Brittany Canfield

Filter Reflection - Age

There are many filters that affect how we see the world such as our race, class, or age.

These filters have a great effect on our everyday decisions in our work and personal lives. I

decided to dig deeper into the filter of age. There are many different generations of people in the

world. Unfortunately, many age groups are lumped into one generational “era”. I, personally,

would be described as a “millennial,” but, I do not like to classify myself into a group with the

people who eat Tide Pods. After looking at the generation characteristics chart, I have found that

I fit into multiple categories, and that is okay.

As a young teacher, I have always been pretty close to my students’ age. I am finally at

the point where my age is double the age of my oldest students...I never thought that would be

something I would enjoy saying! There are many characteristics of the millennial generation that

I can relate to like, being a master of technology, needing instant gratification, being tolerant,

and being a tough woman. On the other hand, there are also many characteristics that I do not fit

into. I have some students who are in the same generation as me, which is absolutely terrifying.

At first, I thought that they would act like I do since we were around the same age, but, I was

sadly mistaken. Even though we are in the same generational bracket, many things are very

different.

The world is changing and we are bumping into a new generation with our current youth.

Even though I will always be a millennial, it is important that I am able to remain open to other

ideas and beliefs. In the future, I will need to recognize that my students are no longer in the

same generational group as me. Even the students who were born in 2004, the end of the

millennial group, have very different views than myself which has been a learning curve in itself.
Knowing that I am indeed a millennial, shifts my view on my students and others in my age

group. I understand a little more, why people act the way they do. Remaining open and

understanding is one thing that I plan to keep no matter what generation we are in.