Although I LOVE the work I do, it has its challenges. There are people who just don't believe this training is necessary. They feel that we should all see ourselves as the same, as if that will fix all of society's woes, as if pretending that we're all treated equitably and and if we hold hands and sing "Kumbaya" everything will be okay. (It's called "minimization".) There are those who see "multiculturalism" as an evil word, and see those of us who teach multiculturalism as the devil reincarnated.
So these people sit in class and act out. They are passive-aggressive. When we ask what their expectations are for the day, they say they expect that they are not going to have to go through this training every year. Some read the newspaper through the entire training. They challenge everything we say. One student of mine in a college class I teach even filed a formal complaint against me and threatened legal action against the college.
So when my faith is tested, I will turn to the card I received in the mail today from Dr. Cap Peck, the Director of Teacher Education at the University of Washington. It was addressed to him from Robin, one of my former students in my "Multiculturalism and Anti-Bias in Early Childhood Education" class at Green River Community College. The Masters in Teaching program requires that all incoming students take a class that fulfills an "Education of an Ethnic Group" requirement. Because she had taught English as a Second Language in Japan, she had petitioned to have the requirement waived; however, her petition for a waiver was denied. So she wound up taking my class. In her card she writes to Dr. Peck, "I'm writing now to thank you as it turned out to be one of the best courses I've taken in my college career...You are probably not able to advocate for one teacher, or one class over another, but I hope the TEP people will continue suggesting this class--taught by Meg Tapucol-Provo--as one way of fulfilling the requirement--I think everyone in the class came away with a greater awareness of their own personal biases (however uncomfortable that may be) and an awareness of our cultural biases. A truly great class. I feel as though I see the world through a different lens now."
That was just a small excerpt of what she said, but suffice it to say, it makes this work really worth it to know that I've affected people in that way. I was so fortunate to have a summer quarter in which everyone was so open-minded and willing to view things from perspectives other than their own. Thanks Robin, you were a great student, and I know you'll be a great teacher someday too.
