Statement of Purpose, Again.
Hi all!
Thanks so much for your helpful comments and critiques on my last post. Under the cut I included the updated version. If you could look at it and let me know what you think, that would be really terrific. :) I'm also going to take it to my campus's writing center.
Oh, and I forgot to mention it in my last post, but I'm applying for a master's degree, in case that has anything to do with your reading of this.
Statement of Purpose
My approach to social justice can be summed up in three words: knowledge is power. Providing educational opportunities for individuals is an intensely powerful form of activism for both parties involved, for the distribution of knowledge is not a hierarchy, but rather, a reciprocal process. As a student activist, I am often the recipient of shocked reactions from many individuals when they discover that I am an education major, and further, that I fully intend to work, in some capacity, in the public school system. I view pedagogy as one of the most important forms of activism that I can do. Therefore, it is vital that I study the (insert foundations of education/sociology of education/etc. depending on the wording of the university’s major).
I am currently completing a dual degree in Secondary English Education and Women’s and Gender Studies, with a minor in Spanish, at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Here, I have had the opportunity to blend my disciplines into a degree with a unique focus on the role of diversity in the classroom, a focus in which I wish to continue studying in graduate school. My degree in Women’s and Gender Studies has been instrumental to both my understanding of pedagogy and my role as a teacher in the classroom. As a Women’s and Gender Studies student, I have studied the intersections of multiple identities and how they shape the world lens through scholars such as Patricia Hill Collins, Kimberlee Crenshaw, Audre Lorde, and Angela Y. Davis, among several others. In each of my classes, my pedagogical foundation has shaped the ways in which I read these theories, and how I can apply the theories of these scholars in my classroom and in my pedagogical practices. Moreover, coming from an English department with a strong cultural studies background has assisted me in this feat, for it has allowed me to study the literature that is frequently ignored in favor of canonical texts, as well as take writing courses that have assisted me in developing a critical eye. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to become fluent in Spanish and study Spanish-speaking cultures through my minor in Spanish. My decision to study abroad in June 2011 at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain was twofold: not only did I wish to improve my Spanish fluency, but I also wished to gain a deeper understanding of cultures different from mine. Throughout my undergraduate career, I have carefully chosen classes with the understanding of my future as a teacher in my mind. It is for these reasons, among others, that I wish to continue my understanding of diversity as it relates to the classroom as I study the application of critical race theory to pedagogy in (xyz major at xyz school).
My experiences have not been limited to theoretical understandings, however, and consequently, I have approached my activism with the belief that knowledge is power. The area where my university is located has one of the highest Latino populations outside of Philadelphia due to the large community of migrant workers. I spent two semesters tutoring students who were English Language Learners and assisting them with their homework at a local YWCA, and one semester serving as a Spanish-to-English translator for a local soup kitchen. I also served one year as vice-president, and two years as president, of our campus’s women’s empowerment group, where the executive board and I put together weekly programs to inform the campus community of issues that disproportionately impact women. I have presented at three conferences: twice on the topic of discussing gender and sexuality in the classroom, and once on the exclusion of trans women in the women’s movement as a form of systemic violence.
As a white woman, I am critically aware of the connection race has with my role as an authority figure in the classroom. It is therefore even more important to me that I study the application of critical race theory to pedagogy in the classroom, in order to consistently be aware of my whiteness and how it impacts my interactions with students. In an attempt to foster this awareness, I have studied the works of critical race theorists both inside and outside of classroom, and have frequently focused my research for classes on the topic of race. Attending XYZ University for XYZ major will help me further achieve this goal. (insert kissing the feet of the admissions office by raving about how wonderful their university is)
(Mention how Freire shapes my pedagogical worldview)
Thanks so much for your helpful comments and critiques on my last post. Under the cut I included the updated version. If you could look at it and let me know what you think, that would be really terrific. :) I'm also going to take it to my campus's writing center.
Oh, and I forgot to mention it in my last post, but I'm applying for a master's degree, in case that has anything to do with your reading of this.
Statement of Purpose
My approach to social justice can be summed up in three words: knowledge is power. Providing educational opportunities for individuals is an intensely powerful form of activism for both parties involved, for the distribution of knowledge is not a hierarchy, but rather, a reciprocal process. As a student activist, I am often the recipient of shocked reactions from many individuals when they discover that I am an education major, and further, that I fully intend to work, in some capacity, in the public school system. I view pedagogy as one of the most important forms of activism that I can do. Therefore, it is vital that I study the (insert foundations of education/sociology of education/etc. depending on the wording of the university’s major).
I am currently completing a dual degree in Secondary English Education and Women’s and Gender Studies, with a minor in Spanish, at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Here, I have had the opportunity to blend my disciplines into a degree with a unique focus on the role of diversity in the classroom, a focus in which I wish to continue studying in graduate school. My degree in Women’s and Gender Studies has been instrumental to both my understanding of pedagogy and my role as a teacher in the classroom. As a Women’s and Gender Studies student, I have studied the intersections of multiple identities and how they shape the world lens through scholars such as Patricia Hill Collins, Kimberlee Crenshaw, Audre Lorde, and Angela Y. Davis, among several others. In each of my classes, my pedagogical foundation has shaped the ways in which I read these theories, and how I can apply the theories of these scholars in my classroom and in my pedagogical practices. Moreover, coming from an English department with a strong cultural studies background has assisted me in this feat, for it has allowed me to study the literature that is frequently ignored in favor of canonical texts, as well as take writing courses that have assisted me in developing a critical eye. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to become fluent in Spanish and study Spanish-speaking cultures through my minor in Spanish. My decision to study abroad in June 2011 at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain was twofold: not only did I wish to improve my Spanish fluency, but I also wished to gain a deeper understanding of cultures different from mine. Throughout my undergraduate career, I have carefully chosen classes with the understanding of my future as a teacher in my mind. It is for these reasons, among others, that I wish to continue my understanding of diversity as it relates to the classroom as I study the application of critical race theory to pedagogy in (xyz major at xyz school).
My experiences have not been limited to theoretical understandings, however, and consequently, I have approached my activism with the belief that knowledge is power. The area where my university is located has one of the highest Latino populations outside of Philadelphia due to the large community of migrant workers. I spent two semesters tutoring students who were English Language Learners and assisting them with their homework at a local YWCA, and one semester serving as a Spanish-to-English translator for a local soup kitchen. I also served one year as vice-president, and two years as president, of our campus’s women’s empowerment group, where the executive board and I put together weekly programs to inform the campus community of issues that disproportionately impact women. I have presented at three conferences: twice on the topic of discussing gender and sexuality in the classroom, and once on the exclusion of trans women in the women’s movement as a form of systemic violence.
As a white woman, I am critically aware of the connection race has with my role as an authority figure in the classroom. It is therefore even more important to me that I study the application of critical race theory to pedagogy in the classroom, in order to consistently be aware of my whiteness and how it impacts my interactions with students. In an attempt to foster this awareness, I have studied the works of critical race theorists both inside and outside of classroom, and have frequently focused my research for classes on the topic of race. Attending XYZ University for XYZ major will help me further achieve this goal. (insert kissing the feet of the admissions office by raving about how wonderful their university is)
(Mention how Freire shapes my pedagogical worldview)