Jan Cotton, Module 6 EDU740, wiki, personal experiences

1. Tia (name changed to protect this student): An 18 year old Junior attending a
primarily African American rural high school; she is a gifted basketball player
and well accepted by her school peers even though she is one of a handful of
openly gay students. She is often a target when on the basketball court at other
schools they compete with. She hides her anger and frustration behind a half
smile and a shrug. In class she is either a clown or a non-participant due to a lack
of understanding of presented materials because of low comprehension skills.
She caught a break when her teacher (an older white woman originally from the
northern Midwest) brought in an individual to talk with her about her life
choices and how to deal with others. She finally tried to understand in class and
really do her work. Someone finally accepted her for who and what she is. This
is a safe place after all.