The Power of Perspective: Allowing Others to Tell Their Story

 

 The Power of Perspective: Allowing Others to Tell Their Story

The Influence of Perspective

The longer I teach, the more I realize how much perspective shapes the way we view the world. As a tall, white, educated, athletic, economically advantaged male, my experiences have been vastly different from many of my students. This privilege has shaped my perceptions of how the world works and what challenges look like. For me, obstacles can often be resolved with a conversation or a swipe of a card. When I speak, I expect to be heard and respected. I don’t worry about how authority figures or the government might treat me because, more often than not, I resemble them and have connections that smooth the way.

The Realities My Students Face

But what about my students? Over the past two years, through my work with Central Washington University’s STELLAR project—a multimillion-dollar grant aimed at bringing equity to underserved learners in STEM—I’ve uncovered stark realities for my students that I’ve never had to face. Realities like:

  • Living in constant fear that family members might be taken away due to immigration laws.

  • Avoiding the sun to prevent comments about skin tone.

  • Juggling a full-time job while relying on financial aid to attend school.

  • Seeing pictures of loved ones in unsafe countries they had to leave behind.

  • Learning high school content in an unfamiliar language while grieving a cousin lost to violence.

  • Walking through jungles and by riverbanks, risking everything for safety and opportunity.

My students’ lives are often marked by struggle, sacrifice, and resilience. Some have parents who were professionals in their home countries—doctors, dentists, or business owners—but now work grueling minimum-wage jobs to provide a safer future. Others navigate adolescence without the resources or support systems they need to succeed, balancing the social challenges of being a teenager with the burden of survival.


A Stark Contrast

In contrast, I grew up with support at every turn: hot meals, educational guidance, financial safety nets, and connections that opened doors before I even knocked. This perspective doesn’t make me wrong, but it’s incomplete when it comes to understanding how to help minority, low-income, and multilingual learners thrive in STEM.

Listening to Their Stories

So, what’s the solution? It starts with listening.

This fall, I collaborated with multiple universities to submit the SERRA Grant proposal. This initiative creates two regional alliances: one in the Northwest (with CWU and WWU) and one in the Southeast (with Dalton State, Albany State, and South Carolina State). Its goal is to amplify the voices of traditionally underserved students by documenting their stories. Through interviews and doodle notes, we aim to see the world through their lenses and craft educational programs that meet their unique needs.

If we don’t listen to their stories, how can we create equitable systems that allow them to succeed? Their perspectives aren’t wrong—they’re different. And by understanding these differences, we can make meaningful changes in our classrooms and communities.

The Role of Educators

As educators, our job isn’t to make students conform to a single mold. It’s to teach them how to navigate the system while removing barriers that stand in their way. This work has been the hardest of my two-decade career, but also the most rewarding. It has transformed my classroom, my school, and my world, bringing us a little closer to the equity I’ve always taken for granted.

Resources for Equity Through Storytelling

If you are interested in exploring this work further, here are some resources that promote equity through storytelling and hearing student voices:

  • Books:

    • Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond: This book offers an innovative approach to designing and implementing culturally responsive instruction, drawing on neuroscience research.

      Amazon

    • Tell Me Who You Are by Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi: In this inspiring book, the authors share their experiences talking to people from all walks of life about race and identity across America.

      Amazon

    • Funds of Knowledge for Teaching by Luis C. Moll: This article discusses using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms, emphasizing the cultural and cognitive resources households possess.

      UCSC Education

    • Teaching for Equity and Justice by Sonia Nieto: Professor Nieto shares lessons from her long career in teaching, teacher education, and research, focusing on educational equity and social justice.

      Learning for Justice

    • Student Voice as a Key to Transforming Teaching and Learning by Dana L. Mitra: This research examines how student voice opportunities contribute to students’ development and can lead to gains in youth development.

      Dana Mitra

    Videos:

    • "The Danger of a Single Story" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: In this TED Talk, novelist Chimamanda Adichie warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk critical misunderstanding.

      TED

    • "Every Kid Needs a Champion" by Rita Pierson: A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and connect with them on a real, human, personal level.

      TED

    Organizations:

By diving into these resources, we can all become better advocates for equity, ensuring that every student’s voice is heard and valued.

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