Education is meant to disrupt, to dismantle, to rebuild and to reinvent. The classroom is a means of expression for the rage against the machine. Forms of life have to exist inside my four walls so my students know that life is present. A sense of value has to be true for all of my students. Our society glorifies bringing the value of black and brown people to minuscule levels, even though our society couldn’t function without us.
So, I have to instill respect for my children so that they understand their value and worth before they are told their value by someone who doesn’t understand their struggle.
It is imperative, at a young age, that children are instilled with a responsibility to help others, the world, and most importantly themselves. Children must be taught that the energy they possess has tremendous power and utilizing that power is how you enact and create systemic change.
