Carmen Sanchez

Like Ellie, we both grew up in what I'm assuming to be the Highline public school district since she attended school in Normandy Park. Ellie's family supported her education by providing resources and encouragement. This helped her build confidence and created a safe environment for learning. Her home and school worked well together to foster her love of learning. While both our parents aimed for us to achieve success and pursue higher education, it was the strong family support system that truly made a difference for her. It extended beyond home and into her school life, helping her excel academically.

In contrast, my mom was mostly involved with my schooling during parent-teacher conferences or if I got in trouble. It wasn't her fault for being less involved, she needed more time and resources, and a lack of understanding of the educational system can hinder parental engagement. Despite my mom’s limited involvement, I was fortunate to have a teacher who changed my view on education in a similar way to Ellie’s experience. Mrs. Harris didn't see us as students she recognized us as individuals with unique stories and interests. As a high school social studies teacher, she knew sometimes the curriculum felt disconnected from our lives. I appreciated how she centered her lessons around our experiences, which motivated us to continue learning and helped establish a strong relationship with her. I believe education is a crucial pathway to success. I value personalized teaching, as it meets each student's unique needs. Students need to see their experiences in what they learn, making education more engaging and meaningful. It inspires me to advocate for similar approaches in my future classroom, focusing on creating an inclusive environment that values student perspectives. 

Everybody's education journey and support system are different, so it's crucial to highlight not just the classroom experiences but also the socio-economic factors that affect access to resources and support. While both Ellie and I had supportive educational backgrounds, my experience sheds light on a different aspect: the role of parental involvement is shaped by circumstances beyond our control. This is an important consideration because it emphasizes that not all students have the same level of support, which can significantly impact their academic journey. Addressing these disparities is crucial for creating inclusive learning environments. Recognizing that support varies based on socioeconomic status encourages educators to tailor their approaches and advocate for resources that help parents engage more effectively. I aim to celebrate diverse experiences and bridge support gaps in my future classroom, ensuring every student feels valued. Acknowledging these complexities can drive meaningful change that benefits all learners.

Bell Hooks emphasizes the importance of teachers being committed to self-actualization in the classroom and forming and building relationships with their students during the learning process. "Teachers must be actively committed to a process of self-actualization that promotes their well-being if they are to teach in a manner that empowers students" (Hooks, pg. 15). The problem is professors are having a hard time adapting to her pedagogy strategy. Unable to embrace self-actualization, how can they engage students in learning if they can’t embrace the challenge? Being an educator is committing to building a space for your students to feel welcome and empowered to learn actively by sharing experiences that can encourage a sense of belonging and enable students to advance academically and personally. Educators often manage the classroom and set the power dynamic between themselves and their students. In "Teaching to Transgress," the chapter discusses the conflict when students seek recognition as "whole human beings with complex lives and experiences" (Hooks, pg.2). It critiques professors who resist exploring new pedagogical methods, emphasizing the need for empathy and self-actualization to create an empowering environment. A clear understanding of the teacher's role can enhance empowerment at all educational levels. As noted, vulnerability from educators is vital: "Empowerment cannot happen if we refuse to be vulnerable while encouraging students to take risks" (Hooks, pg. 9). Having vulnerability from the educator's side in the classroom can be so helpful and supportive for students. It is important to emphasize the connection in engaged pedagogy strategies to empower teachers and students.

Her argument that professors may find it challenging to commit to self-actualization in the classroom is deeply relatable. Like many, I, too, had meaningful connections with my high school teachers. However, the transition to college was difficult, especially when adapting to new pedagogical strategies and figuring out my academic path. I couldn't build those connections with my professors in such big lecture halls. It made me experience the banking system of education that approach to learning "rooted in the notion that all students need to do is consume information fed to them by a professor and be able to memorize and store it" (Hooks, pg. 14). Even though this is prevalent in every education system, I've never felt it growing up because I was constantly getting the support I needed from my teachers and building meaningful relationships by bringing cultural experiences into the classroom. Those meaningful connections are nonexistent in these big lecture classes with either the teacher or the student. We are constantly getting information and material thrown at us, expecting to be diligent and be able to memorize without engaging with the content or thinking deeper about the material with others. Hookes emphasizes the importance of the learning process as being able to fully engage by making connections with the material learned in class and their own lives. Changing my major to Education has allowed me to grow personally and academically because we are constantly learning about ourselves and building meaningful connections in the classroom with our peers and professors. One thing that Bell Hooks can focus on is self-reflection on what an educator can be.