Disrupting Racism and Whiteness in

Researching a Science of Reading

Jemita Buchanan March 10, 2021

“Acknowledging the importance of students’ language and literacy skill development in their very early
years of life, educators may set Black students up for failure when they refuse to recognize or do not
have the frames to identify language and literacy assets, strengths, skills, dispositions, mind-sets, and
practices that these students already possess and bring into a classroom”

- H. Richard Milner IV, 2020

One of my favourite courses thus far in my masters has been the course on “social justice in a
literacy framework”. I have a strong passion for social justice issues and feel that in today’s society,
although many issues have come to light and are being addressed, we still have a lot of work to do. I
feel strongly that as educators we have a responsibility to both our students and communities to teach
tolerance, love, justice, acceptance and understanding. We have a duty to advocate for the minorities in
our classrooms. We have an obligation to speak for those whose voices may be small, to stand beside
those who feel weak and tired. It may not be in the curriculum but I feel strongly that we are essential to
creating a better tomorrow by creating better citizens of our world today.
This quote resonated with me on a personal and professional level. Understanding our
student’s cultures and the importance and value that they bring into our classroom is pivotal to their
success. I often think back to my time teaching in the Northwest Territories. I was young, ignorant and
inexperienced. When I stepped into that classroom full of Indigenous children for the first time I am
ashamed to admit I reacted with insecurity and fear. When a child confronted me on “trying to change
their language” I made the statement that I was simply teaching the curriculum and the way English was
supposed to be. I look back at that moment and think how differently I would react today. In that
moment I potentially could have lost that student, simply by devaluing his language, his culture and his
identity. I could have created such a divide between him and I, that a relationship would have been
impossible. Fortunately I was quick to adjust my narrow mindset and started to make major changes in
the way I thought and taught. It was in this moment that I realized the power of relationship. The power
of trust, acceptance and value, knowing my students first and creating that relationship became my
focus. My philosophy on what makes a great teacher had forever changed.
Over the next five years teaching in the North I took the time to educate myself on the culture in
which I was living. I shared experiences, created friendships, and learned the stories and traditions of
the Northern culture I was surrounded by. In my classroom I took the time to embrace what my
students were bringing in their invisible backpacks. With the help of colleagues and incredible
educational assistants I was able to create meaningful lessons that were relevant and engaging to my
students. I realized through this experience that in order for my students to be successful, I need to put
in the ground work. I need to build that foundation of relationship, trust and understanding. This quote
speaks to the disservice we can do as educators when we do not acknowledge and “identify language
and literacy assets, strengths, skills, dispositions, mind-sets, and practices that these students already
possess and bring into a classroom”. This quote is taken from an article specifically speaking to black
students. However, I believe this is true of any and all minorities in our schools, and we have an
obligation to do better. My current class consists of one Indigenous and one Asian student, the rest of
my students are white. It is my responsibility, as their teacher, to embrace what every single child brings
into my classroom. To celebrate and learn about the different cultures in our classroom and beyond, and
to create mirrors and windows for every single person that comes into my room. We have made a point
of learning about and celebrating the different backgrounds, traditions and cultures in our classroom.
We have created a classroom community of mutual trust, respect, appreciation and acceptance. We
don’t always meet the “curricular outcomes” but we all know that our identities and our voices matter.
In the words of Dr. Seuss, “a person’s a person, no matter how small”, in my classroom we go a step
further and say, no matter how small, what colour, gender or anything else, we all have value in what
we bring to this classroom community.
I refuse to set my students up for failure, it may be the easy route, it may be what has
happened in the past but we are living in a time of change and I for one want to be a part of that
educational history.