Dr. Narcisse was a very engaging speaker and his honesty was refreshing. What really resonated with me was the point he made about belief systems being tied to social constructions and experiences. I think it is easy to forget how you developed your belief system because it just seems natural, but as Dr. Narcisse stated bluntly, “It's all about how you grew up.” This made me realize just how difficult it is for individuals to change what they believe in or consider a different belief; in some cases beliefs are so engrained and reinforced by certain experiences that you or others might not be able to see another perspective.
I was reminded how important education is in creating independent thinkers. Teachers should remember that one of their goals is to provide their students with knowledge, but another goal is to teach them to think so they can make their own choices when it comes to deciding what to believe. Sometimes we are forced to believe certain things simply because we grew up hearing it and do not know any better. Dr. Narcisse has inspired me to examine some of my own beliefs and challenge whether or not I really believe in them.
What I really took away from this presentation was that it is extremely important to remember that every individual has his/her own perspective and sometimes it is necessary, especially as a teacher, to view the world from your student’s perspective. I think that if we remembered this idea of perspective, which we forget too often, we would understand our fellow man a little more.
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