I've been infrequent with posts because next week I will be attending two conferences so I'm going to be posting like crazy about all of the information I get at each session...so I decided to give you a break :) I will be attending the Florida Association of School Psychologists Conference in Orlando, FL and the Atlanta Association of Black Psychologists Symposium on Evidence-based Clinical and Educational Interventions for Men and Boys of African Descent in Atlanta, GA. I'm really excited about the opportunities to gain new knowledge and network with professionals in the field of Psychology! I'm even more excited because a trip to Atlanta means a trip home to see my family!
In terms of practicum, I'm still waiting in the wind because my assigned supervisor is moving to Virginia to accept a position at Quantico, a military base in the northern part of the state. What's funny about that is my Dad was stationed there when I was younger so I grew up in that area. It's unfortunate that she got this position now though because she seems like she would have been a great person to learn from and observe since she has been in the county for over 15 years. It's also unfortunate because yet again I'm delayed in starting my cases. And with these conferences next week and the election right after that (I'm working at the polls), who knows when I'll start.....but my professors are being really flexible about turning in my reports so I'll just do the best that I can. As far as working as a School Psychologists on military bases, it's definitely worth looking into. It's a very decent salary and it has to be truly rewarding to serve the students of those who serve our country. If you'd like more information go to https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/314823800 for a job summary and qualification info.
On another note, today I had the pleasure of sitting in on a roundtable discussion with Zeus Leonardo. He is an associate professor at the Berkeley Graduate School of Education and has written numerous publications on critical social thought in education with a focus on the relationship between schooling and social constructs such as race, culture, class and gender. Specifically he focuses on issues around race, class, whiteness and education. One of my colleagues asked a great question regarding what educators can do to apply the principles he highlighted in his article in classrooms and schools. His response was we should work to "denaturalize racial groupings" and not accept them as the norm. He also stated that while it is important to teach kids about racial structure we have to also help them to develop ambivalence towards race. It was a really insightful discussion and I definitely encourage you to read his most recent article "The Race for Class: Reflections on a Critical Raceclass Theory of Education" (2012) and yes, raceclass is one word.
One thing he said that really stuck out to me was that "If we can't stand talking about [race], how are we gonna fix it." And so I hope that in reading this article you have the courage to delve deeper in the literature, to ask questions, and to facilitate discussion amongst your peers. As future educators, we will have a direct impact of the next generation and what we do today will influence a number of people's tomorrows. We don't want to see this problem perpetuated forever, so in the words of Miguel "Tomorrow isn't promised, what's the fun in forever? Thank goodness that tomorrow's just a day away...."
