Teaching From Privilege

Three white female social work instructors reflect on our privilege and its manifestations in the classroom. Using examples from our teaching, we describe the limiting effects of our privilege, including making assumptions about our students’ experiences, displaying bias in our choice of teaching materials, and not meeting student learning needs. We also noticed times when we modeled skills for students, held ourselves accountable for our actions, and were allies for students from marginalized backgrounds. Through reflection, we strive to transform the limitations into critical learning opportunities in social work education. Implications are discussed for teaching and institutional support.