I started writing this Tuesday night, but it has taken me a minute to finish it up...
Myths, Realities, and New Visions
nights like tonight help me to begin to grasp the complexities and the challenges that lie ahead. I felt motivated and encouraged to not just want to understand, but to act. The power in the forum really came from the wide range of people who were speaking. The academics, the organizers, the parents, the teachers and the students. Early on in the evening, one of the researchers was talking about the way most educational policy focuses on the individual- the student, the teacher, the principal, the school- at the expense of looking at the whole, the system, or the collective of people that work, live, and learn through it. Tonight, we saw that collective of people.
And then I come home- and I watch this. The Daily Show is funny- and so is the clip- but the fact that this type of conversation is what the situation has devolved to is beyond disturbing. I am not sure I even know what to say to all of this- it is soooooo absurd.
(edit- 3/3: I know sarah posted it too, but I think it warrants reposting).
It is so easy right now to get swept up in coursework- thinking about a thesis, getting this reading done or that paper written, that I start to feel like I'm not doing anything real. I get really caught up in the frustration about thinking about thinking, hypothesizing about teaching, talking about the broken backwards system we are heading into. But I understand that my responsibility, right now, is to be as informed and engaged as I can be prior to jumping in.
You hit the nail on the head,Jess. By becoming an informed participant you can make the most of your time when you are in the field. But that doesn't mean there aren't ways to begin getting involved now. Coursework and thesis can be overwhelming and volunteering for an organization, school, or community space can be a nice respite from it all. And those seeds you lay now by working, volunteering, etc. can become much bigger projects and connections once you're in the school. Contact one of the academics or community organizers you heard at the forum and ask if there are ways to help out now, and maybe it leads to a bigger project once you've graduated.
ReplyDeleteIt's strange to think that after I graduate I'll be in this system where it's kind of a mess and seems disorienting to solve. But being prepared, reading up on what's happening and knowing what I'll be facing once I get into the real world will definitely help ease myself into the educational system. Like Ray said, being well informed is the best place to start in school and it can lead to different opportunities.
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