Amanda Devion – Head in the Sand!

  When the television is on in our house, it is either displaying cartoons or sports the majority of the time. I cannot even remember the last time I sat down to watch the local or national news. I could lay blame on my kids and say that they monopolize the television time, but the truth is that I am all right not seeing what is going on around me. I find the news to be depressing because most of what is televised is about crime, deaths, accidents, angry people and everything else that could possibly depress me. So yes, I do have my head in the sand!

With that said, I am embarrassed to say that I was ignorant to the situations on Attawapiskat First Nation until reading this chapter. I don’t understand a lot of what happens on a reserve…okay I don’t understand any of it, but the idea of not being able to get a mortgage to build a house (pg.9) flabbergasts me! I know of no one in my circle of friends and family who has the cash on hand to build a decent house without a mortgage. In my opinion, not being able to take out a mortgage only enhances the inability to achieve the upward social mobility mentioned in the social mobility theory (pg. 9). As socioeconomic status is related with education outcome, this further compounds the likelihood that children from this area will be less than successful in school (pg.11). The slogan, “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer” seems appropriate in this cyclic situation.

I am now bothered by my own local and national news ignorance. I feel that I am at a crossroads in my watching the news belief. I can stay on the same path as I always have for my own sanity and wellbeing or make a turn to be more knowledgeable with what is happening in the world around me for the sake of professionalism within the education industry. Time will tell which way I will turn.

Discussion Question: Should teachers be required to be aware of the local/national/world news?