Blog #9: Geography

I was born in Richmond, Virginia and spent my first few years in a suburb of the city. At age 5, my father's job took my family to a small town in Cobb County, Georgia. Although my home in Virginia was hardly urban, it seemed like a big city compared to Powder Springs, Georgia! So my first experience in public education was at Varner Elementary School, which was built only a year before I enrolled. I don't remember much of my education there, seeing as I moved back to Virginia after second grade. From third grade through high school graduation I attended public school in Midlothian, Virginia. I lived in a middle to upper class suburban area. The student body was predominately white, with some African-Americans, and only a few Hispanic students. The county website explained, " In 2009-10, the student body was 58 percent white, 28 percent black, 8 percent Hispanic, 3 percent Asian/Pacific Islander and 1 percent American Indian/Alaskan native/unspecified,"(http://chesterfield.k12.va.us/CCPS/About_CCPS/ccps.htm) but it was not broken down into specific percentages per school.

Although most of my childhood and adolescence occurred in the suburbs, I spent my summers growing up at a camp in the Appalachian Mountains, which epitomizes most outsider's views of what "Southern people" are like. That part of the state is much more behind the times, with many closed minded people still flying Confederate flags and card-carrying members of the KKK. Racism is evident and many people are happily stuck in their ways. On the other hand, the "South" has some very progressive areas as well. There are plenty of big cities that seem almost detached from the stereotyped Southern mentality.

When moving to Texas, there was quite a cultural adjustment to be made. Virginia and Georgia are both part of the "South," but Texas is a whole different kind of South. As odd as it may sound, I had never been around so many Hispanic people, but at the same time going into TCU, I had never been around so many rich people! It was quite a mix to adjust to.

The question came up in class whether our geographic background affects our teaching, and for me it's a resounding yes. My teachers had very high expectations, and I worked very hard to meet those expectations. It may just be my perception, but it seemed like my peers were generally respectful towards teachers and authority figures. On the other hand, many of the students I see on a daily basis at the middle school I work at in Irving have opposite mentality. Many seem very disinterested, unmotivated, apathetic, and disrespectful. Despite this, I hold students to the same expectations that I was held to. I feel that students have not been given enough motivation and self drive to feel the intrinsic need to do well in school. They have never been held accountable for their grades or behavior, but I do not accept this. I have clear expectations for my students, and I do not take any excuses. Sometimes a little bit of discipline, caring, and belief in our students can make all the difference.