Editor’s note: The application window for the 2016 Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Teaching will be open through December 15, 2015. To give educators more insight into the awardee experience, we’ll be featuring Q&As with four previous awardees on the TT blog throughout the application window. This spotlight on Barrie Moorman is the third post in the series. Find the first post here and the second post here.
Tell us about yourself, including what you teach.
I teach sociology and U.S. history at E.L. Haynes High School in Washington, D.C. In our sociology course, we examine how race and racism have shaped identities, institutions, ideologies and interactions in the United States’ past and present—in order to work against systemic inequality and create a more just society. At E.L. Haynes, I also help to facilitate our staff’s Race and Equity in Education Seminars, which support and challenge staff members to examine the skin we’re in and how it affects how we teach and lead.
What about the Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Teaching made you want to apply?
I have always admired the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and its work in law, education and social justice. The award was something that I aspired to feel eligible to apply for as I developed my will, skill and courage to interrupt inequity and act for social justice. I am consistently inspired by the work that the SPLC does, and to earn recognition for the equity and justice work happening in my classroom from such an incredible organization was a tremendous honor. The award also continues to motivate me to be a teacher who deserves such recognition. I continue to hold myself accountable for taking a stand, especially as a white woman fighting for racial justice.
Please describe your experience during the award term.
The award facilitated a wonderful opportunity to join a community of like-minded educators who could support and challenge me in my continuing journey as an anti-racist educator. I was also able to connect with experts in the field and to learn more about their research and their work. The most exciting opportunities that working with Teaching Tolerance has afforded me are those that gave my students chances to interact with local and national organizations that are thinking critically about how we grapple with historical injustice and move toward a more equitable future. My students gained some outstanding opportunities thanks to Teaching Tolerance, which I’m most grateful for.
What types of relationships did you build with fellow awardees, Teaching Tolerance staff, etc.?
It is always wonderful to connect with other educators who are doing social justice work. Interacting with the other awardees and other educators that TT connected me with taught me a lot about the similarities and differences we face both nationally and internationally in teaching for social justice. I appreciated finding allies and thought partners with whom I could share ideas and seek feedback.
What has the award meant for your practice (and, perhaps, your life)?
The award continues to serve as a personal challenge to be the educator that I was recognized as. I think it’s important, especially as a white teacher addressing social justice, to know that one award doesn’t set me apart from other white Americans who need to constantly consider the biases learned throughout our lives and to intentionally work to interrupt them. I believe that everything I’ve been able to do as a teacher has been because of the strong communities of which I’ve been a part and the leaders, colleagues and allies who have pushed me in my practice and my thinking. In receiving this award, it’s important to me to constantly reflect on how I use it to interrupt, rather than reinforce, the privilege that I experience as a white teacher and a white American.
What recommendations do you have for people who are considering applying for the award?
I recommend that anyone interested in the award use the application as
an opportunity to listen to students, parents and colleagues, and to reflect on
the impact of their practice. There are many teachers with good
intentions, but even the best of intentions don’t necessarily create the impact
we hope for. In order to understand our impact as teachers, it requires us
to have strong relationships and to listen authentically to the people in our
school communities about how they experience our teaching and leadership. The
award application is a great opportunity for deep reflection and, regardless of
the outcome, should be a time that all applicants can recommit to being leaders
for equity in their schools and communities.
And last but not least, what tips do you have for how teachers can stay fresh and inspired in their teaching?
Find people who can push your practice and seek feedback from them! I have been fortunate to work in schools with strong professional communities, where I can constantly ask colleagues to help me problem solve, provide me with inspiration and feedback and push my thinking. I have also worked to connect with people on college campuses and through local organizations who are addressing topics similar to those I am addressing in my classroom. Finding connections outside of the K-12 education realm has been really important in making the work that I do more authentic and relevant for students. It’s through these connections and relationships that I continue to find wisdom, inspiration and thought partnership that fuels my teaching.
Thinking about applying? Learn more here!
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