Assumptions

So this week's theme was cultural sensitivity. I couldn't really recall experiencing any of the types of situations in the text (like different interpretations of time/punctuality, eye contact etiquette) so I started to expand the text's list of cultural differences. Zachary comes right out and says she's not going to talk about differences in gender or generation. Harumph. I don't think it would have make the book much longer to include at least a paragraph on each outlining some of the key points. I'm interested in reading about these (oh and gee I sure hope my second text arrives before the end of the course.... )

I realized in class tonight that when I was the age of these prospective mentees I was about to drop out of university for the first time and getting married. Yikes. That was a scary realization. Tina pointed out to me that there was a definite reason I am in this class and this I'm thinking might just be it. I realized I'm part of a different culture than these students. They're 17, I'm thirty-something. I'm neither trendy nor hip nor hot: I'm a single mom trying to climb out of the poverty hole. I cannot imagine that I will ever have anything in common with the mentee's -nothing beyond surface - and wonder how I will establish myself as mentor rather than teacher. I could likely be older than some of the teachers they had in high school (ugggh). The other adult student in my class has missed two weeks and it is suspected that she's dropped.

I'm definitely going to have to monitor my cultural bias re: young people.