Lessons from Children

There are many lessons that I can learn from children. I've been teaching Sunday School for 4th grade for the past 5 years and every Sunday, I feel as though I learn something new. Even though they know much more than I did when I was their age, they still have that innocence children have. One thing that I have learned is not to be afraid to ask questions. The students in my Sunday School class are always asking questions, even though some may not be completely relevant or may be a little ridiculous. They are never afraid of feeling intimidated when asking questions. This is something that I admire so much, especially because I have a hard time asking questions in class. I've also learned that it is important to have fun. There are many times while I am teaching the students and I forget that I am teaching children, not adults. I am reminded many times that having fun is not a bad thing, no matter what you do.

racial/ethnic groups and biases

One way to expand my knowledge base about other racial/ethnic groups would be to consistently watch the news and pay attention to what is going on in the world. As I learn what is going on in other countries, I definitely feel that this is one way where I can be exposed to other racial/ethnic groups. It would teach me to be more aware of other different ethnic groups and not be so narrow-minded.

Another way would be surrounding myself with friends from different cultural backgrounds. The best way I can learn more about other groups would be to ask those who are closest to me. As of now, I do not have too many friends who are not of the same ethnic background as me. I know that I also need to be more open in creating friendships with those who are outside my ethnicity.

One experience I can remember is when I was in high school. I went to a high school with students of many different ethnic groups. There were a lot of African-American students that had attended the school and I had always thought that many of them had come from Africa. As I type this out, I know that I was very ignorant, or it could be that I just didn't know. I was surprised to find out, though, that one friend of mine actually was Jamaican. This experience has definitely taught me to be more open-minded and not to always assume that just because someone is black that person is only from one country.