While reading this week's articles, I noticed that I had not closely examined some issues dealing with my students as I should have in the past. In No Kinda Sense, Maya is a good example of the effect surroundings can have on students. She excels in the environment that she feels most welcomed. I think this is true with any person, not just a child. In an environment where people are supportive and accepting, we are not as terrified to just be ourselves. When children can forget about trying to conform and "fit in," they can concentrate on their education. I think this crosses more lines than just language though. For example, in the upper grades, it becomes more apparent that social groupings can have an impact on education as well. Students can become so consumed with conforming to society's expectations that they do not concentrate on their learning and education.
Then, Judith Baker goes on to support the notion that students excel in a "home" environment. As an English teacher, she realized that students respond in a more positive way to formal English when they are presented with it in a non-threatening manner. This reminds me again of the troubled student in my class this year. He has responded to very little instruction throughout the course of the year. However, he seems to have more respect for me and will do as I ask most of the time. I think this is truly because I put forth an effort to include him and every other student in every class. I attempt to speak or learn Spanish from my Spanish-speaking students and talk about the sports others play. I think it is extremely important to bring a piece of each and every student to the classroom. I want my class to feel like one family.
In addition to creating an open environment, it is important to include children's lives in their assignments, which was reaffirmed by the Chapter 7 reading Gloria Ladson-Billings. When reading, I immediately remembered a story I heard in college about the NC Writing Test. Apparently, one year the writing prompt for the test asked students to tell about their favorite vacation. Upon first reading the prompt, you might think that this is an interesting topic. However, when one takes into consideration the fact that some students do not know what a vacation is, it is not so fair. Those who are impoverished, who are also unproportionally minorities and those with language barriers, may have never been on a single vacation, while another child may travel to different parts of the country each year. I think it is a great lesson for teachers and the types of lessons we should prepare for students.
Finally, one of my favorite articles is "As soon as she opened her mouth." When I read this article in my undergraduate program, I was infuriated. However, if one sits in the teacher's lounge too long, you can hear this type of discrimination. Although it may not be as terrible as the wording in the article, teachers write children off as "lower" or "incapable" every day. I think this story should be a reminder to teachers of the harmful effects of judging students and the truth in self-fullfilling prophecies.
Brittany Guy
Comments (6)
Your last paragraph about judging students spoke to me. I have lived in other countries and worked with Latinos for most of my teaching career. I consider myself an open-minded person. I actively try not to be racist. I ask my black and brown friends what it's like to live in our mostly white community. Even so, when I am around other teachers it is so easy to judge kids and make assumptions about their intelligence. Four couples were out to eat the other night and 5 of the 8 of us are teachers. As you might have guessed, we started talking about some of the students. One told a story of a boy with a thick accent. During the meal, it was funny. After the fact, I thought about how rude that was and how horrible it would have been if his mom had been there in that restaurant. I try to ask myself, would I say this to his mom, or in front of the principal? i still have a long way to go!
Ashley Catlett
Posted by Ashley Catlett | January 31, 2009 8:25 PM
Posted on January 31, 2009 20:25
I thought that your inclusion of the "vacation" prompt was very interesting. I often include journal writing activities as part of my social studies lessons. Several times, I have taken for granted the limited experiences that some of my students enjoy. For example, once I included a topic about elevators. What I found so interesting was that a few of my students had never seen one! This was completely foreign to me. I had never considered the idea that a person could make it to the 7th grade without having ever riding an elevator. Later that same year, I discovered that those same few students had never been to the mall or out of the state of North Carolina.
Therefore, as you stated, it is very important that we think our lessons through before presenting them. Our kids are coming to us from all different backgrounds.
Posted by Heather Coe | January 31, 2009 9:04 PM
Posted on January 31, 2009 21:04
You make a valid and frustrating point about testing. So many of our county and state wide test are geared towards the middle and upper class families. They do not take into account the idea that many of the lower class students, who are very bright, may lack the background knowledge to answer or write about the questions. One year my students were given the writing prompt to write about a birthday present they had received. To my surprise I had two students who didn't celebrate their birthdays and had never received a birthday present. This incident reminded me of how important it is to carefully plan/think through our lesson plans as well as develop back ground knowledge for our kids.
Amy Spade
Posted by Amy Spade | February 1, 2009 10:33 PM
Posted on February 1, 2009 22:33
Brittany,
When you say: when children can forget about trying to conform and "fit in," they can concentrate on their education"...I completely agree! That message was the overall message I understood when reading these chapters. For me personally, I hope I can remember all of the important messages that are identified in the book when I have my own classroom. I have always tried really hard to act on what I say, and for messages like these I think it is even more important to act on when they affect our students motivation and self-esteem!
Posted by Elizabeth Griffin | February 2, 2009 4:46 PM
Posted on February 2, 2009 16:46
Hi Brittany. I must say that you really hit the nail on the head!!! School is to be a safe place of caring people who provide instruction. That is why we all do what we do. I know that many of my children do not get loved or nurtured at home and are paid very little attention. That is why, before you get into lessons, you must gain a sense of trust and a bond. Perhaps all of these authors never had this bond with a teacher. Perhaps it was more than their language, even though that is the only aspect they care to discuss. Every year, at the beginning of the year, I do a who we are board with everyones picture and a little information about them that they fill out. From day 1, I preach that we are a community of learners interested in improving our minds and my number 1 and 2 rules are to try your best and be respectful of others. Just this past year, we made a class code of conduct on a bed sheet. We traced everyone's hands around a big circle and the children wrote in things that would help the class work in the circle, and things that wouldn't on the outside. It has worked wonders! I think if everyone feels like the goal is to learn, no one will ever feel singled out.
Posted by Whitney Gilbert | February 2, 2009 7:21 PM
Posted on February 2, 2009 19:21
Brittany,
I agree that a "home" or intimate, nurturing environment is so important for all students. I imagine that you are modeling exemplary behavior in your classroom, establishing a tone and ethos, and expecting students to do the same! I have often observed that students will treat one another the same way that teachers treat students. The idea of *inclusion* -- as you put it -- goes so much farther that they way students are grouped, but also how they are treated. This has huge implications, I think, for literacy and language.
Posted by Alecia Jackson | February 8, 2009 3:26 PM
Posted on February 8, 2009 15:26