When I think about the word diversity it's not hard to understand, but when I think an example of inclusion it is a challenge to conjure on my campus. Although I have experience researching and teaching these topics in a roundabout way, I want to make a more explicit effort in incorporating current research into my teaching and enhance my current research initiatives. The truth is that these topics are at the core of my work as an educational psychologist, teacher educator, and counselor educator.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I am not discussing issues of access, representation, or cross-cultural competence. With my counseling students we tackle the issue of access to college and career readiness among rural students, an issue of equity. With my future teachers we discuss the research on how all students benefit from having a teacher of color, despite the high proportion of white female teachers. And yet with other students I have to explain why we should not scold students every time they say “libary” instead of library. (Yes, this really happened last week).
It's one thing to celebrate diversity through Black History Month, Chinese New Year, and even Dia de los Muertos with only certain students on campus attending these events. It's another thing to ensure inclusion and participation of all kinds of students.
After being in my current position for a few years I have come to understand that diversity does not just apply to nationality or even ethnicity. Working in the rural South has particularly highlighted the roles that place, linguistic diversity, and ability/disability play in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Now while creating my own research agenda, specifying a framework that captures this perspective is challenging. Pedagogical practices related to critical race theory speak to me, especially culturally sustaining pedagogy. (I learned about this recently at an edTPA conference of all places!)
I don't have all the answers, but I do have even more questions than when I started. That's the life of an academic. And when I think how I am modeling things for my daughter it becomes the inevitable quandary of a #professormom. How do we walk the walk of inclusion? Language does go a long way. We have named Ramona's bedtime stuffed animal Mx. Lemur to introduce her to gender non-conforming individuals and to give ourselves practice using the pronouns they/them/theirs. I hope that she grows up treating every person with innate dignity and worth.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I am not discussing issues of access, representation, or cross-cultural competence. With my counseling students we tackle the issue of access to college and career readiness among rural students, an issue of equity. With my future teachers we discuss the research on how all students benefit from having a teacher of color, despite the high proportion of white female teachers. And yet with other students I have to explain why we should not scold students every time they say “libary” instead of library. (Yes, this really happened last week).
It's one thing to celebrate diversity through Black History Month, Chinese New Year, and even Dia de los Muertos with only certain students on campus attending these events. It's another thing to ensure inclusion and participation of all kinds of students.
After being in my current position for a few years I have come to understand that diversity does not just apply to nationality or even ethnicity. Working in the rural South has particularly highlighted the roles that place, linguistic diversity, and ability/disability play in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Now while creating my own research agenda, specifying a framework that captures this perspective is challenging. Pedagogical practices related to critical race theory speak to me, especially culturally sustaining pedagogy. (I learned about this recently at an edTPA conference of all places!)
I don't have all the answers, but I do have even more questions than when I started. That's the life of an academic. And when I think how I am modeling things for my daughter it becomes the inevitable quandary of a #professormom. How do we walk the walk of inclusion? Language does go a long way. We have named Ramona's bedtime stuffed animal Mx. Lemur to introduce her to gender non-conforming individuals and to give ourselves practice using the pronouns they/them/theirs. I hope that she grows up treating every person with innate dignity and worth.
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