Dear Donovans,
Wow! I am so sorry I missed the majority of our last class with Professor Grandson. I had some health matters to take care of, but this is not the place to speak about them. Regardless, I am truly blessed to be part of such an intelligent, awe-inspiring, devoted, unique and passionate group.
Before I left, I browsed around the classroom and I made a cursory at the posters that you all created. Brie's, obviously, reflected her love for sociology and early childhood education. Dana's mirrored the love she has for her grandmother, her experiences, and her strong connection to her Korean roots. Additionally, I heard about Roma's wonderful tree poster as well. I was touched at the fact that she did this. I think that the tree is a perfect symbol that we should recur to in all of our years of teaching. While our leaves fall off, in the cold or in difficult moments, they will always bloom again! : )
In addition, I am glad I was present for the conversation about role models. I think it is important, as Matt S. explained, to know who our students role models are and why they admire them. Once we have that information, we can determine whether they are worthy of idolizing and assist our students in finding the right role models. Like I stressed in class, I don't think it is so important to have an idol that looks like you or look up to a person of your same race. In my mind, what is most essential is that they share your values and accomplish/ed goals you would like to accomplish/had accomplished.
While I feel that we have learned so much in these 11 sessions, I feel there is a wealth of more information that we need to cover. With that being said, Donovans, I leave you a challenge... Read one of the books mentioned in class during vacation or become immersed in a scholar that has made a difference in inner-city/urban education. The point is task to not only gain more knowledge, but to learn more about the experiences of our future students!
Sincerely,
Maria Valarezo
PS. Thank you for everything, Professor Grandson!! You're wonderful! : )
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