Social Issues Day II

I must say that I enjoyed this Social Issues Day very much. The story of the Holocaust survivor, who was brave enough to share his experiences with us, was incredibly moving. This presentation made me feel sick to my stomach, to think that as a human race we are capable of such digusting and painful behaviour. These stories need to be shared in order for us to build compassion toward topics of injustice. I realized that we must stand up for what is right and what is good without having the fear that someone will hurt us for doing so. I realize this is easier said that done...but it's a nice thought.

The workshop on "Contemporary Issues for Catholic Educators" was very beneficial. Although we already had Kelly speak to us at our religion retreat, I still found this session to be very beneficial. I like that we were allowed to ask any questions about any topic because as a new Catholic educator I have many questions about how I am to deal with certain situations. My favourite part of his speech was when he explained that God is not responsible for the bad things (or good things for that matter) that happen in your life. Instead, he gives you the strength and love that you need to endure these situations. I wish I had known this back in high school...perhaps I would not have struggled with my faith as much as I did.

The second workshop I attended discussed the issue of homosexuality in schools; how do we as educators talk about it with our students? I didn't feel like I came away with anything from this presentation. The presenter had us talk about experiences that we had in high school (whether or not we spoke about the topic of homosexuality), and then we watched a short video where teachers asked grade four students what they thought the word "gay" meant. It did not show how the teacher addressed the issue when a student believed that the word "gay" meant "bad". In addition, the speaker did not tell us her personal struggles that she went through, or what she wished teachers would do to make her situation a lot easier. I would have liked to hear about what I can do particularly to better a student's situation if they have same sex parents, or are a part of a same sex relationship.

All in all it was a fun day. Kudos.