Toys

Toys are still very gendered. While I believe that we have made some improvements in gendered toys, making a trip down the toy isle in Wal-Mart will show you that we have not done a lot to change the fact that toys are gendered.

            One can find that toys are gendered by just taking a look down the isles of Wal-Mart and finding that “guy” toys and “girl” toys are separated by differing isles. On one isle a person can find racecars and action figures. Down another isle, one can find dolls and kitchen toys. The isles also have differences in colors. One isle will have more “masculine” colors, like blue, and another will have more “feminine” colors, such as pink. I believe walking down the “girls” isle; I did not see one thing that did not have the color pink on it. Wal-Mart even separated the Legos. One isle would have car and knight Legos, while the other would have Legos in pink boxes that were used to make houses or kitchens. There was an obvious gender divide created by Wal-Mart in the toy isle.

            

In Wal-Mart I did see one thing that caught my eye, and that was a doll for guys. While it was something I had never seen before, it made me wonder what makes it a doll for guys? Is it because it is a male doll or the fact that the case is not pink? It was an attempt to make a non-gendered toy, but by making it a doll for boys, the manufacturer ended up gendering the doll. Why could a girl not play with this doll? Better yet, why can boys not play with the other doll? 

What Is Your Mindset?

I believe we are tools that shape younger generations and the world that they will be living in. As a future educator, I want to believe that I am more than a guy who is controlled by the tools around him. Do not get me wrong, technology is an amazing thing that will further the ability for teachers to do their jobs well – but at the end of the day a teacher must have a personal connection with students to be able to make a real impact in a students lives. There are not many machines that have the ability to connect with students in a way that will have an impact in their lives.

            I also believe that people choose to be a “tool” or a “tool user.” There are many educators, high school and college level, that just flip through slides and do not try to create a personal connection between the subject and student. While some teachers believe that there is more to teaching than being able to take a test well or being able to memorize equations. Some teachers make themselves the tool, and become an essential part to their students growing process. This influence does not have to be a political or social influence, but rather the encouragement of self-thinking and creativity, because this is what makes truly great thinkers and leaders for the future.

            This concept could also be used in other things that are not teaching. If someone wants to go into business, one would want to believe that they are making some kind of difference, not just a replaceable part. In parenting, parents should raise their children to think for themselves, and to always search deeper than what is presented to them. One should try to have the mindset of being a tool in everything that they do.

What I Have Learned In College

The best thing that I have learned in college would have to be the importance of organization in your work. Whether it is organization in papers or being able to keep track of all the homework assignments that I have done, organization is a huge key in being a successful student. How would I be able to study for a class if I keep losing all of my study materials? How can I write a good paper if my ideas are not organized? The key to being a good student is being able to be organized.

            I have also learned how not to be a “yes man” while in college. My freshman year I was part of the BSM, Wesley, Vice President of Texas Tech for CASA, Paradigm, and intermural sports. I did not know how to say no to people, and it had an impact on my personal life. My sleep patterns were not amazing my freshman year. Then came sophomore year, and I quit all but Paradigm (the college ministries of First Baptist Lubbock). I learned that the more I did, the less attention I could give to the activities I was participating in. Saying “no” is not always a bad thing.

            I also learned in college that there are some things worth skipping class for. Now this probably makes me sound like a terrible student, but I would like to mention that I have only missed six classes in my college experience. Freshman year a friend could be in the hospital and I would still be in class. As I have gone through college, I have missed classes to help friends who are having car trouble or are in the hospital. I have gone through the process of learning that there are some things more important than class. There is an importance in being interruptible.