Katie

The chapter from Amazing Grace by Kozol emphasizes the premise that people in poverty are trapped in chains.  Reading this chapter, I recognized that some of these chains are self-inflicted while other chains are in place secondary to external circumstances.  The people we read about in this chapter are all in a place of poverty, however, they have fallen to this place for a variety of reasons.              One reason for this dire existence is drug use.  The author describes a situation where heroin is prevalent.  The people in this community who use heroin are chained to this drug’s addictive traits.  They use heroin and are unable to participate in activities of daily living that the majority of society deems “normal”.  These heroin addicts use the drug and cannot do much else.  They are chained to this daemon and often cannot break free and ultimately die from the dire effects of the dru...

In the Pawtucket School system, there is a requirement for teachers to complete a program on reading.  The other professionals in the building (nurse, OT, PT, ST, and administration) must complete the Awareness of the Right to Read portion of this program.  I did this program last year and after reading Delpit, I can’t help but think back to the lessons we learned while participating in this professional development course.  The essence of this course was based on the fact that all students have the right to read.  During the course, there were interviews of multiple students with different disabilities including dyslexia, hearing and visual impairment, and special needs.  The students in the video expressed their desire to learn how to read while simultaneously admitting they could not learn traditionally.              Delpit talked about language and how those in power direct the course of language....

  My reflection on this text is multifaceted.   I will talk about white privilege how this author presents it and what it means to me.   As I read the text, I related to the idea of women and their position in the social world.   Women have collectively worked to improve their social status and solidify their position as equal to men.   In a time that I do not know, only through books/movies/stories, as women entered the workforce in higher numbers they were seen as bottom feeders.   Women did not make the same amount of money as men and they did not climb the success latter as easily as men.   This issue was addressed repeatedly until women found themselves gaining success.   Simultaneously, women still did not make the money that men did.             I am a female and have worked a few jobs since I started working.   I worked for 16 years in a position that was predominately run, oper...

  This summer we enjoyed time at Saratoga race track.  The horses were absolutely beautiful.  We visited Block Island.  The weather was perfect, the food delicious, and the company stellar.  I worked my Home Health job this summer and actually feel a little burned out from the paperwork. I spent a lot of time with my beautiful family!! I experienced a great change in my life.  Change is not always easy and can be scary at times, but this was necessary and rewarding.  I love my life :)