As I read about Jake and his experiences with literacy, I am reminded of many young boys just like him, honest and outgoing, who want absolutely nothing to do with school. I found myself in shock when Jake told Deborah or his teacher that the work was stupid or dumb. I have had students refuse to do work before, but they have never been so honest as to say that they thought the assignment was stupid. This scenario really made me step back and think about what I might say or do if a student gave me this type of response. The problem that Jake had with the assignments was that he wasn’t connecting to it or interested in it. Therefore, he saw no reason to complete the work. There are so many students, like Jake, who require extra effort on the teacher’s part to help them become engaged with literacy and interested in school overall. I believe if Jake’s teachers would have made more effort to interest him with activities, he would have had a better attitude towards school and been more successful with his schoolwork. As it was brought to attention in the text, math could have been taught just as easily using miniature NASCAR cars as it was with blocks. It is simple things like this that we need to consider and try when we have a child who may be difficult to reach and engage.
Another significant problem that Jake encountered was the conflict that was caused between the school system and their middle-class practices and his home life. At school, he was expected to progress in his education, going to college, and holding an important, successful position in a career. On the other hand, his expectations from home were that he would learn enough reading, writing, and math to successfully take over the family business. There needs to be a compromise in the curriculum and instruction that fulfills both expectations. Ideally we want all our students to attend college, but the reality is that they are not. Upon high school graduation, some students will immediately enter the workforce in hopes of establishing a career. For these students entering the workforce, we need to have provided them with the basic skills and knowledge that are required to be successful in whatever they decide to do. Jake was forced to participate in middle-class practices at school, although they were very unfamiliar and uncomfortable. At times, Jake probably felt like he was an outsider in his own classroom.
As teachers, what can we do to make school a welcoming environment for all students, regardless of race, class, or gender? Most importantly, we need to make it a point to get to know our students- their language, community, values, and beliefs. All of our histories vary, and so do our students’. We need to welcome their history into our classrooms, and use it as a resource to help them connect and engage with literacy. ‘The situated histories that can lie hidden amid discourses about cognitive learning are in fact some of the most meaningful truths about learning.’ (p. 155) The history that a student brings can not be changed, but it can be molded with new learning and experiences that will make a student proud of his history, and open possibilities for the future.
Lisa Beach
Comments (6)
I guess the most valuable lesson that I have learned from this course is exactly what you stated.'We need to make it a point to get to know our students- their language, community, values, and beliefs. All of our histories vary, and so do our students’. The histories that our students bring with them are some of the most valuable resources that we have. By allowing our students to be proud of who they are and where they come from will enable them to comfortable with who they are. Students need to feel like they offer something to their education and what they offer is very valuable. All the different discourses and differences within our classrooms can be a great teaching tool if we choose to use it. Again, this goes back to allowing our students to have a voice and to share their stories.
Posted by Karin Scott | June 27, 2011 10:31 PM
Posted on June 27, 2011 22:31
Karin,
You posed the question about what can we do to make parents feel welcome? I had a parent once that told me when she walked into the school it was a very weloming school. However, she did not see anything or anything on the wall that looked like her. I had not thought about that but she was right we did not have ant diversity represented in our hallways. Oh yes - we do now.
Posted by Karen Gold | June 28, 2011 7:57 PM
Posted on June 28, 2011 19:57
Lisa,
You make a good point when you say that we must get to know our students. We can't just get to know one aspect of them; we have to get to know their language, community, values, and beliefs. If we make an effort to do this with all of our students instead of just skimming the surface, I think we will all have a more successful school year next year.
Posted by Leslie Rothenberger | June 29, 2011 2:28 PM
Posted on June 29, 2011 14:28
Lisa,
I understand your shock in regards to Jake saying school activities were "dumb". However, I have had a few students, both boys, who were painfully honest when expressing their feelings about school. When this happened, it was difficult to hear, but I had to take into account their previous school experiences. I knew that they had experienced years of frustration. My heart went out to these students. With one of them, I can remember trying to incorporate farm life into classroom discussions whenever possible, but I am not so sure I did the best job with pulling appropriate resources for this student. I found myself wanting to turn back the hands of time so that he could possibly have a more positive start. With the other student, there was a lot of resentment about his home life. I believe he viewed quitting school and going to work as a means of escaping from his home life. How I wish I had had the answers to their problems. Like Jake, both students were geared toward hands-on activities and saw no value in education. I believe they were counting on following in their fathers' or grandfathers' footsteps.
Posted by Holly Lawson | June 29, 2011 7:56 PM
Posted on June 29, 2011 19:56
Lisa-
Like you, I don’t think I have ever had a student outright tell me an assignment was “stupid.” There have been some that don’t like certain themes or topics but I too am not sure exactly what my immediate first response would be to such a comment. I have however asked students on several occasions for their input to improve an activity. I find their reaction to my question is mostly with surprise. It might be the first time an adult has ever asked for their opinion or given them a chance to have a voice. It’s a great way to empower them and help them gain confidence. After reading about Jake’s love of NASCAR I also asked myself why his teacher didn’t think to use cars in place of blocks for math. Having a variety of manipulatives to interest students from different races, genders, and discourses is challenging but doable and important.
Posted by Ruth Ann Timmons | June 29, 2011 11:54 PM
Posted on June 29, 2011 23:54
Lisa, I've also had the situation where a student has refused to perform a certain task, but I've never had a student let me know that they honestly don't see the point in what we are doing. If that had happened, I definitely would have taken the time to explain the purpose to the child or find a way to help them connect to the work. Not all kids are going to be as honest as Jake. Most have been taught to keep their opinions to themselves and just get the work done. Through this and other classes during my graduate career, I've realized I really need to put more effort into figuring out why some students are not motivated to do their assigned work. Then I need to determine how to motivate them so they can get the most possible out of their school careers.
Posted by Andrea Schlobohm | June 30, 2011 3:07 PM
Posted on June 30, 2011 15:07