Monday, June 29, 2009

first day reflection

I was really interested in Leslie Grinner's "SCWAAMP" that defines America's dominant ideology as a nearly invisible pane of glass that we look through and don't realize is there until someone taps or breaks it. These past couple of years we have been tapping many different panes and this has stirred much debate among the various groups in our society.

As a gay special education teacher in an inner-city school where the majority of the students are minorities and live below the poverty line, I was able relate to the daily discrimination that occurs. I look around the school in which I work and see crumbling walls, inadequate classroom spaces, outdated materials arts and sports cut to the bare bones. On the other hand, my blond haired blue eyed niece is provided with all the advanced academic courses, electives and extracurricular programs imaginable. She lives in a predominantly white middle class town here in Rhode Island. All the while, the same standardized tests is distributed to every student in every community. How can both communities even compete to get the same results when the experiences are vastly different?

As a white male I can not empathize with my students, but as a gay man in this society, I can. I can understand the bigotry and hatred some people feel toward them just because they happen to be minority or poor or an immigrant just learning english. I take that empathy and try to make my classroom as comfortable, safe and accepting of differences as I possibly can.

About me

My name is James Egan. I am the youngest of six children. I was born and raised at Spring Lake in Glendale, RI. If anyone knows where Spring Lake it, you would know it is rather rural. I spent more time swimming, skating, boating, bike riding and exploring the vast forest reserve all around my house. There was always something to discover under a rock, in the rivulets and streams or up in the trees.

I did not sit in front of the television unless the weather forced me to stay inside. We only received three television stations. However, if the weather were good we would get channel 2 or if the cloud ceiling were low, we would receive channel 11 out of Hartford. Cable didn't arrive at Spring Lake until after I moved to college. I personally did not own a television until after I graduated college in 1994. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I now own four televisions all connected to cable.

I would label myself a digital immigrant. I have the technological equipment I need to survive - a computer, a basic cell phone and a digital camera (I love photography). I do not consider surfing the web or talking endlessly on the phone entertainment. I much prefer visiting with friends in person, working in my gardens, renovating houses and going hiking with my camera. I know I need to learn more about computers and technology and I will.