DECOLONIZATION OF THE CLASSROOM
Social Work 6314
Spring 2019
Master of Social Work Program
Memorial University
OUR BACKGROUND
As critical social workers, it is important that we reflect on our environments, in the classroom and in the community. It is crucial to understand where dominant ideology and structures come from, which lead to oppressed experiences of racialized people. We must also reflect on who benefits from normalizing the ideology and putting unjust structures in place. We know that historical ideology and “current policies are still a race-based response leading to assimilation, led by the Federal and Provincial government of Canada” (Kulpi7, 2010, p. 12).
Lifestyle and traditions of diverse populations are in jeopardy of extinction as a result of dominant, ingrained ideology and various political decisions that are put in place with the goal of assimilation. European colonists and settlers benefit by having full control over the land and institutions, thus eliminating cultural practices that differed from their own. Present political decisions still affect racialized people. As social workers, we must be empowered to analyze and reflect on how historical trauma and present political decisions affect our environment and communities.
In an effort to deconstruct these dominant ideologies, we have collectively agreed to decolonize the classroom and disrupt the status quo. This website depicts our journey of attempting to decolonize the classroom and breakdown the whiteness inherent in our academic institutions.
Reference: Kulpi7, Chief Christian, W. (2010). Voice of a Leader: If you truly believe children are our future – the future is now! First Peoples Child & Family Review, 5(1), 10-14.
We invite you to view highlights of our experiences decolonizing the classroom.
DECOLONIZATION OF THE CLASSROOM: AN ANALOGY
Icebergs are comparable to the transformative process in decolonizing the classroom. What we see on the surface of the water is only 10% of the iceberg. Compare this to the learning we receive in the classroom due to the whiteness embedded in academics. The other 90% of the iceberg is below the surface, unseen and untouched, yet it comprises the majority of the iceberg. Similarly, one could argue that the majority of teaching and learning is left unseen and untouched as it does not fit into the white academic structures that have been created.
Now picture the iceberg flipping over. Turned upside down. That is what happens when we start unpacking the whiteness which is embedded in the classroom. We shift from a limited and narrow view to a fuller picture, allowing use to delve deeper in our teaching and learning. This is exactly the transformation we have aimed to create in the classroom in an effort to decolonize the teaching and learning.
After “about 10,000 years” we think it’s time for a transformation in educational institutions.
As students, we often reflected on these powerful words of advice and the importance of keeping an open mind.
We walk into buildings, through doors, upstairs, down long hallways, to sit in classrooms, to learn.
DAY 1- REFLECTION
Our institute started a couple of days prior to the beginning of the Spring semester. We came into the institute with little knowledge of what was happening or what to expect. This uncertainty threw many of us for a loop. The energy in the room I would describe as anxious curiosity as some of us had previous experiences in classes with Dr. Mullings, while others had no reference. Dr. Mullings showed us her TEDx talk on decolonizing the classroom. Initially there was a lot of excitement in the classroom with the opportunity to try a different way of learning. However, once Dr. Mullings handed over the classroom to us, we experienced some struggles. When group decisions started to impact us on an individual level (like deciding what assignments will look like and planning our day) tensions started to rise. We were quickly confronted with traditional power relations when Dr. Mullings interjected to redirect our planning conversations. Difficult conversations were balanced with laughter much like a “family”. These conversations helped us grow together as a group and build on the trust within the group. At the end of the day, everyone expressed feeling exhausted feeling like we “were on an emotional roller coaster”. Nonetheless, we accomplished our goals for the day and we left on a positive note.
DAY 2 - REFLECTION
As we assembled in the classroom and began chatting, it appeared that we were still confused from the day before and felt the need to talk about it. This sharing of our anxieties and confusion allowed for vulnerability and to make connections with classmates. The permission to express and demonstrate our vulnerability kick- started the relationship building among the group, at such an early point in the institute.
As the morning began, the need for check-ins was evident.This practice of check-ins is common within social work practice; however not as common within a colonized classroom. It appeared as though the anxiety level dissipated somewhat; especially when Dr. Mullings handed out the formalized course outline and explained her grading expectations. The level of comfort of this practice seemed to resonate with the group, despite our excitement and wholehearted agreement with the collaborative process of decolonizing our classroom from the day prior!
A classmate shared a recent experience, where she felt her personal disclosure of her Indigenous identity dramatically altered the conversation that excluded her expressed needs and instead focused on what the other person felt would be best for her, given her Indigenous identification. The naming of this student’s experience as violence was emotional and thought provoking so our group created the space to unpack this. Creating a safer and trusting group, where she could feel safe to share this experience, was powerful.
I found it interesting that the group decided to not assign facilitation for class time to individuals, but rather chose to proceed collectively as a group. Was this a demonstration of the group embracing the transformation of the classroom in not having a clear identified facilitator?
The discussion and conversations felt balanced, with equal distribution of power amongst the group, with the exception of the explanation around grading; it was evident that Dr. Mullings held the power in that moment.The flow of the conversation was smooth and organic and we allowed it to go where it naturally went. While we had a general topic of decolonization, we did not follow the usual and familiar process of having a set direction of discussion and rather permitted ourselves to be present in the moment.
Finally, it was Mother’s Day and Dr. Mullings received calls from her daughters during class.The group encouraged her to take the calls and thereby honoured Dr. Mullings as a mother. As a part of our efforts to decolonize the classroom, we embraced her role as a mother and in that moment, celebrated her role as a mother and an influential woman.
DAY 3 - REFLECTION
I think there was a different feeling in the room on day 3. I was starting to feel more comfortable and was buying into the process a little more. Don’t get me wrong, there was still some awkward silences and times I wished Dr. Mullings would “rescue” us, but overall I think as a group we were feeling pretty good.
Once again, Dr. Mullings took a step back, leaving the floor open for us to lead the class and take control over our own learning. The simplest tasks, such as deciding what to do next, turned into a confusing and sometimes frustrating situation. We knew that we wanted to go on a community outing in the afternoon, yet had no idea what to do, where to go, and we were not always clear on what the purpose was. We were given the opportunity to take control and to develop our own goal and purpose. I should have been excited for the opportunity, yet I wanted to, at least at times, give that power back. I’ve had to reflect on why that is. As we’ve been discussing throughout the week, the traditional way of teaching and learning has been deeply ingrained in us. Letting that go will require a conscious effort and to be honest, being told what to do and how to do it is simply easier. Dr. Mullings eluded that the process could be messy even before the class began, but she suggested that we should not be satisfied with being standard or mediocre, but should aim to be Rockstars.
Luckily by day 3, we were feeling a little more like Rockstars and met our goals for the morning. We recapped the previous day’s work; planned our outing for the afternoon; finalized some changes to the group project; and created our own schedule for weekly online posts. For a group of 9 people, this was relatively painless and I was impressed with the respect and flexibility shown by my classmates.
Who Shapes our Communities?
During our planning for the afternoon community outing, we discussed community spaces and questioned who has access, who is excluded, who planned the spaces, and who is benefiting from them? We are working in a field where the goal is supposed to be social justice and improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities. However, our class quickly thought of examples where programs/services were implemented without the input of the people intended to use the services. Too often these services set people up for failure, as they failed to meet their needs and were not truly accessible. Why does this happen? To understand this question, a critical look at the historical context was necessary. We needed to face the fact that those in charge of planning and decision making often were not taking an anti-oppressive approach that was sensitive to systemic disadvantages, such as race, gender, class, sexual orientation, etc. Ultimately, service user populations are being hurt by this system.
Power Imbalances in the Classroom
In our practice, it’s vital to recognize the power imbalances that exist between ourselves and those we work with and for. It’s also important to acknowledge that within the classroom. Despite efforts to decolonize the classroom, power imbalances still existed. This week we are appreciating the expertise and knowledge of our classmates and colleagues and are taking the lead on creating curricula; however, ultimately we are being evaluated by our professor, are told what materials need to be read and are restricted by the guidelines of Memorial University polices and the School of Social Work policies.
Final Thoughts
I think power struggles with continue as we try to decolonize the classroom, amid the need to meet institutional requirements. We will need to balance owning power in the classroom and meeting policy requirements. However, we must never forget to be active participants in the learning process and not be satisfied with naturally accepting the norm simply because it is what we know. Not all classrooms will provide this opportunity, but as Dr. Mullings pointed out, we can always take pieces of this experience with us throughout the rest of our Master’s program and into our lives and practice.
DAY 3 - COMMUNITY EXPLORATION
Suburban Park vs. Urban Park
Our Mission
Compare & Contrast:
Park conditions
Accessibility
Who is accessing
Amenities
History of space
Promotion & planning
Discovery
Similarities:
Playground equipment
Dog park
Open green space
Walking trail around park
Differences:
Community Center on site
Amount of equipment
Amount of open green space
Condition of equipment
Textures; soft surfaces vs. rough surfaces
Proximity to housing
Surrounding environment
Sounds
Decolonizing the Classroom via Purposeful Community Exploration
We took the typical classroom conversations of theory and practice to the actual spaces we were referencing. Doing so resulted in establishing the link between those who learn of communities to those who experience communities.
Taking this non-traditional approach to learning by leaving the classroom and bringing our theories into the spaces of interest increased the richness and depth of understanding in a way that a traditional classroom discussion simply could not. We experienced the lay of the land, the feel of the landscape, the size and how the space worked with bodies in it, as well as sounds from the area; all of our senses were stimulated!
This experience allowed us to contextually frame the information we were gathering, thus expanding our real-world (not just professional) knowledge. We were no longer passive students; we had become active community learners.
“It has to start somewhere
It has to start sometime
What better place than here
What better time than now?”
Rage Against The Machine
DAY 3 - COMMUNITY EXPLORATION
Gallery
DAY 4 - MORNING REFLECTION
Thus far, we have survived three days of decolonizing the class room with minimal chaos. At least, significantly less chaos than I had expected when we were told we had full control. The day started differently; the reference back to colonization was in full force. Heather Jarvis educated us on sex work and the Safe Harbour Outreach Program. Given the confines of the colonial structure of the classroom, Heather was placed at the front of the room using the projector. This was the first glimpse of the structured old ways, but was there really any way around this? Given the traditional space we were provided, there was no other way.
Throughout the presentation, Heather, in a position of power and knowledge, shared some of the power and asked the class our thoughts on various terms used and their meaning before providing us with the "knowledge." In this setting, Heather was knowledgeable about the information we received, but she was not the expert. The presentation content itself was an effort of decolonization. It was developed in collaboration with sex workers to ensure that first hand knowledge was presented and not someone's assumptions of the information we were receiving. Society as a whole has not made it safe for sex workers to tell their story in person to a class of MSW students, but Heather was the next best thing and strives to be a representative of their voices.
It is important to note that each day in the classroom, Dr. Mullings sat amongst students and tried to share the power as much as a professor could with a class craving structure. Deloris observed herself initially asking all the questions (taking control), however, she caught herself, stopped talking and encouraged us students to continue the conversation.
The second half of the morning shifted back towards our goal of decolonization. Classmates debated on our experiences in the community. While this was not led by Dr. Mullings, she shifted the conversation away from simply venting to considering what we could do about the issues we saw in our community practice.
DAY 4 - AFTERNOON REFLECTION
On the afternoon of day four I felt that we had fully embraced the process of a decolonized classroom. That’s not to say that we had mastered decolonizing the classroom, but were comfortable with the process. For the afternoon, we collectively decided to work on our online exhibition. During this process, I witnessed my fellow students taking charge by going to the front of the room to work on our group project, while other students broke off into smaller groups to work on individual aspects of the project. The professor, Dr. Mullings, stayed throughout this process but did not lead, moderate or guide any aspects of this afternoon. Furthermore, I did not see any of my fellow students looking to Dr. Mullings for leadership or approval of what we were doing, like we had in the previous days.
I was mindful that the typical structure that we were familiar with was not present and as a result, it felt chaotic to me, at times. I found myself feeling nervous, on edge and frustrated as I wanted one leader to take charge and dictate the conversations and course we were taking. I told myself to take a step back and trust the process I had agreed to participate in. In doing so, I began observing what was happening around me. I became acutely aware that my own identity is that of a white, cisgender privileged female, and while I supported the idea of decolonizing the classroom, and believed in its purpose, I also carried and supported the dominant ideologies both consciously and unconsciously. I started to question how my efforts to decolonize the classroom might be perceived by others given my own identity? Could I truly engage in efforts to decolonize the classroom in a real and authentic way? I am not sure that I have determined the answer to that yet, or if I ever will. But I am committed to the process and remaining mindful of my identity and position in society in an effort to remain true to the process of decolonizing the classroom. Furthermore, I am committed to carrying this experience with me in efforts to engage in further decolonizing practices.
DAY 5 - MORNING REFLECTION
“We Can Be the Change”
I arrived in class this morning feeling more relaxed than previous days. It feels that each day gets a bit better and I am more comfortable in my environment that is outside of the status quo. We began this morning with a complex discussion of immigration in relation to how we form communities with immigrants. We discussed various aspects of the following:
What does immigration look like in Canada?
What groups are more privileged? Immigrants are working in low level service positions, but where are the poor white people? Have they moved up?
How often does Canada open its doors and say “we’re going to take some black people in” when their countries are having tsunamis, war, etc?
Who gets to choose who comes in and where they are located? Because this is how Colonialism is maintained.
We discussed and reflected on the maintenance of whiteness in Canada and that Canada accepts immigrants that are considered “perfect,” so that they’re productive in capitalist society.
We discussed that darker skin immigrants are experiencing differential treatment in comparison to other immigrants who look more like white people. Lighter complexions are connected to more privilege with acknowledgement that Syrian immigrants coming in to Canada more often identify as Christian than Muslim. Black women are predominantly seen in cleaning positions, where they are less visible. The Philippino population are often less dominant and seen in many front-line service positions because of their willingness to remain reserved and ‘pleasant’. Furthermore, racialized immigrants tend to be placed in the poorest environments/communities. We hear all the time “we don’t want to create ghettos” however, we also know that there is power in numbers, and the one way to stop power is to keep people in isolation.
But… to what extent do we, as Social Workers, challenge the system? We reflected on the fact that we are all a part of this “system” and there are certain things that we do not want to act on, where we benefit. To what extent are we actually “going against the grain?” Is it just when we don’t have anything to lose? What has been the progression and regression of social work? Are we letting the system control us? Why do we feel like we’re working as individual counsellors/case managers? We’re no longer in the streets protesting and macro level practice is on the decline. To transform a system, you are advocating for a whole group of individuals. It’s difficult to say “unpopular” things within the organizations where we are working! We’re inspired to do all these great things for people, but limited. However, there’s a “gray” area where you can do things outside of the agency confines.
There is dominance and hierarchy in our working environments. We focused on the fact that community work has partnerships and multiple organizations have a say in how client care is delivered in an effective way. We asked:
How can we work to transform spaces?
How can we challenge the power structures that are in place to limit people? People don’t know their rights and that they can advocate.
We need to educate people about their rights and become more comfortable at having difficult conversations. In the community, there is a coordinated access group, where community workers sit around a table to discuss and determine what needs to be done for people to make system access better. This works well for clients and as students, we were given “coordinated access” to the classroom.
DAY 5 - AFTERNOON REFLECTION #1
Decolonization of the classroom is easier said than done. Group work is a challenge in everyday relationships and the challenge was no different within our small group. Power imbalances were evident as we tried to meet our individual goal for success and that of our group members. Creating the website was an act of building community and trust, as well as collaboration. Our group had varied life experiences and we attempted to create a collective, meaningful, and tangible product.
During this time, various small groups formed naturally to aid in the process of creating the website. What I found interesting is that we did not wait for Dr. Mullings to commence this work; we demonstrated our engagement in the decolonization process and committed to direct our own learning and final product. My classmates were open to receiving critical feedback about their work and I found that refreshing to observe and be a part of. It is a rare opportunity to have multiple peers review our work in a meaningful way.
I sensed that the completion of this student-led assignment and self-imposed deadline to document our experience in a website provoked discomfort for some of us. This is especially since working with this type of technology was new to us. I felt my anxiety rising, as I was thinking: ‘are we going to get this done?’ This reminded me of the emotions I associated with the decolonization process and my need ‘to fix’ or ‘rescue’ myself or others. Community practice, similar to our project, reveals the need to allow multi-faceted input while attending to mutual vision.
Sharing life experiences was a key component to our success in decolonizing our classroom during this institute portion of our course. Everyone (including Dr. Mullings) has gone beyond surface level conversations, to discuss meaningful, multi-layered experiences. A part of community work is critically looking at power dynamics and acknowledging the power we have without using it to dominate.
This afternoon we were tasked with video reflection for the purposes of our online exhibition. My heart sank when I realized that we had agreed to do the video, as I generally shy away from video and voice recording. However, I did complete the video recording successfully. With the support of my group, I moved out of my comfort zone, contributed to this activity and learned a lot about myself in the process. I will endeavor to engage in more activities that challenge me and the way in which I view things.
DAY 5 - AFTERNOON REFLECTION #2
It was my turn to reflect.
I was a few minutes late for class.
When I arrived, the class was fully engaged,
focused on the work at hand.
There was no opportunity to quietly slip in.
I was the butt of the joke for being tardy.
I tried hard to defend myself.
My attempts elicited further laughter.
Being a strategist, I knew when to stop.
I quickly joined the group of Rockstars to work.
It's the day before the last day of our institute.
To be more precise, it’s the last evening before the last day.
Shouldn't we be exhausted, anxious and weary?
Why aren’t we flexing tired muscles to relieve tension in our bodies?
Isn’t it customary to be low in energy, crabby, impatient and eager to rush out?
We agreed that our days would end at 3 o'clock.
And yet, there we were at almost at 5 o'clock.
Cracking jokes and laughing effortlessly like school children.
What is it that I see in this room of courageous women MSW candidates?
Joy, excitement, appreciation, freedom?
There was joy and laughter in all corners of the room.
Everyone contributed to mutual gesting.
There was no preferential treatment for anyone,
so none of us escaped the roasting.
Yet, at the same time, work continued intensely.
Focused on our project to showcase our efforts to the world,
but demonstrated care for each other.
Refilled water containers from the fountain
and checked in to see how others were doing.
Empathized when someone had an upset stomach.
Understood when others had to leave for prior activities.
We worked together collaboratively.
Videotaping one-minute reflections,
cursing the inflexibility of the website template,
but worked consistently to upload our content.
Emailing pictures and videos; searching for documents;
reorganizing; restructuring; discussing ideas;
creating guidelines for peer grading;
teaching how to airdrop pictures.
Everyone had multiple roles.
When did we build this relationship that enabled us to work seamlessly?
In spite of our unique personalities and peculiarities.
Sistah Audrey Lord would have been proud.
We shared in ways reserved for different spaces,
asked curious questions, received open answers
and discussed hurtful incidences at school and work.
Joked about day one tensions and misunderstandings.
Teased someone and laughed even harder.
To those outside our enclave created for nine,
we may have sounded boisterous and loud.
But we were not thinking about anyone
and did not care much what anyone thought.
We were in our element shining like Rockstars.
“Tomorrow is our last day. It’s gonna be bittersweet”
Even as we packed up our belongings and said our goodbyes for the evening,
some of us stood at the back of the room chatting.
As if hoping to lasso the energy.
Bottle it and hold it for life.
This class gave us an unforgettable experience.
One that is unique in education.
We are satisfied that we achieved our goals.
I believe in this process of decolonization and transformation.
And knew that it could be a success.
I envisioned it, in spite dissenting voices.
The proof lays bare before us.
Anything is possible.
The sky's the limit.
There are necessary ingredients for success.
Professors’ commitment to share power with students.
Relinquish their control of the learning space
and students’ willingness to embrace the process.
Sit in the discomfort and ride through the tensions.
That rainbow is waiting for all us at the end of the journey.
Come with us and experience it for yourself.
As I watched the class unfold,
I could not help but feel a sense of pride.
Eternal gratitude and thanks for our work together.
The students’ willingness to trust me.
Trust the process.
Trust themselves.
Our commitment to decolonize and transform education was as a success.
Surprisingly it was not painful.
I was not abused, stereotyped or delegitimized.
I thought about all my years of efforts.
The roadblocks from students.
The lack of support from administrators.
Today none of that was important.
The only thing that mattered was this moment.
We did it!
- Dr. Mullings
OUR TESTIMONIALS
Check out below
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
An integral piece in our efforts of decolonizing the classroom is self reflection. To this end, each student has provided their thoughts and reflection on our week together through a brief video. Each video can be found at the end as you scroll down. We invite you to view these videos as we share our experiences with you!
