ARTIFACT: ABRIDGED PACKAGE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE

I developed a strong background and interest in using methods of social justice in the classroom during my graduate studies. Some of the coursework required of my Bachelors of Education program allowed me to dig deeper into the “social responsibility” (not social justice, per se) practices encouraged within the British Columbia primary schools, as dictated in The Primary Program*. Per my assignment in class to become an “expert” in one area of the case study from our tutorial group, I was placed with a partner who brought to the table a very different, if limited, understanding of social justice work. Through discussions over (several cups of) coffee, it occurred to me that his understanding of our topic was based on the buzz-word idea of “social responsibility” that was on the lips and agendas of the majority of local schools as a must-have addition into the curriculum. It involved creating a community of problem-solvers, valuing diversity, and exercising democratic rights – all good practises to have in our schools, but my background was in more in-depth approaches to social justice as a lens through which to look at injustices within the educational system, prejudice, several “isms,” and the education of oppressed peoples. Though I was not surprised by his reaction, having been in several professional-development situations with people of similar mindsets, I saw this as an opportunity to not only share my knowledge with a fellow professional, but also to gain a better understanding of commonly-held reactions and misconceptions to the need for a social justice mandate in the schools.

It is important at this point to note that I am by no means an “expert” in the field of social justice work in the schools – I am merely an advocate for further education on the subject and eager to expand my own knowledge. However, rather than explain the breadth of the conversations we had, I found the experience to be one in which I felt a profound sense of contributing to my profession in a way I had never considered viable.

In class, we discussed Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development in which the “zone between individual abilities and levels of potential development can occur, the (student) can act beyond their level of individual function, and the experience is strengthened when the teacher uses prior knowledge to challenge the students.”** I had anticipated my first “zone experience” to occur when I was teaching in the classroom. Indeed, it did not. By sharing with my classmate the knowledge, lesson plans I’d developed years prior, arguments, and challenges of social justice work, I helped to urge my classmate into his zone as well as stretching myself into my own, thus reaching a new level of understanding of the subject about which I was already so passionate. All of this occurred as I shared with a colleague my interpretations, encouraged inquiry from his side of the conversation, and contributed to the profession by, quite literally, handing off my knowledge to another person. It was an awakening of sorts – finding the joy and the rationale behind working so diligently on one’s own studies and than gifting it to another. I questioned the idea of giving lesson plans to someone else – especially since I’d spent innumerable hours, thousands of tuition dollars, and graduate credits gaining an understanding of the ideas that I was casually sliding across the café table. In hindsight, I was paying it forward by bettering my colleague’s future students’ experiences, and in turn, gaining a deeper sense of appreciation for lessons I’d learned in the past.

Although I have only included my portion of our package on social justice (please click here), social responsibilities, and a variety of other monikers, I am happy to contribute my little bit of understanding to the world of educational professionals. And it only took a couple cups of coffee…imagine the possibilities.

*British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2000). The Primary Program: A framework for teaching. Victoria, BC: British Columbia Ministry of Education

**Wink, J. & Putney, L. (2002). A Vision of Vygotsky. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.