“We also need to be sensitive to students who may be stigmatized for their condition by peers and others, and may internalize the stigma and sense of shame. Sharing stories about homeless and transient families will help them know they are not alone, provide opportunities to counter negative stereotypes, and help the rest of the students become more empathetic and understanding.” (Goodman, 2018, p.25-26)

I find this quote to be so important as we continue on our paths to becoming the best teachers we can be. Each and every student has their own story and their own reality, and many experience fear of isolation, rejection and stigma due to the fact that they don’t fit the “norm” or the “ideal.” As teachers, we have (in many cases) control over what materials we use and how information is represented. Although we may think that the small things we expose our students to during lessons in terms of further projecting a socially stabilized “norm” or “ideal” may not be a big deal, it does have a larger influence than we may think. This quote particularly made me think of when my CT told me that the unit I will be teaching for her 7th grade class would be based on family. The very first thing I thought was the fact that “family” has a different meaning for everyone and represents a different make-up of members from one person to the next. How was I going to go about this topic that I’m certain may make students feel uncomfortable due to the existing “ideal” of how a family and a home is portrayed to look by society? It is important to assure that all students feel comfortable and included in every lesson, and many times one does not know what is occurring in their personal lives. After discussing the topic with a fellow student teacher in my program, I was able to understand a way to gauge such a topic focusing on students sharing their own personal perspectives first before delving into the topic of family. I have also understood that, in focusing on a theme such as this, it will be important to include authentic material that represents a diversity of how families look around the Spanish-speaking world. By using material and information that incorporates a diversity of realities, such as the idea of “family” and “home”, we can start to pierce the bubble of what society characterizes as “normal.”