What is Social Justice? Why is it important for our classrooms?

The definition of social justice can be easily found by typing in the word to Google; "justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society." But the definition of Social Justice in the classroom can be defined entirely differently. Social Justice in the classroom isn't just a definition, it is something that we as teachers see every day and something that must be taught. Social Justice in the classroom can be defined by the diverse population within the classroom walls, the conversations we have on the subject of our diversity, and the readings we do that talk about the tougher subjects. Social justice in the classroom can't be just put into a neat definition; Social Justice in the classroom is always changing and evolving.

"High school students who participate in social justice education have a greater awareness of inequities that impact their school, community, and society, and learn tools for taking action to address these inequities. Also, a classroom that consist of students with a diverse set of identities creates an ideal circumstance in which a teacher can build upon student differences in order to facilitate meaningful discussions about socialjustice, especially issues of race."

In a study done by Welton, et al. titled Social Justice Education in a Diverse Classroom: Examining High School Discussions about Race, Power, and Privilege, students were found to benefit from the inclusion of social justice education in the classroom. It allowed students the opportunity to talk about life issues and gain a bit of empathy. Students who are in a classroom that encourages conversations on social justice are more likely to take the initiative in the schools and communities when it comes to social justice. Social justice is important in the classroom because it encourages our students to know and understand issues and then take a stand for them. Every classroom will have those students who refuse to take part, or who refuse to see what is happening in the community. Not every student cares about what is happening in their community, or they come from families in which some life truths will forever be rejected. I have some students in my classroom that refuse to accept or even think about some of the deeper level issues going on at their school or in their community. Some students would rather not know than face the truth. But for the most part, social justice in the classroom really encourages the environment.