May 12, 2016 - 22:36
Class reflection
This course gave me space to connect with other students while continuing my work at Center for Creative Works. The most rewarding experience for me was working with the trees in small groups. I personally wish that we had more time to really spend holding space together with the artists and each other. It was truly amazing to help students find ways to work together with artists.
This course started for me far before spring semester as we worked on the partnership and framework of the class. I was originally skeptical on how the class would work with so many students who had never had classes with placements. I was worried that this lack of experience would effect how we would be able to process and critically analyze our experience. I wish that there was prerequisite being that the course is a 300 level. I felt it difficult being that I and other students had to repeat readings as well as have conversations about disability that would be considered intro level. I wanted to have more time to process and think about our experiences we had at Center for Creative Works together. I found it hard to reflect on my own when I was going to the placement with other students who could bring their own perspectives to the space.
In the end I believe that having students with various backgrounds did benefit the class. I was able to have different points of views from students who had a larger background in the sciences. I enjoyed hearing about and reading each others papers. I think bringing our personal stories into the the class had a large impact on my learning. The classroom community made me feel safe and supported enough to share personal thoughts and push back on ideas that we shared or read about.
When I began this course I had hoped to talk more deeply on matters in regards to sexuality and adults with intellectual disabilities. I found that in both our midterm and final paper I did feel well versed enough to speak on this topic without having more space in class to address it. I wish that I had given myself a less narrow idea of what the class would be to begin with. I gained so much from my mid term as well as my final paper which were on topics I did not think I would touch on.
My roll as a liaison between CCW and the class drained me more than I had expected to begin with. I had wanted to be of more access to students so that they could have time to talk to me about their experience or asked questions. It was hard balancing this while also trying to focus in the classroom on our readings rather than our weekly experiences. I think that I should’ve given myself more space to be a student in the course. As a whole I think I gained a lot of understanding about my connections to CCW and what roots me so deeply in the space. Watching others interact with artists who I’ve known so well was exciting for me and was super positive.
thank you for this experience!