Where Am I From?

Teachers are human beings, not neutral robots. As teachers, our race/ethnicity, class & gender bring a form of cultural capital into the classroom. Our racial/ethnic, class and gender identity can affect how we understand and respond to issues of social justice, equity, treatment, as well as how we respond to student behaviors, language, and reactions. It can affect how we relate to, understand, and communicate with students, parents, staff and teaching colleagues.

This is a 2 part assignment.

The first part is a creative exploration/examination/reflection of how you see your race, class, and gender identity[1] [how do various parts of your identity work together to compose who you are? For some, race or ethnic heritage may dominate in their identity with their recognition of gender and class as smaller aspects of themselves. Perhaps, you see some blending of the above? How do they come together to create your identity?]

Use the lists we began to generate last Wed [see Bigelow, Vol. 2, pp. 6-10]. These may help you with your thinking about how “where you’re from” shapes your race/ethnicity, class and gender identity. This part of the assignment may/could take the form of a drawing, a painting, a pie graph, a conceptual map, a collage, or ???---some visual representation w/some descriptors or headings or subtitles to help others understand. Get those creative juices flowing!!!

Time to work on Part 1:

Week 2—Wednesday [today] in class.

Week 3—Wednesday in-class sharing/all work will be posted along the walls.

At the end of class today, you may take this part home for reflection and creation. Please bring it back COMPLETED for next WEDNESDAY, October 12…..[In other words: DO NOT LEAVE IT AT HOME.]

The second part of this assignment is to create your own “I Am From” poem that will accompany your visual representation of your ethnicity/race, gender & class identity. Refer to same Bigelow article.

v Please bring a printed copy next Wednesday, Oct 12 .

v Your poems are to be posted to webx by Wednesday evening, October 12 for others to read. You are not required to comment on any, however supportive responses are welcome. {please use your name in the subject part of the posting so that others will know whose poem it is]

v This poem is to be included in your electronic portfolio that you will develop.

As with any assignment, your name needs to be on both parts, along with your seminar leader’s name and the title, “I Am From…”.

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[1] Please note: Many people confuse what they “do” with who they “are” when beginning this assignment. This assignment is focused on your race/ethnicity, class and gender identity rather than other aspects of your identity. [Personal identity can shift over time, but your race/ethnicity, economic class you came from, and your gender typically do not shift]. For example, you may really love to play soccer and so you may currently see yourself as a “soccer player.” But 10 years from now, as a potential parent and teacher, it is possible that being identitfied as a soccer player may not be quite as important. However, now and 10 years from now, your race/ethnicity will probably not change, your gender will probably not change, and the economic class that you came from will not have changed, even if your economic status may.