Caitlin Shannon

Spanish Teacher • @DrewTeachNJ MAT ‘20 • 🇨🇺 • 🏳️‍🌈 • she/her • learning everyday how to better be actively anti-racist •

[Fair Lawn High School @FairLawnHSNJ]

Thank you Deputy Mayor Cutrone, Councilmember Rottenstritch, Ilene Kahn and Guidance Supervisor Ms. Gupta for speaking with our Women's Activism Club last week! Great way to recognize Women's History Month! Thanks @srtashannon , Ms. Bennett and our amazing students!

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

A6: I think we do this by figuring out where the intersections of these oppressive systems appear not just in society but in our specific content as well and examine them together with our students. #Pride_EduChat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

Q5 cont: Past these steps, we can begin to examine where the binaries created by the patriarchy appear in our content area and look to disrupt them. In WL I try my best to disrupt the masc/fem binary in my language by teaching and using inclusive language. #Pride_EduChat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

A5: I think the easiest ways to begin doing this is normalizing asking students the pronouns, making sure to call students by the names they ask us to call them, etc. #Pride_EduChat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

A5 cont: as queer educators, we can make our identities known to our students (if it’s safe and we are comfortable) to show our students that no matter what they may be hearing or seeing they are not “other”. #Pride_EduChat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

Q4 cont: these movements often ignore the intersections of marginalized identifies leaving these students still “othered”. #Pride_EduChat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

Q4: For our LGBTQ+ students of color they fall outside of the “norms” dictated by the patriarchy and white supremacy. Often fights against the patriarchy ignore it’s shared roots with white supremacy and as such... #Pride_EduChat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

it creates serious mental health and safety issues for our LGBTQ+ students. These issues stem not only from societal pressure, but from those close to them (family, peers, even educators) reinforcing these norms.

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

Q3. The main way I think the patriarchy impacts our LGBTQ+ students is by telling and showing them since birth that they are somehow “other” or “not normal”. The binaries that the patriarchy (and the other oppressive systems that it works with)... #Pride_EduChat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

constantly pick out those who are “other” and often make our students feel like they are the only ones. This othering and loneliness that the patriarchy creates it harmful because while designed to promote assimilation to the norm, more often than not, as statistics tell us..

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

A2: Patriarchy persists in civic culture, to an extent, because “this is how it’s been”. Patriarchy, the social norms, and social code that it creates organize our (western, capitalist) society and tell us where our place is. #Pride_EduChat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

I would define patriarchy as a set of norms/an institution that prioritizes and values the masculine, the heterosexual which creating binaries which categorize everything in our world against masc/fem, hetero/homo, normal/not normal, etc.

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

Joining a little late but glad to be here!! I’m Caitlin and I teach Spanish 1 and 2 in Bergen County, NJ 🤗

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

@SraWitkowski Hahaha I don’t think so!! Our hybrid schedule ends at 12:35, an hour for lunch and then 1:35-3:10 is office hours which when students don’t show up means planning and grading time for me!!

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

A1: We’ve been 1/2 day hybrid schedule with A/B cohorts since mid-January and they’ve just announced we’ll be moving back to full day schedule the Monday after spring break. Feeling nervous for many reasons but mainly cause I’ll be losing a good 2hrs of planning/day😬 #langchat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

#langchat that’s was A4.. whoops! 🤪

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

I really tried to go to PD back in the fall, but I was just too tired. My districts been great about offering bite sized tech PD every week. I’ve been converted to OneNote from Google Classroom and I’m never going back!! Simpler for the students and saves me time, too! #langchat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

Professionally, I’ve been reading a lot about translanguaging as I look to incorporate it into my teaching more. I’ve got lots of students who speak Spanish or other languages at home so I want to help them use their full repertoires to explore! #langchat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

A3: reading has been a big part of my self care this year actually. Every morning I try to read 2 chapters while drinking my coffee. Definitely helps me keep my sanity. Currently reading “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab and it’s 👍🏼👍🏼 so far!! #langchat

[Caitlin Shannon @srtashannon]

@ladylanguage411 @PRHSspanish Gracias!! Glad to be here. They definitely do 🥴🥴