Lee Witt Looping Sketchbook

   As mentioned before, I grew up in an environment which mostly favored either whitewashed or misguided perspectives about history and people. Going forward, I hope to learn from the mistakes of my past teachers and create a more positive worldview for my students. I feel it is necessary to begin this process with an understanding of some of the misguided information presented to me over the years by presenting a list of what I hope to teach the truth about and the importance of each one. 3.) "Most African Americans arrived through immigration and are not the descendants of slaves."- 11th grade U.S. History teacher.         This is one of the more toxic perspectives I have seen over the course of my education. Though I have yet to discover a definitive and absolute counter for this, based on research I have done, I have discovered that voluntary immigration from Africa only began recently. Based on that information, I would venture to say that this idea...

   One of the most important facets of social studies that I have enjoyed discussing over time is how the lessons presented in class reflect my worldview and my actions. Though social studies was a constant interest of mine, it always stunned me to know that the more I learned about history, culture, etc., the less I actually knew. Every grade level has managed to debunk a certain idea or perspective i have had on one subject or another and while I am grateful that my knowledge only increases with time, I am disappointed to know that what I have learned for years is wrong.    One may never truly realize how small their world is until they are able to step out of it,and one may never realize how narrow a viewpoint they were given until others broaden their horizons. Growing up, I had always attended Catholic Schools most of which, particularly in my high school years, tended to lean towards favoring rich, old white men so blatantly that some teachers actively foug...

   "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." -Chinese Proverb.    The funny thing about my experience with proverbs is how I always struggled to fully agree to the majority of them. Even ones I should have no qualms against as a teacher, such as the above mentioned one, have always seemed to rub me the wrong way. I would venture to say that this has more to do with the fact that I believe that proverbs cannot apply to every situation as each situation encountered are unique and must be treated as such.    With the above mentioned quote, my qualm has always derived from the fact that simply giving something to another indicates that charity or welfare is less valuable than letting people fend for themselves. While I would still disagree with that notion, Black Ants and Buddhists helped me to see that my thought process on this proverb is slightly misguided. I have now realized that I have largely n...