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"A culturally relevant pedagogy that would propose to do three things- produce students who can achieve academically, produce students who can achieve academically, produce children who demonstrate cultural competence, and develop students who can both understand and critique the existing social order "(Paris).

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"Throughout history, Whites have found purchase in racial change when it was convenient for White interest to do so...allowing Whites to consider legal and political changes on when White interest is preserved and Black progress does not threaten it" (Leonardo)

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"The key is curiosity, and it is curiosity, not answers, that we model. As we seek to learn more about the child, we demonstrate the acts of observing, listening, questioning, and wondering. When we are curious about a child's words and out responses to these words, the child feels respected...children who know others are listening may begin to listen to themselves' (Paley).

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As educators, we need to CARE about exposing our students to different perspectives and points of view.

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As educators, we need to CARE about keeping our curriculum relevant to the world.

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As educators, we need to CARE and listen to the questions our learners are asking.

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"Conversations about disability have the potential to dispel discomfort and shift the perspective about disability from deficit or disorder to part of natural, human variation and the foundation of a truly inclusive school community" (Ferguson & Nusbaum)

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As educators we need to CARE about all the students who enter our classrooms.

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Building an inclusive education is to reshape the ways in which us as a society think of the word disability. It is to foster the understanding that disability is a social construct used to stereotype and discriminate students rather than a natural form of human variation. Giving students the label of "disabled" cultivates educators into deficit based thinking. Teachers may consciously or unconsciously lower their expectations of students with disabilities, seeing them as less able than other students. Deficit based thinking deteriorates a students' sense of self worth and competence; reinforcing the idea that they are less than and not capable of success. As educators, it is critical that we implement the same level of expectations to all of our learners, and to ensure that we are giving students the right tools to give them a fair fight. It is imperative for both students and teachers to appreciate and value the different types of learners that enter our classrooms.

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The world is constantly changing, and changing quickly, so it is important as teachers to stay up to date about what is happening in the world. Studying current events helps students understand the importance of people, events and issues outside of school. It stimulates students to explore and question social constructs that affect themselves and those around them. We must create a safe community where students can openly express their opinions, fears and experiences. If students are old enough to experience racism, they are old enough talk about racism. If we eradicate these experiences, students are left abandoned and confused. We must remind students that they are cared for and valued, despite the current state of the world.

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Historically, textbooks have been written from the White middle class perspective. It has become the "norm" that Whiteness is superior to all other forms of race and ethnicity. Growing up, students are expected to leave their heritage and culture as they enter the school building. It has become an unspoken law of society that one must assimilate to the language, tradition and culture of the superior: the Whites. As much as we advocate for cultural diversity, there is a limit to how much diversity is actually allowed. People of color are celebrated UNTIL it curtails the importance of whiteness. This notion of a diversity quota is seen in schools, in the workforce and in the media. In school textbooks, Columbus is portrayed as a pioneering hero; however what isn't depicted is the extermination and genocide of the Native Americans. As educators, we must break the conceptualization of racial superiority. We must invite and celebrate the different cultures and points of views we bring into the classroom. It is not enough to meet a "diversity quota" , we must dismantle white supremacy.

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Paris, D. (2012). Culturally sustaining pedagogy: a needed change in stance, terminology, and practice. Educational Researcher, 4(3), 93-97.

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Ferguson, P., & Nusbaum, E. (2012). Disability studies: what is it and what difference does it make? Research & Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 37(2), 70-80.

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Leonardo, Z. (2013). Whiteness Studies and Educational Supremacy. In Race, Whiteness and Education. New York: Teachers College.

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A curriculum stemmed from students' curiosity is one where they will be the most engaged. As teachers, it is our jobs to create critical thinkers, creative inventors and radicals who fight for social justice. The goal of education is not for students to recite knowledge, but rather to understand what the knowledge can potentially foster. Often as educators, we want to constantly speak and spread an abundance of information instead of listening to what students have to say. We must leave room for students to explore within themselves and to make connections to those around them. Inquiry based learning emphasizes the student's role in the learning process. It encourages students to explore, ask questions and to share ideas.

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Paley, V. (1996, May). On listening to what children say. Harvard Educational Review (56) 2.