Social Justice

          Social justice is a pretty new term for me. Obviously there is the meaning that is right on the surface, but then researching into the topic there is a multitude of meanings with papers, books, and surveys that accompany the meaning for that text or data.
          One article said it's hard for teachers to teach the curriculum, along with social justice. This teacher ended up focusing on only one aspect or the other. My thought is to integrate both together. Neither aspect of the student's education should be looked over. Social justice isn't just about making everyone equal. It should be about seeing people's differences and accepting them. I loved the part in the article I read that teachers should be careful not to oppress the students, because we are trying to treat them as equal. Not all humans are the same, they are different, but they shouldn't be treated unfairly.
         Creating an environment where the students feel safe to express their opinions is extremely important and social justice can have a part in this crucial element. If students feel like there is a hierarchy they can feel intimidated and not want to talk in class. It is hard within schools to get rid of the high class and the low class. In my high school it was very apparent who was high, middle, and low. This can take away from the value of the class. No student is better than the other, and letting them know that can improve the class discussions because everyone will feel equal to one another.
         
          I found it was interesting that in almost every article I read Paulo Friere's name was dropped at least once. No other people who do the same type of writing it was always Friere. I am glad we read some of his ideas before so I had an idea of who he was as I read through the articles.