ATA4:

(Link: https://goo.gl/images/jWZw76) I chose this image because this is another way that people typically categorize their way of expressing love to one another.

In this assignment, I learned that my way of expressing love to my wife is both dissimilar to how most men express their love, but it was also further apart on either ends of the spectrum of the styles of love questionnaire. Before we got married, my wife and I went through premarital counseling and read a book called The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller. In this book, it had us look at the way we uniquely express love to each other. Some of the results were similar to that of what I found in the questionnaire. The assignment was personally relevant to me because I believe it is important to constantly be evaluating the ways that we show love to our spouses/partners in life. Without this, we may become stagnant and inconsiderate. I have found it useful in my own marriage.

ATA3:

(Link: https://goo.gl/images/Q39HCQ) I chose this image because the prompt and video discusses racism in a way that is strictly explicit and not systemic.

In this assignment, I learned how to vocalize (or rather, write) how, in considering racism, our questions, concerns, and accusations often fall short in viewing the whole picture of history and social realities. This is similar to what I learned through an article I read with my coworkers during a book club. It was titled, “White Privelage: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” written by Peggy McIntosh. I learned that I often see racism as “individual acts of meanness” (McIntosh). The assignment was personally relevant to me because I work with mostly white students from a rural part of Virginia where, typically, racism is categorized as explicit actions rather than a systemic reality that we all live in.

ATA2:

(Link:
https://goo.gl/images/MsKUxS) I chose this photo because this is often how I respond to going through old photos despite it being helpful.

One of the main things I learned from this assignment was that I definitely view my life in stages. I think that a lot of people do this and we often give titles to these stages that are personal to us. Looking through the photos that I used for the assignment, this became very apparent to me. One thing that the assignment reminded me of is a portion of our textbook that mentions that our perceptions of our identities are not always based in reality and, therefore, others that are close to us might have a better idea of what our real identities consist of. So, I wonder if we were to ask any of our close friends or family members what these same photos reminded them of about our identities, if we would get significantly different responses. This assignment was personally relevant to me because I often have a difficult time finding value in reflecting back on my past. There are lots of embarrassing moments and events that I don’t often love reflecting on. However, I think this task improved on my ability to look at my past and appreciate it for what it was and how it has helped me become who I am.

ATA1:

Link: https://goo.gl/images/MY5Bvu (Everyone utilizes heuristics, namely, me. They can be both a helpful tool for survival or restrict us from a happy, care-free, and content life.)

Much of what I will be learning in this course will apply directly to my job as a middle school educator/counselor. Heuristics, in that application, often takes the form of students stereotyping broad categories of other groups of students, hearing and spreading rumors about situations and students that ultimately determine attitudes towards both, and the willing or non-willingness of students to try new things. Additionally, the educational philosophy that my team uses, similarly to the examination of heuristics, examines how students make split second choices, consciously or unconsciously, in order to meet their basic human needs, one of which is survival.