciousness and equips them to understand, question, and challenge systems of inequality.

References

hooks, b. (1989). Talking back: Thinking feminist, thinking Black. South End Press.

Introduction: Creating classrooms for equity and social justice. (n.d.).

Introduction

 Hello!

My name is Stella, and I am originally from Montclair, New Jersey, a suburb located about 30 minutes outside of New York City. I have always been drawn to the humanities and developed a strong passion for civics and government throughout my educational journey. This interest led me to attend the University of Vermont, where I studied Political Science and Sociology and minored in Law & Society. 

My undergraduate experience deepened my commitment to social justice and ultimately inspired the path I have taken as an educator.  Before entering the classroom, I spent much of my time working in correctional facilities, where I became deeply interested in justice reform. After graduation, I worked as a researcher for a Harvard Law professor, who, in his free time, wrote political comic books. While immersed in studying resistance movements, political reform, and broader processes of societal change, I found myself reflecting heavily on my own educational experiences. It was during this time that I made a somewhat impulsive decision to pursue teaching.

I applied to Teach for America and am now heading into my second year of teaching at the Segue Institute for Learning (Legacy High School). I began my teaching career instructing 6th grade Ancient Civilizations and 7th grade World History, and I am now looking forward to transitioning to 8th and 10th grade Civics.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy taking long walks and spending time at the beach. I listen to music constantly and paint whenever I get the chance!