Image by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash

Something I’ve learned in the last year as I work toward my teaching certification is how imperative on-going self-assessment is. Teachers are expected to constantly evaluate themselves—every morning before class, after each encounter with every child, during each lesson, at the end of every day. This is not only to ensure the effectiveness of lessons but to compel teachers to examine unflinchingly their own personal biases and cultural sensitivity.

Am I doing enough to make sure every single child in my classroom feels valued, supported, cared for, seen?

Am I doing enough to make sure every single child sees him or herself reflected, represented, respected, in their classroom?

Am I doing enough?

In 2015, while pursuing my English degree, I enrolled in an African-American literature course that introduced me to the voices of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin, among others. Why, in all my years of schooling (I grew up in the 80s/early 90s) had I never been assigned classic works of literature by these authors? That’s the first question, the easy question. On further self-reflection, however, the question becomes this: Why had I never before sought these voices out?

Am I doing enough?

Last year I read 62 books; three were by Black authors. The year before that I read 72 books; four were by Black authors. This shameful disparity was one I hadn’t even noticed before. The easy question is, why aren’t there more books by Black authors being published and championed? On further self-reflection, the question becomes this: Why haven’t I been seeking out more books by Black authors?

Am I doing enough?

Making excuses is easy. Accepting personal responsibility is harder. I’m not doing enough. And as an aspiring teacher whose job it will be to develop and implement an anti-bias curriculum, create an inclusive, multicultural classroom, and model behaviors like empathy, respect, and tolerance, I need to do more—and keep asking the question.