I was born and raised in Mesquite, Texas.  My father has worked in corporate technology as long as I can remember, and my mother, who was in the same field, chose to quit work and become a stay at home mom when  I was in the third grade.  I grew up with my older brother (10 years older), and my twin brother.  My older brother currently teaches in Florida, and my twin brother is also pursuing a masters degree in music education.

Growing up, I went regularly to church with my grandparents, and although I don’t currently attend any church, feel that it has instilled in me a basic moral compass with which to live by.  As a child, I was taught responsibility, fairness, and equality by my entire family.  My grandfather, especially, has always been encouraged me to be inquisitive and to never give up pursuing knowledge.  My family values education very much, and has been very supportive during my college career so far. 

I was taught that men and women are equal, and that race is not a factor.  In the workforce at least, your ability to perform a job as asked, or go above and beyond the bottom line are more important than the color of your skin or how you live outside of work.  The number one thing I was told by my father was “leave your life and attitude at the door, and just do your job”.  I know that doesn’t necessarily apply completely to a job like teaching, but it was good advice for a young kid.

My Educational and Work Background:

I was expected to hold down a job in high school.  My parents required my brothers and I to save half of every paycheck, and to work at least 15 hours a week.  While it seemed like a major pain at the time, I am very glad that my parents have given me a strong sense of responsibility when it comes to supporting myself and making ends meet.

Currently I have three jobs.  I know that sounds like a lot, but it works out alright.  First and foremost, I am the strings division graduate teaching assistant in the UTA music department.  I am in charge of administering the String Preparatory private lessons program, and also the annual UTA Solo and Ensemble Festival that UTA hosts.  I also teach private lessons in several venues, and have about ten private students, either playing the violin or viola.  In addition to those jobs, I am a regular musician with the Orchestra of the Pines in east Texas, and also play with the Garland, Las Colinas, New Arlington, and East Texas symphonies when the need arises.  I also play with various quartets and perform at weddings and other functions.

Regarding my education background:  I graduated from Poteet High School in Mesquite, Texas, in May of 2003. In May of 2007, I graduated cum laude, with a bachelor's degree in music from UTA.  I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in music education with certification.

All of my work experience has included a very diverse cross section of people.  Many of the symphonies I play with hirer European and Asian transplants, as well as many US citizens of different backgrounds.  I think this has helped to instill in me a sense of awareness in regard to diversity.  Many argue that music is a universal language, and although that is a very controversial topic, one can’t help but feel that the music transcends race and other categorizations when playing an amazing piece of music with a diverse group of people.

My Experiences with Diversity and Difference:

As I mentioned above, I feel that I have been exposed to diversity in a positive light at least for the last several years.  I’ve played gigs with people of countless different nationalities and beliefs, and have enjoyed working with most all of them.  One of my good friends at UTA is a Jordanian cellist who has toured with Yo yo Ma and his Silk Road ensemble.  We’ve had countless discussion about those experiences as well as some of his experiences as a Muslim living in post 9/11 America. 

I can’t say that I’ve never had those moments where I don’t show someone the respect they deserve, different or not, but I really try to live a color blind life and not pass judgement on people based on their race, or culture, or lifestyle.  I do however, really enjoy learning about different cultures, and I feel this is something that I have really learned to appreciate because of the diversity of my friends over the years.

What I’ve Learned:

It is interesting to consider the diversity of my working environments, as I have honestly never given it much thought.  My friends, colleagues, peers, and students come from a variety of different backgrounds, and it has never really been a factor for me.  For the most part, people are people, and it doesn’t matter what color their skin is or whether or not they speak a different language, or live different life styles, as long as they are basically “good” people, and I use that term broadly.

The thing that has most helped me learn about people and cultures different from myself has been working in the field of music.  As I described in an earlier section, I work with people from many different cultures and background, and part of having a successful working relationship with those people is learning how to understand and respect their differences.  As for learning about my own privileges and prejudices, college has been the most eye-opening experience.  I have met people from all walks of life.  Some who’s parents pay for everything, and they don’t ever have to work to make it through college, others who are stacking up nice loan debts, and everyone in between.  

Caring Teachers Confront Their Own Biases in Order to Transform Them:

With this course, I hope to reaffirm and strengthen my resolve to be an open minded, responsible, wholehearted, and reflective teacher. (Grant and Zeichner, 1984)  As Grant and Zeichner's  (1984) article makes clear, once aware of the necessity of being a reflective teacher, I feel compelled to learn how to reflect on my own experiences and beliefs, and how they will shape me as a teacher.  It has become increasingly evident to me that an exploration of 'hidden curriculums' and how teacher perpetuate them should be a necessary and prominent part of my teacher preparation.  I also hope that, with the help of this course, that I become a "reflective teacher [who] is dedicated and committed to teaching all students, not just certain students" (Grant and Zeichner, 1984, p. 6).