This time my reflection will be short and sweet, though not for lack of serious consideration.
I got so much from our last class, but something that really struck me was how Dr. Narcisse labeled urban students. He called them "high needs," not "at risk." It is significant to note that his comment was tucked within a longer response, so you really had to listen for it ... but it was definitely there, and I'm so glad it was!
To draw too much attention to this reference would only complicate its beautiful simplicity, but I appreciated his (more) positive spin on a traditionally negative label --- especially in light of our discussion/readings about why we should stop focusing exclusively on UNDERachievement. Someone with specific needs can succeed (oh, hello, ED 438), but someone we designate to be "at risk" (no one ever publicly completes the thought to say "of failure") only creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. So there you have it.
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