week 2-response 2

Irene-Even though I did not grow up in the same situation, I understand how you feel. Although my parents always told me I should work and help support my family and get a good education to do that, I feel that I may want the option to stay at home with my children. If I have the choice to work and raise a family or be at home and raise a family I may choose the latter. While I am glad that I am in school and completing my education and will search for a job when I am finished, part of me likes the old-fashioned idea of staying at home. I think many women can relate to this struggle and feel that they are supposed to be able to do both.

week1-eureka moment

Hello classmates, my name is Lauren Tracy. I am 22 years old and taking summer classes to finish up before I student teach in the Fall. I had my eureka moment the other day at the dog park. I go with a few people that try to meet up there around the same time every few days. I was talking with two women who go there about wedding anniversaries. I am not married but I said my boyfriend and I are celebrating our two year anniversary this July. The other woman was saying how after three years of marriage she and her husband do not do much anymore. The other woman told me she went on vacation to celebrate their five year wedding anniversary. I was asking what their husbands names were when the second woman told me she had a wife. I think my reaction showed because I suddenly got very shocked and embarrassed. She was nice and said it happened to her all the time. I felt so bad after that conversation because I had this image of what a gay woman should look like in my mind and she did not fit that image. It did not bother me that she was gay or married to a woman but I would have never guessed that she was. Who is to say how a gay or lesbian person should look or act? I had this stereotypical image in my mind which was completely wrong. It just shows that society does impact our thinking without us even realizing it.

first response-week 2

Ashley- During my student teaching and experiences in the classroom I have noticed the same thing. I think that it is interesting how we do use male generic language when speaking to the entire class. I think it is important to realize that we grew up hearing that type of language so we then use it ourselves. If we put in a conscience effort as teachers maybe students will then grow up to use more gender appropriate terminology. Many times I think about the subtle messages we send out to kids. For example, certain posters for teachers depict male and female stereotypes of boys playing basketball and girls reading. That is sending the wrong message to young students and I believe we need to pay more attention to the subtle things we say and do around them.

week 2 eureka moment

My boyfriend and I have been living together for a little over a year. We are both busy because I have a job and still am in school and he works almost 80 hours a week. I have more time to do things around the house, so therefore i do most of the chores. I do not mind because I know he is not around, however recently he has been home more often. The other night he was home and I had worked all day. The second I sat down he asked me why I hadn't made iced tea the night before so he would have it for today and why the laundry was dirty. I told him he had plenty of time to do the laundry, so it should be done. He then told me it was my responsibility because he makes more money. I was shocked and angry! We had a long talk and I hope I made him realize that the household chores will now be shared equally. I could not believe that a 24 year old man in this century still held those beliefs. He told me his mom had told him that a woman should stay at home and clean. Of course then I wanted to have a talk with his mom! It is so much more common for a man to stay at home now than it was twenty years ago. I think it is interesting that some men still hold those old-fashion beliefs.