Students Learn a Powerful Lesson About Privilege

“I once saw a high school teacher lead a simple, powerful exercise to teach his class about privilege and social mobility,” begins this recollection about the teaching of a life lesson. “He started by giving each student a scrap piece of paper and told them to crumple it up.” From there, students learned quickly about what it means to have privilege.

“Your job as students who are receiving an education is to be aware of your privilege and use this particular privilege called education to do great things,” the classroom teacher had said, “all the while advocating for those in the rows behind you.”