This is another self-reflective blog, assigned in a graduate seminar course on theories of reading.

In a way, I think that the material in this course has helped me consciously notice, articulate, and conceptualize many beliefs that I’ve held for a long time. One idea I’ve now come to wholly believe is, reading is a dynamic exchange, rather than a passive reception of information. As I discussed in Blog Post #1, reading has always been comfortable and relatively easy for me, and I think that this confidence also applies to my writing ability, which has always come intuitively.

It is both enlightening and disheartening to apply what I’m learning at SFSU to the courses I’m currently teaching at Hillcrest juvenile hall and San Quentin State Prison. I have never been more aware of the complexities in literacy disparities. I think there is a lot of identity conflict around some of this, as a proponent of social justice who is also a white woman, I acknowledge that there is probably some element of the white savior complex, because I do want to be considered “one of the ‘good’ white people” by my students of color (the overwhelming majority are either Black or Latino. I think that out of 41 students, maybe seven or eight are white. The fact that I only teach incarcerated men adds another layer of complication as well).  Continue reading “Reading the World” →