While reading chapters 5 and 6, I took particular notice of how Jake was only engaged in activities in school that he did not deem “stupid” or “dumb.” Whether or not they were “stupid” depended on if viewed them as having any real life value, or if it applied at all to the things he was interested in in his life at home, outside of school. Hicks comments several times that during whole class activities, Jake usually sat the furthest away from the teacher, near the back of the class on the rug, and only participated minimally. Yet, when there was a reading about the construction of a skyscraper, Jake was “alert and engaged.” He even raised his hand to volunteer information about his dad being a heating and air conditioning repairman. I feel as though once Jake’s teachers saw how interested and involved Jake became when there was a reading that engaged him, they could have worked to find more like it. We as teachers are always saying that children tend to learn better when the things we are teaching them are things that they can apply and relate to their lives in the real world and aren’t just abstract and arbitrary concepts. Jake didn’t see any point in learning some of the things in school because he knew what was important to him at home, so he only put forth an effort when he saw “the point” of doing it, or when he saw how it related to the life he knew outside of school.
In the discussion of chapters 3 and 4, the idea that maybe being the “good student” might be a gender trait was brought up. However, although the majority of those good students we see are “good girls,” as demonstrated by Jake, it isn’t strictly a female trait. As Hicks states, Jake also learned how to “do school” (p. 113). He learned that he needed to follow those ABC rules to earn the student of the week award. He created a hybrid identity for himself, because at home, he would let out his full lion roar and throw tantrums when he got angry or frustrated. Despite the fact that he learned how to meet the behavior expectations of his first and second grade teachers, it was clear he did better in Kindergarten, where there was less forced structure and he was allowed to “roam” to the centers that most interested him. Once he entered first and second grade, the increasingly restricting boundaries that were so unlike his life at home, started to make him resent school and the work that came with it.
So, yet again, here is another reason why it is important for teachers to get to know their students, their families and their lives outside of school. It may seem like a lot of work, but in the end, if it helps a child learn, isn’t it worth it?
Kim Strzelecki
Comments (6)
If I were a classroom teacher, I would want to break up the day with some seatwork activities like journal writing and math using manipulatives whenever possible. Students could move to a carpeted area for a shared reading or a wrap up at the end of the day. I would want to use center activities daily with students having some choice, but I know the students would have to be trained early in the year on expectations. Centers are probably require more work for teachers, but the centers would remain the same all year with updated activities at each. There could be areas around the room for DEAR time individually or with a partner, again incorporating some choice in reading material and location. The day would be structured with movement for those students who need it and seatwork for those that prefer type of learning. Students sitting in their desks all day seems like it would even be boring for the teacher. For Jake, he also needed assignments to be meaningful and have a purpose. Letting students know why they are learning something is a good practice. It lets them know the objective and why they need to learn it. If the purpose of assignments were explained, maybe they would have been meaningful to Jake.
Posted by Carol Holt | June 29, 2011 9:46 AM
Posted on June 29, 2011 09:46
Kim,
I agree with you on the point that Jake's teacher could have made a little more effort to find books about construction and NASCAR, for example, and then incorporated them into her reading instruction. Unfourtunately, it seemed as though she was content to use the basal stories. When we have a student like Jake who is experiencing difficulty in reading, we must intensify our efforts to individualize instruction and provide lessons that are engaging and appropriate for those learners. It does require more effort than a worksheet, but if we aren't willing to do this, maybe we need to reexamine our ideas of what good teaching entails.
Posted by Leslie Rothenberger | June 29, 2011 2:12 PM
Posted on June 29, 2011 14:12
I liked how you pointed out that being good does not only apply to “good girls”. Jake also wanted to be good in school because he knew the rewards that came only with it. I also believe that he was able to successfully create a hybrid between school and home. Although Jake was able to do this, it was evident that he was much more comfortable at home. This was mostly because the hands-on activities were much more limited, which was a conflicting with his home discourse. His kindergarten year was an exception because Jake was able to roam and learn through doing. As a result, kindergarten was where he had the most success. I believe that if more educators provided students with a classroom environment such as this, we could reach more students. We also need to be aware of our students' discourses in order to offer lessons that they can relate to.
Posted by Stacy Durham | June 29, 2011 3:22 PM
Posted on June 29, 2011 15:22
Kim, I agree that when Jake's teacher found what he was interested in like NASCAR and skyscrappers they could have made more of an effort to build upon those interest. Your last statement was so true that teachers need to get to know their students. A huge disadvantage for Jake was his teachers use of basal readers. Its not hard to build a basket of books for students to read independently based on both interest and reading level. Students need to move and be stimulated with a variety of activities. Jake needed more than a "traditional classroom".
Posted by Kara S | June 29, 2011 5:47 PM
Posted on June 29, 2011 17:47
Hi Kim,
I strongly agree that a child needs to be interested in a book/project/activity to want to engage in it. I recently read a case study by Darrell Morris and Meghan Gaffney where part of the reason that the student improved in reading rate was because the tutor chose books that interested the student. Teachers need to be cognizant of what students like. I prefer to let students choose what they are going to read first. The problem with that is that I might have to prepare 2-3 books instead of 1 based on what the student chooses. So I read a few extra books...not the end of the world. If it makes a difference to the reader, why not?
Posted by Carrie Brown | June 29, 2011 9:14 PM
Posted on June 29, 2011 21:14
Kim-
I have had several Jake’s throughout the years that become disengaged during whole group instruction or other activities they deem uninteresting. Sadly even though we try, it is just not possible to please every student all the time right? That is an additional argument though for the significance of varying activities as well as reading material. Being aware of students’ home discourses and knowing as much as we can about each one continues to be one of our best weapons to ensure success in the classroom.
Posted by Ruth Ann Timmons | June 29, 2011 11:16 PM
Posted on June 29, 2011 23:16