Myles

      The ideal of "normalcy" ruins any society. It is hands down the most damaging title to give someone. The concept of normalcy makes it so that we as society have a chance to put someone down whether, it is something they choose for themselves or were just given at birth. This concept fits into each category of the four I's of oppression. For example; the ideological stereotypes, the institutional practices of conformity, and the unrealized internalized beliefs.     Normalcy is a problem in the ideological sense because stereotypes are literally all about fitting to be "normal". The definition of stereotype is " a widely held but fixed and oversimplified  image or idea of a particular type of person or thing" (Oxford). Anyone who does not fit into their own stereotype is instantly deemed as not normal. To put it bluntly, that is not ok. For example, I'm a boy and I have long hair, why is that abnormal. She is a girl and she has short hair , why...

      One of the biggest things I noticed growing up, whether it was in my own education or observing other teachers, is that a lot of teachers struggle with the responsibility of having power in the classroom. I've noticed that teachers will sometimes recognize the power that they have and will abuse it tenfold. On the other hand, some teachers can not see the power they have and end up abusing it unknowingly. Both of the cases make it seemingly impossible to have a safe class room for their kids.      It is incredibly important as teacher that you recognize the relation of humanity to your students. If you want a safe and open classroom that you need your kids to see you as another human being and not a tyrant in front of the class. Either way the students will accept that you know more than them but in one case over the other, the students will actually listen. As a teacher if you do not make the effort to show the kids they are cared for and they are he...

      In the book "Privilege, Power, and Difference," written by Allan G. Johnson, topics of how to have a deeper understanding and thought process of racism and inequality are spoken on. Very soon into the introduction, Johnson brought up a topic that had me thinking for the next hour if not longer.  Johnson speaks a multitude on how white people who can not recognize their own privilege and benefits are one of the biggest reasons racism is still strong in today's world.     Many white people when speaking on the topic of racism have one thing to say and one thing only, "I'm not racist". However, that sentence could not mean less when it actually comes to doing something about it. Johnson illustrates this by saying, "All of us are the problem," (Johnson 1). With just this one sentence Johnson opened my eyes. I have already had thoughts and conversations about this topic in the past but the simplicity of his statement helped me truly understand wha...