Monday, February 19, 2018
Investigating Oppression
For this project, my partner and I researched the history of oppression of black people in America, especially in schools, and made this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0AfJ4Bpm94
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Being the "Other"
For this project, I went to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. I was really nervous because I knew I wouldn't fit in, since I have never even tasted alcohol and none of my family drinks, but I had a great experience there! It was held at a local Methodist church, and there were about 10 people in the meeting. We all sat around a table, and I totally felt like I didn't belong. I was definitely the youngest person there and I am guessing the only LDS person. Everyone was really nice though, and the meeting was interesting. They gave me a pamphlet since it was my first time going to an AA meeting.
At the beginning, we introduced ourselves, and we all said the stereotypical "I'm Alice," "Hi, Alice!" thing, but it felt sincere and genuine. Then, we said the serenity prayer, which I did not have memorized.
I felt out of place then because everyone else was reciting it and I was just sitting there. Then, we read through some of the rules and guidelines of the AA program, and we went over the 12 steps to recovery.
This week was focused on step 2, which is basically coming to believe that a greater power exists and can help us through hard times. This was something I felt I could relate to. We read a chapter about that in a book, and then we had time to write our thoughts. This is what I wrote:
Then, we all had a chance to share our feelings about what we had talked about, kind of like a testimony meeting. I was really nervous and didn't want to say anything, especially since I felt like I couldn't relate to what everyone else was going through, but as other people shared their thoughts, I felt like I should share mine. I just talked for a minute about how I had come to know that there was a higher power, a God, who is really there and is aware of us and wants us to succeed and learn from our trials. Everyone ended up sharing something, so I felt like part of the group, and one of the ladies who spoke after me said that she knew she was there for a reason and that everything everyone had said had really helped her. We finished by holding hands in a circle, which surprised me, and saying the serenity prayer again, which I had memorized by this point. One of the ladies hugged me at the end, and many invited me to come again, which made me feel accepted and welcome.
Overall, this experience was enlightening. At first, I was nervous and didn't know what to do or what the meeting would be like, but as I observed others and listened to them, I learned what was expected and was able to participate and learn from the experience. I feel like I can relate to students who feel like the "other", like they don't belong, and I know that I need to be very warm and welcoming to make them feel comfortable and safe. Something I liked about the meeting was that no one was forced to share their thoughts, but we were all given the opportunity, and it was such a comfortable environment that we all did, even though I don't like talking in front of people. I want my future students to feel comfortable sharing their ideas, but I don't want them to feel pressured or scared to do so. I need to love all of my students equally and see them through God's eyes.
At the beginning, we introduced ourselves, and we all said the stereotypical "I'm Alice," "Hi, Alice!" thing, but it felt sincere and genuine. Then, we said the serenity prayer, which I did not have memorized.
I felt out of place then because everyone else was reciting it and I was just sitting there. Then, we read through some of the rules and guidelines of the AA program, and we went over the 12 steps to recovery.
This week was focused on step 2, which is basically coming to believe that a greater power exists and can help us through hard times. This was something I felt I could relate to. We read a chapter about that in a book, and then we had time to write our thoughts. This is what I wrote:
Then, we all had a chance to share our feelings about what we had talked about, kind of like a testimony meeting. I was really nervous and didn't want to say anything, especially since I felt like I couldn't relate to what everyone else was going through, but as other people shared their thoughts, I felt like I should share mine. I just talked for a minute about how I had come to know that there was a higher power, a God, who is really there and is aware of us and wants us to succeed and learn from our trials. Everyone ended up sharing something, so I felt like part of the group, and one of the ladies who spoke after me said that she knew she was there for a reason and that everything everyone had said had really helped her. We finished by holding hands in a circle, which surprised me, and saying the serenity prayer again, which I had memorized by this point. One of the ladies hugged me at the end, and many invited me to come again, which made me feel accepted and welcome.
Overall, this experience was enlightening. At first, I was nervous and didn't know what to do or what the meeting would be like, but as I observed others and listened to them, I learned what was expected and was able to participate and learn from the experience. I feel like I can relate to students who feel like the "other", like they don't belong, and I know that I need to be very warm and welcoming to make them feel comfortable and safe. Something I liked about the meeting was that no one was forced to share their thoughts, but we were all given the opportunity, and it was such a comfortable environment that we all did, even though I don't like talking in front of people. I want my future students to feel comfortable sharing their ideas, but I don't want them to feel pressured or scared to do so. I need to love all of my students equally and see them through God's eyes.
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