The task that we were set in our values workshop earlier this week was one that sparked a great deal of realisation about the way our society works. The task itself was relatively straight forward; it involved being split into four groups and each group was given an envelope with a set of materials inside. Using these materials we were to create a resource that would be beneficial to a new student starting university. It was emphasised that we were only able to use the materials we were given – nothing else. Each group began discussing and got to work. At the time I can honestly say I thought the purpose of the workshop was to get us working together and understanding the importance of being able to work as part of a team; I didn’t see any hidden lesson. My group finished our resource and we presented what we had come up with. We were awarded nine our of ten for our idea; I remember at the time we all looked at each other quite chuffed with ourselves. The other groups then began presenting what they had made and each one seemed to get a lower and lower mark and while I noticed they didn’t seem to have used as much materials as us; it still did not occur to me that they were not given the same as we were. It wasn’t until we were told that each group was given a different envelope with different equipment inside that it became apparent that that is why their end products’ were not as good as our one was.
Someone said that it ‘wasn’t fair’ that we had got given more and better materials than they had. They would be completely right; it wasn’t fair at all. I then came to the realisation that there was more to the task than met the eye; there was a deeper idea that we were exploring without being aware. Not one person in my group had noticed that every other group had less than we did because we were so caught up in what it was that we were doing. This made me question if that is how I was all of the time; do I even notice that not everyone has the same things? While I know I do notice this; it does however raise awareness of the need to be more thoughtful in the sense of noticing that the circumstances for one person can be the complete opposite to that of another. We cannot judge everyone under the same list of criteria as we are not always aware of what is going on in everyone’s head or what their life is like outside of the establishment in which we know them. What occurred to me was that as a future teacher you cannot apply the same rules to everyone; each child will be from a different background and not all children will have access to the same things. It was raised in my workshop that you can’t set a task that requires access to the internet at home to your whole class and expect everyone to complete it if someone within the class doesn’t have it. This made me understand that as a teacher I have to respect the fact that not everyone has what we all assume everyone does. As a teacher I feel it is important to facilitate a learning environment which is inclusive for everyone and to do that it is important to think about and understand that not one person is the same or faces the same circumstances.
It wasn’t fair for us to be scored higher on what we made because we had more to work with. This can be related to wider society: if you don’t have as much, if you are from an area of deprivation; do you have access to the same opportunities than someone from a more affluent background? Statistically it is proven that people from areas of deprivation don’t have as good an education and are more likely to be unemployed. But; is this fair? Is it fair that because of the social injustice present within our society people can’t access their full potential? It is not! The reason for this is because just like that task we were given you can only work with what you have and if you don’t have what you need; how are you meant to complete each task to the best of your ability?
