MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION SPECIALIZATION ESSAY

Name: Mackenzie Longo___________ Major: Biology/Secondary Education___

Which of the following strands of multicultural education discourse did you specialize in during
your independent study? (Choose only one).

Social Justice Pedagogy x______

Critical Pedagogy _______

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy _______

Describe how your specialization contributed to your understanding of what you observed in the
classroom during the practicum by making specific references to something you read.

I think my specialization really helped to contribute to my understanding of my experiences in

the classroom. I noticed that a lot of the teachers/staff/administrators in the district I visited were
clearly from a different background than the students. The majority of the teachers were white
females like me, and it was obvious that many had grown up in the suburbs or a place with few
multicultural experiences. I feel like that means that they had at least one or two people in their
life at some point who helped them to understand and have empathy for those who are not from
the same background as them and may be considered “less fortunate”, as I read in “Social Justice
in the Suburbs”. My host teacher worked really well with the students by not brushing them off
and really seeing them for who they are. I feel like many teachers in multicultural areas don’t
like to acknowledge where students are from and instead try to fit them into boxes based on what
makes themselves more comfortable. I had also taken from the “Social Justice in the Suburbs”
article how it was important to empower students without making them feel immobilized, scared,
or overwhelmed. When some students didn’t want to participate or write on the board, their
teacher did an excellent job of encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone just enough. I
feel as though treating students with equity is the truest form of social justice. There is no doubt
in my mind that most of the teachers I met during my field experience would advocate for their
students to be treated fairly in every aspect of their education and beyond.
Describe how your specialization will inform your future practice. If you are having trouble
getting started, think about how your dispositions (or habits of the mind) have changed.

I think that my specialization will do a lot to help guide my future practice. Oftentimes, people
overlook students who are from a “less fortunate” situation and will write them off as if they are
already a lost cause. While I will admit that in the past, I have looked at my peers (as a student)
or students (while I have worked with children/students in any capacity) and thought that they
were “problem children” or something else of the sort, I am working constantly to remind myself
to not judge a book by it’s cover. The more fieldwork I do, I actually find it easier and easier to
look past first impressions and passing judgement of students. So many people will just brush off
students like that, and while it takes a little extra effort it is so very important. I have been trying
to educate myself more on the topic of social justice, but it is far harder to put it into practice
than to be a silent advocate behind a screen. It takes listening to the way students feel and paying
attention to their experiences and realizing they may be different from your own. This
specialization combined with my field experience has helped me tremendously to work with
students of different backgrounds than my own. After completing this class, I am starting to
heavily consider working with students from a lower income, disadvantaged, or urban area,
because I want to be someone who is there for them for who they are (during a time when many
adolescents need that guidance) rather than a teacher who is just there to get some money
knocked off of their student loans and some experience under their belt.