7/14 and 7/19 Class Reflections

"Know thyself." This piece of advice from Dr. Sito Narcisse rings painfully true as I begin to navigate my way through the realities of the social context of urban education. Who am I as an educator and what experiences do I bring into the classroom? What are the social constructions that I have grown up in and how have they affected my perception of reality? By actively reflecting on these questions, discussing these matters with my peers, listening to the experiences of others, and delving into readings that may enlighten various stops on my cognitive roadmap, I plan on creating a better sense of self throughout the coming months. Today, Dr. Narcisse stressed teacher autonomy within the classroom and suggested that by simply hiring the right educators, he is able to accomplish his job as headmaster in ways that others before have not been able to. This was good to hear as so often we discuss the various institutions that run our nation and create oppression and inequity for our youth. However, Dr. Narcisse, Orozco, and Perry all look to the teacher to serve as emotional support systems for students who are entirely dependent upon positive role models within the classroom. By offering motivation and engaging students in culturally relevant learning I will be able to deconstruct the self-efficacy that runs rampant in urban schools.

Our group discussion detangled these matters further as we discussed the 'dinosaurs' who let children fail time and time again from within the classroom. How can we work against the negative impacts these teachers have on our students? Someone in our group lamented that one bad year of school takes at least two good years to reverse. Do these dinos realize the problems they are creating with their social contexts of ignorance and wildly distorted perceptions? Later we discussed feelings of white guilt that may arise in continually discussing issues of race and class within society. As someone who has openly struggled with his privilege I oftentimes find myself stepping away from discussion scared that I do not have the knowledge or the experience to speak on certain topics. Figuring out what to do with these emotions of guilt and isolation is a huge part of "knowing myself" this year. I have yet to figure out a plan of action but again, I am aware of these feelings and eagerly seeking ways to find harmony and a sense of identity within the wide potpourri of experiences and perspectives that lie within the Donovans.