What is Social Justice?

           Response to "Social Justice":

            Many people wonder what Social Justice is and for good reason. While researching and browsing the web I couldn’t find the exact definition for Social Justice. Everywhere I looked the definition of what Social Justice is was somewhat different. However, the website for National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) offered a great definition, in my opinion. “Social justice is definitionally complex; it ignites controversy, is not neutral, and varies by person, culture, social class, gender, context, space and time.” In addition, the NCTE website stated: “A grounded theory for social justice presupposes that all students should be treated with human dignity, that all are worthy of the same educational opportunities, and that the contract they enter into with schools must honor their sociocultural advantages and disadvantages.” I found this to be a great grounded theory of what Social Justice is. As humans, we all crave love. If students feel like their teacher doesn’t respect or show them love, they may distance themselves and completely shut down (not do any work). I have noticed that when I show respect to all of my students, they are more engaging in classroom discussions, and the class as a whole has an exuberant atmosphere.

Thus, as teachers we need to constantly be incorporating Social Justice in our classrooms. All of our students need to be treated equally, this is sometimes easier said than done. I remember being treated differently by some of my teachers in high school. The teachers who treated me with respect were the teachers I enjoyed learning from the most. As a result, I want to be an educator that uses social justice, in my class, to the fullest. Because I want students who are engaged and learning to their utmost potential. Therefore, I believe Social Justice is a key ingredient to making students succeed academically.