You Keep Using That Word

I feel there are few movie scenes that have entered the popular culture zeitgeist than the scene from the Princess Bride featuring Inigo Montoya that inspired the title of my blog post this week. If you do not know what I am talking about please see this clip. 

I decided to pick this as my topic for today because I am really incredibly discouraged at the hollowing out of words that is happening and that seems to have been accelerated due to the pandemic. In education or pedagogy, people use words in a way that has no real connection to what the term actually means and refers to. So this week I am creating a list of words and terms that ideally I would like folk to stop and think about before they use to make sure they actually know what the word means or refers to and the wealth of scholarship that supports the term and the contextual nature of its use. Some of them I would super love for you to never use again (as indicated by the asterisk) unless you use it in a way to critique, but again I know that is a lot to ask. If you have any other words you want to add to this list please add them here or share them on Twitter. 

• UDL (Universal Design for Learning)
• Accessibility
• Access
• Resilience*
• Grit*
• Equity
• Diversity
• Inclusion
• Intersectionality
• Belonging
• Justice
• Learning styles*
• Trauma
• Triggered
• Trauma-Informed
• Trauma-Aware
• Safe Space
• Brave Space
• Mindfulness
• Expert