I am so unbelievably proud of all my fellow TAs who presented at the CSA conference. You guys were so professional, entertaining, and moving. I, like many of my friends, was close to tears at some points! You guys did such a great job of communicating our philosophy, and it made me so happy and proud to be a part of this community.
I also am so proud of my class today. I just realized that they have changed over the course of the semester as far as how they communicate and discuss things in class. It hit me today that I no longer have to prompt them to think of how things relate to the bigger picture like I used to; they blew me away with their analysis of the topics we were discussing. I feel like they really understand what the sociological imagination is and they are using it without even thinking anymore!! I couldn't be happier. They all seem to really appreciate the way we run things and I can't wait to see what I get back for the open assignment I gave them today.
What an amazing experience this has been. I am so grateful that I have found what I love to do, and that I already get to experience it in such a supportive and inspiring community.
:)
Friday, November 19, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Community Support
Today, me and Jess had a good talk about things. And it just reminded me of a bit of advice....That no matter what we are doing in our own work and studies, that we have something special in our little community that keeps us together. We share the desire to make a difference and we support each other through everything. It was a nice reminder for me to know that this "little, insignificant (as some might be quick to label us)" community can have such a profound affect on the things that we do and will continue to do. Thank you guys (and girls)!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Providing an anti-banking system space
In my last class I asked my students how they think the class was going and if I could get some feedback on things they wanted more or less of, if they felt prepared, etc. I got some really supportive comments that just made my week. I know that having a class that doesn't conform to the banking method of teaching is something that will benefit all involved; yet it is always nice to hear the students actually say that they get something out of it. I was worried that perhaps some students took advantage of the way the class was structured to just check out altogether because they weren't being quizzed on what we were talking about. But I felt really good hearing that the students enjoyed having discussions every class on what they were interested in and wanted to talk about. One girl told me that she enjoyed how "animated" I was (which I think might be code for insanely talkative and high on caffeine most days...). She said that she had never had a professor who seemed to be actually passionate about their subject. That was so sad to hear. I really cringe at the fact that professors are being encouraged to pretty much ignore the teaching aspect of their jobs and put publishing and research at the highest priority. I just keep thinking...whoever is reading academic journals are not going to benefit as much from their research as their students would from just a little more effort in the classroom to engage them...I feel like we've lost sight of what a university was designed for in the first place. I'm just glad to know that the other TAs and I are giving students a place to be themselves and speak freely about the things they're passionate about. They don't have to constantly try to say what we want to hear or memorize what we say in class. They can relax and focus more on thinking critically and creatively in a comfortable and open environment. I put pressure on myself to create epiphanies for my students and just blow their minds in class...but I need to remember that it is enough for now just to provide them with a class that is different, that doesn't restrict them or pressure them to conform...We are all making change by resisting the pressure to be agents of the banking system of education.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Immortal Technique
While I'm in the zone...here is one of the songs my student turned in for their homework assignment. FYI the focus of my thesis.
Immortal Technique--Caught in a Hustle
[Verse 1]
They say the odds against me, are crooked and impossible
Like I was born with a hole in my heart as an obstacle,
or left to die by the doctors, in the childrens hospital
But I never lose hope, success is psychological
The world is volatile and the street is my education
Shaping the nation, like the blueprint of a mason
While Shawshank record deals get you raped on occasion
So I'm focused on my economic situation
I'm like the little kids on T.V. that dig through the trash
I hustle regardless of the way you talk shit and laugh
A lot of niggaz drop science but they don't know the math
'cuz their mind is narrower than the righteous path
It's funny how 'on the block' niggaz will kill you for cash
But never raise their gun and cry out "Freedom at last."
The cold war is over, but the world is still gettin colder
Atlas walking through the projects with the hood on my shoulders
I would like to raise my children to grow to be soldiers
But then a general, would decide when their life would be over
So I work hard until my personality split
Like the Black Panthers, into the Bloodz and the Cripz
They said I'd never be shit, but now I sit and reminisce
Like Yeshua, Ben Yousef flippin through Genesis
Ignorance is venomous, and it murders the soul
SPREADING LIKE A VIRUS RUNNING RAMPANT, OUT OF CONTROL
[Hook]
So if I should ever fall and get caught in a hustle
Let them know that I died while I fought in a struggle
From the hoodrats to rich kids lost in a bubble
Spray paint it on the streets and in the subway tunnels
Write it down and remember, that we never gave in
The mind of a child is where the revolution begins
So if the solution has never been to look in yourself,
How is it that you expect to find it anywhere else?
[Verse 2]
Immortal Technique in the streets, back on the hustle
cause three strikes will get you life for stuffin cracks in a duffel
Upstate behind steel gates, attacked in the scuffle
Razor blades stuck on the side of pencils, hacked to your muscle
But the emptiness is what bleeds you to death when it cuts you
And its the lawyers, not the inmates scheming to fuck you
Trying to fight the system from inside, eventually corrupts you
But thats what you get when you put a corporation above you
And it's the people that love you that seem to hurt you the most
Sometimes when they die, you find yourself cursing their ghost
But you make success, nobody delivers your fate
Sometimes you give and you take
Since prehistoric vertebrates, crawled out of the lakes
And thats the truth about life
Or to do it to ghetto and your car, rims, and your ice
'cuz even though we survived through the struggle that made us
We still look at ourselves through the eyes of the people that hate us
But ima make it regardless of these trumped up charges
And semi-automatic barrages, that empty the cartridge
Post-traumatically scarred kids that try to be brave
'cus niggaz backstab each other just to try to get paid
Turn cannibal like knights during the crusades
Afraid of responsibility; Addicted to greed
Beating their girl purposefully losing a seed
As if we were bound to the destiny we used to receive
[Hook]
So if I should ever fall and get caught in a hustle
Let them know that I died while I fought in a struggle
From the hoodrats to rich kids lost in a bubble
Spray paint it on the streets and in the subway tunnels
Write it down and remember, that we never gave in
The mind of a child is where the revolution begins
So if the solution has never been to look in yourself,
How is it that you expect to find it anywhere else?
I used to wonder(I used to wonder) why people don't believe in theyselves
But then I saw the way they portrayed us to everyone else
They cursed us, to only see the worst in ourselves
blind to the fact the whole time we were hurting ourselves
I used to wonder(I used to wonder) why people don't believe in theyselves
But then I saw the way they portrayed us to everyone else
They cursed us, to only see the worst in ourselves
blind to the fact the whole time we were hurting ourselves
I used to wonder {*echo*, fade out)
Immortal Technique--Caught in a Hustle
[Verse 1]
They say the odds against me, are crooked and impossible
Like I was born with a hole in my heart as an obstacle,
or left to die by the doctors, in the childrens hospital
But I never lose hope, success is psychological
The world is volatile and the street is my education
Shaping the nation, like the blueprint of a mason
While Shawshank record deals get you raped on occasion
So I'm focused on my economic situation
I'm like the little kids on T.V. that dig through the trash
I hustle regardless of the way you talk shit and laugh
A lot of niggaz drop science but they don't know the math
'cuz their mind is narrower than the righteous path
It's funny how 'on the block' niggaz will kill you for cash
But never raise their gun and cry out "Freedom at last."
The cold war is over, but the world is still gettin colder
Atlas walking through the projects with the hood on my shoulders
I would like to raise my children to grow to be soldiers
But then a general, would decide when their life would be over
So I work hard until my personality split
Like the Black Panthers, into the Bloodz and the Cripz
They said I'd never be shit, but now I sit and reminisce
Like Yeshua, Ben Yousef flippin through Genesis
Ignorance is venomous, and it murders the soul
SPREADING LIKE A VIRUS RUNNING RAMPANT, OUT OF CONTROL
[Hook]
So if I should ever fall and get caught in a hustle
Let them know that I died while I fought in a struggle
From the hoodrats to rich kids lost in a bubble
Spray paint it on the streets and in the subway tunnels
Write it down and remember, that we never gave in
The mind of a child is where the revolution begins
So if the solution has never been to look in yourself,
How is it that you expect to find it anywhere else?
[Verse 2]
Immortal Technique in the streets, back on the hustle
cause three strikes will get you life for stuffin cracks in a duffel
Upstate behind steel gates, attacked in the scuffle
Razor blades stuck on the side of pencils, hacked to your muscle
But the emptiness is what bleeds you to death when it cuts you
And its the lawyers, not the inmates scheming to fuck you
Trying to fight the system from inside, eventually corrupts you
But thats what you get when you put a corporation above you
And it's the people that love you that seem to hurt you the most
Sometimes when they die, you find yourself cursing their ghost
But you make success, nobody delivers your fate
Sometimes you give and you take
Since prehistoric vertebrates, crawled out of the lakes
And thats the truth about life
Or to do it to ghetto and your car, rims, and your ice
'cuz even though we survived through the struggle that made us
We still look at ourselves through the eyes of the people that hate us
But ima make it regardless of these trumped up charges
And semi-automatic barrages, that empty the cartridge
Post-traumatically scarred kids that try to be brave
'cus niggaz backstab each other just to try to get paid
Turn cannibal like knights during the crusades
Afraid of responsibility; Addicted to greed
Beating their girl purposefully losing a seed
As if we were bound to the destiny we used to receive
[Hook]
So if I should ever fall and get caught in a hustle
Let them know that I died while I fought in a struggle
From the hoodrats to rich kids lost in a bubble
Spray paint it on the streets and in the subway tunnels
Write it down and remember, that we never gave in
The mind of a child is where the revolution begins
So if the solution has never been to look in yourself,
How is it that you expect to find it anywhere else?
I used to wonder(I used to wonder) why people don't believe in theyselves
But then I saw the way they portrayed us to everyone else
They cursed us, to only see the worst in ourselves
blind to the fact the whole time we were hurting ourselves
I used to wonder(I used to wonder) why people don't believe in theyselves
But then I saw the way they portrayed us to everyone else
They cursed us, to only see the worst in ourselves
blind to the fact the whole time we were hurting ourselves
I used to wonder {*echo*, fade out)
Inspiration
As Jess already mentioned, we had a student share his experience with cancer to the class. It was really fitting because it was something that reminded us about the reality of all the things we have been learning. It's not something intangible that we study, but rather something we live. It's awesome to see someone get through the adversity and be able to inspire those around him. One thing that astounded me was after he had spoke many of the students came up to him to shake his hand.
I tried to follow this up with a speech of my own during my breakout section. I really was hoping that it could hit home the story that Clay, the student, had told. I remember when I first was watching the video and heard him speak there was a rampant avalanche of ideas that popped into my head.
First, I thought to myself, "Hey, that's the problem with socio-biology!" And I told my students this in a very serious way. I told them that the implications of the way we think can affect our perceptions and actions in the world. If we did adhere to something so outrageous as socio-biology, then the logical outcome would be that someone like Clay could not determine the purpose in his life. By definition, he would be defective. But we know this is not the case because he is living + walking proof of it.
A little bit after, I wrote on Tashina's paper "agency." And what came to my mind was how I was going to tell these students about agency and the whole existentialist talk about finding meaning throughout the absurdity of life. So I told my students that beyond the class, we need to find out what is important in our lives. From the people we love to the decisions we choose to make. And I implored them to take a stand.
Finally, again I wrote on Tashina's paper "individualism." I reminded myself to think about both sides of the coin. That we must be careful not to confuse agency with individualism. The fact that Clay had the will and desire to choose not to give up is an aspiring testimony. But I thought to myself we also have to go above and beyond. We have to not only take a stand, but fight for our humanity. We have to stop the structures that oppress oneself and others. I explained this by using the analogy of a cage (not cave =P). If we somehow find a way to break free and find meaning, we must also come back and free the others who are also trapped. Then we have to destroy the cages that oppress us! Well at least that's how it made sense in my head.
To refer back to the example Choi used in class: If we are fortunate enough to have "good health care (quotes in mind)," we cannot forget that somewhere else at that exact same moment someone is also dieing because of the lack of "health care." From someone being turned down because they don't have the proper coverage to someone not having an infrastructure of "health care" at all. And that those who are not as fortunate are still someone's brother, sister, mother, father, daughter, son, friend, etc. And this is WHY I pleaded that we must fight for a world where we can be dignified human beings. As Choi says: there is no alternative!
Finally, to end my whole shpeel I told them my annoted/"slightly" altered/more optimistic take on Nietzsche's "ubermensch." I told them that it translated to the word "superman." But to be fair I used the terms "superman, superwoman, and super-human being." I told them just like Choi always tells me: that we don't need superheroes because we are the super heroes...each and every one of us has the power to find meaning and change the world. Then I looked at them and said whenever someone tells you that you can't change things...just point to yourself because YOU are the change. Then to shrug off the semi-serious + awkard stares at me I reminded them not to look at me or Choi for the answers because Choi might kick the bucket (joking of course) and that I may be a chronic alcholic (joking again of course).
So in summation, this whole shpeel was an amazing experience because it reminded why I am doing this in the first place. And it gives me a reason to wake up every morning to fight the good fight despite the odds being stacked against us.
I tried to follow this up with a speech of my own during my breakout section. I really was hoping that it could hit home the story that Clay, the student, had told. I remember when I first was watching the video and heard him speak there was a rampant avalanche of ideas that popped into my head.
First, I thought to myself, "Hey, that's the problem with socio-biology!" And I told my students this in a very serious way. I told them that the implications of the way we think can affect our perceptions and actions in the world. If we did adhere to something so outrageous as socio-biology, then the logical outcome would be that someone like Clay could not determine the purpose in his life. By definition, he would be defective. But we know this is not the case because he is living + walking proof of it.
A little bit after, I wrote on Tashina's paper "agency." And what came to my mind was how I was going to tell these students about agency and the whole existentialist talk about finding meaning throughout the absurdity of life. So I told my students that beyond the class, we need to find out what is important in our lives. From the people we love to the decisions we choose to make. And I implored them to take a stand.
Finally, again I wrote on Tashina's paper "individualism." I reminded myself to think about both sides of the coin. That we must be careful not to confuse agency with individualism. The fact that Clay had the will and desire to choose not to give up is an aspiring testimony. But I thought to myself we also have to go above and beyond. We have to not only take a stand, but fight for our humanity. We have to stop the structures that oppress oneself and others. I explained this by using the analogy of a cage (not cave =P). If we somehow find a way to break free and find meaning, we must also come back and free the others who are also trapped. Then we have to destroy the cages that oppress us! Well at least that's how it made sense in my head.
To refer back to the example Choi used in class: If we are fortunate enough to have "good health care (quotes in mind)," we cannot forget that somewhere else at that exact same moment someone is also dieing because of the lack of "health care." From someone being turned down because they don't have the proper coverage to someone not having an infrastructure of "health care" at all. And that those who are not as fortunate are still someone's brother, sister, mother, father, daughter, son, friend, etc. And this is WHY I pleaded that we must fight for a world where we can be dignified human beings. As Choi says: there is no alternative!
Finally, to end my whole shpeel I told them my annoted/"slightly" altered/more optimistic take on Nietzsche's "ubermensch." I told them that it translated to the word "superman." But to be fair I used the terms "superman, superwoman, and super-human being." I told them just like Choi always tells me: that we don't need superheroes because we are the super heroes...each and every one of us has the power to find meaning and change the world. Then I looked at them and said whenever someone tells you that you can't change things...just point to yourself because YOU are the change. Then to shrug off the semi-serious + awkard stares at me I reminded them not to look at me or Choi for the answers because Choi might kick the bucket (joking of course) and that I may be a chronic alcholic (joking again of course).
So in summation, this whole shpeel was an amazing experience because it reminded why I am doing this in the first place. And it gives me a reason to wake up every morning to fight the good fight despite the odds being stacked against us.
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