Portfolio 3: Being the Other

Artifacts:

Unitarian Hymn Book
Photo taken by me

Meeting Program
Photo taken by me

Meeting Program
Photo taken by me

Rev, Patty Willis and her congregation
http://cdn.deseretnews.com/images/article/contentimage/1446309/1446309.jpg

Chalice lighting--Lit at the beginning of the service and blown out at the end
http://cdn.deseretnews.com/images/article/heroimage/1446310/1446310.jpg

Unitarian Universalist Chapel
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfylnoePHdQXO6_akWGaRohRORlg3eW8hwosgOmZSELTkEb2mfjIStU2t_M3_Ni6C4jMzxEOmRZNbtjJbrs68i8ZGPVqba0NAEghxOZVwHP582kCpd7wrZ0k49IvRxdY1gmiXZKfPQQU/s1600/002.JPG

Unitarian Universalist Logo
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Flaming_Chalice.svg/1140px-Flaming_Chalice.svg.png

Response: 

For this portfolio, I decided to go to a Unitarian Universalist Sunday service near my home.
Even before I entered the chapel, I felt like the "other" and I was nervous to get outside of my car. I thought that it would be safe to dress in church clothes for the service (since that's what we do in Mormon culture), but as I got out of my car, I noticed that the members of the congregation who were also arriving were wearing jeans and shirts instead. I was worried that I would stand out and that others would think negatively of me because of this and I tried to sit near the back where I wouldn't be noticed (since I didn't really have the cultural capital to blend in). The service began with a musical number by a band--which was a new experience for me. After that, the Reverend asked everyone in the congregation to stand up and "welcome" each other--which kind of ruined my plan of flying under the radar. I didn't really know what to expect or how to act and I could tell that the congregation members who greeted me knew that I wasn't a member. For most of the "welcome" part of the service, I stood or sat in my place awkwardly due to feelings of "otherness". We sang an opening hymn afterwards, but it was totally different than those that I'm used to. Not only did I not know the words, but it was calypso inspired, which made things even harder (I ended up mumbling most of the words). They then lit a "chalice" (which is their main ordinance in their church--from what I can tell) and the reverend offered a prayer. There was a congregational moment of meditation (where I wasn't sure how to act or what to do), an offering plate was passed around, members spoke, a sermon was given, and then a benediction was offered. Although I was given a program, I didn't understand the events in the schedule until the moment that part of the program occurred--even then, I wasn't completely sure what was going on. Luckily, the Unitarian Universalist church is all about acceptance, so I didn't feel like too much of an outsider after a while. But when for the first 30 minutes of the service, I was really anxious. I coped with my feelings of "otherness" by trying to submerse myself in what was going on around so that I could forget how I felt. I also tried to have minimal contact with congregation members too. 

There are bound to be students who enter my classroom who will feel like the "other" and they'll probably act like I did in this experience--they'll feel insecure, anxious, and will probably avoid social interactions. There will also be students who won't be able to understand what's going on--even if I post a daily schedule, due to hegemony, cultural differences, or learning difficulties. The implications of "otherness" will probably also go beyond how comfortable or uncomfortable students feel in my classroom, and will also impact their performance, their relationships in the classroom, and their feelings about themselves as well. 

 One of the things that I loved about Unitarian Universalist service was that they opened by saying: 

"You are welcome here.

No matter your age, your size, the color of your eyes, your hair, your skin,

you are welcome here.

No matter whom you love, or how you speak, or whatever your abilities,

you are welcome here.

Whether you come with laughter in your heart or tears,

you are welcome here.

If you come here with an open mind, a loving heart, and willing hands,

you are welcome here."

Hearing this after feeling insecure and nervous really helped me calm down and open myself up to the experience--it helped me felt like I belonged and that I wasn't as much of an outsider as I thought I was. I think that taking a similar approach to inclusion in my classroom would really help my students experiencing "otherness" to feel less apprehensive and more included (it really exemplifies the ideas of intersectionality and inclusive pedagogy). I could do this by stating something similar on a poster, reciting something similar every morning to my students, or even just making sure to look out for the students who exhibit the same behaviors I did today. This experience helped me realize even more just how important it is that teachers create a classroom that is both inclusive and culturally responsive so that none of their students are ever held back by feelings of "otherness". I really want to make an effort to remember what I learned today and be proactive in creating a welcoming environment for all of my students.