When you hear the term "Spring Break," the thoughts of sun, fun, and other unmentionable things pop into mind.  So why on earth would you ever voluntarily take a class over spring break?  The reason for me was simple, I needed the credits to graduate on time.   What started as a class ended in one of the best classes I have taken while attending OSU, Why?  Because I had the opportunity to interact with students and faculty on a much more personal basis than available in a typical class.  LONG HOURS were spent learning how to listen to each other and work effectively as a group. The group work which I normally detest became the only way of doing things.  It was a great opportunity for me to examine minority issues in education at more in depth level(No cram and flush here.)  Perhaps the greatest skill I acquired over the week was learning how to be an active listener.  When I say  "active listener" I mean listening to somebody so closely that they immediately feel comfortable in your presence, and you foster a mutual respect for each other.

The most enjoyable interview that we did involved a group of migrant mothers that shared with us their beliefs on the education system.  They talked about how difficult it was to communicate with school officials because of the language barrier.  Their stories were similar to all other stories I have heard parents worry over, how is my child doing in school, what will they do when they grow up, and the hope that life for their children will be easier than life they had.  To follow up this interview we read The Circuit: Stories From The Life of a Migrant Child. written by Jimenez Francisco (1997)   The story chronicled the quest of a migrant family traveling north, to California, the promised land, in search of a better life for the family.  The story show us how much of fallacy this dream can be, forced to live shanty towns and tent cities.  The children struggle with their identity, being scolded for speaking spanish and punished for not understanding English.  Francisco gives us a look into the reality of migrant worker life.