Oct. 25 Chapter 7
Because my week is so busy, and the readings are long and complex, I don’t get the chance to read them slowly enough, or with the best circumstances, to absorb and make all the connections. However, there are always statements that stand-out for some reason and make me think a little more deeply, or resonate with my own experiences. I had a thought come up tonight that I had a couple of weeks ago in class when we were talking about pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. I have gained awareness as we’ve discussed all the many sub-groups of people, their disadvantages and challenges. Much of it has been eye-opening. Some of the statistics have been more stark than I realized (although statistics themselves can be biased and I think the real issues are often missed when our eyes are too closely on the statistics). Hearing from the heart of each of our classmates has been enlightening. We (all the sub-groups, advantaged, or disadvantaged) are more alike than we are different. We have all, in very different ways, suffered challenges that require us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps in order to succeed. I read Angie’s comment and the effect of one person who created a break through for her. We (black, latino, asian, male, female, young, old, white, from wealth or poverty, LGBTQ…) are ALL in this Master’s Program…and why…because we have all been able to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. I guarantee that we have each faced challenges that have made us doubt, made us falter, made us feel disadvantaged. However, unlike the person who is not here…we have found the courage, the perseverance, the ability to do hard things, even when odds were stacked against us. I think that is what we need to teach, that’s what got each of us here. Page 213 in Smith struck me and made me think of this again–“If I were to describe a pattern that emerges in special-purpose institutions concerning student success, it is that the faculty, staff, and the institutional ethos convey a belief in students’ ability to succeed and excel, regardless of their background….The strategy involves a strong commitment to support, excellence, and belief in students, even when they might not believe in themselves.” On page 214 the text continues, “…they convey a common message to graduates that education is for a purpose beyond themselves…Thus, students who may not come with all the educational preparation needed to succeed are encouraged to persist and work because their success or failure has implications beyond themselves as individuals.” One other study of successful programs noted on page 214 said, “…initiatives that incorporate characteristics of high expectations, belief, support, an institutional ethos that suggests that effort and hard work matter.” I know it’s oversimplified to say, we are more alike as humans than we are different…you can do it…keep working…believe in yourself…it’s hard, but you can do it…it’s about more than just you…we’re all in this together…your success will make a difference…but, sometimes I wonder. The story of hope is powerful. And when one is committed and in motion towards a goal, the miracle happens.
I feel like tonight’s post for me is not as ‘intellectually’ reflective, but this is the thought that keeps coming to mind after reading both chapters along with the book And Still We Rise. I’ve spent a lot of time in my life trying to pick apart why, how some people make it regardless of their circumstances and others don’t. There’s a lot of ‘outside’ work can be done to fix things…ultimately I feel we need to help all of our students do the ‘inside’ work so they can overcome the obstacles that may never be fully understood, and/or removed. (Please feel free to straighten me out, I’m not trying to just wear rose-colored glasses)
On a humorous, but not so humorous, note about the need for “advising…aggressive advising” on college campuses. I was attending a highly respected 4 year university for 2 1/2 years before I had the courage to ask what people were talking about when they talked about a “bachelor’s “. More than half-way through my classes , paying for my own education and living, 13 hours away from home, making all of my grades, and I didn’t even know what I was in college to get!!! I was too embarrassed to ask, because it seemed like common knowledge to everyone else, and I thought I should know.
