#4- Gender and Sexuality

The discussion of single sex education sparked my blog! I attended a co-ed school from kindergarten to eighth grade, then left to become a boarding student at an all girls school: The Hockaday School in Dallas. This transition was not that big a deal to me. I didn't mind having only girls around; in fact it made school much more relaxed! I never had to put on make-up, pick out my outfits or care about my hair! School became all about the education, not about the boys! During classes I felt empowered to be the dominant gender. While in class we could truly debate tough issues without being embarrassed. I do feel that some of my classmates that started their education in an all girls school and continued all the way found it more difficult to "fit-in" in college. Do I believe in single sex education? I believe that it depends on the child and only the child. There is no blanket right or wrong answer. The child needs to feel best in their environment. My sister would not have had the confidence to speak out amongst girls and be a dominate role in school. She loved being more subtle and in the background.

Another topic that seems to come up when anyone discusses sexuality is if being homo-sexual is a choice or genetic. I feel that it is genetic. Why would anyone want to be discriminated against? Do people want or pick to be picked on, made fun of and shunned? I feel they do not, that it happens because something in their genetic make-up is different than others in their gender. I know this is a hot topic but something that I hope one day we can "figure out!"

#3- Class and SES

After spending a week discussing class and socioeconomic with my group my mind has been intrigued with the various classes, feelings and issues that can arise just by the class you "fit" into. It was very eye opening to read about how many people really are homeless. I never thought of a normal everyday person that I see daily in a classroom as a homeless child. How can this be possible? How does a child function on a day to day basis without a bed to sleep in? Growing up is hard enough being comfortable in a home, I can't imagine the feelings one deals with in school knowing they have no home. Each day as a teacher I strive to stop and think before I ask them to relate to a situation that maybe they have never experienced, but yet I fall short at times and it pulls at my heart when I allow a student to feel vulnerable.

I experienced a change in class when I was in middle school. My father was the president of a bank, we owned a Porsche, had a home in St. John's Virgin Island and I went to summer camp every summer. I thought this was all normal for a 6th grader! Well, the 80's came and the whole Savings and Loan industry crashed, leaving my family to pick up the pieces. I never realized the true change of class that came with this crash, as my parents tried to keep day to day life the same. As I look back I see the changes that truly happened and thank goodness for my parents I didn't know exactly the huge changes they made to make my life as "normal" as it had been. Class is such a part of society and is pressured by the media. I do feel that parents influence how children view class and what is "normal." I am thankful that my parents never allowed me to feel the pain, stress and changes that they had to on a daily basis. We all made it through those hard times. My dad never gave up and started his own company which today is a success! Just when you think a change in class can ruin you, it proved to improve our lives! Because of them I attended a university with no student loans and am able to be in graduate school as well.

Money is something we all can't live without but at times can't seem to have enough. When will money not be the focus for children to be successful? Will they ever feel like they "fit" in when bigger and better is always being made?

#2- Ethnicity and Race

After class tonight it really brought back the memory of the race simulation lesson I learned in high school. I went to the Hockaday School in Dallas from 1992-1995. I was a boarding student coming from Greenville, Texas in East Texas. Growing up I was around mostly all white, middle to upper class friends and families. At Hockaday there were many ethnic students. I learned so much about religion and culture, but race was something that wasn't mentioned as freely.

As we walked into school one morning, we were handed a red or blue button. I was handed a blue button and was told to just wear it all day. I proceeded to class not thinking a thought about the button. My first period teacher told the blue students to sit in the front, take off our shoes, enjoy the snacks, while the red buttons were yelled at to get to the back and get to work. We were all giggling and trying to figure this out, but the teachers were very straight forward and made no jokes. The day went on and each period the red buttons were being treated terribly while the blue buttons got so many perks! Through out the day it was honestly odd to me that the blue buttons began to hate the red buttons and vice versa! At the end of the day we had an all school assembly and were told what had gone on all day. The diversity committee had set up this simulation to show us exactly how racism can come between people just because of a color.

I really learned a lot that day. I had always thought I knew what it would be like to live in a time period where segregation happened, but really that experiment proved just how divided our country was at that time period. I truly hope some day we can see past color and religion and truly see the person. I feel that young children today are starting to see past color and truly see the person first. I know my niece has never said that her friend is "black", she will say "darker." Race and religion will always be part of our issues around the world, but hopefully they will lessen over time.