I am the type of person that really tries to think about what they say, especially during discussion with parents when they are concerned or I am concerned about something. However, until I read chapter nine I never really thought about how my tone/presentation might affect student or parent perception. After reading the chapter I began to wonder whether or not my students/parents could see through what my words were saying and see my true feelings about particular topics. I have on several occasions caught myself saying something that I should have worded differently or later thought about how a parent might have taken something I said the wrong way. Now I realize that I need to think past that and pay even closer attention to how I am being perceived by not only what I say but how I say it.
Kohl’s comment about how “New teachers, if they do not come from communities that are similar to those they teach in, are particularly vulnerable to miscommunication.”, hit home for me. My first year teaching I was hired at a school where 19 different countries were represented and 26 different languages were spoke. I had issues of racism come up twice that year. I remember thinking that, especially because of my military background and my parents raising me to never judge someone based on color that I was the farthest person from being racist. But now as I look back on the situations I see where my students perception of the event was completely opposite of mine. The first incident was during a spelling test. The word was brown and when I used it in a sentence I said, “I do not like the color brown.” I never thought twice about the sentence until the next day when the parent of one of my boys came to talk to me. She was not offended but wanted to let me know how upset her son was. That incident happen to be over the particular wording I used, however later in the year I had a parent go to my principal about a situation in my class that her and her daughter took great offense to and told the principal that I was not only racist but I did not respect her child as a female. I had great difficulty that year with getting my kids to put their names on their papers. I repeatedly told them that if their name was not on a paper that they would get a zero. It was April and I continuously had to guess which paper belonged to each kid based on their handwriting, especially on homework. I sat in circle with the kids and told them about my frustration. I then put the homework, without names, out in circle and told them to look through them. If one of them was theirs they were suppose to take it and throw it away. My purpose, I thought, was not to demean the students but to emphasize the importance of writing their names on their papers. This particular child did not take it that way she went home and told her mom that I threw her paper at her and told her to throw it away. Her perception of the incident had to do with how she thought I felt about her not the point I was trying to get across, to put their names on their papers. At the time I blamed the mom for not thinking through what happened. However, after reading that chapter I realize that maybe I should have been thinking more about the perception the kids were getting from my behaviors and words. They were offended, not because I gave them a zero on their homework, but because after they had worked hard on their homework and that I didn’t care.
Wynne makes a very valid point. Why is it that teachers go through the education program in so many universities, planning to be prepared to teach but yet not one course prepares us to understand the importance of our tone, presentation, implication, attitude or the acceptance and importance of children’s language. It was not until this class, an elective, that I really thought through all of these issues. It is no wonder that new teachers go into classrooms and fail. If nothing else classroom management classes should focus on the importance of these issues and have open discussions like we are having.
Amy Spade
Comments (7)
Amy,
While a planned parent/teacher conference allows time for me to carefully consider what I say, what happens in the classroom truly reflects who I am--or more importantly, who my students think I am. My heart just sank when you described the problem that arose with your sample sentence for brown. Even though you value other races and cultures, you were judged totally by your speech. As awful as that is, I am just beginning to realize that in one sense that is exactly what I have done before in judging a student's aptitude based on his/her ability to speak. Like you, I am becoming more aware of how unprepared I was, in terms of this discussion, to face the challenges of the classroom.
Posted by Lisa Rasey | February 7, 2009 9:06 AM
Posted on February 7, 2009 09:06
Amy,
Reading your two situations as a teacher was interesting. I remember having a spelling word come up on a spelling test that I wasn't prepared for. It was something very similar to your situation. Since then, I have written out my sentences before the test. I can't tell you how many times I have told students that I will throw away papers if their name is not on it. I never even CONSIDERED how hurtful this might be! I need to take a new approach to this.
Posted by Sarah Feinman | February 7, 2009 12:36 PM
Posted on February 7, 2009 12:36
Your comments regarding teacher education programs was interesting. I think that it would be a good idea to incorporate the ideas from this course into the undergrad curriculum. Even if a course, itself, is not offered, then the ideas should be included in classroom management courses. If a teacher enters the classroom with a good idea of tone, presentation, and children's language, then that teacher will inevitably have fewer classroom management problems.
Posted by Heather Coe | February 8, 2009 8:21 PM
Posted on February 8, 2009 20:21
Amy, I know how it feels to have someone completely take what you mean the wrong way. The other day we were reading the book "The American Dream" and having a discussion about racism in America. Their is a really powerful picture in it of 3 African Americans sitting at an "all white" lunch counter having salt, milk, and any other "white" thing poured on them. My class and I had a very good discussion about how Afrtican Americans were treated. I used children in my class as examples, even including myself in these saying that I could not have been this persons teacher or this persons friend. One of my little girls asked if "that meant white children are bad". I hadn't planned for this. I thought about it and why perhaps she would have thought that. I went back and explained that a lot of the racist attitude was because people were scared of differences. I helped put her mind at ease and the rest of the class' by talking about how many wonderful things had come from the work of Martin Luther King and others who fought for equal rights and I reassured her that it didn't mean she was bad. Her ability to ask about her concerns allowed me to explain. If only everyone asked questions like this right! I mean, that child could have gone home and told her family that I was talking about Martin Luther King and saying that all white children are bad. I do wish sometimes that more people would approach us and ask for clarification like this little girl. Perhaps if we all just asked a few more questions, we wouldn't have as many problems. The truth is, we can only anticipate so much. You are not alone by any means in feeling like this. Keep up the faith!
Posted by Whitney Gilbert | February 8, 2009 9:24 PM
Posted on February 8, 2009 21:24
I agree... When are universities going to have a class that will prepare teachers for language? Body, cultural, and tone of voice. I imagine you easily fill an entire semester with this type of information.
Posted by SuSu Watson | February 9, 2009 8:03 PM
Posted on February 9, 2009 20:03
Amy,
The thought that my students might think that I don't care about them because I threw away their work really hurts. I am so glad we are on here sharing our experiences. Before reading your blog I threw away nameless papers all of the time, sometimes after I knew who it belonged to, just to prove a point. I am thinking long and hard about another less abrasive tactic than disposing of nameless in the trash can. Any ideas, let me know.
Posted by Cherrita Hayden-McMillan | February 9, 2009 9:25 PM
Posted on February 9, 2009 21:25
Amy,
Thank you for sharing these two stories. Your reflections are always rich and powerful!
You know, I've been thinking about the tossing of papers. There have been a couple of times where people forget to put their names on these Blog entries, mainly because it needs to be become a habit. After I read your post, I sat here and thought what sort of message I would send if I just deleted those posts that didn't have names! You all would probably have very strong reactions to that!!
I don't mean to compare our situations, because you all are adults and children are, well, children. But the "effect" is the same -- if you could imagine my deleting your post. The devaluing is still there. And that devaluing just reinforces the power structure. Your work is no longer your work -- it becomes MINE and I can decide what to do with it! Isn't that awful??
Anyway, I am a firm believer in "natural consequences." When I taught middle school, I used to get papers with no names, and I'd just put them in a basket on a shelf without grading them. Once a week, I would post grades, and students were shocked to see missing grades .... but they'd go straight to the basket, find their work, and resubmit it. This might not work with young children, but the point is to have natural consequences but always give them the dignity to "save face."
Posted by Alecia Jackson | February 15, 2009 10:47 AM
Posted on February 15, 2009 10:47