Ryan's 7/21 Class Reflection

What I spent the most time reflecting on after Thursday's class was the idea that we often unconsciously separate ourselves from people who are not "like us." Looking back, I see how this has sometimes been the case and other times it has not, but I am left wondering how schools perpetuate this trend. For example, at the small private school where I began my education, the students came from overwhelmingly white and upper-middle class backgrounds, so I had little opportunity to diversify my social interactions. When I transferred to a large public school in the tenth grade, the friends I made were much more diverse in socioeconomic background (mostly non-white, working class students), but they were also from the "high achievers" crowd I felt most at home with. Thursday's class forced me to consider what changed - and also what didn't - in that transitional experience. Once again, I realize that I cannot move forward as an educator without first looking back to where I come from ....