Being Othered: The Journey of Creating New Narratives and Perspectives

• In Event: Narratives of Educational Justice

Abstract

This paper reports on how I experienced rejection by students questioning my expertise; accused of being “too WOKE”; the rejection of guest speakers the students reported as “making them feel bad as white people”. I used the framework of self-study and reflection. It has been my teaching practice to “walk along side” my students as they learn how to engage in JEDI practices in early childhood classrooms. The basis for the reflections I have used the summary comments from my SPOT survey student evaluations and the anecdotal notes from in class discussions over a two- year period. It is my hope that this paper will engage the participants in a discussion that may resonate with their own experiences.

Author

• Julia A. Williams, Duquesne University