Group Work

The women and men who are in my cohort have been great people to work with and get to know.  Through group papers, presentations, projects, reflections, writings, and gatherings we have grown as a group of educators.  The Omega cohort is a group of strong-willed, intelligent, and fun individuals who are becoming great educators together.

During one of my Educational Psychology courses we worked together as a class in groups to create discursive teaching strategies for an assignment.  These videos are examples of some of the group work that we did together. 

The fine arts in secondary schools provide a wealth of opportunities which can foster literacy learning. We will examine strategies that activate literacy in the fine arts classroom. The presented strategies are reading for meaning, comparing and contrasting, project-based learning, and multimodal classrooms. Reading for meaning involves getting students to develop deep understandings of content through critical thinking and responding to texts. Comparing and contrasting allows students to engage in higher level thinking by analyzing two works in relation to one another. Project-based learning entails large-scale assignments that encourages students to understand and apply multiple strands of literacy to course content. Multimodal classrooms are adapted to meet all students learning preferences by utilizing a variety of strategies and modes of learning. These strategies provide opportunities for a diverse array of experiences and contexts in which literacies can be explored and improved.

Reading for meaning does not only apply to our standard concept of text, it also applies to art works, dramatic works, and musical works. When reading for meaning in the visual arts classroom, students will look at specific pieces of art and their historical contexts in order to understand their significance. Through reading for meaning, students will gain an understanding  of the history of the work in a particular time period, the artist’s intent, and the perceived meanings of a work in various contexts. An activity such as this activates the literacy strands reading and viewing and correlates to the foundational objective “Use analytical and critical thought to respond to art works and infer meanings based on the many contexts of visual art and global issues.”  

In the drama classroom, students will choose from a provided list of dramatic or literary texts such as, monologues, sonnets, or poems. Students will analyse the chosen piece by highlighting significant literary devices in the text to inform their performance. Students will memorize the selection, perform for the class, and discuss how their performance conveyed their interpretation of the text’s meaning. The literacy strands supported by reading for meaning in drama classrooms are reading, speaking, and representing. This activity authentically engages with the objective “The students will understand the relationship of script to performance.” 

In the choir classroom reading for meaning can be applied by analyzing the relationship between music and text through word painting. This strategy fulfills the outcome  “Use musical notation to interpret and express musical ideas” and supports the literacy strands speaking, listening, viewing, and representing. In the band classroom, reading for meaning is utilized by engaging in conversations about the structures and meanings embedded in various concert band pieces. A reading for meaning activity in the band classroom can be listening to a piece and discussing its elements. Discussing a piece’s attributes can help students to comprehend their role as part of a cohesive whole. Additionally, discussing the context of the piece’s creation allows space for the class to reach the foundational objectives “Understand and appreciate musical expressions from a variety of cultural and historical contexts” and “Develop a greater understanding of the role of music in contemporary societies.” INSERT BAND CURRICULUM FOOTNOTE HERE This activity supports listening and speaking as forms of literacy. Another way to read for meaning in music classes is to apply music theory to the musical works being rehearsed by the ensemble. Applying theory will connect students’ knowledge gained by reading and writing music (music theory) to the expressive, speaking and listening experience (ensemble performance) and vice-a-versa. For instance, one could relate the understanding of voice leading in cadential structures (eg. the resolution of the leading tone or chordal sevenths) to students’ active listening of a work during rehearsal. This instructional application of reading for meaning works towards fulfilling the foundational objective “Develop an understanding of the fundamentals of music theory.and its application to structural elements of music.”

Comparing and contrasting is an effective strategy because it engages higher-level thinking and promotes a deep, connected understanding of a larger body of works and their context. In the visual art classroom, students use comparing and contrasting when discussing and critically responding to peers’ artwork, their own work, and professional artists’ work. Critical response requires the literacy skills viewing, writing, speaking, and listening as students must interpret the visual elements of a work and respond either through text or speech. This reflects the learning objective “Use analytical and critical thought to respond to art works and infer meanings based on the many contexts of visual art and global issues.”

A strategy for comparing and contrasting in drama would consist of a group project. Students will be given two scene selections from classical and contemporary plays with multiple characters. The key to this project is that identical scenes will be assigned to multiple groups. Students will have an opportunity to perform and witness different interpretations of the same piece of material. The students will verbally critique one another’s final performances, discuss how different groups approached solving complications in scene production and complete a basic self and group evaluation form. The literacy strands supported include reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and representing and the course objective fulfilled is “The students will develop an understanding of the processes and elements involved in creating works of dramatic art.”

In the choir classroom, students will engage in higher order thinking by comparing and contrasting two choral works. Comparing and contrasting choral works will involve students’ understanding of the text, and expressive musical components such as dynamics and phrasing. This strategy activates students’ literacy through reading and listening and fulfills the curricular objective “Demonstrate aural perception of the expressive and structural elements at work within a musical composition.”  In a concert band rehearsal, comparing and contrasting can be used effectively to activate many strands of literacy. To engage students in a compare and contrast strategy, the ensemble can play a short section of a piece in different ways, ask what the different affects were, and decide which they preferred. This rehearsal technique activates the literacy strands listening, speaking, viewing, and writing. Students engage in reflective listening through evaluating the results of their musical decisions. The act of students playing their instruments amounts to speaking, which is also activated through class discussion. Comparing the conductor’s gestures during contrasting interpretations of the same passage engages our ability to comprehend visual representations of music. Examining the relation between the ensemble’s musical decisions and the written notation engage a deep understanding of written musical material. This activity also meets the foundational objective “Demonstrate aural perception of the expressive and structural elements at work within a musical composition.”  Listening through a critical lens also utilizes comparing and contrasting skills. Using comparing and contrasting to understand how the context of a work relates to FNMI content is key to students’ understanding of stereotyped and simplified versions of Indigenous and Metis music as reinterpreted by concert band repertoire. This critical aural analysis, with a context-driven research component and both written and oral reflections, engages students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening. This activity also works toward the foundational objectives “Understand and appreciate musical expressions from a variety of cultural and historical contexts.” and “Become discerning consumers and producers of music.” Comparing and contrasting can utilize all strands of literacy by having students interpret a variety of works for deep understanding of content and context. 

Project-based learning engages a breadth and depth of content that activates all strands of literacy in the learning process through student agency and inquiry. Fine arts classes already use project-based learning as the foundation of content acquisition. Art projects typically utilise one or more types of material ranging from string and glue to computer programs like photoshop CC. Students are taught technical skills and are required to demonstrate them through creation.  For example, one could teach a group of students to craft pinch pots out of clay and then require students to apply the same technique to a large-scale project. As a large-scale project, students could add interdisciplinary elements that incorporate their interests and promote inquiry. These added elements allow students to access and utilize all strands of literacy throughout their process. This fulfills the foundational objective “Initiate and develop ideas for art-making, transpose these ideas into art forms using a variety of media, and reflect upon their processes and their completed works within the contexts of visual art.”

Project-based learning is inherent in the structure to a drama class. An example of project-based learning in drama would be groups of students selecting a one-act play to rehearse independently and perform. An activity such as this would provide opportunities for the students to fulfill the objective “The students will understand the contributions of various dramatic artists and technicians to theatrical production.”

Project-based learning in the choral classroom allows for students to be creative in a medium of their choice to represent a piece of music. Students can represent their chosen piece of music through a variety of visual mediums such as creating a music video, creating an art project, or creating a movement piece. Through creating a project-based on a piece of music, students are able to express themselves in the visual medium that they are most comfortable while also being sensitive to the composer’s intentions. Being sensitive to the composer’s intentions help the student’s overall understanding of the piece of music as well as the elements of texture, notation, dynamics, articulation, and text. This project fulfills the objective “Understand and interpret musical works from a variety of cultural and historical contexts.”  Project-based learning in the band classroom will generally consist of the students rehearsing and performing chamber music. A chamber music project, where students lead and participate in rehearsals in small numbers, activates many of the same strands of literacy that working in a large ensemble does, including reading, speaking, listening and viewing but also engages with representing as students’ must now find a way to visually demonstrate phrases or demarcate their place in the music. Independent, small ensemble work provides students with an increased sense of agency and interpretive control that allows them to engage with and improve upon their knowledge of literacies through peer communication. A way to incorporate technology into a project like this would be to have the students write a part for electronics to accompany the work they are performing. In terms of curricular objectives, a project like this can be used with great effect to reach objectives such as “become discerning consumers and producers of music” and “use musical notation to interpret and express musical ideas.”

A multimodal approach to teaching literacy in the visual art classroom is an effective way to differentiate for diverse learners. This approach includes technology, visual media, collaborative work, and learning in different environments. The visual art classroom is where students learn strong visual literacy skills by critically engaging with visual images. Multimodality in the visual art classroom demonstrates the interconnectedness of literacy strands in society, while emphasizing the role that visual media plays in our day to day lives. For example, by analyzing visual advertisements, students can be more critical of advertisers’ intentions. The foundational objective related to this is “Analyze forms of art from a variety of cultures and societies, historical and contemporary; interpret meanings within appropriate contexts; and relate their understanding to their own expressions and life experiences.”

The effectiveness of applying the concept of multimodal classrooms in drama is directly related to the accessibility of resources. The theatre is an open environment that allows for creative and unique educational practices. Many high school theatres will have built in projection capabilities to allow for interactive presentations and others will not. Some schools will have a broad selection of props and costumes to assist students in the character building and exploration process. Technological resources, along with traditional set components, props, and costumes can inspire and facilitate the students’ learning while studying movement projects, relaxation, theatre games, prepared and spontaneous improvisations, role-play, problem solving, storytelling and various other common dramatic exercises because each of these different resources activates and connects multiple strands of literacy. The foundational objective the students work towards in this exercise is “Develop an understanding of the processes and elements involved in creating works of dramatic art.”

Multimodal music classrooms consistently use a variety of techniques to engage a diverse range of learning preferences and to activate all strands of literacy as a way of decoding communication in the music classroom. Ultimately, music is an aural art form that necessitates listening as its primary mode of literacy. However, other modes of literacy are used to mediate our interpretation of music such as music notation (written) and conducting (viewing). As a multimodal band director, one can make the translation between these strands of literacy more understandable by consistently addressing and connecting each of them, comparing the sound students hear with written notation and conducting gestures. Conductors can also decode these modes of musical interpretation by using creative strategies that demonstrate coded concepts while not being dependent on coded communication. One could use alternative visual cues, such as bouncing a ball to have students understand playing together as dependent on their interpretation of the conductor’s ictus or having students play along to a film without sound as a way of understanding emotional affect. Another strategy would be to have students move with the pulse or phrase of a work, relating affect to kinaesthetic sensation and thus enhancing our aural perception. Modelling for students provides a sonic framework for aspects of music that cannot be translated to other modes of musical communication such as tone, tuning, and rubato. Using technology can assist in creating a multimodal music class. Technology allows access to a variety of media that can assist in the application of visual modes of learning. The access to many modes of learning built into technology usage makes differentiation and multimodality easier for the band director.

Appleman, Deborah. Critical Encounters in Secondary English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents. New York: Teachers College Press, 2015.

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Bloechl, Olivia Ashley. "Sounding Savagery: Native American Song and the Frontiers of Early Modern Music." Doctoral thesis, University of Pennsylvania, 2002. Accessed November 20, 2017. http://cyber.usask.ca/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.cyber.usask.ca/docview/305515278?accountid=14739.

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“Connecting Practice and Research: Listening Guide” (n.d.) ECUR 320 Course Page. Accessed October 6, 2017. http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesCurrImpl/Secondary/CS_IL/ClassicalStudies/SupplementaryMaterials/ConnectingPracticeandResearchListeningGuide.pdf.

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Ministry of Education. Band 10, 20, 30. Regina : Ministry of Education, 1993. Accessed November 20, 2017. https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/Arts_education/Band_10_20_30_1993.pdf.

Ministry of Education, “Broad Areas of Learning” last modified June 22, 2010. https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/Broad_Areas_of_Learning_2010.pdf.

Ministry of Education. Choral 10, 20, 30. Regina : Ministry of Education, 1993. Accessed November 20, 2017. https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/Arts_education/Choral_10_20_30_1997.pdf.

Ministry of Education. “Cross-curricular Competencies.” last modified September 24, 2010. https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/Cross-curricular_Competencies_2010.pdf.

Ministry of Education. Drama 10, 20, 30. Regina : Ministry of Education, 1993. Accessed November 20, 2017. https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/Arts_education/Drama_10_20_30_1993.pdf.

Ministry of Education. Visual Art 10, 20, 30. Regina : Ministry of Education, 1996. Accessed November 20, 2017. https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/Arts_education/Visual_Art_10_20_30_1996.pdf.

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Sanche, Danielle. “Visual Representation in Music.” ECUR 320 Micro-Teaching, Saskatoon, SK, October 5, 2017.

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November 30th, 2017

Throughout our Anti-oppressive and Ethical Beginnings class, we have explored the construction of superior/dominant and subordinate /inferior identities, how they are achieved, and how these normalized oppressive practices and outcomes are evident in our current education and society. Starting with those who feel and evoke the effects of the oppressive structure, we aim to bring light to recurring language that constructs people as either dominant/superior or subordinate/inferior. The oppressive structures, practices, policies, and actions that act as barriers for those constructed as inferior/subordinate are then examined, followed by an analysis of the outcomes of those oppressive policies and practices for both the dominant/superior group and the subordinate/inferior group. Finally, an explanation of how oppressive conditions are structurally determined and how we as teachers disrupt those conditions/determinisms brings the exploration of the construction of superior and inferior identities to a close. In the following paper, we scrutinize the four main elements that make up the current oppressive structure while drawing on examples from our readings to date.

In our current society, with our current hierarchical system, it seems there is no escaping the dominant/subordinate labeling. Throughout the analyzed articles, there is a definite trend of dominant and subordinate discursive used to define able-bodied versus disabled peoples, heterosexual versus LGBTQ+ peoples, men versus women, middle and higher class versus poor peoples, and white versus coloured peoples - the former always dominating the latter. Typical discourses for the domineering group include words like ‘strong/powerful/superior’, ‘normal’, and ‘ideal’. While the typical discourses for the subordinate group include ‘lazy’, ‘other(s)’, and racial/group based slurs. The following paragraph details the common discourses used for the dominant groups and the subordinate groups. 
            In Allan Johnson’s Why Patriarchy? He states, “No matter what other men do to a man or how deeply they control his life, he can always feel culturally superior to women and take out his anger and frustration on them.” (Johnson, 1997). This quote points out the blatant superiority men internalize and socially hold over the inferior women. This coincides with an excerpt from Wendell’s article Toward a Feminist Theory of Disability that elaborates on the intersectionality of being an inferior woman as well as an inferior disabled person, “disabled women struggle with both the oppressions of being women in male-dominated societies and the oppressions of being disabled in societies dominated by the able-bodied.” (Wendell, 1989). Another prime example of the discourses used regarding the dominant group in Wendell’s article, is evident in his discussion of how society implements ‘special’ resources for disabled peoples because planning is often done by able-bodied people, and places are built/set up for the ideal person, someone “young, strong healthy (and, often, male).” (Wendell, 1989). A common phrase used for both disabled peoples and poor peoples is ‘lazy’. Disabled peoples are deemed lazy because able-bodied people feel ‘if they just put their mind to it’ disabled peoples should be able to walk, or get out of bed in the morning, or not hear the voices in their head, but they are ‘too lazy’ to take the steps to ‘cure’ them of their disability. Many feel the same about poor people, in Jean Swanson’s article Chapter 1: What Poor People Say About Poor-Bashing it is stated “… people on welfare won’t look for work on their own and have to be forced” and again, “why were all these women on welfare when they get all this help… why aren’t they getting off their butts?” (Swanson, 2001). The previous statements regarding poor people came out of the mouths of middle and high class people, who feel they have reached the point of total domination where they can dehumanize and demoralize poor people due to their financial standing because they, as middle to high class people, are the ideal and superior group in the eyes of society. This parallels to Caitlin Ryan’s Kissing Brides and Loving Hot Vampires in which the dominant heteronormativity plays such an outsized role in our society, starting as young as kindergarten, and how those who are non-responsive to heteronormativity take on a role as ‘others’ or ‘not normal’ and are virtually banished to subordination. This practice is evident in ‘Team Edward Day’ where heteronormative girls spent the day fawning over Edward Cullen from Twilight and those girls who did not participate were shunned for the day, while the males in the class were assumed to be heterosexual and not a member of the fawning, but rather were a part of a violent reaction to the fawning over Edward (Ryan, 2016). In the same article, Ryan discusses the make-up of the group of girls who participated in Team Edward day, who were all white, able bodied females, otherwise known throughout their school (and in the article) as the popular girls. The girls who did not participate in Team Edward Day, and subsequently ‘othered’, were coloured or disabled females (Ryan, 2016). The act of othering coloured people is, unfortunately, not a new societal practice and is evident in all of our previously discussed topics (gender, disability, and poverty). Many people in the dominant group relate social status to race, so while discussing poverty, many use discourse relating poverty to race, “What was the matter with us Indians anyway, were asking for so much all the time and not willing to do anything on our own and on and on.” (Swanson, 2001). The relation of social status to race, as previously mentioned, is evident in Ryan’s article where it is no coincidence that four of five females who chose not to participate/were not invited to participate in Team Edward Day were females of colour. It is evident through the examples taken from these articles that there is a definite superior/dominating group (middle to high class white, able bodied, males) and a subordinate/inferior group (poor, coloured, disabled, females) that can be seen, heard, and felt by all of those in our society. 

In our society there are also many common oppressive structural practices, policies, and actions that have been discussed in our weekly readings during this course.  Each article that was read and summarized by a member of our group talks about these institutions and their practices that describe the institutional barriers experienced by those constructed as inferior.   Although all the articles discuss different topics, disabled body, sexual diversity, gender patriarchy, and class they all talk about similar institutional barriers that are experienced by those who are considered inferior and oppressed.   The dominant institutional systems that came out of these four articles are: culture, government, economy, social/societal norms, and family/school norms.

The first article discusses the disabled body and people’s perceptions of it.  This article heavily focuses on the institutions of culture, economy, and the social norms.  Culture plays a significant role in the oppression of a person’s disability and of a women’s rights if they do not do something that is normal in their culture: “Another objection I have to the U.N. definitions is that they imply that women can be disabled, but not handicapped, by being unable to do things which are not considered part of the normal role for their sex.” (Wendell, 1989).  Societal norms control how women and disabled people are viewed because they are encouraged to act a specific way: “…no one wants the social stigma associated with disability, but social recognition of disability determines the practical help a person receives from doctors, government agencies, insurance companies, charity organizations, and often from family and friends.” (Wendell, 1989).  Economy affects the way in which a disabled person or women is treated and viewed because of their ability to access certain “normal” things in life: “the state of technology and its availability to people in that condition, the educational system, architecture, attitudes towards physical appearance, and the pace of life. (If, for example, the pace of life increases without changes in other factors, more people become disabled simply because fewer people can keep up the "normal" pace.)” (Wendell, 1989).

The second article discusses sexual diversity among people.  This article specifically focused on the institutions of social/societal norms and family/school norms.  Schools play a role in suppressing those who identify as sexually diverse: “furthermore, the interactions documented here take place predominantly in classrooms during instructional time when students are directly engaged in curricular activities. This makes sexuality- like other social identities- a constitutive part of children's educational environments and one which is perpetuated, in part, via the communication of children themselves." (Ryan, 2016).  Social norms in and out of schools can put pressure on those who are constructed as inferior: "it also means that the complexity of work that students do when they talk, play, and act together holds significant implications, as these are ways that cultural and social meanings are constructed by participants and take hold in classrooms, schools and larger communities, forming the environment in which children learn. Therefore, research must give careful attention to the ways in which children's various subject positions are performed and perpetuated in the social/educational worlds of their classrooms, as well as the language that enables that work." (Ryan, 2016).

The third article talks about the patriarchy of gender with relation to specific institutions such as government and economy.  The economy shows how much oppression there is towards people who are considered inferior: "We’re afraid they’ll use economic power to take away jobs or hold us back or make our work lives miserable. We’re afraid they’ll beat us up or kill us if we’re unlucky enough to provoke the wrong one. We’re afraid they’ll wage war against us, destroy our communities and homes, beat, torture, rape, and kill those who we love. In short, we’re afraid of all things that men can do to exert control and thereby protect and enhance their standings as real men in relation to other men." (Johnson, 1997).  The government is an institution that oppresses many people and makes them feel inferior: “As president of the United States, for example, one of the most powerful positions on Earth, George Bush was obsessed that people might think he was a “wimp”. And rather than making men feel safe, great power makes them need still greater control to protect themselves from still more powerful men locked into the same cycle.” (Johnson, 1997).

The fourth and final article that was summarized is about class and the institutional barriers dominant in this article are government and economy.  Governmental institutions take blame at the oppressed because they are easy to blame: "This was the NDP government…all they could think of was to save money by blaming people for having to go on welfare" (Swanson, 2001).  "The bureaucrats would be scooping up the shrimp and saying, 'I think it's outrageous that these people [on welfare] double-dip, taking welfare and UI at the same time' "(Swanson, 2011).  The economy can be a deterring factor for those who are less fortunate: "…the official unemployment rate at the time was 9 to 10 percent…many jobs with part-time hours didn't pay even enough for a single person to live on" (Swanson, 2001).  “You're talking about real people here and the economy is not their responsibility.  They can't tinker with it like you can as the government" (Swanson, 2001).

All these institutions play a role in the oppression and construction of making a person inferior.  These institutions dominate our world and control our everyday lives.  For a person who is labeled and treated as inferior, they will feel the barriers amongst these institutions.  Although there are many institutions that oppress people the dominant institutional systems that came out of these four articles are: culture, government, economy, social/societal norms, and family/school norms.

In addition to the common institutions that play crucial roles in creating oppressive policies in society, there have been many common outcomes of these policies and practices that affect both the dominant population, and the subordinate population in different ways. By examining these outcomes, it appeared as though there are some common ones shared between the themes each week. For the dominant population, the most notable outcomes of oppressive policies were: they may damage relationships, they create/allow ignorance, they cause people to become educated improperly, they cause pressure and expectations, and finally they create unearned privilege. Although some of these outcomes do cause some amount of harm to this group, it can be argued that the outcomes the subordinate group has to deal with are much worse. These outcomes are: dehumanization, becoming an “other”, becoming silenced, oppression, and even violence. These outcomes will be discussed and analyzed further in the following paragraphs by taking a closer look at where they appear in the class readings.

Beginning by examining the dominant group’s outcomes of oppressive policies and practices, these outcomes were more noticeable when looking at men, able bodied people, and heterosexual people, although middle/high class people would also have a few of these outcomes as well. In the reading by Jean Swanson, came this quote, "Poor-bashing means ignoring facts and repeating stereotypes about people who are poor" (Swanson, 2001). Ignorance is tied very closely to the lack of education that seems to be present with the dominant group, "They are all lazy, useless, and good-for-nothing people" (Swanson, 2001). That quote is an example of how the dominant group tends to blame the subordinate group for being where they are. Where there would be differencing in opinions is when you examine how these oppressive policies affect the relationships the dominant group has, specifically the damage to relationships that these oppressive policies cause. Men are a direct receiver of this damage to relationships due to patriarchy. Because of the control they feel they need to have, it ruins their relationships with women, and can also ruin them with other men if they are not acting like a “real man”. This goes into the outcome that is the expectations people in the dominant group feel are in place for them. For men, it is to be a “real man”, for heterosexual people, it is to not have any romantic relationships with the same sex, for able-bodied people, it is to not have any issues or restrictions with your body, and for middle/high class people, it is to remain at that status. Finally, one of the most hidden outcomes is the privilege that each person in this group has naturally. “Patriarchy allows for the overall—covert and overt—privileging of men and their experiences. As a set of spoken and unspoken rules or codes, patriarchy permeates the world’s religions, political systems, and sociocultural structures, which allows for, and supports, the power of men.” (Seely, 2007). All of these examples show how the oppressive practices and policies in today’s society affect the dominant groups.

When examining the subordinate group, most of the outcomes essentially have to do with this group being treated as less than when compared to others. "It's hard to get the courage to speak out, when years of experience tell you [that you] will be dismissed or ignored because of your class, your poverty” (Swanson, 2001). This quote shows the dehumanization, silencing and the othering that happens to the subordinate group. They are told that their voices do not matter, even when it is on a topic that directly affects them. This is not something only specific to poor bashing though, it is well and alive in regards to decisions made for women and LGBTQ2 people as well. The subordinate group also has to deal with the ongoing oppression, and even violence. Violence against women, people who belong to the LGBTQ2 community, disabled people, non-white people, and poor people. “We live in a culture where women are not safe in their homes, workplaces, or schools, or on the street, where a woman is sexually assaulted every two minutes,” (Seely, 2007). The outcomes the subordinate group has to deal with are terrible, but before they can change, the society we live in, and the values we have must change.

Individuals and groups of people who share characteristics experience oppression when other groups and institutions have the power to determine and control their actions, preventing them from receiving equitable treatment.  Characteristics such as class, gender, race, sexuality, ability, and nationality are employed to construct the dominant and subordinate identities.  Many Canadians would suggest that oppression exists elsewhere, but not in Canada.  Surely we as individuals don't have the intention to oppress.  The prevailing sentiment is that if someone is disadvantaged, it must be due to his or her own choices.  The privileged rarely even recognize oppression.  However, on closer examination, it is clear that structural oppression exists throughout our Canadian institutions:  it is inherent in our government, justice, public services, education, economy, religion, media and societal networks.  We have structures of domination deeply rooted in colonialism, capitalism, ableism, white superiority, heteronormativity, and patriarchy, which permeates our daily lives and actions, providing barriers to the subordinate groups.  "It's our politics, it's political economy, it's an old ideology that tends to separate us out.  It's institutions that have been born with the idea of race and racism that tend to separate us out" (Goodman, 2003).  One needn't even look to our southern neighbours for evidence of oppression; it is evident that we have plenty to examine here at home.

As teachers, we need to examine how we can begin to disrupt the process of structural determinism within our educational systems, and that needs to begin with an examination of our own privilege, beliefs, teaching practices and contributions to oppression. We need to create a classroom where all students feel safe, welcomed and valued, while avoiding stereotypes, labels and assumptions.  It is a great disservice to judge anyone’s intelligence or abilities based on their class, gender, race, nationality, sexuality or any difference.  We need to celebrate cultural diversity, the uniqueness and lived experiences that every student brings to the classroom and ensure that the cultures of all students are represented and celebrated.  We need to reconsider activities or topics that advantage certain groups.  It is important that we authentically incorporate curriculum and pedagogy that accurately reflects and respects Aboriginal history, culture, language and beliefs, while examining treaty relationships and historical grievances.  We need to teach (and learn) an authentic and inclusive Canadian history.  We must have high expectations of all students, and of all educators.  We must be willing to examine and openly discuss oppressive practices, policies and procedures, and acknowledge injustices in order to create change and realize an anti-oppressive education for all students.  We must recognize that we cannot work against oppression until we understand its place in our own lives and until we expose the ways in which dominant structures and practices have worked to conceal our own accountability in oppressive acts (Norquay, 1993).  It is incumbent on us to challenge an educational system that is based on "the experience of a limited number of middle and upper class [white] children' (Norquay, 1993; Steedman, 1985).  As Willinsky (1998) concludes, "We owe students today an account of the historical divisions out of which we have fashioned ourselves as educated people, even as we work together to move beyond our current understanding of an inexorably divided world" (p. 20).  We must acknowledge what we don’t know, and accept leadership from those who can help us find a path forward…"to join with another, to see together without claiming to be another" (Haraway, 1988, p. 586).  Lorde (1984) advises that we stand "up to those distortions which we inherited without blame, but which are now ours to alter" (p. 131).

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Haraway, D. (1988). Situated knowledges: The science question in feminism and the privilege of partial perspective. Feminist studies, 14(3), 575-599.

Johnson, A. G. (1997). Why Patriarchy? The gender knot: Unraveling our patriarchal legacy (pp. 24-52). Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Lorde, A. (1984). Sister Outsider. Trumansburg. NY: Crossing.

Norquay, N. (1993). The other side of difference: memory‐work in the mainstream. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 6(3), 241-245.

Ryan, C. L. (2016). Kissing brides and loving hot vampires: Children’s construction and perpetuation of heteronormativity in elementary school classrooms. Sex Education, 16(1), 77-90.

Seely, M. (2007). The F-word: An introduction. In Megan Seely. Fight like a girl: How to be a fearless[2] [3]  feminist, pp. 1-14. New York: New York University Press.

Steedman, C. (1985). Listen, how the caged bird sings' Amarjit's song. Language, Gender and Childhood.

Swanson, J. (2001). What poor people say about poor-bashing Poor-bashing: The politics of exclusion (pp. 1-28). Toronto: Between the Lines.

Wendell, S. (1989). Toward a feminist theory of disability. Hypatia, 4(2), 104-124.

Willinsky, J. (1998). Learning to divide the world: Education at empire's end. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.