Challenging the Status Quo

Reading through Finn, I found myself nodding along in agreement with much of what was said, but did not find anything groundbreaking compared to what we have already read. “Teaching is a political act” is a quote I first came across somewhere in my undergrad work, and I felt this piece really embodied that idea to the fullest. What struck me most is how there are everyday things that teachers do that are not viewed as controversial or seen as “political” because they maintain the status quo. This made me reflective of the times when I subconsciously maintain the status quo, especially when I fall back on letting the text “teach” (I cringe to think about some of my World History lessons last year), and the times when my colleagues and I break away from the status quo and try something new, different, and progressive. 

Breaking away from the status quo in my position (and in many positions in teaching environments different from mine) is always a risky venture, given my population and the school environment. We do it anyways, taking calculated risks in an effort to do something real. The quote that stood out to me the most, the one that I shared with a colleague this evening, is “’I’d get into trouble’ is not an ethical reason why a professional does not make a professional decision” (181). Still, I always need to be mindful of my population (and my paycheck), especially when I get FIRED UP on social justice, and pump the breaks a little bit. I don’t think Finn is advocating for blowing the roof off the institution, but we do need to maintain that “attitude.” 

In maintaining that attitude, we also need to be reflective of the consequences of our political acts within the classroom, especially when considering unintended outcomes. When Bigelow and Christensen reflected on outcomes of sharing with their students that “there is a differential schooling in America such that poor children are prepared to become poor adults and rich children are prepared to become rich adults,” I thought, “That about sums it up. Why not share that with my kids?” (182). Then I considered the unintended outcome that they marked as their failure—that pressing such issues can encourage students to see themselves as victims and present the obstacles as hopeless. Our challenge is to present these issues in a way that advocates for students to empower themselves to elevate their positions. We need to find that balance of a classroom where “students have the maximum power that is legally permitted and that they can socially handle” (175). For me, that balance may lie on the more restrictive side than for other teachers, but I will still try to open dialogue and possibilities for my students.