Hey everybody!
So after bringing up diversity in class, its pretty apparent that its everywhere on campus. Its also very obvious how many diversity related jokes I see or say myself. As you all have noticed I can be one to put my foot in my mouth sometimes, and usually it doesn't even pass through my mind that something I can joke about could appear offensive if the wrong person heard it. I think this might be a struggle for Hixson's that we'll all be teaching, even if it doesn't come up in our presence. A vast majority of the new freshmen we'll have will have grown up in similar cultures, more than likely in small towns where there wasn't much diversity, therefore no reason to hold back from telling an off color joke, or making a racist remark. I think that's something we're all going to have to be aware of, and we're going to have to set the example for out students to see how we deal with diversity on campus. Not only because we are their peer mentors, but because we all come from pretty similar backgrounds and have been through the same transition they had.
I agree with you, we need to set a good example for the students to follow. My freshmen year I heard that SUV apartments are where the international students go, or the blue bus is the Asian bus. These are examples that could easily slip out, so we just need to catch ourselves. Otherwise they will keep these stereotypes with them throughout their college career.
ReplyDeleteChelsee- Good reflection, and I think one of the best ways you can model for your students is to lead by example. It might be a change of habit, but like Hannah said, to not perpetuate stereotypes, we need to really be self-aware about our own language and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteGood that you are aware of this. So how would you define diversity? Do you think that age counts as a criterion of diversity? And how could the big age gap between any two people affect their relationship?
ReplyDeleteI agree that leading by example is a great way to lead. If the students see you acting a certain way on campus they will think that it is okay for them to act the same way so it is important for us to make sure we are acting in an appropriate way!
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