 For a class assignment we had to find a diversity event that would help us explore other cultures and the people that are a part of that. I had a hard time trying to find a diversity event that I could go to and have time to reflect on because of my busy schedule at Western. I was looking into events that I would be able to attend and came across some posters advertising The Drag Show. I didn’t really think much of it until I realized that it would help me experience a new culture that I had not been around. Once I chose this event, I started to get excited about going. Now that I've gone and had time to reflect on it, I'm really glad that I decided to go to this event and experience a new culture. I had watched Drag before on TV but I had never talked to a King or Queen or even been to a Show in person, so the whole event was new to me. I didn't realize until halfway through the show just how unprepared I was for what was going to happen. (explain the event and about Kings and Queens - then keep editing the rest of it) The thing that stood out to me was the language that was used by the Drag Queens and Kings. I expected some cursing, after all it is a college campus and the posters said there would be explicit content, but I was not prepared for what happened. The two words/phrases that caught me off guard were the performers referring to themselves as bitches and hoes. I believe that these are perfectly fine things for you to use when referring to yourself (because its your body and you can do what you want with it as long as it doesn’t affect someone else), but I do not believe that it is appropriate to refer to others as bitches or hoes. I also don’t believe that those are appropriate words for men to use about women, so it was hard for me to listen to the Drag Queens and Kings refer to others in that way. All the Drag Queens referred to themselves as she/her, so they were women referring to themselves as those words. But knowing they are men under their female persona conflicts with my belief that those are words that only women should use. I feel this way because I've only ever heard men use those words in derogatory ways, especially when catcalling a woman. That is not to say that women can't use it in a derogatory way, but I've heard it more often from men. It was nice, however, to hear these kinds of things and have it explained to me that it is part of the culture. To hear the Kings and Queens explain it as a sign of acceptance into the culture. Looking back on my experience I realize that this event was the best one I could've chosen that would relate to my future career as a teacher. As a straight white woman who has never contemplated doing something like drag, I was interested in pushing my boundaries. I have seen drag before and some of my best friends are gay, so interacting with people who are different from me isn’t new to me. But being in a room surrounded by this many people from the LGBT+ community and this many people in their different personas was a new eye-opening experience. Through this event I am more aware of the correct terms to refer to people of drag. Before this I had never heard of a hyper-drag, but now I know that that is where a woman dresses in drag as a woman. Being more aware of the people who are in different communities than I am and being aware of the terms that are appropriate to use will help me be an educator that can relate and communicate with my students more effectively. Experiencing new things outside my own experiences in the future will continue to make me a better, more accepting, educator. Through observing other teachers I have learned that it is important to do things, such as go to a Drag Show, in order to push my boundaries so that I can have a diverse class and cater to every student that I may have. For example, a student in today's society may choose to be referred to as a he/him even if they look like a female student. It reminded me I need to be open to new things and learning about other people. Shea Coolie Image Source : https://twitter.com/sheacoulee
"RuPaul's Drag Race" Cast Explains The History of Drag Culture | Allure. (2018, February 08). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/MHlE3RIkRi0
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I recently listened to and read a podcast about desegregating our schools entitled The Problem We All Live With. The podcast caused me to stop and think about whether desegregation was actually successful or if our nation just swept the changes under the rug. Nikole Hannah-Jones looks into what will really help our nation’s education system become better. She believes that integration and desegregation is the key to improving our education system overall. This idea shocked me because I’ve always been under the assumption that we did a decent job desegregating during the Civil Rights Movement. Jones talks about how white students, the majority at my school, have better schools because they have better funding and usually come from a family above the poverty line. I enjoy the fact that first thing that you see as you start the podcast is the Norman Rockwell painting by the same name as the podcast. This painting is important to this podcast because it is a depiction of the Ruby Bridges going to a white school/desegregating schools. The painting is titled The Problem That We All Live With. This painting represents the segregation and separation of the different races during the Civil Rights movement, but it doesn’t just pertain to that era. The painting is relevant to today and the segregation that is seen in today’s school system. Now every time I think about the school system I’ll think of the painting and its importance.  https://www.thisamericanlife.org/562/the-problem-we-all-live-with-part-one This podcast was an eye opener when it comes to society and its treatment of the different types of people. Coming from a small town where there are only two high schools and is mainly made up of white families it’s hard to imagine a school with a lot of diversity, but going to school at Western, I feel like there is a lot of diversity. With that said, I could never imagine doing what Francis Howell did. The parents present some legitimate concerns such as class size, but it was all undermined by the fact that they were refusing to talk about race and confront the real issue. The parents are willing to stand there and shout into mics about how the issue has nothing to do with race when everyone knows that is the only real issue. Maybe I’m not worried about race and integration because my parents raised me to appreciate the differences that everyone brings and how they benefit society as a whole. Listening to Marea talk about the meeting makes me feel disgusting. I wish that Marea’s mother had gone to the mic to talk about how the students from Normandy “could be the doctor that saves one of their lives”. And then Marea went to school and the students and teachers accepted her, which is a great way to show how our school system contrasts/clashes within itself. Now that I know that race and integration is still a problem in today’s school system, the question becomes what do I do with this knowledge and the reality of this knowledge. When you are aware of what is happening in the school systems is when you can start making a difference. Coming from the kind of school system that I went through I know, now, how important it is for there to be a very diverse setting in schools. I hope that as a teacher I will be able to help my school system see the errors of their ways if we provide the kind of education system that Normandy has. I hope that if I find a job in a school system like what Francis Howell has become, that I can continue to help my school get better when it comes to segregation and failing students. After listening to the podcast, I'm willing to do almost anything to help our students integrate and become more diverse. I was wary about the topic of segregation and its role in the present time, but the more Nikole Hannah-Jones talked, the more what she was saying made sense. The idea that our schools are still segregated was a shock to me. I may not have come from a very diverse school but through this podcast and our discussion I now have a better understanding of what I need to do as a future educator to continue to diversify our education system. Here is the link to listen to the podcast and some links to read further into it desegregation and its impact on school systems:
https://hw3.thisamericanlife.org/sites/default/files/styles/landscape/public/episodes/images/562.png?itok=vlgIRhDe http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2018/03/16/new-report-school-segregation-is-on-the-rise-in-nc-and-its-harming-our-kids/ https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article205580044.html |
SquiresA Performer with a passion for Percussion. Current News and Things I Find InterestingOn this Blog you will find 'not-so current' percussion topics that I think are important, as well as things that I find interesting and helpful. Maybe some education things will creep in?
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