Blog #6

What was my teacher’s bias is my bias now 

option #3: 

pick up a different from the theme in the readings and go deeply into what this means for you own development to prepare for the classroom. 

When I was growing up I didn’t had any girl cousins or sister instead I had brothers and lots of boy cousins that were close to my age, so I was basically raised in the heart of family full of men, and no girl like my age around. I grow up thinking I was no different than the boys in my family, I use to dress like them think like them, and act like them. During my elementary school years I only had little problems with teachers advising me to dress little more like girl, but everything else was fine no one ever cared about the fact that all my friends were my cousins.  It was when I start fifth grade when one of my teachers felt so uncomfortable around me and asked me to start wearing abaya and a hijab just like all the other girls in the class. She had a bias against genders who dress like the opposite gender or even act like them, she used to tell me that men have to wear men clothe and women wear women clothe so no one gets confuse or uncomfortable. I refused to do what she asked me and my family were so supportive because they know that in our religion we don’t make girls wear the hijab till they themselves are ready to do so. My teacher got mad and I got expelled from the school because all the teachers were feeling the same way about me. 

I didn’t knew that this affected me till last week I notice that my teacher’s bias is becoming my bias. I was at Lake Calhoun when three gay guys sat little close to me, I’m so open minded about sexuality meaning I hold nothing against gayness because that’s personal thing. But I notice that day that I felt uncomfortable when one of them took off its shirt and short and he was wearing a bikini under it. I got confuse because this guy was really old and he dress this way. I felt bad that I was feeling uncomfortable and I wanted to know why I felt this way so I chat with him saying that I respect gay people because they are so open with themselves that they don’t care about what society and other think, and no one can do that but a strong person, to which he smiled. Then I said, “But I’m feeling uncomfortable around you due to the way you’re dressed. I mean you can be gay but still dress the way men should dress, so people know you’re man despite your gayness.” 

I don’t want to write what happened after that, but my point is I realize that this situation might have to do with the way I was treated when I was fifth grade. Today I feel less comfortable because the gay guy helped me sort things out to myself, but I’m still struggling with my biases every day and there’s a long way ahead of me to overcome my biases. When I decided to become a teacher I was looking forward to be better than all the teachers I have had during my elementary and middle school years back in Yemen, but I’m noticing now that I’m falling into my teacher’s categories when it comes to talking about biases. Its good thing to know this now then latter and I’m so ready to work on my biases in order to become better teacher. In the future when I have my own class I don’t want the way my students decide to dress to bother me or make me uncomfortable. I want to accept all of my students despite their sexuality and the choices they make as young kids trying to discover themselves.