Something that intrigues me about the verb notice is the high level of attention, care, and respect that is needed TO notice something, someone, or even a concept. As an educator, I hope to bring awareness as well as various perspectives to students that they might have not seen otherwise.
Due to that fact, the epigraph that stood out most to me was Dionne Brand’s “My job is to notice…to notice that you can notice.” This epigraph focuses upon drawing attention to not only one’s own perspectives but the perspectives that others hold and why they hold them. By bringing awareness to this fact, it delves deeper into others’ behaviors, attitudes, actions, and emotions in order to better understand how one person makes sense of the world compared to another. Brown in African-American Women’s Quilting states, “Elements of material culture, such as quilting, are in fact illustrative of a particular way of seeing, of ordering the world.” By taking the time and attention to notice quilting as even a material culture brings upon awareness, and therefore, a possible perspective that was not seen before. This perspective, the art of quilting, is seen as one way of noticing and making sense of the world.
Another concept of noticing that has intrigued me so far in in class is the noticing of patterns; specifically the concepts of repetitions and progressions. The humorous video seen in class of “The Story of Mount Everest” was very entertaining. When time came to discuss the video, I felt pity for the main character. Only one humorous narrative was remembered; him slipping and not the courageous or brave act of him climbing Mount Everest. The one story narrative is dangerous due to many important details being forgotten and therefore, to notice and bring upon awareness to multiple perspectives and narratives is crucial to consider and respect.
Not only is the act of external-awareness important but so is the realization of internal-awareness. Bringing upon self-awareness while learning is such a key component one’s growth mentally, emotionally, psychologically, socially, and academically. Growth in this sense may not always be seen as linear, but in fact as a Koch curve discussed in class. Already having been sitting in on an African-American Literature course for two weeks has inspired me to draw upon my own self-awareness in terms of my racial and cultural identity. I want to continue unpacking on how my OWN perspective differs as a person who identifies as a first-generation American. How do I create order differently based upon my cultural, racial, ethnic, and generational identities? How, as an English major, does me making sense of the world differ from another student? To notice, to bring awareness and attention, is one of the key goals I’d like to accomplish as an Educator as well as the work I complete in this class.