“If students are not getting it then we’re not doing it right. Students reflect true commitment we have as adults. No matter our intentions, [we have to ask] how are students perceiving it?” Zach Serrano, English Language Arts teacher and Teacher Leader
ML: What is a commitment you think a person needs to have?
ZS: For me, the non-negotiable is an unwavering commitment to critical self reflection, to understanding you are never gong to do everything perfect, somebody is going to call you on your stuff and you have to step back w/o being defensive. Ask yourself the hard questions.
ML: What is an example of a hard question?
ZS: It gets to the root of who you are and your position in society. How do you interact, what are the dynamics of power and oppression in who you are and how that affects how you teach, how you are with students. For us to be this aware of how we teach, aware of who we are in the power of society and of the school. You have to understand. If you don’t, you’ll be conditioned to reinforce that power structure and you’ll always find ways to resist. Whether using the history of power and resistance or power and privilege to attack the system, you have to look at your self. How do you perpetuate or interrupt the power dynamic for kids in your classroom, your school?
“Simply put, education is power. When education is properly done, it opens the door to power. A true education has one purpose, and one purpose alone; and that is to train the student to be a proper handler of power. I cannot say it enough, education is all about power, and all education must lead to some kind of exercise of power. A proper education must, ultimately, improve one’s understanding of what power is, how power manifests itself, and how one has to have power in order to be a total human being.” ― Dr. John Henrik Clarke