Every Student Needs a Black Science Teacher

My chance to share my thoughts and experience as a middle school science teacher.

[esnbst-blog]

My descent into being a super villain

I am writing this to announce my decision to be a supervillain teacher. By supervillain, I don't mean evil or miss understood. As a superhero you simply stand up for something. The problem with being a superhero is that you never take the time to look into the systems that you are trying to protect. The issue with blindly protecting a system is that you never take the time to look into the injustices that the system is made of. A supervillain seeks the disrupt the negative aspects of a system.

Education is a very noble profession, however, the rules and regulations that often govern this system are based on white supremacy and patriarchy. I vow to do what I can to dismantle these toxic ideas and empower my students and staff to do the same.   

Villain name pending.

[esnbst-blog]

My Struggle

Hey ya’ll! This is my first ever Tumblr post. My intention for this blog is to be a space for me to process my thoughts and feelings as I am engaging more deeply in my teaching process. I have been a middle school science teacher for 7 years. While I have mostly taught 6th grade, I also have experienced teach 7th and 8th grade. My schools have ranged from low-income title 1 schools to independent schools. Recently, I have been learning about equity and inclusion in the classroom. This has changed my practice in a number of ways, including diversifying my assessments, addressing social equity/environmental justice, and modifying my classroom environment to meet a variety of needs. I have been thinking a lot about the history of science, and how science has been used as a tool to oppress others. What I am currently struggling with is; to what extent I bring this into my classroom. I currently teach three 6th grade environmental classes and one 7th grade biology class.