Julieanne Racca

Julieanne Racca, Represented:

I was born in Seattle and have lived my entire life within it, specifically in the South Seattle area, which is often referred to as the Soufend by us locals. All of my early education experience happened in title 1 schools, and there I grew up with my fellow BIPOC peers. Along with my peers, I was raised by my mom and dad, both having immigrated from the Philippines. I have two younger sisters who are the center of my universe-though I'd never admit that to them- and I've been a full-time caregiver for my 15-year-old sister for the past three years. During my last two years of high school, I'd done Running Start, so this year marks my second year at UW and my fourth year of college overall. I am double majoring in Education and English Literature, and I aspire to have a career in secondary education!

Growing up and attending Title 1 schools is a very common experience for current or former students in the Soufend, with nearly all of our public elementary and middle schools in the area having the title. Title 1 schools are institutions federally recognized to have a high percentage of students who live in low-income households. Despite our schools having some trouble with funding and our student-teacher ratios, I've been able to experience and establish so many long-lasting relationships with many people of different cultures and walks of life just in the schools I've attended in the Soufend.

Over the twelve years of being a student in the area and the Seattle Public Schools district, the most memorable moments were always when the act of teaching was turned to us students. I remember teaching my third-grade class how to make origami hearts for Mother's Day, one of my classmates bringing in their tarantula in first grade and telling us about its natural habitat and lifespan, and having to give my freshman year Humanities teacher a lecture on derivatives with some of my friends for a math project. Within the student body and the teachers, it felt like the power was never permanently in a singular place. Teachers thought it was important to have opportunities to share and conceptualize the learning that we treasured, and we were able to do so because there was a mutual sense of trust when it came to learning and teaching. Most of our best memories of learning were supported by the relationships between teachers and students, as well as students' relationships with one another.

I put a lot of emphasis on empathy when it comes to learning, and one of the main reasons why I do so is because of the learning practices I experienced and who I experienced them with, my peers and I were constantly able to engage in a continuous cycle of learning from each other. When there's established trust between individuals, it's easier to engage, whether it be in conversations rooted in academics or conversations about literally anything else. Learning happens when one is able to trust the people they are learning from and learning with, and that also is the start of how the power dynamic in these spaces can begin to shift.

Responding to Jasmine

In response to Jasmine's post, I was immediately drawn in by her recollection of her experience attending an international school in Hong Kong. As someone who had also gone to an international school here in the States, Jasmine's post provided a window into the life of a student in an international school in a different country.

Jasmine shares her experience of having Ms. Walls as an English teacher, and how the connection she had built with her positively impacted her outlook on the work she had done in that class. Jasmine also talks about the personal growth and troubles she had gone through during her time in Ms. Walls' class and how much the compassion that Ms. Walls showed her had meant to her.

In Jasmine's story, I was able to see a bit of her experience in an international school and how it was similar to my experience. I already loved English as a subject, but in seventh grade, it got even better when Ms. Hudson became my English teacher. At my international middle school, there were many more teachers of color compared to my elementary school. Ms. Hudson was the first I had who was a Black woman. She approached the classroom with an adamant focus on the support she was dedicated to giving us, as well as enforcing the boundaries that she set. I felt I was able to connect with her because we were both women of color who were so invested in English, a field that not many women of color end up pursuing, so along with the academic support and feedback she gave me, we were also able to connect simply by talking about literature.

Having a teacher who very actively supports you and being able to recognize what that can do for your motivation to learn is so important, and it makes one begin to emphasize the relationships that come along and can benefit you during your education. Jasmine’s experience with the teacher she had after Ms. Walls is an example of what could happen if a connection is not tended to during the work of education. It's impossible to have one's "ideal" personal connection with everyone that they encounter on their educational journey, and I see that as the exact reason why the teacher who had succeeded Ms. Walls was just as important to Jasmine’s journey as Ms. Walls herself. Given the different outlook that Jasmine had when engaging with a different teacher, connection matters so much during learning. The lack of connection one can have with an educator or a peer serves just as much purpose as a fruitful connection with a peer or teacher. Both scenarios present an opportunity to engage in self-reflection on what one wants to gain or give in a connection. When one reflects on the interactions that they have while learning, they can begin to figure out what works for them, and better figure out what they need from others to get more out of their education and how they like to show and receive care. If someone finds that they prefer to work independently but like getting feedback from peers, they can cater to their relationships with that preference in mind.

Responding to bell hooks

In the first chapter of Teaching to Transgress, bell hooks shares how her relationship with education has fluctuated throughout her time as a student. She recalls a time when she felt burnt out but was able to gain that motivation towards education again due to the work of scholars who she credits to her introduction to the holistic view of learning.

The emphasis that hooks puts on well-being that should be associated with education (hooks, 21) is something that I believe more educators have been trying to implement into their teaching philosophies, especially after the pandemic. In certain fields of higher education specifically, I realize that there are more educators who are willing to engage in the self-actualization that hooks deems of such high importance (22). However I believe self-actualization is only one of the first steps in changing the education system and making the act of learning truly synonymous with freedom. The holistic view that hooks and other scholars have for education isn't something entirely possible within the current state of the education system, especially that of this country. Even if there are instructors in certain fields practicing in this manner and with these values, the system tends to reign over singularity, and there are so many other fields in higher education that tend to dismiss this practice of self-actualization during their work.

In classes of mine that were involved with the study of the humanities or the general social sciences, there were so many ways to work toward self-actualization. An outstanding example of this that I have experienced is EDUC 251 instructed by Professor Jondou Chen. The course, its content, and the priorities of the instructor are so focused on self-reflection, and the course gives many opportunities for your self-realizations to be vocalized to your peers and have them bounced back to you. The course is catered to the idea that the work of self-actualization is never over, but it gives a great place for people to start the journey.

On the other hand, I've also experienced other classes in STEM-related fields that were the opposite of the holistic frame of education that bell hooks puts forth. Little to no relationship building with peers and instructors, no room for spiritual growth, and that assembly-line approach to learning (13). I believe that there are just some classrooms and environments that are purely focused on getting their students to their careers with little to no care about their mind, body, and spirit as a whole, so I think that along with self-actualization, the general priorities of education systems should be reevaluated.

My Impact, Represented:

A general topic that I've encountered through readings, particularly in bell hooks' work, as well as general discussions with peers, is the level of care and empathy that exists within the current state and current practices of our education system. The power differences between educators and students, the lack of empathy and community building of some educators, as well as students being afraid to participate in class were all issues that I've identified with tablemates.

The practices of education could always benefit from the integration of more care, and whether it be care established between educators and students or students with students, we have all recognized that in some capacity, more care should be implemented while transforming educational practices. The very general goal that I've identified is inspired by the practices of my previous high school; issues between community members in educational settings will be resolved through the lens of restorative justice. My former high school had the highest graduation rates within the district, and I credit some of that to two administrators, whom were lucky to have, who were dedicated to introducing us and bringing the practices of restorative justice into our learning environment. If there were issues between students and educators, it was taken up with them, and they would help with facilitating a conversation between the two, or multiple parties, and ask questions that would prompt reflection, as opposed to asking questions that were just aiming at getting an admission of guilt. The elementary and middle schools that I had come from were so focused on what punishments or consequences were going to be given out, and as someone who had fallen victim to unjust punishments during my time in elementary school, this concept was so new and continues to be important to me. Implementing more of this practice of care would help with disrupting pipelines of punishment in schools, while also making learning environments generally easier to be in, and even more productive when enough community building is done.

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