After reading this article, one of the things that struck me the most was when Zonnie’s English teacher said “Zonnie is just kind of there.” This just seemed to me like it should be something of a warning sign to a teacher. If you ever realize that a student is “just there,” there’s something going wrong somewhere and it’s your job to figure out what it is and how to fix it so that student is more than “just there.” A student who is “just there” isn’t getting the full benefit of the classroom experience, nor are his/her peers getting to learn from him/her. No wonder Zonnie wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about doing her schoolwork. It’s not as if Zonnie hated reading or writing, in fact she liked reading horror stories and spent most of her free time writing poetry. So why was she so reluctant/unable to become an active participant in her Language Arts class? She commented that she thought the work was easy, and the topics boring, yet she only averaged B’s and C’s. The reading teacher Zonnie claimed to have connected with the most didn’t even know she liked to read, let alone what she liked to read. Zonnie said the teacher knew she was intelligent, while the teacher said she was mediocre. This saddened me because Zonnie stayed after to school to talk to this teacher, but was she even listening? As a reading teacher, how do you not know what your students enjoy reading? The only two explanations I can think of are either she never asked or she did ask and didn’t bother to listen to the answer. I’m not sure which is worse.
In both the cases of Daniel and Zonnie, literacy was a way for them to express themselves. I was amazed at how well they were able to do this, despite the fact that no one really seemed to respond to their work or encourage it, especially in Zonnie’s case. By paying attention to what students choose to write or read, it can really help a teacher get to know his/her students. It is really unfortunate that the teachers of these two students did not take advantage of these opportunities because it is especially helpful with trying to understand the feelings of minority students. Even the simplest things, like an encouraging response to a journal entry, can make a big difference.
Kim Strzelecki
Comments (3)
When I read that Daniel’s teacher said “Zonnie is just kind of there” I was also concerned. To me that was almost as if the teacher was pointing out that no effort was being made to engage Zonnie. In your post you wondered if Zonnie’s teacher was ever listening when she stayed after school and talked to her. I do not think that her teacher truly listened to her based on the comments she made. Zonnie’s talks with her teacher could have made a tremendous difference in her education. Zonnie was putting forth the effort by staying after school. I can't help but wonder why her teacher didn't take this opportunity and run with it? This case study reminded me to value the times that my students open up and confide in me.
Posted by Stacy Durham | June 9, 2011 7:48 PM
Posted on June 9, 2011 19:48
Kim, I agree being “just there” is not a way I want to find myself describing any of my students. I hope that if I ever notice such disconnect that I would take action and try my best to remedy their feelings or situation. However, doing so would require getting to know the student on a personal level, something that Zonnie’s teachers did not seem to have done. One of my favorite aspects of teaching is learning from my students. That would not occur if I didn’t take the time to get to know each one personally.
Posted by Ruth Ann Timmons | June 10, 2011 10:42 PM
Posted on June 10, 2011 22:42
Kim,
I think you glommed onto something that many of your peers also found bothersome: the description of Zonnie as "kind of there." I agree with you and your peers that that statement says more about the teacher than Zonnie! What I find so interesting about the Noll article is how many different perspectives she included, and how all the perspectives added up to a very shaky view of Zonnie (and Daniel). You build on the idea that their worlds need to be integrated in their schools, via literacy -- great point!!!
Posted by Dr. Jackson | June 13, 2011 9:26 AM
Posted on June 13, 2011 09:26