Reflection Blog #3

Reflection #3:

• What are your thoughts…. Should parents get the credit when their children turn out to be “good” kids and even go on to accomplish great things in life? 

I definitely think that parents should get some kind of credit because parenting is hard.  When someone compliments me and my boys do good things that people praise them for, I take huge credit for that.  The reason for that is because although my boys make me want to pull my hair out most days and don't like to listen sometimes, I know that the lessons I'm teaching them about being respectful and helpful aren't just going in one ear and out the other.  You don't know if you're doing a good job raising them until your kids move out and become successful members of society.  I think that parents should get the credit when those things happen.

• Should they get the blame if their children turn out to be “bad”?

Yes and no.  This question is hard because if someone turns out to be "bad" or a criminal, usually the first thing people look at is what kind of home did they come from.  Was it broken?  Was there abuse?  What were they exposed to? What were the living conditions like?  Most times, the answers to those questions are not positive ones so then whomever they grew up with would be the ones to "blame."  However, if the person comes from a really good home with no serious known issues then the parents would likely not be to blame because there is no logical reason for a person to be like that.

• What are some examples of “hidden curriculum” that you experienced? How did it impact you then and now? 

When I was in school growing up, I would be put into groups for projects and everyone was expected to work together.  Sometimes the group projects would go well because everyone would do their part but in other instances, other group projects wouldn't turn out so well.  I have had this experience in college as well.  I think that group projects are a good exercise as an example of hidden curriculum because it reflects the way someone works with others.  I have always been one to do my part even if there are other group members that are difficult.  I can use this at work or in the community when working with others.  It impacted me then because it prepared me to work with all kinds of people which is what I do as an adult.

• Share any books that you read (either assigned or personal choice) that might have influenced any thoughts or ideas that you had as a child or teenager. How did they impact you now and then?

Honestly, I didn't read a lot of the books that were assigned in school because I was just too lazy and didn't care to read even though it was for a grade, however, one that I still remember to this day is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.  I can't remember which grade I was in when that book was assigned but it was one I actually read and it was intense.  It deals with racism in the South in the early 1900's.  The story goes through a sequence of events where the color of the main characters' skin is a factor in how they are treated by others.  It's a little graphic because it uses "the N word" a couple of times and I can't stand that word.  I still think of how hard it was reading that book at some parts because of the racism displayed in it.  The book didn't have any negative influence or anything on me when I read it then.    If anything, it made me want to treat people better than how the characters were treated.  That book has impacted me throughout time because they were treated unfairly in the book just because of what they looked like.  The kids get worn out books from the teacher that are only for black students whereas the white students get newer and nicer school materials.  I don't think that's fair because people can't help what color skin they were born with.  I try my best to treat people fairly even if their skin color is different than mine because that's not right but that's how the times were back then.