Positionality Statement

Everything that I teach, every interaction I have in the classroom, and every step I take is deeply informed by my positionality and the respective positionalities of my students. Therefore, the entirety of my teaching career must take into consideration the privilege that comes with teaching as a white, female, upper-middle-class individual. The experiences I had in school were different than those of my current students: smaller class sizes, more individualized attention, access to classroom materials, and more time to play. These considerations of positionality become all the more important as I step into the spaces of black and brown youth of varying socioeconomic statuses. One such space is my classroom. Here, I have come to understand the importance of acknowledging that my lived experiences differ from those of my students. Thus, as I adapt to classroom circumstances, it is essential to recognize that my preconceived notions of what a classroom should look like differ wildly from the realities of an urban, underresourced institution. Likewise, adopting a culture of empathy within the classroom empowers my students to authentically grapple with their lived realities in a trauma-informed and deeply relational way. Empathy shared among the students allows them to understand the needs and experiences that others in the class may have that not all have—voicing to everyone that we all need different tools and support to succeed and giving the space for students to ask why makes space for a deeper understanding to be shared among classmates. By fostering creativity in the classroom, I can empathetically afford my students a means to navigate and more deeply understand their feelings and reactions to what they are being taught. My use of empathy in the classroom is different. I understand and can relate to being a student alongside the children and the difficulties that come with that, but I didn’t grow up with the same positionalities as my students. I can understand and empathize with difficulties they may face in general, but not always specifically. Ultimately, by considering my positionality and allowing it to inform these core tenets, my classroom becomes one in which the true identities of my students are meaningfully supported. 

This year, I student-taught at Benjamin B. Comegys, an elementary school in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with predominantly black and brown students and teachers. It is a Title 1 school that is underresourced and under-funded; therefore, it’s not always able to provide the support for students that is integral to their success in the classroom. While at my placement, my class experienced leveling due to the Philadelphia School District system. Although I was originally placed with first grade, after they were leveled, I transitioned with my mentor to kindergarten. As I began taking over the classroom, a couple of months later, we added 16 new students to our room. To say it’s been a year filled with significant shifts for everyone is an understatement. However, all in all, the students were amazing at adapting to the new classroom circumstances. Our classroom is presently made up of 31 students, 5 classroom aids, my classroom mentor - the lead teacher - and myself. It is important to note that of all the adults, I am the only one who is white. In our own ways, each of which relates to the specifics of our identities, we’ve all worked hard to build relationships with the shared goal of seeing our students excel. The room is comprised of communal tables, a carpet, student work hanging on the walls, and sounds of students learning, laughing, sharing, crying, and growing!