7/19/2011 - Reflection - Roger

Thank you Professor Grandson and Dr. Narcisse for coming in to talk with us on Tuesday. Two things stuck out for me that Dr. Narcisse mentioned: Know thyself and social constructions. Know thyself is key because I have had very different experiences throughout my life as compared to that of urban students. I believe that in order for my students to trust me and trust that I am there for them, they need to be able to see me as a person. Thus I think I need to know more about myself, and the reasons why I act and react in my own way. Talking to my family and recalling the parts of my past that mean a lot to me will be the main method for understanding myself. Dr. Narcisse mentioned social constructions - teachers aren't the only ones who have them, students and families have them as well. In fact social constructions are what brings meaning to much of our worlds - we need to be aware of our own social constructions and if one of our students is struggling, maybe we need to ask about what has worked and hasn't worked in their past experience with that topic. We also have to remember our core values which brought us to Boston College so that we may study for a year in an effort to better serve our children. Those values are what we will need to hold onto when the going gets tough, so that we can use challenges to make us stronger and more effective.