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3.3 Personal Reflection (Required to earn certificate)
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Posted by CUNY Mindset Initiative on July 3, 2024 at 7:23 pm💬 Share your personal reflection:
How do we begin to explore the ways we can create a sense of belonging? We start with ourselves! It’s always powerful to take a moment and put ourselves in the shoes of our students, because no matter how long ago it was, we were once them. We were once starting college or moving through it and taking courses for the first time or embarking on a certain major.
We invite you to reflect upon the following questions before moving to the other components of this module.
- What was your college experience like? In what ways did you feel like you belonged in the greater campus community? Who or what do you think was mainly responsible for that? If you didn’t feel like you belonged, what do you think could have been supportive for you?
- Consider now, your proximity and relationship to the students you teach. What is their overall general college experience like? In what ways is it similar or different from your own? (Consider demands on their time, commuting versus living on-campus, and other key components of college life.)
- Finally, to what extent do you feel comfortable sharing your college experience with your students? What makes you comfortable or uncomfortable to do so?
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I did my undergraduate degree at a private art school in a large city several hours away from where I grew up, thanks to generous need-based financial aid, some merit scholarship, college work-study jobs, and a more or less manageable student loan (it seemed daunting at the time). I had just turned 18, lived in a dorm for a few months then with roommates, knew no one in Chicago before moving there to study; almost everyone I met was a student or otherwise connected to the School. While in some ways, I was a fish out of water (small town girl in the big city; pursuing an interest distinctly different from the interests or professions of folks I knew of back home), the experience was so immersive that I do think it fostered belonging. There is a great deal about my college experience that differs from most of my students’, so I don’t find opportunities to share much about it, though I do connect with them as first in my family to finish a bachelor’s degree. The vast majority of my students live in the homes/with families they grew up with, can’t begin to imagine how an entry-level job will pay NYC-area rents, and work outside of home/school at jobs in restaurants, retail stores, delivery services, warehouses, gig-economy jobs. I try to be mindful not to overshare, to be judicious, out of concern for actually deepening the generation gap between us — I’ve heard students complain more than once about instructors waxing nostalgic for their good old days … who wants to hear that?
The college experience has changed over the years – one aspect/difference is the modality of instruction. At least for me, none of my courses were online or hybrid.
At all stages of my college career, I permanently joined a group. I needed to belong to a small group with whom I could share ideas and study. I thought we all benefited from it, and we all did. After joining a small group of classmates, I would try to connect with other students. A new classmate I met would connect me with others. It was a way to be aware of the university’s opportunities.
For my community college students, it’s different. Many of the students rush out of the classroom because they are on their way to work or must pick up their children or siblings. I love it when I see the students working in groups in the library or when they participate in the cultural events we offer.
Occasionally, I tell my students about my college experience, mentioning what worked for me. I tell them that they should form study groups and the advantages it has. For pair or group work during class, they must work with different partners to get to know each other.
I have rarely felt comfortable in social spaces and college was no exception. I had to force myself to talk to people the first two weeks of college because I decided it would be a long and miserable four years if I did not get to know people. That was a hugely important decision on my part. In doing that, I did meet people, some of whom I am still friends with thirty years later.
I also had some faculty members who were very good at building community. My favorite instructor, and still the best pedagogue I have met, made everyone go around and name everyone else in the class every day until we all knew each other’s names. He also required that after we spoke in class discussions that we call on the next person to speak. It made for a student-centered classroom, a collegial setting, and it ensured that I knew my peers.
I do try to engage my students in similar ways, although that instructor’s approaches do not work with New York students, who refuse, in many cases, to learn anyone’s name–although I have seen more and more students start to ask other students their names when they want to refer to their previous statements in class (I tell them they are graded on participation, but most particularly on whether they engage with one another, enter into dialogue, rather than just talking). When they engage each other’s ideas, even if they disagree, they seem to be intent on acknowledging one another, and from there, knowing each other’s names.
I regularly tell my college-era experiences to my students, emphasizing my mistakes, my confusions, my revelations (usually following misunderstandings or mistakes), and I tell them about the teachers who helped me come along and learn and feel a part of something. Basically, I am the fall-guy in all of my college stories, never the hero. After all, I think that is how most of us feel in the moment.
I was the first-generation immigrant college student, trying to navigate college, and working towards a degree was quite challenging. I share the sentiment with @Casandra; I thought everyone had it figured out except me. This especially became apparent when I took writing intensive courses, where I really struggled to communicate and express myself as an ESL student. During that time, I had low-self-confidence due to lack of support and uncertainty about my progress. I wished I received guidance on how strengthen my communication and writing besides going to the tutoring center. Â However, I was still able to experience a sense of belonging on a greater campus level. I was privileged to major in a discipline that had a small cohort. This allowed me to take classes with the same students for two years, where I was able to form a strong sense of belonging. In addition, I joined student clubs that aligned with my interests which predominately contributed to my sense of belonging.
I can relate to the majority of my students since they come from an immigrant background. However, there are many aspects I can only sympathize with. The demographics of my students are adult learners, full-time workers who support families. These responsibilities in combination with their background can impact their success and performance. This is why, it is essential to provide tools and support to students, to aid them on their academic and personal journey. I think by sharing my college experience briefly with my students can create a safe space and open pathways for communication.
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