Reflections #3

As far as I can remember my elementary days, there are still some fresh incidents that I can remember today as if they occurred yesterday. I guess after they happened I may have gotten offended by the incidents so they remain in my long term memory. So when topics like this arouse they become afresh. I believe incidents like this can only get a child so far in life, especially if they're sensitive. They are the most memorable events because it's natural for us humans to reminisce on the bad memories more than we do on the good. For example, I remember when I was in kindergarten, my teacher was Spanish but she spoke English very well. In class she would only speak Spanish and if you didn't understand she would transfer you to another class. The offending part of this story was that she transferred me not knowing that I am Spanish. She didn't even test me, she just assumed that I didn't speak the language because of the color of my skin. Although segregation happened to what feels like centuries ago, it still seems as recent as yesterday. The elementary school I attended was located in a Spanish neighborhood, and I would base my experience with most of the teachers at my elementary school to be somewhat a contribution approach. The teachers acknowledged certain culture deeply on certain levels, for example different holidays. The month of October is most certainly devoted unto Spanish speaking countries because of Christopher Columbus. In the month of February we celebrate the contributions to America of Black legends such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Madam C.J. Walker, and many more black heroes. If I could go back to elementary I would prefer my teachers to consider the transformation and social action approach simply because I think everyone should be acknowledged with the potential to become a great leader regarding race, culture, gender or ethnicity. All cultures should be acknowledged everyday not just a month or a couple of weeks in one year. America is known as the melting pot because we are a people made up of different beliefs, and ways of life, who travel from far to settle in a foreign land but together we make up one nation. That's what makes us unique, so why not acknowledge each other as one. This case is more sensitive for teachers, because although parents train the child as they grow older, we as teachers set an example for what and who they may and will become.