First of all I really enjoyed the forum of breaking down the text has a group- especially in our small groups. In our small groups, everyone had a chance to have their voice heard. It was the first time I truly heard certain cohorts articulate their thoughts on any subject matter let alone the heavy discourse of racism. By talking about these issues and our role within these shared experiences, we are walking on a path of much greater awareness. The 3 minute, 1 minute responses and “final word” was a great platform to truly listen in a respectful manner.
It was amazing how as an entire group we were able to break down a fairly weighty text in a short period of time. Individually reading the text took a few nights of head scratching, pondering and questioning a subject matter that is rather tricky and foreign to most of us- our own whiteness. As a group, I feel the concepts and the importance of understanding these concepts though uncomfortable (as it should be I learned) created a solid jumping off point to deconstruct and reconstruct the ever changing landscape of the classroom and our world in general.
I feel many people, including me, see racism as something that occurred 50 years ago. It’s not an easy issue to discuss. But after we discussed it, some issues came that even occurred a few years ago. It was fun to listen each person on a subject that is rarely discussed out there. It is going to take a lot of stepping out of comfort zone when we do become teachers.
Tyler,
I really agree with you here. I found the 60 some pages of reading to be really daunting. It was really great to be able to come together and discuss each “mini section.” Personally, I think that I got more out of it by discussing in detail. That way the learning wasn’t all on us, it was kind of a group effort.
Tyler,
I want to express my appreciation for this style of discussion. By having the final word, it let everyone in the group get their own opinion across to the group, but also lets the speaker have an opportunity to conclude their own comments. I am glad that you found this to be a helpful experience.
Thank you,
Mason Shearer