WHAT SHAPES ME 1

What Shapes Me: An Education Philosophy Influenced by Racial Justice in the Classroom

Gianna Kim

Wesleyan College
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What Shapes Me: My Philosophy Paper

The first time I wrote my philosophy paper, I emphasized the teaching of acceptance and

highlighted the importance of using excitement to engage students. I also touched upon theories

like progressivism. In the years since writing that first paper, I have refined and deepened my

education philosophy to reflect my belief in learner centered environments. My opinions on

teaching were influenced with only my memories in school. Now, they are influenced by

theorists and teachers I have observed in field experience. My philosophy is impacted in my

passion for racial justice, interdisciplinary studies, assessments and professional standards.

Diversity and the Importance of Erasing Racial Bias

My first memory of school is choosing a new name for myself in kindergarten. I’m sitting

at the kitchen table across from my mother chipping in names like, Ariel, Cinderella, and Belle.

The reason we’re choosing a new name for us is because my Kindergarten teacher told my

mother that my name, Eui-In, is too hard for her to pronounce and she suggested giving me an

American name. Names are a large part of who you are and for me, an immigrant in America, it

symbolized where I come from, and the hopes my parents have for me. My teacher had no right

to ask me to shed my name because it was ‘too hard’ for her.​ Eui-In translates to righteousness in

Korean and my mother put a lot of care and love when she chose my name. However, due to my

teacher who could not even do the bare minimum of learning how to pronounce my name and

had the audacity to demand I get an Americanized name, I gained another name, Gianna. This

horrific ordeal leads me to my philosophy, causing me to celebrate, not just tolerate students’

differences.
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In order to maintain healthy relationships with children, teachers must first identify their

racial bias especially when it comes to cultural differences. The children served by the American

public education system have become more diverse. A study by the National Center for

Education Statistics (2019) found that ”Between 2000 and 2017, the percentage of 5- to

17-year-olds who were White decreased from 62 to 51 percent.” Whereas I used to advocate for

teachers to help children be accepting of different cultures, now I also encourage teachers to

tackle their racial bias (Kim, 2016). ​It is a well known fact that most elementary teachers are

white women (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). Coincidentally, I have been

taught by a lot of white women and have learned that it has the potential to be problematic when

the education they give students is based solely on ​their​ experiences. ​Unfortunately, studies also

show that, ​White teachers are less likely to expect black students to complete a four year college

degree than they do white students (Gershenson & Papageorge, 2019). The lowering of

expectations put black students at a disadvantage. This can contribute to a self fulfilling

prophecy where teachers do not have equal expectations of students and it affects their teaching.

A teacher who does not view their students equally is biased and unreliable. In my opinion,

teachers must use the knowledge they have to create a more effective curriculum and to enhance

the quality of their education making a positive impact.

When students’ education does not account for their cultural and economic differences

we put their education in jeopardy. A story that has stuck with me is how a black student kept

interrupting a teacher while she was teaching. He would make little comments like, “Mhm,”

“Yes ma’am,” and more at inopportune times. This teacher who expected quiet and attentive

students, thought the boy was being rude and disrespectful. However, she looked into his
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background and discovered that he attended a black church where he learned to respond back to

the preacher especially when he agreed to what was being said. If the teacher never investigated,

she would have likely punished him over a small misunderstanding, one stemming from a

cultural difference. In schools where black students are more likely to be disciplined through

suspension than students of other races, teachers must ​not fall prey to their 'instincts' in regards to

students' backgrounds, as research keeps revealing again and again, we need to think before

reacting (Government Accountability Office, 2018)​.

Some educators think that it is better to avoid discussing race with children because they

believe children will be naturally unbiased (Hughes et al. 2006). Instead, students must be taught

acceptance and the full extent of America's painful past and its current influence on racial

dynamics today in order to properly realize how far we have come as a nation. In fact, last year I

had the opportunity to put my desire to celebrate differences into action after Vineville Academy

held an assembly for Black History Month. I was moved by the drum and choir performances,

and the speeches made by inspirational black leaders in the community. The whole school had

come together to collaborate with African-American musicians, artists, and leaders to highlight

culture and excellence. When it all ended, I knew that the students would move straight into a

math lesson without being able to process the importance of what they were able to experience.

With the permission of my teacher, I asked my class to recap the assembly and what they

learned. I also provided a space for them to talk about any inequalities they had faced. Even

though the students were only in third grade, they had the maturity to understand the gravity of

racism. My openness prompted two black girls to approach me privately to talk about their

experiences with racism at a young age. They recalled how when they were in kindergarten they
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were the only black girls in an otherwise dominantly white class and there would be nasty girls

who ostracized them for the color of their skin. The other girls in the class were influenced to

avoid the two black girls and they only had each other. My heart broke for how they were only in

third grade and yet experienced this prejudice from such a young age. Choosing not to

acknowledge the existence and impact of racial stress for their students is harmful and negligent.

Research by Hughes et al. (2006) suggests that the real damage occurs when we choose not to

talk to our students explicitly about race and racism. Such avoidance only perpetuates racial

misunderstandings and allows biased disciplinary practices to continue. My fight for a ​more

socially just world is a big part of who I am and significantly shapes my philosophy and what

kind of teacher I aspire to be.

Interdisciplinary Studies and Multiple Intelligence

Previously in my philosophy paper, I said that “gifted teachers make a difference by

exciting the students while teaching a lesson” (Kim, 2016). I made the case for the importance

of enthusiasm in order to engage students. If you make the effort to draw in students to the

material, they will make more of an effort. In other words, engaging students in the learning

process increases their attention and focus, motivating them to practice higher-level critical

thinking skills. My philosophy at the time was heavily influenced by my memories in school.

The memories that had a lasting impact were made when I was excited, and usually it had

something to do with drawing. In fourth grade I remember learning about dinosaurs and in the

final project we were expected to write a research paper and draw a dinosaur. I distinctly

remember tracing the outline of a Tyrannosaurus Rex using an overhead projector because art

was and continues to be a strong interest of mine. My fourth grade teacher integrated both
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language arts, science, and art into one project and succeeded in engaging me into the subject

matter.

The use of integrating subjects, sometimes called interdisciplinary studies, touches on the

theory of multiple intelligences which inspired a field pioneered by psychologist, Howard

Gardner. He proposes that human beings possess a basic set of intelligences and that there are

seven intelligences that rarely operate independently (Gardner,1999). As people solve problems

and develop skills, the intelligences are used simultaneously. With this theory in mind, I am

more likely to develop new approaches that meet the range of learners in my class more

appropriately.

Additionally, I am personally drawn to interdisciplinary studies because it engages and

challenges students and provides connections among different materials. Too often, students are

herded from one classroom and material is taught in disjointed fragments. Math has no

connection to language arts and art has no connection to science. While linguistic and logical

mathematical intelligences are the most valued in school, they are not the only intelligences a

person can have.

Furthermore, integrating material through various subjects becomes a driving force for

learning where students can make their own connections (Contardi et al., 2000). Specifically, I

have observed that students love to call out in class and recall what they learned previously. It

takes one moment of class time for a student to chime in and get off topic. But rather than

shutting down the connections students are making in their mind, I can plan to allow students to

have deeper understandings of the content by moving away from a departmentalized approach. I

will not deny the combination of the multiple intelligence theory and the use of interdisciplinary
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studies is difficult to pull off in a classroom. However, I witnessed a teacher at Woodfield

Academy pull this off in a manner that inspires me to achieve no less in my own classroom.

Woodfield Academy services students with severe learning disabilities and the average

classroom size is eight students to one teacher. My supervising teacher asked the students to

record their observations of the chipmunks outside the classroom for their science lesson. The

students wrote, thus developing their linguistic intelligence, and also utilizing both their

visual-spatial and naturalistic intelligence while recreating an accurate depiction of a chipmunk

den. Every lesson she taught, she created opportunities to meld different intelligences.

For instance, during a Social Studies art project she asked the students to fold a piece of

paper. Seamlessly, she also asked questions to how many parts of a whole she would have if she

folded the paper once, or twice. I was amazed at how she managed to sneak in math during a

social studies lesson. Although integration can seem like a daunting task to overburdened

teachers, it can be achieved with purposeful planning and also thoughtfully sprinkled in

throughout the day. The use of integrating subjects not only engages and challenges students but

provides an effective method to create a meaningful learning experience.

​Assessments-Lead to better planning

When creating a unit for the first time, I went down the rabbit hole of Pinterest and

TeachersPayTeachers. There were so many ideas and assignments I wanted to try, so many ways

to fulfill educational standards. Through this process, I learned that Educators have to take into

consideration the timing of a lesson, the number of students, and any differences in learning

abilities. There are numerous factors that make it difficult to choose one lesson plan. But what

helped me create a cohesive unit was looking to the end. I began to ask myself, “How would I
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prove that students had learned?” Once I had an assessment, it helped me hone down my ideas

and choose the most effective ones for my unit. There are two forms of assessments, t​he first

includes the formative tests which function as a way to process student comprehension and

academic progress. This can be achieved informally through casual questions, exit tickets, or

surveys. The second, prioritizes summative tests that measure what students have learned at the

end of a unit s​uch as a chapter test or project​. Standardized testing has overtaken and dominated

school culture. They are used to rate schools, decide salaries when instead assessments and

feedback should focus on students’ understanding, and not rote memorization (National Research

Council, 2000).

It is vital in education to give feedback to improve teaching and learning. Effective

teachers continue to attempt to learn about their students’ thinking and understanding. This can

provide an overview of growing misconceptions or meaningful progress in understanding the

content. That is why pretest and post tests are invaluable. ​My pretest and post test could not just

be pulled from the internet, I had to curate a set of questions to accurately assess what the

students know and prove how much they learned.

Before learning about the importance of assessments to shape the student, I supported

students working in group projects to attain student participation and collaboration (Kim, 2016).

I also advocated for progressive education which focuses on research and learning methods

which believes that learning is active not passive. Progressivism focuses on asking questions to

encourage higher thinking skills. Before I just advocated for group work over relying on tests.

Now I know to use Bloom’s Taxonomy as a useful framework to shape lessons, projects, and

summative assessments. Bloom’s Taxonomy is a comprehensive list of cognitive skills ordered

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in complexity (Bloom, 2001). Personally I can also use it to plan projects that can be

differentiated for diverse learners. Since writing my first philosophy paper, I have been able to

refine the ideas that I had into a plan I can put into action.

Ethics- Morally obligated in the smallest manner

Teachers are obligated to do the moral and right thing even when no one is watching over

them. Educators must be upright even in the smallest matters. Once, I observed my teacher from

field experience take ten minutes from her morning to record the money she had received from

her student for t-shirt orders. I was impressed by her level of transparency and commitment when

she double checked the money. In the interest of being as responsible as she could, she

completed this as soon as the students came in so that she could place the money in a safe

location at the front office. I witnessed her deliberately uphold the fifth standard of the Georgia

Code of Ethics which points out that it is unethical to misuse public funds and school

property(Georgia Professional Standards Commission, 2019). To clarify, teachers are entrusted

with public funds and property and thus must honor that trust with accuracy, honesty, and

responsibility. Violations of this standard can vary from high severity such as pilfering from the

school budget or low severity such as using the school printer for personal use. Not only are

teachers held to a high standard, but they are given a level of trust to instruct the students to the

best of their abilities. Educators should not give any reason to break the trust they are given.

Overall, the Code of Ethics exists to guide our behavior, influence our decisions, inspire public

confidence, retain and build respect. In public scrutiny we want to be able to stand with pride and

meet the high standards of the community.

Conclusion
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My hope is that my philosophy will shape my actions in the classroom and contribute to a

safe and positive school climate and culture where students’ needs are met.​ ​I am aware of

disparities caused by racism and will do everything in my power to create a classroom where

everyone is treated with equity. ​Personally, the importance of celebrating diversity in the

classroom and being aware of racial biases is a priority for me. Instruction should be sensitive to

the cultural practices of students and changes should be reflected in the classroom. Teachers

should be culturally appropriate and recognize the cultural knowledge that students bring with

them. Effective teachers engage students by taking into account multiple intelligences and

integrating subjects. Teachers must try to understand students’ thinking by utilizing assessments

and providing feedback to track academic progress. Lastly, Teachers must be held to the highest

standard as they are collectively in charge of a new and upcoming generation.

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References

Bloom, B. S. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing a revision of Bloom's
Taxonomy of educational objectives. New York, NY: Longman.

Contardi, G., Fall, M., Flora, G., Gandee, J., & Treadway, C. (2000). Integrated Curriculum.
Retrieved from ​http://www.users.miamioh.edu/shermalw/edp603_group3-f00.html

Gardner, H. (1999). ​Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century.​ New
York, NY, NY: Basic Books.

Georgia Professional Standards Commission. (2019). ​The Code of Ethics for Educators.
https://www.gapsc.com/Rules/Current/Ethics/505-6-.01.pdf

Gershenson, S., & Papageorge, N. (2019, February 19). The Power of Teacher Expectations:
How racial bias hinders student attainment. Retrieved from
https://www.educationnext.org/power-of-teacher-expectations-racial-bias-hinders-student
-attainment/

Government Accountability Office. ​(2018, April 04). K-12 Education: Discipline Disparities for
Black Students, Boys, and Students with Disabilities. Retrieved from
https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-18-258

Hughes, D., Rodriguez, J., Smith, E. P., Johnson, D. J., Stevenson, H. C., & Spicer, P. (2006).
Parents' ethnic-racial socialization practices: A review of research and directions for
future study. ​Developmental Psychology,​ ​42(​ 5), 747-770.
doi:10.1037/0012-1649.42.5.747

Kim, G. (2016). ​Philosophy Paper​. Unpublished manuscript, Wesleyan College.

National Center for Educational Statistics. (2018, April). ​Characteristics of Public School
Teachers.​ Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_clr.asp

NCES Blog. (2019, June 20). Retrieved from

https://nces.ed.gov/blogs/nc​es/post/new-report-shows-increased-diversity-in-u-s-schools-
disparities-in-outcomes