Essay On My Educational Experience

As students there are various elements that affect our educational experiences. Factors such as race, gender, class, power and privilege have shaped our thoughts and views on school and learning. Race has greatly influenced my experiences in school as well as in society. Through the analysis of my own experiences I have a clearer understanding of the effects of these categories, especially race and its impact in educational settings. My experiences as a student have impacted my perceptions of teaching and have taught me some key techniques I would need to incorporate in my own classroom with my students.
As a child growing up in an urban neighborhood, my parents opted to enroll me in a catholic school for kindergarten rather than sending me to the local public school. They liked the structure, rigorous curriculum and discipline a private school would offer. Attending a private school also gave my …show more content…
We would only cover very general topics like Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. The school was mostly African American and the parents eventually complained that more topics should be covered. For me this was one of the most important lessons in school because it was one I could identify with. It was exciting to hear about people that represented me in history. Over time, we began covering more topics and going into depth. Similarly the article, “Social Class and School Knowledge (1981)” by Jean Anyon discussed the importance of children learning about relatable topics stating, “These working- class children were not offered what for them would be cultural capital-knowledge and skill manipulating ideas and symbols in their own interest (p.32)”. This article discusses school knowledge and held true in my experience. Not only did we learn more about black history, the teachers found ways to incorporate it into the curriculum that would captivate us and keep us