Pedagogical Stance: Critical Inclusivity
As a special educator, I commit to a stance of Critical Inclusivity.
This translates into rejecting "bell curve thinking" and questioning the very concept of 'normal'.
To value difference rather than fear it.
My work is a "project not of assimilation, but of transformation." (Oyler, 24)
The Neurodiversity Philosophy & Movement
Why?
There is No Wrong Way to Have a Body or a Brain



"Neurodiversity as a philosophy and as a movement advocates for acceptance of all types of people's brains and minds as valuable and worthy. And it does not mean contrary to many people's misconceptions of neurodiversity that we accept that all people's brains are always good and fun, because there are many ways that people's brains work that might be distressing or painful or frustrating...and to talk about accepting people for who they are, does not mean depriving or denying people of access to supports and accommodation and in ways that make sense for them and what they want." Lydia X.Z.Brown 17:17:21
Each Human Being is on their Own Journey.
Why?
This Understanding Builds the Respect and Empathy that Guides My Teaching.



“We cannot correct historic oppressions and structural inequality that has occurred to all the bodies of the people who come into our classroom. (We) can’t fix the history of those, the legacy of that, the trauma of that, but we can start to unwind some of it by the very questions we ask.” Celia Oyler, 2017, 4:05
Building Internal Goodness
Why?
It is the Way to Build Alternate Decision Making Skills and Change Outcomes.



“In this time when we think a lot about resistance to accountability movements and resistance to authoritarian state structures, resistance to white supremacy, we have to think about not just resisting the outside badness but building the inside alternative goodness that are very building of alternative ways of making decisions. Alternative ways of valuing human difference. It is constructive resistance that changes the outcome for all people involved.” Celia Oyler, 2017, 6:03
