My Philosophy

As a Middle School Humanities teacher I believe the definition of Literacy is most closely aligned with the values espoused by W.E.B. Du Bois; Literacy is a road leading toward self-determination. Literacy is much more than the ability to read and write, but instead encompasses also the power of thinking, speaking, listening, self-empowerment, self-determination, and self-liberation.  I hope that by teaching the Humanities at the middle school level I can inspire future generations to see the power of their own words and actions at an age where they are both old enough to comprehend the magnitude of their world and young enough to still marvel at it. 

As an abolitionist educator I feel obligated and privileged to help guide young people towards literacy. This is done in two important ways. The first is utilizing a historically responsive pedagogy, placing huge emphasis on students’ identity and lived experiences. The second is through explicit instruction in techniques, tools, and strategies that will help students to improve their mastery. Because of my belief in the balancing of these two important facets of literacy I am intentional with every lesson that I plan to make sure that both are being honored. By being intentional with subject matter as an English teacher, I want to be sure to avoid the pitfall of elevating certain authors or cultures as being superior to others on the basis of racial or cultural supremacy thinking. I also want to be sure to avoid erasing the voices of writers from around the world by omission. By carefully curating content, encouraging students to explore and create literary artifacts of their own, and critically extracting elements of form and style from those artifacts I attempt to help students learn to love literacy without perpetuating the noxious myth that there is a “correct way to write” based on hegemonic ideas of oppression, but instead I hope to turn every student’s pen into a sword that will slay whatever dragon dare face them. 

When I entered school myself, I was conflicted. I learned to love school early when my parents built a pre-pre-Kindergarten school in our garage for my younger sibling and me. We entered Kindergarten with a 3rd grade reading level, giving us a head start that we would hold over our peers until well into college. I learned for the sake of learning and read for the pure joy of it. But over time, the school system began to sour my love of education. I always knew what my teachers wanted from me, and I always knew how to give it to them. I was simply going through the motions, and producing what I knew was being asked of me, but the information never resonated with me. I rarely felt any of it to be profound. 

My desire to teach Middle School Humanities was born from the frustration of watching my friends, many of whom were fellow Black and Brown kids, do poorly while I was doing well. And yet these same friends were able to quickly experience ‘aha moments’ simply because I took the time to recontextualize content into a form that made sense to them. I considered many of those friends to be far smarter than myself. But the school system was not designed to consider or to acknowledge their brilliance, even though I would have gladly traded my ability to ‘get it’ for even an ounce of the talent I watched them display outside of the classroom. As an abolitionist educator, I have made it my mission to provide the environment that those same Black and Brown children needed back then, for future generations of students of all colors. 

I want for every student, including students who traditionally feel marginalized in academic settings, to feel welcome at school. I want them to wake up excited to learn something new for the simple joy of it, instead of resigned to endure another day of surrendering their dignity for a grade. My students are encouraged to bring their whole selves into the classroom, and I support them as they use their entire being to engage with critical thinking skills and real, honest content. 

I understand that my students are not a monolith. As such, student-centered teaching is extremely important to me as a pedagogical philosophy because I want to hold the authentic needs of my students in my mind at all times. I want to make sure that I remain committed to the insight, compassion, dedication and flexibility required to tailor education to the needs of my students and never compromise on the quality of their education. To me, this requires learning to be fun, engaging, and rooted in the lives and futures of students. This is something I choose to honor by installing personal research elements in all of my projects. By having students follow their own curiosity, I find that not only are they more likely to engage collaboratively and meaningfully with me in the classroom, but the work they produce is also more authentic and memorable to them as well. My students consistently claim that their independent research work is what they are most proud of at the end of the year because “I worked the hardest on it and it meant the most to me,” (unnamed 6th grade student). 

I believe that students learn best when they are active participants in their own learning and it is a teacher’s responsibility to facilitate that active participation. This goes beyond turning lesson plans into games, it is a commitment to making the content relevant to students. Instead of rote memorization and slavish adherence to educational standards, I believe it is important to deconstruct all academic goals into a series of skills and concepts that can be creatively introduced, practiced, applied, and assessed in order to facilitate both deeper learning and more equitable outcomes for students. 

The act of an anti-racist and liberatory educator is to actively and intentionally de-colonize the classroom experience for all students. This requires an extreme commitment to self-reflection and critical thinking. Examining the aspects of schooling and deconstructing the legacy of White Supremacy, Patriarchy, Ableism, Heteronormativity and all other supremacy mindsets requires vigilance and care. Just like my students, I hold myself a high standard of learning how to have the most positive impact on my community that I can. This includes engaging with a variety of texts from a diverse body of writers both personally and with the class, and making space for the voices and lives of every single one of my students to express themselves in the classroom. This is an area that I am dedicated to studying and growing in for my entire career. There will always be demographics of students that I feel that I could learn to support more authentically, and I am excited to continue to grow in those areas by maintaining a curiosity mindset and continuously seeking to connect with and learn more about the cultures and histories of world citizens.

The moments I felt the most joy in school all came from teachers who I could tell truly saw me. Teachers who cared what I had to say. And teachers who were interested in helping me be the kind of student that I wanted to be. These teachers made me feel like I had a right to be heard. And they wanted me to have every tool I could possibly use to build the world I wanted. I am determined to do the same for my own students. I want to help them see literacy as more than just reading and writing, but as an entire way of being, and as an act of liberation in a world that seeks to silence those who would question the status quo. 

After spending the entire year in the classroom, both as a teacher and as a learner, I am thrilled to be able to look back and see how much I have grown and evolved as a teacher in such a short time. I have been able to watch as my original love for students, literacy, and ethnic studies has blossomed into an even more powerful desire to challenge myself, my students, and education at large to create a space that promotes critical thought and emphasizes our collective ability to shape the world for the better. 

I have grown comfortable with my ability to relate to students of diverse backgrounds, to find a vast array of current events, art, music, pop culture, literature, and more that can be connected to educational pursuits, and to provide lenses that help students learn to love learning. I am also very proud of the way I have been able to step into my role as an educator in a way that keeps my students' needs centered, promotes powerful and safe communities within the classroom, and creates a safe space filled with radical joy that stands in opposition to forces of marginalization for all of my students. 

As I continue to grow as a teacher I am actively seeking to find for myself new ways to place the power and responsibility of deep thinking and learning directly into the hands of my students, and I am always asking myself "How can I more authentically involve students in decision-making, community creating, and collaborative meaning-making mid-lesson?" And while I am confident in my ability to welcome and serve students with a variety of identities, I am extremely interested in developing more skills to help me create a classroom that is even more inclusive of students with a range of abilities and linguistic backgrounds. To this effect, I continue to ask myself, "How can I do more than just accommodate students with special linguistic and learning needs? How can I bring those students into the center of the classroom and authentically plan with them in mind?"

As I look ahead to the future, I am filled with excitement and anticipation. My journey as a teacher is far from over, and there is so much more to explore, learn, and accomplish. I am committed to nurturing a culture of continuous growth and development, both personally and professionally.

Together with my future peers, mentors, and students, I will seek to embrace new challenges, seek out innovative solutions, and strive for excellence in everything I do. I am confident that with humility and unwavering determination, there will be a bright future of joyful classrooms ahead.

I try to remember that each day is an opportunity to make a positive impact, to ignite curiosity, and to make a difference in the lives of those we touch. Let us continue to celebrate our achievements, cultivate a sense of radical love, and embrace the joy of learning.

Thank you for being an integral part of this incredible journey. I am honored to walk alongside you as we embark on this exciting path together.

Here's to a future filled with growth, fulfillment, and endless possibilities!

With sincere appreciation,

Mr. Kamal