RES 5530: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (Spring 2009)

Sarah,
I think, to a certain extent, that educators in general do punish students for using their own, non-standard, vernacular. This may be why many students end up "disappearing" from the classroom. Sure, they show up, but they sit in the back of the room, don't participate in class, refuse to talk to anyone else, etc. I have a several of these types of students who come to mind (high schoolers), and I wonder if it was a shut down of their language that caused them to pull away. It could be any number of things, of course, but of these students I think of, most if not all of them had a strong dialect of some sort.

Hi Sarah. Hi Sarah. I chuckled a little as I read your response because I could see some of my own colleagues speaking the same way in the teacher’s lounge and then walk into their classroom and hear them immediately correct a student’s speech. I agree with you that teachers should be models of the English language just as teachers should be models for reading, writing, etc. If we want our students to become lifelong readers and learners, we must provide an example that encourages it. The same thing should happen with our speech as well. However, I wonder if we could make the teaching of English a little more fun and a little less intimidating? What if we asked our students to share with our class how to speak their language? What if instead of quickly correcting a ‘misspoken’ phrase, we shared with the student how we would say it and asked them to give it a try next time – and oh by the way, how would you say this in Spanish? (And then maybe we could actually try it the next time too!) I think there are ways to work on developing language that wouldn’t diminish the value of each student’s language and culture.

President Obama, along with all of the other things he has to work on, has a perfect opportunity to give all of our children hope for the future. I hope that all children, regardless of race, see his rise to President as an example of what hard work and perseverance can bring. His ability to connect with so many different cultures should also be an example for our children and gives me hope that one day we can all see the beauty in one another.

Sarah, Amie,
I agree with both of you that we need to teach our students correct English. The trick seems to be how to accomplish this task while respecting a child's home language or dialect. Amie, I like your ideas for keeping the instruction/correction light and fun. I know that my Hispanic students get a kick out of my attempts to speak Spanish. We also have a responsibility to be careful with both our words and the tone with which we speak. I believe that we can teach correct English AND maintain a student's dignity if we instruct with understanding and sensitivity.

Sarah, I am so happy that you see the importance of teaching correct english. I too have heard other professionals speaking incorrectly while teaching and it makes me cringe too. My stepdaughter has a really hard time with correct grammar. She constantly says "them are" and "ongun" for onion and it makes her sound like she has been growing up in a barn. We do correct her because we know that she is intelligent and we want her to sound as smart as she really is. It is just like when we read Junie B. Jones books in class. The kids know when Junie B. Says shes got frustration in her she really means that she is frustrated. I think you can help a child learn to speak correctly without hurting their pride and erasing their identity.
Whitney Gilbert

Whitney,
It is funny to hear you say that your step daughter has a difficult time with correct grammar because my step-daughter does too. The difficulty she has with what I consider 'correct grammar' and what she considers 'correct grammar' is that she has grown up in West Virginia. The way they pronounce certain words and say certain phrases sounds "funny" to me. I am a very sarcastic person so when I go to WV I am always picking on my father-in-law when he talks. I try not to do that with my step-daughter but I have caught my self more than once chuckling at something she has said or commenting about it. I learned recently that it truly offends her. She wanted to know why I make fun of people from West Virginia and why did I think the way I say things was right and the way she says them is wrong. We ended up having a long discussion about language and how different people in different parts of our country speak many languages and/or say things differently. She disagreed with me and said everyone talks the same. So we talked a little about her visit to a school I taught in a few years ago and how many of my students spoke in Spanish. She commented that they did speak Spanish but that was because they couldn't learn English.
Her comment is sad but truly what many "English" speaking kids believe. She lives in WV where there is very little diversity and her thoughts on others are pretty stereotypical. I do believe it is our job to teach our students correct grammar but I think the way we go about doing that needs to be carefully thought out. We can not expect kids that speak other languages to be excepting of our language if we are not excepting of theirs. I think Junie B. Jones is a great example to use, that many kids can relate to, when teaching younger kids about respecting other kids languages and the way that they talk. If we are okay with reading her books and letting kids read her books in school, why is it only appropriate to speak in their language at home. We defiantly need to find a balance.

Sarah and Amy,
I agree with Amy that we need to be careful about respecting the languages the students in our class speak, as well as the other children that we have a relationships with. But, I feel that Sarah's example in her post was an example of how to respectfully teach the students. It is neat to hear views from parents, because as I read this I can recall my father correcting phrases and words that I said when I was younger. It drove me nuts, but I was thankful as well!

Well, with everyone speaking of correcting English, I might as well chime in on the conversation. As a new teacher, I am trying diligently to correct in a way that will not humiliate students. I have had a tendency in the past to quickly correct the grammar of everyone around me. My husband or any of my sisters will quickly tell you that they speak correctly in front of me. With that being said, I am amazed my husband married me at all.

In the classroom setting, I try to make sure students understand the correct way of asking or making statements; however, I have to remember not to correct them in front of the entire class in that quick manner I use at times. Luckily, my first class has had few problems with grammar and standard English. I do agree that it is extremely important to set a good example for your students though.

Are there any more experienced teachers who have had similar problems? How do teach standard English without "calling out" students? I feel as though I have done well thus far; however, I am waiting for the class when I completely obliterate a student's confidence.

Sarah,
First off, I love your title! It is ringing in my ears in the best way. :) It reminds me of my great-grandmother talking....
Second, thank you for sharing how you teach "home" and "school" language to such young children. What I gleaned from these first couple of chapters is that the authors are reflecting on their experiences of learning to live in both worlds, and that they were devalued in the process. What a gift it would be for teachers to make this process more transparent, and to teach children to be critical of the structures that define them. It is when they are aware of these oppressive structures that they can re-define them.
Brittany -- I'd recommend you do in your class what Sarah describes. Rather than focusing on individuals, use whole-class lessons to make the "switching" more transparent and purposeful for students.