Performance Assessment
TASK 1 – Equity Pedagogy
Passed on the First Attempt.
Western Governors University
, A.1. Familial Expectations
Neither of my parents came from families that put a strong
emphasis on education. My father did not have the easiest home life
growing up and saw the act of leaving for college as a means to get
away from his house, which acted as a motivator. He eventually became
a teacher himself. My mother grew up on a farm and, as the eldest
daughter of a motherless family, would frequently be asked to stay
home from school so she could help around the house and fields. She
told me that one day, as a teenager, she was hauling water by hand in
buckets, and wearily sat down to rest. She remembers that that was the
exact moment she thought to herself, I don't want to do this for the
rest of my life. She made up her mind, and began training to become a
traveling midwife, and when that was complete, began her nursing
education. She was able to travel the world, from Saudi Arabia, to
Hong Kong, and eventually to Texas. My parents' experiences led me to
believe that most personal circumstances could be improved upon
through education. My mother always told me that money and possessions
could be lost, stolen, or devalued, but that education could not be
taken away from you.
When I learned more about my parents (and their respective
extended families) as I got older, it became clear to me that they
wanted a much different life for me than they had, and that education
was the key to achieving that. I was expected to try my best and work
hard: not knowing or understanding something immediately was met with
compassion, but my parents had no patience for not trying or giving up