Instilling Confidence
In today's session we revisited our childhood to examine our initial reading experiences. This was a pleasant journey for me. As I shared in class, as a child my brother and I attended an Afrocentric kindergarten called Kuumba House that stressed academic development heavily. The school would organize Recitation Days where parents would come and we would stand up individually and read various works we had created. It was a very empowering and supporting environment and as a result, I left kindergarten a pretty confident reader.
But what of the student who has had the complete antithesis of my experience? What of the student who instead of existing in an empowering and supportive environment, is educated in one in which they are constantly told that they do not measure up? What of the student who is in first, second, third grade with a flashing neon sign inside their heads reading "YOU ARE THE POOREST OF THE POOR READERS"? What of the student who the antitheis of a confident reader? Although it was many moons ago I still remember a Swahili word we had to learn at Kuumba house, Ujima. The translation of Ujima is collective work and responsibility... but what it really means is that I, as a member of that child's community have duty, a responsibility to give him/her access to that which has been provided to me...academic confidence.
But what of the student who has had the complete antithesis of my experience? What of the student who instead of existing in an empowering and supportive environment, is educated in one in which they are constantly told that they do not measure up? What of the student who is in first, second, third grade with a flashing neon sign inside their heads reading "YOU ARE THE POOREST OF THE POOR READERS"? What of the student who the antitheis of a confident reader? Although it was many moons ago I still remember a Swahili word we had to learn at Kuumba house, Ujima. The translation of Ujima is collective work and responsibility... but what it really means is that I, as a member of that child's community have duty, a responsibility to give him/her access to that which has been provided to me...academic confidence.
posted by Daily Reflections of a TCEdzone Reading Buddy at 9:27 PM
1 Comments:
Ujima ...can it also mean "a sense of accountability?"... "a call to action?" I feel that if only every person were less selfish and more selfless... taking the time to consider others needs... there'd be more than enough people to rid the world of all its ills... Thanks for sharing that. I enjoyed your blog. :o)
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