Running head: REFLECTIONS ON MY EDUCATION

Reflections on My Education
Sharon Vance
Fontbonne University

REFLECTIONS ON MY EDUCATION

Reflections on My Education
In the description of this assignment, it was stated that this journey of reflection is a
lifelong process. For me, this journey started almost 30 years ago when I entered college for the
first time. It could even be argued that it started 4 years before that when I started at my college
prep high school. I feel as if I have already experienced the highs and lows of this road once and
that as I embark on the second trip of this well-travelled road, I am a stronger better person
because of it. As I formally reflect on this journey of my education, I hope I can highlight the
past as something thing that has brought me full circle to who and what I am today and will bring
me success in the future.
When I was younger, I dreamed of being a teacher. I never considered any other career
path for myself. When I graduated high school, I attended a 4 year state university well known
for its teacher education program. I completed my two years of general education requirements
and then carried on to attain my triple certification in special education with an additional 2
years of study. After graduation, I was a substitute teacher for a semester before being hired on
full time at a high school. I was either very naive or extremely misinformed about what having
my own (or this particular) classroom was going to entail, or both. Any way you look at it, I was
undoubtedly unprepared for the reality of teaching in the classroom I was assigned. After that
year, and several Air Force moves later, I found a job teaching preschool. I thoroughly enjoyed
myself and considered getting my certification in this area. Life went on, however, and this
never happened. My children grew up and no longer required my constant attention.
While contemplating what to do with my life after the middle school years, several
members of my family were diagnosed with medical conditions requiring special diets. As I tried
to help my father and mother-in-law with their diabetes and my brother-in-law with his Crohns

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Disease, my husband had a heart attack. My interest in cooking and healthy eating was sparked.
All of these together, led me to the decision of getting my dietetics degree.
I still have the urge to teach. I also have the desire to help people make healthy eating
choices and change their behaviors in a positive way. To me, this is what an education in FCS is
all about: helping individuals help themselves through education and practice.
Throughout my formal education, starting thirty years ago and continuing today, I have
built on prior knowledge and experience to get the most out of everything I read, hear and see. It
is hard to distinguish what I have learned through the course work of my general education
classes, most of which were thirty years ago, and my general life experiences. As a result, I will
address both as I reflect on my education.
During the coursework for my first degree, I was not required to take much math: one
course really, which taught the basics of teaching math in an elementary school setting.
Therefore, when I started classes for my current degree, math was a must. I was anxious about
the classes that I needed to take, but in the end there was no need to worry. My life experiences,
and helping my children through their troubles was enough to allow me to pass with no
problems. I have discovered that life will provide what others do not.
Science is a different matter altogether. Again, I had no real background base to ground
me. One high school biology class and one college level biology class (in 1985) did not
adequately prepare me for the science I now am required to have. I had to study, study and then
study some more in order to get a handle on the chemistry I needed. Now that I have the
foundation of general chemistry, I can apply that to areas of nutrition and have a clear
understanding of the interactions between food and the human body.

REFLECTIONS ON MY EDUCATION

My background in special education has afforded me a unique view of the

psychology/sociology of communities and individuals: how they function and interact with each
other. Individuals are negatively (and positively) affected by many things going on around them.
As a professional in FCS, it will be my job to be able to identify (at least some of) these things
and make a difference in the lives of those individuals most impacted. Whether it is through
nutrition counseling, support groups or a teaching a class at a community center, it will be my
responsibility to help these people make a difference in their own lives.
Having a general knowledge of history and religion will allow me to have a better
understanding of the background of the people I am trying to help. If I dont know a persons
religious affiliation, I cannot effectively give advice on food choices and eating habits as I could
be telling them to do something they are not willing to, or cannot comply. History shows
patterns and trends in socioeconomics, culture and lifestyles that could all effect a communitys
health and nutrition status.
I have very little general knowledge in the area of art. I suppose I know the basics of
complementary colors and I can recognize the most well-known artists from the past and their
styles. In terms of the performing arts, I have watched and listened to my daughter as she danced
through the first 18 years of her life. I did venture into tap dance for a year or two myself as an
adult but it was not a true talent. Through the experience, however, I learned a new skill that was
foreign to me. I came to understand the importance of listening, practice, and perseverance in
order to achieve the desired result. This is what clients of an FCS professional hasveo do and so
this gives me a similar perspective to draw from when trying to help them change their eating
habits.

REFLECTIONS ON MY EDUCATION

I am still learning the technology that will help me succeed in the FCS profession. I feel
as if I am at a decided disadvantage when compared to my peers in this area. I did not grow up
with computers. I never had classes that either taught or required me to use the technology that
is available in todays culture. Therefore, when it comes to creating and displaying my work
electronically, I stumble and fall several times before getting it right. I feel this is an important
skill to have when I am attempting to design a program for a community center or enter data and
create reports in a hospital setting.
When addressing the people, Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) drew from his liberal arts
background. He was inspired by his knowledge of the Declaration of Independence and its
meaning to speak of the American dream: what it meant to him and what it should mean for
everyone. He spoke of the Founding Fathers and of what their intentions were when they
founded this country. He moved on to talk about civil rights in the political, religious and
economic arenas. Probably most importantly he talked of it being a moral issue.
In addressing each of these realms he used his liberal arts education to support his
thinking. He referenced the Bible and religion and showed examples of how white people use
the Bible to justify their actions. He used teaching from the Bible that were well known
Servants, be obedient to your master, and the premise that all men are made in the image of
God. (King, 1964) He then connected these to Aristotles logic, showing that because God is
white and therefore only the white race is man and every other race is not. This logic justifies the
popular belief that blacks were an inferior race.
He spoke of poverty both overseas in Asia, Africa and South America as well as in our
own country. He pointed out that poverty that exists by comparing incomes of white and black
populations in specific cities and in the nation as a whole. This shows that he had a general

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knowledge of the state of economics and the unbalanced nature of discrimination in the work
place. Again, he used logic to refute the beliefs of the general population. He acknowledged that
black communities were at a lower socioeconomic level than whites. However, he asked people
to examine the reasons for that: primarily because of segregation. He then stated it is
tortuous logic for you to use the tragic results of segregation as an argument for the continuation
of it. (King, 1964) One doesnt need a higher education for this kind of logic, just a solid
foundation on which to base your thinking.
One of the last things he addressed was a philosophy of nonviolence. He brought in his
knowledge of the Greek language by expounding on three different words for love used by the
Greek. He quoted Shakespeare and the Bible and referenced Edgar Allen Poe when explaining
these different forms of love. He picked these not to show how smart he was, but because he
knew they were part of a general education and therefore most people would be able to connect
with them.
In all of these areas, he drew from the knowledge he had and applied it to the situation he
was addressing. He did this in a way that his audience could relate. He would take a known fact
and apply it in such a way to encourage his audience to think about things in a new light. He
validated his (and their) thoughts by pointing out the general knowledge of the world around
them. He showed them the importance of fighting for equality by drawing on their past
experiences and forcing them to think and take action.
This is an important skill when trying to teach. If a teacher cannot make the subject
matter relevant to the learner, the learner will not understand and have difficulty comprehending
the material. If it is not shown to him as being important he will not care about it. Teachers must

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relate all new subjects, thoughts, skills, etc. to what the student already knows in order for
significant learning to take place.
I feel this is particularly important in the area of FCS. You cannot teach a person to sew a
shirt until he knows how to sew on a button, and you cannot teach him to sew on a button until
he can thread the needle. You cant even do that until he is motivated to pick up the needle
because something important to him needs mended. The same process can be applied to cooking
and/or nutrition and other areas in this field. This profession is about giving people the skills to
help themselves and enrich their lives. In order to do that, I need to have a strong foundation in
the liberal arts and be able to make that relevant to the people I am trying to help. I need to have
the skills to take what I know and make it important to them. If I dont know the basic concepts
or the reasoning behind them, I will not be able to help others understand why they need to do a
task a particular way.
Looking forward, I feel I could benefit from strengthening my knowledge of English
(communication), and Technology. These are two very important aspects of interacting with the
individuals. If my communication skills are not at a level that shows confidence in the subject
that I am speaking about, then my clients will be less likely to either believe what I am saying or
have faith that what I tell them will help. Without that level of confidence I will flounder in a
field that demands it.
We live in a technological world that is so different than the technological world that I
grew up. I can see how society has changed in the last twenty years. Back then I would have
never thought we would have made the advances that we have today. We live in a fast paced,
ever changing society with youth expecting instantaneous gratification. If I, as a professional,

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cannot keep abreast of the technology that is ever present and readily available to my clients then
I will have no clients. They will simply turn to someone else who can speak their language.
In the end, a liberal arts education provides a strong foundation on which to build all
other knowledge and skills. I need this in order to help my clients in the future. I need to be able
to convey to them relatable ideas in a simple, straightforward way. I will have to have a wide
variety of approaches to the same subject in order to meet different clients needs and
backgrounds. The best way to do this is to have that strong base that a liberal arts education
allows.

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9
References

King, M. L. (1964). The American dream. Drew University Archives, Madison, New Jersey,
Retrieved from http://depts.drew.edu/lib/archives/online_exhibits/King/speech/The
AmericanDream.pdf