REFLECTION 1-THE GROWTH BEGINS

The first article that explored my topic, ‘I Am Not My Hair,’ was an expository
news report (The Grio, 2016) which highlighted that the U.S. Supreme Court made
the decision that firing an employee based on a hairstyle was not discrimination.
This article really showed me the varying perceptions that individuals have
towards hair, even when perceived to be “well-groomed.”

A similar theme was evident in the video (Fusion, 2016) which revealed the
feelings of high school girls in South Africa, who were told by their schools that
their Afro hair was “untidy.” The notion that well-groomed hair should lay flat
and that the women’s natural hair was somehow unacceptable was evident in both
pieces of data.

The final piece of data that I examined was the poem, ‘Phenomenal Woman.” by
Maya Angelou. The lines in this poem aptly describe the many nuances of a
woman. It shows me that a woman can encompass so many outstanding qualities
that far surpass the strands of her crown.
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The pieces I’ve chosen shaped my thinking on the topic ‘Future Careers in Sports.’
The song (Chesney, 2016) showed me the importance of having a good role model
and motivator, as this is necessary in creating individuals with high self-esteem.

My second piece, the poem (Arribas, 2015) highlighted the challenges associated
with having a bad coach and how the success of the team is directly influenced by
the coach. This song helped me to realize that having a laizzez-faire leader as a
coach can cause the downfall of a team.

Finally, the newspaper article (Pouchet, 2014) showed me how effective a caring
coach could be. This further shaped my thinking as it emphasized how
instrumental a good coach and a democratic leader is to the success of a team. This
article encouraged me to reflect on the type of coach that I would like to be in the
future.
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My topic under the broad topic of Family Life’ was the ‘Single Parent.’ The article
‘Life of the Single Parent’ (Trinidad Express, 2017) was based on how hard single-
parents have to work to make ends meet. It made me think about the sacrifices that
my own mother has had to make, to provide for her family.

The poem by Jane Rice (Poetry Corner, 2015) showed that single parents often
deprive themselves of wants and needs. I recalled how I would get angry at my
mom for not being able to give me all that I wanted. The poem helped me to better
understand the perspective of the single parent.

The graphic I chose highlighted the fact that the single mother or father can adopt
the role of both parents. My thoughts changed because I previously felt depressed
without having both parents in the same house. The graphic made me feel more
comfortable and at ease about the matter.