Reflection #8

According to my text book, Human Diversity in Education, Socialization is the process an individual will learn what is appropriate to be a member of a group, such as family, work, or social group. Social Class a way to categorize individuals in a stratified social system; social class characteristics are often related (but may not be limited) to child-rearing practices, beliefs, values, economic status, prestige, and influence, and general life chances. Social Status is the degree to which an individual has power, influence, or leadership in his or her social group.

Parents can socialize their children in many ways directly and indirectly. My mother has done a great job raising me. I was socialized to have beliefs and values. I have principles; I know right from wrong. She raised me with a Catholic foundation. She taught me to continue my education to ensure my future. I was born into what is known as middle class.

The media delivers a variety of social classes. The television exposes the audience to every social class there is such as: the rich, the poor, religious, atheist, and everything in between. The media can influence us to change our practice or it can educate us on what other people practice in their lives.

Sexual relationships are a choice each individual chooses. Some people are homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual. Some people choose to abstain from sex till their married, and others are monogamous, or promiscuous.

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Reflection #7

Rites of passages is when a person transitions into one phase into another, similar to child into adolescence, or adolescence into adulthood. Rites of passages can also be a transformation, or initiation into a group. When someone gets baptized it’s a form of rites of passage, the transitioning into becoming a follower of Christ. When a Jewish boy turns thirteen, it signifies the transformation into a boy to a man, likewise with a Hispanic quince, and an American Sweet Sixteen. Even fraternities and sororities have initiation in order to be in the group. There are many forms of rites of passages in the military, in religion and even in a career.

Every culture has a rites of passage, different customs, and different ways to express the transformation. In Mt Kenya circumcision of the genital organs for both sexes is a custom of rites de passage from a child to an adult. In sitting quietly they must kill someone in order to bring order to bring them into a new life of adulthood. In Sambia, they plan to build men who are strong and brave, in order to be good warriors defending their families and villages against their enemies through oral sex for nourishment. Every culture has traditions and their own way of viewing life. They have different customs which contributes to different rites of passages.

In formal education, graduation is the ritual, the ceremony that indicates growth-a transition from one stage to another. In America, a child graduates elementary into middle school, middle into high school, and then has the choice to continue their education into a vocational school, college, or university. We can consider grades as well to be rites of passage. Without grades students won’t be promoted to the next grade.

Casual Look

I cant imagine that women believed happily ever after began with a wedding, and then her husband goes overseas for their country. That was the life of many women in that era.A casual look is what most realtionships begin with unless it’s done electronically. Many songs lead their fans to believe that after the casual look, comes love, then comes marriage and a life that is happily ever after. Songs tend to indicate that love is like a fairy tale. That is partially true. I am thankful that many songs I am starting to hear on the radio bluntly discuss the work that is involved in a relationship. There are also some songs that I hear now that convey the same message as trudy wells & the six teens. Casual look can end up being a catastrophe , and even a casual look can turn into happily ever after.

The Blues Had A Baby

I can go back to when boys had cooties. "Circle, circle, dot, dot, now I got my cootie shot. Circle, cirlcle, square, square, now I got them every where. Circle, circle, knife, knife, now I got them all my life." I also remember chasing my brothers friends when he was at boy scouts. I even remember my first crush in second grade, his name was Shane Small with the same initials like me. I even dreamt about him, and my dreams are suprisignly crazy as a seven year old girl. I had my second crush on my moms best friend son who played soccer with me-his name was Brando Dunic. While I liked the soccer boy, I developed another crush for John Ponce-I was in third grade and he was in the fourth, but he was so doggonfine. Innocence child hood crushes are so easy. Then I enter middle school had a few casual looks that turned into nothing and some of my boyfriends and even my first kiss. My first kiss was a terrible experience as well. He was unattractive and our tounges were touching and it felt so weird. I regreted it until I kissed another boy who was cute, and knew what he was doing. Then I regretted that kiss until I kissed the love of my live who I am with today. Third time is definitely the charm. I found Mr. Right and I pray and hope we keep it right. So we can get married and do it every night ---And eventually have a baby.

Jamesetta On My Mind

Music is influential on many subjects especially love. A relationship goes through many phases. Each song Etta James sang about expressed a different feeling, or aspect on love, or what love endures before, during and even after. And the best thing about music it speaks a persons feelings. When a person is in love, he/she listens to love songs. But once that love comes to heartbreak, then the choice of songs change instantly.

True Love

I feel there is true love in a doo-wop song, or any song that sings about love because I am in love. My love is developing through rain and shine.
I always ask the question does love come natural, or is love work?
I got five responses 1. it’s natural; 2. it’s work; 3. it’s both; 4. love is work then becomes natural; and 5. love is natural then becomes work. For every couple its different. I know with my relationship it’s all of the above.

That is what true love is.

Its just like anything in life, takes practice and work. If you are an employee, parent, child, friend, or significant other-nothing is going to be easy-obstacles are in the way- but you must overcome them-and it makes you and the relationship or situation stronger.

Just like Emmet Fox (July 30, 1886–August 13, 1951) stated:

“There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer; no disease that enough love will not heal; no door that enough love will not open; no gulf that enough love will not bridge; no wall that enough love will not throw down; no sin that enough love will not redeem... It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble; how hopeless the outlook; how muddled the tangle; how great the mistake. A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all. If only you could love enough you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world...”

Raindrops

Man grief is a mediated affect, imagery of heartache, and fear causes a man to feel like raindrops are falling from his eyes. Men are supposed to be so tough they came up with a metaphor to disguise crying.

There are many emotions as a human we experience. We can be happy, mad, sad, angry, anxious, and nervous. All of these emotions can lead any human to cry. Young, old, male or female, we all cry. It’s a shame some cultures thinks when a man cries they aren’t even considered to be a man because men aren’t suppose to cry. Men who cry can be called all kinds of names. If we accept a woman or a baby who cries, we should accept a man who cries too.

Men should be raised with the fact that crying is an emotion that all humans convey. Researchers are coming to the conclusion that crying is good because “tears appear to reduce tensions, remove toxins, and increase the body's ability to heal itself….. and men who are able to cry may enjoy better physical and emotional health.”

Raindrops can be symbolized in so many ways. Raindrops can be disguised as tears.
I would like to think raindrops as a symbol of growth. Rain is water and it helps plants grow. When a person is able to release their emotion into tears, it’s a process, a progress to overcome a situation whether it is good or bad.

For the people who are in disbelief, men do cry. For the men who have been raised to think they’re not supposed to, you can!!!!

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Reflection #6

If I was in the “Little Rock Nine,” I think I would have wanted to quit, but challenge myself to fight for my right. I would have been surrounded by eight other people with the same mind set, which would help me continue our mission to get our education.

If I would go back in time right now, as an African American or Caucasian, I can’t believe they would segregate schools in order to “to preserve the peace and avert violence.” The National Guard tried to prevent violence by turning away black children to get their education. That is ridiculous. These nine children were trying to do something good in their life, how are they going to commit a crime when all they want to commit to is homework, projects, and listening to the teacher. That statement is ridiculous. I hope they are living today to see how America has changed.

I wonder how my personality and beliefs would be if I was born during the Civil War as a Caucasian and raised with a racist family. Even if I was brought up with a prejudice family against race, I wonder if I would grow up and realize its wrong, or would I be just like my family. I also wonder how I would act if I was born during the civil war as an African-American as well. I wonder and plan to discover if my family was racist or not.

I am not an outspoken person, but sometimes I will actually speak up. Living in an environment like that as an African-American, I would just keep walking away from the slurs of people around me. If I were to react I’m sure something terrible would happen.

I am thankful that I was born into south Florida when bathrooms, water fountains, classrooms, and buses were for everyone. I am blessed to say that I have friends of all nationalities. I am extremely grateful that our ancestors sacrificed their lives, and have made improvements for today’s society.

Reflection #5

Culture first begins with the human spirit. The human spirit is what drives a culture and forces it to animate itself. For example, this human spirit also known as culture develops through different groups of people. It also needs a variety of experiences and beliefs to be fulfilled. Each human spirit is unique, meaning no culture is superior or inferior to each other.

Culture builds and cultivates. It is language, food, music, behavior, traditions, values, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and customs. Culture is a learning experience, and it influences an individual or a certain culture. For example, America is built on many other countries. What is an American? An American lives in America. America is a melting pot. America is multicultural. Every person or their family in the United States is from another country. If the Europeans, or Africans didn’t discover the U.S.A the American culture would be Indians. Another prime example of culture is me. I am Spanish and Irish from my mother. I am Polish and Russian from my father. I was born and raised in Miami surrounded by African Americans. Some people stereotype me as a white girl trying to be black, but reality is the African American culture is my culture because that’s what I have been raised around. When some people meet me they ask me whats my nationality, and they even tell me I have an accent. They here many different cultures through my voice. Even though my skin color is white, I have been influenced by the African American culture, and Jamaicans as well. My fiancé is Jamaican; I learn and adapt to his culture. I acknowledge and intake his cultures food, the music, his style, beliefs and thoughts on life.

I have intercultural incompetence. I have the capability to function with other cultures. Intercultural incompetence is the life I live. I am surrounded by many cultures, Hispanics of all countries, Jamaicans, Haitians, Trinidadian,and Caucasians etc.

I am not aware of every culture. But I know if I travel to a certain country. I should do some research because every culture gets offended by simple sayings or actions.

Believing is a way of adapting and functioning to a different culture. If I didnt beleive Jamaicans were cool, I wouldnt have adapted to their culture. Therefore, believing is a way of adapting to a culture.

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Reflection #4

I am very grateful that I have been raised in a diverse city. In this diverse city, there are still secluded neighborhoods of just Caucasians, African-Americans, Hispanics, and some are mixed races. I was raised in an African-American neighborhood, with a Christian foundation from my mother. My father remarried to a Jewish Caucasian lived in predominantly Caucasian neighborhood. When I went to school I was either in an all black school, or a really diverse school. My mother sent me to a diverse school because she wanted me to be around different cultures other than African Americans. In my community service work throughout high school, I have dealt with African American children as well as Hispanics. I never had a diverse room setting. My first job as a camp counselor I dealt with White children. But race isn’t an issue.

I feel I am prepared for a diverse class as a teacher. Race doesn’t bother me one bit, gender, neither does religion. I am an open minded person; I respect and am aware that everyone has different religious beliefs. I feel I might need help on is dealing with children with and without families, the children with disabilities, the children who learn at different paces. That is what I need to learn whether it is through a class, my internship, community service, this book, or when I become a teacher. Reading these cases well help develop my ways of thinking about teaching. I also think dealing with those situations will come naturally; my human instincts would come into affect, or I can ask assistance from a co-worker, family, friend, or professor.

I want to teach early child hood, whether it is Head Start (ages 3-5), pre-k or kindergarten. Through my experience I know all children want and need is to learn, love, attention, encouragement, praise and to play. I understand that kids work at different learning paces but if they receive what they need, any child will succeed and learn to the best of their ability. I feel I am well-prepared for diversity in a class room setting.

Reflection #3

A person, who goes through a thinking process, then understands and clarifies perspectives of reality, is a paradigm. A paradigm shift is when the person who understands and clarifies certain aspects of life, makes it a new way of living and thinking. These two definitions are potent just like transformation. Paradigm can be considered reinvention of the mind. And the paradigm shift is a transformation that happens instantly.

Personally, I do not think I ever went through a paradigm shift because I normally progress over time, and change slowly but surely. According to the reading, it says I must let go of the old to embrace the new. I can’t be one foot in and one foot out, it must happen right then and there, all at once. A paradigm shift sounds like a great experience. I have thought and understood many paradigms, but never quite took the shift because I tend to hold on to the past, materialistic thoughts or things, and even ideas I had since I was in elementary school. I can say I do believe in the new paradigms. Like the earth is round, not flat. I was born into the belief of the new paradigm shifts.

As a teacher, there are certain rules and standards by the state and the school will require me to abide by. Some of these standards will be best for me and my classroom. And others probably can’t and won’t even work. And as a teacher it is probably best that I have some kind of eureka experience (paradigm), in order for me to shift things around in the system or in my classroom. Teachers must have paradigm and paradigm shifts because the classroom setting is changing constantly. Classes are becoming more diverse, technology, children of all races, gender, religions, and exceptional students are all being integrated into the classroom with all these changes from the student point of view, changes must happen for the teachers.