Story 3: Grace

Ms. Nightshade, Teacher

5:15 am , I wake up at the sound of my alarm chiming, as the moon shines in my small studio apartment in North York. My commute to school consists of a forty-five-minute drive to Jane and Finch, a commute that seemed much shorter before the population boom in Toronto. I change the radio station from news updates to musical tunes, ones long forgotten by this generation. As new music rarely catches my eye these days, I opt for songs that remind me of my teenage years. I didn’t always want to be a high school teacher, I aspired to become a lawyer fighting for the injustices that persist within the city that wrongfully accuse the innocent. These days it seems like there are not many morally just people who support one another in a flourishing manner, yet one that is full of false promises and corruption. Don’t get me wrong, good people still exist even in our age run by rapid AI productions and influence, it just seems that maliciousness prevails against the good in the city. A few years ago when walking down the hallways of Vari Hall at York University, I overheard a lecture about social justice and the prevalence of good in a fragmented society encapsulated by environmental degradation and societal division. I then began to imagine what my life would entail if I pursued my career as a paralegal in Toronto, will my skills and knowledge be enough to fight such injustices?

Wait, what if I become a high school teacher, one that may teach students the importance of safeguarding human rights in the pursuit of social justice initiatives! My ah-ha moment that sweltering June day at the end of my fourth year of university, since then I have enjoyed every moment of becoming an educator. I finally got my full position at Westview Centennial in the neighbourhood of Jane in Finch. I walked in my first day full of hope in anticipation of getting started and meeting all my students. I quickly got a reality check on my very first day a few months ago, my aspirations were clouded by instances of hope and change for a better future. I discovered the reality of my environment to be far from the truth of hope but rather one of despair and a lack of engagement for betterment. My first class was at 8:15 am on a bright Tuesday morning in a small classroom at the end of the Social Science Hall near the backdoors of the gymnasium. As my class filed in, thirty-five to count, I could already perceive the way in which my class may go. On the one hand, many seemed eager and ready to learn with little resources but a smile on their faces, while the other side seemed disinterred and opinionated about their socio-economic situations. Students in this community are of a lower socio-economic background lacking proper resources that are widely available to the students at the well-off school down the street. The stark difference is remarkable and prevalent, as I can see the struggle and glimpse of hope fighting against one another in their eyes. The students want to do better but don’t have the resources to support their learning. As a new educator, its difficult to see your students struggle in a situation not created by their own, but yet suffer the consequences of the digital divide. My first lecture consisted of a foundational lesson on social justice and equity in a divided world. I explored the importance of human rights illustrating the purpose of the law in a flawed system, one that has become corrupted by injustices and discriminatory policies. A Heavy topic indeed, especially for Grade 11 students however, as educators we must be able to engage in difficult conversations in our classroom in order to achieve meaningful conversations that connect theory with life. I have always taught with the inspiration of “good teachers connect theory with life” a phrase I heard in my final year of teacher’s college. I attempt to pursue this notion in my classroom to engage my detached learners in the importance of social justice especially in our day and age.

I love being a teacher, yet there is something more that calls to me in my pursuit of social justice initiatives. I am frustrated by the limitations imposed on my students, ones disillusioned by the stark disparities that emerge within their community and school environment. I rallied up a team of teachers who aspire to the change I hope to create in my school and community and you won’t believe what happened next….

CP24 New Report, Finally our rebellion will be seen by the masses!

This in CP24 News at 6 pm, five women in masks who call themselves the “Night Scholars” venture into the mist-laden streets of Jane and Finch emerging as beacons of change. But who are these women? More to this emerging story coming up….

Vigilantes, I like the sounds of that, as we laugh at the headlines plastered on the school televisions. Our mission goes beyond the classroom, as we transform our academic knowledge and role as mentors into educators turned vigilantes to challenge the oppressive forces that perpetuate social inequality. Serving as a glimmer of hope for the students and citizens of Jane and Finch who feel hopeless in their efforts for social justice and change. As I sit at my desk marking the students’ reflections, I perceive the undertone of hope in a society of despair, I sigh at their remarks of social justice in a flawed and corrupted system as their only sense of hope lay in their aspiration for helping others like Robin Hood in our weekly article. Huh, Robin Hood if only the students knew…