Hello!

Hi there!

I’m Anna Katherine, I’m currently on a Fulbright grant as an English Teaching Assistant in Vigo, Spain at a secondary school.

A bit about my background: I am originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and I attended the University of Georgia where I majored in History, Political Science, and Spanish. While I never planned on a career in education, I was always taught to value my education. My parents, unsatisfied with the educational opportunities offered in Louisiana public schools, sent me and my siblings to private schools. As a result, I used to view my schooling as a material investment— I valued my education insofar as it would advance my economic opportunities in the future. I soon realized the implications inherent to this model; my parents’ purchase of this advantage required that others not afford the same option. So, I worked hard in school to make a return on this investment: anything else would be a presumption of entitlement, that I somehow deserved this advantage by virtue of birthright.

However, as I progressed through university, my hard work began to ring hollow. I questioned whether education only held instrumental value, and if learning was nothing more than a means to a degree. As I worked my way through my history and political science classes, I encountered an element in my education that I hadn’t anticipated: joy. I found joy in expanding my worldview, challenging assumptions, and taking advantage of my education in new ways.

I soon concluded that I was likely missing an element in my conception of education, and consequently, the career plans that had stemmed from it. Surely there were social and political purposes to education in addition to the clear economic value I’d been accustomed to. Drawing on my background in history and political science, I’m interested in questions about the social function of education—how educational systems reflect and reinforce cultural and political values.

This blog is a place for me to explore issues in education between the U.S. and Spain. I hope to merge both the concrete classroom experience of myself, my teachers, and students, as well as construct a conversation about how cultural beliefs and values are caused and affected by our educational systems. I’ve held off on posting until the end of my grant since I’ve continued to revisit and revise old posts, refine my beliefs and analysis, and benefit from new conversations. In other words, I’ve never felt like any post was truly ‘finished.’ But even though I still have a lot to learn, I see this blog as a place to share what I’ve learned over the past nine months, and I have no doubt I’ll continue these conversations for a long time after my grant has finished. I hope you enjoy!

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