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

It always upsets me when I read research piece after research piece that shows the value of giving students a voice, of giving students purpose in their reading and writing assignments. I’m not upset because the research shows that with carefully crafted lessons built on student’s experiences and interest, students find their voice and see the power and value of reading and writing. I’m upset because so many of the people that make curriculum decisions seem to completely ignore the research – especially if that research is qualitative. It’s almost sloppy to me to ignore or choose to not read research that had the potential for making our classrooms mean something to our students. In Henry’s article I saw several young girls, who before the implementation of the workshops thought that they weren’t important and what they had to say was even less important, transform into individuals with their own thoughts and emotions. Real learning to me comes in moments when we can be as attached to the materials as these young students were able to do. It also comes in moments when we believe we are truly being heard and respected for what we are able to share. These students were making attempts to share their experiences with one another so that they could learn more about themselves as well as more about each other. Beyond that they were making connections to the texts that allowed them to be active, engaged readers.

I wish this piece would have shared more about how the teacher/researcher went about leading the sessions. There were some descriptions of the dialogue between the girls and teacher, but I’d have liked to see more about the literature used and more extensive feedback from the students, however I understand the space constraints for journals and I’m sure that that had a great deal to do with how much was put into this piece. A second part to this research could be information for other teachers to bring this type of book club into their own classrooms.

Amie Snow

I was most intrigued by the use of writing as a tool to analyze an event. Kay, an ELL student, was a reluctant writer to begin with. When she found a topic that interested her and that touched on her own experiences of race, gender and class, she wrote more freely and at length. Not only was the topic interesting to her, she felt safe and valued in her small group. I was reminded that I need to provide time and place for my students to "speak out" in writing.

The idea that each student needs to develop her own voice really applies to my teaching area, ESL. When learning a second language, it is hard to express feelings and opinions in that second language even when you are a very proficient speaker. There is just something about that heart language and it is almost always easier to communicate in your first language. How can I provide more opportunities for these students to find their voice, their power?Do they need more assignments in which they write or do they need more discussion groups? When I have done units on immigration we have had lively discussions and very strong opinions. Do I need more units that challenge them in that way? Can dialogue journals really increase language and cognitive abilities as the article promises?

The Henry article also reminds us that it is not good enough just to include multicultural literature in our classes. We must be purposeful in how we weave them into discussions about important issues.

I did have one question. I did not understand "transgressive speech" in this context. Can anyone help me?

Ashley Catlett

I wonder how easy it would be to replicate this study. I think that the environment Henry created was so specialized that it may be difficult to generalize it to other situations. She created an ideal situation where she worked with a homogeneous cultural and gender group, African Caribbean teenage girls, using literature about the same group and led by an African Caribbean woman with similar background experiences. I think the power of this last factor, was under estimated by the researcher. I imagine that these girls saw her not as a teacher or even a researcher, but as their friend. This really changes the dynamic significantly. By lowering the affective filter, this group of girls felt comfortable enough to share intimate details in their writing and their discussions.

Although I don’t think that it is realistic to replicate all of these circumstances, there are some concepts that we can generalize from this study:

1)Students respond when they see themselves reflected in the literature.
2)Small homogeneous grouping by gender and cultural background helps students feel comfortable. Students may choose to do this in a classroom where the teacher uses literature circles and students self select the book. However, I don’t think it would be well received if the teacher grouped students by cultural background.
3)Same gender lowers student self-consciousness. Several school districts across the United States are experimenting with same gender classrooms and have found great success.
4)Students need to feel safe in order to learn.

I think this last point is the most relevant for me. We all need to give voice to our ideas, thoughts and feelings and know that we are safe. I work hard to create a classroom environment where students feel free to take risks in their learning. As teachers, we can control how we respond, but we can’t predict how other students will react. Although we have a huge influence on how our students treat one another in our classroom, we can’t always keep it a safe place.
Jayne Thompson

I was reminded of the importance of qualitative research as I read this article. We miss out on so many of the details when we only look at the numbers.

As I read the first part of this article it made me think about how so many teachers don’t realize the opportunities that we are missing out on with our minority students. And for the ones that do realize it, they don’t know what to do to help these students. During my undergrad my professors stressed having multicultural literature available in the classroom. However, we never really discussed how to reach the students that are depicted in these stories and the struggles that these students may have in school.

Although, I do feel that university programs need to have a component that addresses and helps develop strategies, as well as, gives prospective teachers an opportunity to volunteer in schools to specifically work with minority students, I also feel that individual schools need to take a role in helping teachers help their students find their voice. Through workshops and resources the schools can help teachers develop lessons that are geared towards the specific cultures in their school. Schools are so focused on the test and workshops geared towards improving test scores, instead of realizing that direct needs of their students and teachers.

So often we scare kids away from writing and sharing their ideas because they didn’t write it correctly or say it correctly. If instead we would pick topics that interest them or that they can relate to (which may mean having more than one topic that you are discussing at once) and pay attention to the content and power of what they are trying to say we would have students that were eager to write and talk which would lead to greater success. I think Kay’s statement about writing reflects what many of our students think about writing and joining in during discussions: “If I’m in the mood, I’ll write good; if I’m not, I’ll just write anything. If the topics are good, I’ll concentrate and write.” I also loved what Henry said about how she decided not to look at the mechanics of the students writing but the actual writing itself: Thus, I ignored “errors,” particularly in the writing of Alice and Kay, working rather from my assumptions, based on current research literature, that fluency, control of syntax, writing skills, and self-expressivity would be increased through the use of personally engaging and culturally responsive literature and activities with specific themes for girls of this age; and that the use of group talk and journal writing would enhance language and thinking skills (Golden & Handloff, 1993; Pappas et al., 1995; Staton, 1989; Tierney, 1990). We become so tied up in the mechanics that we often miss the message of our students writing.

Amy Spade

Wow, what do you do when a child says this? I had to figure that out this year. I had a little one tell me this horrifying fact and I didn't know what to do. I referred this child to the counselor of course, but what do you do to help that child function in everyday life? I had been wondering why this child was so physical with others, but I was not prepared for this. Who would be? I had grown up in a very stable society with both parents their to support me. When I moved to my school, it was like moving to Mars. Sure, we received some training on inner city schools and the things inner city students went through, but that seemed so foreign to me until I moved to Burke County to teach.
My world was now filled with children who had nothing to eat, were homeless, and unfortunately suffered mental and physical abuse daily. In order to orient myself and some of the other new first year teachers to the reality of our "little country school", my principal, whom I now consider a genious, had us ride the bus routes so that we could see what our children lived through daily.
This realization right here is why I dislike and distrust quantitative tests. Now, don't get me wrong, I believe every child can learn, it's just that other children have to put their minds at ease with street stuff or home stuff before they can learn school stuff. How can one say that a children whose power may have been cut off every other week or moved 5 times in a school year can perform at the level of a child to two working and educated parents?
Since this child, and some of the other sad and heartbreaking things I have seen and heard, I focused my teachings around a secure and loving environment full of structure and care. I do value education, that's why I am a teacher. but I realize that I have to gain the trust of these children in the process if I ever want to see any progress. I have included in my class library many books about grief, pain, emotions, and trust. Racial issues are not as much as a problem; moreso the poverty stricken broken homes.
It is hard some days. I take so much of this home. I worry about these children, want to bring them home and care for them, get so frustrated at these "parents" that have no time for these little minds eager to learn and be loved. I really wish college had taught me how to better prepare for this. Sometimes I wonder how long I can be in this profession and see children thrown away or not appreciated. But, I remind myself that I am making a differnce. As small as it may seem. I don't have all of the answers or the cure alls, but I try to help. I respect these children for what they bring to the table and acknowledge the fact that they may have had to find food the night before as opposed to studying for their spelling test.
These children do need education and I bust my butt to help them succeed, realizing that it may be the only way out for some of them who live in an actual hell. But, unlike these benchmark tests that say they should be here or there, I strive to be patient and honest, telling them why I push education so much, so that they can be anything they want to be.
Whitney gilbert

I found the perspective of this article pretty interesting, coming from a Black Feminist point of view, but I wish Henry had gone into more detail about the differences between "womanism" and "feminism." After her brief description I still had no clue about what makes them different terms. It seems like an interesting concept though, and one I'd like to learn more about. Henry's explanation for research is something I really appreciated though; on page 235, she mentions how research can be something "violent" or "humanizing." She then goes on to clarify that her purpose was to be mindful of social change and to take an active role in inquiring about this subject. To me, this shows a little bit of her nature--that she is sensitive to the needs of her research subjects but that she is truly interested in researching to help them and other students.

When I think that many minority students are denied having a voice because teacher or school system doesn't teach about their culture (a point Henry makes on page 236), it really does make me sad. The United States is known as the "melting pot" of the world, and has been for a long time, yet our curriculum is focused on the European roots of our culture. Take, for instance, "world literature" which is taught in the 10th grade at my school. Julius Caesar is a major work taught in this grade, and it's British literature! There's hardly any Asian, Hispanic, African, or any other culture represented. There's so much good literature out there that would represent these cultures, and we're not taking full advantage of it.

To be quite honest, I spent the most time with this article thinking about the first thing I saw: the title. I asked myself, "what is the difference between speaking up and speaking out, if anything?" To me, "speaking up" is the first step someone takes after forming an opinion. You "speak up" instead of keeping silent about it and voice an opinion that may either be welcomed or not. "Speaking out" seems like more of an action; instead of just voicing an opinion, you go OUT and do something about it (hence the term speaking OUT). In my classroom, one of the biggest goals I have is to get everyone involved and to hear everyone's "voice" at some point. (This is actually kind of funny to think about since I was that student who sat in the classroom quiet as can be!) To me, my goal is to get everyone speaking up, but then to inspire and encourage my students to then go speak out on their own, in a non-confrontational way, of course. I'd love to hear other's thoughts on this question; I think we'd hear some very different and enlightening ideas.

Christy Rivers

"Whether a class is large or small, I try to talk with all students individually or in small groups so that I have a sense of their needs. How can we transform consciousness if we do not have some sense of where the students are intellectually, psychically?"

This quote on only the second page of the article "Speaking Up" and "Speaking Out" really spoke to me. It reminded me of the idea of a good teacher and a great teacher. A good teacher cares about all of her students and talks to them as a class to get to know them. A great teacher talks to every child one on one as much as possible until she knows every home situation, struggle, and strength of all her students.

This has been a struggle for me so far in my teaching career. I have attempted to get to know all of my students; however, it seems that sometimes there are situations that I am left unaware of either because the student was shy or did not share his life or the constraint of time in a day. Although I have the intention to speak to every child each day, sometimes in the hustle of life and school, time ellapses, and they are on the bus for home.

In the article, a great amount of emphasis is placed on the idea of voice and speaking. I agree that society often teaches people, especially females, to be reserved rather than always speak. However, I think that a key way to encourage females to use their voices is to show them that you care about what they have to say. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article and the quote regarding relationships with students. I think building positive relationships with students can make any teacher more successful. Students who feel like you care are more likely to try, speak, and behave in the classroom setting.

On the next page, the author further explained voice as "a strong sense of identity within an individual." Throughout my own life, I have found that the more I "found" myself and my own identity, the more I had to share with others. I think this is true of all human beings including our own young students. As you encourage them in their intelligence and show them that you truly care about them, they will have a drive and desire to continue to figure out who exactly they are and what they would like to do with life. Almost every day, I look a student and think of the opportunities they will have in life and the potential they have to succeed. Although we see this potential, they may not and may have no one else who encourages them at all. This is why our relationships with them are so very important.

Finally, I also encourage my students to find their voice through writing. As mentioned in the section Literacy, Race, and Gender, students can speak volumes about themselves through journaling. For this reason, I begin every single day with a journal entry. Students are able to express their own ideas about themselves and their desires in life through prompted and unprompted entries. There are some students that have told me more in their journals than they have in person. Anyone who has not used journaling with students, I would definitely encourage it as a way to improve writing skills and to build relationships with students.
Brittany Guy

Black students and other students of color are often denied the right to learn about their own cultures from critical or their own informed perspectives (Joseph, 1988

I remember in school learning about slavery, the black students were rarely given the opportunity to discuss their feeling of the issue. I remember feeling like the teachers tried to speed through instruction of that point in history, and I felt like the pace of the lecture was to limit conversation of the issues. The author continues to explain the perspective of a Junior High school teacher who feels ignoring the students and issues they are facing, whether it is in a historical perspective or current issues, leaves them voiceless. I feel anytime we limit the opportunity to discuss an issue, if we are the student or the teacher, we are limiting the amount of growth a person can have. The teacher continues by stating: “When I use the term voice, I am thinking of a strong sense of identity within an individual, an ability to express a personal point of view, and a sense of personal well-being that allows a student to respond to and become engaged with the material being studied by the other students in the classroom, and the teacher.” Doesn’t that mean if we limit their opportunity we are weakening their voice, and based on what the article says in order for students to feel important they must feel a sense of pride when they discuss the issues in a coherent way.

I think there are several ways to group students who need more instruction in reading in writing. We have learned about black students through this article and many other articles, who have not received fair education because of their home language. In this article, the author expands on the notion of black students who are being limited because of the judgments in the school systems, and talks specifically about female black students and the problems they are experiencing with literature. At the beginning of the article Henry state that her feelings and values came from a black feminist perception, and there is one point in the article where I disagree with a point she makes. She includes a statement from a study of 11th grade minority girls: “they need opportunities to read, discuss, write, and express themselves in safe, private contexts. Boys may not outnumber girls, but their concerns frequently override those of young girls.” She continues by stating that girls betray their voices, when I read this I immediately think of all of the male adolescents who are betraying their voices. I understand that she wrote the paper because she was working with adolescent black female students, but I disagree with the comments that were made in the study because I recently read about the struggles young adolescent males face when reading and writing. Like I said there are several ways to divide a classroom based on strengths and the levels the students are on, and I feel that too often we focus too much on that. Yes, you need to find the instructional levels for your students, and teachers should be aware of what each student brings to the table based on their gender and race. But sometimes I feel that people are very focused on identify a group that needs more help than others, instead of finding a way to help. I do not mean to make anyone feel that I am saying that it is not important to be aware of the race and gender issues, because I have enjoyed learning more about them. Instead I am identifying important characteristic in qualitative research, we are now getting suggestions for the problems, which we were not always getting through The Skin that We Speak.

Although I disagreed with one point the author made, I find her patience and ability to focus only on the positive aspects in the students writing inspirational. I think her effort to truly except the ability level of the students, led to their success. I think it is really hard for teachers to accept the best students do, because there are times their best falls below the standards. I thought about Kay today as I visited the school where I student taught last semester. While I student taught I worked with students in grades K-5 who had disabilities, most were learning disabilities. I think there is so much pressure for teachers to move the students to a certain point, a goal that is set by someone in the system, that it is too hard to truly accept the student’s present level of performance and base instruction from there. I feel that we are setting students up for some kind of failure when we force them on certain levels of instruction, when they are not there. Henry allowed Kay to make any kind of mistake she needed to make in order to get her point across. Instead of the student making all of the effort, Henry made the effort to dissect what the student wrote about OJ Simpson, in a way that Henry could understand it. She accepted the level Kay was on, and based instruction/interaction from there.

I also admire the way Henry summarized the personal information that she gained through the research. At the end she questioned how to address the political and ethical questions that arise through the research, I feel that she respected the students by disclosing certain information, but not all.

Elizabeth Griffin

One of the most important values that any child, regardless of ethnicity, should acquire in school is the recognition of their “own voice.” Throughout the year, I attempt to make my kids think as critically as possible about social issues, in order for them to form their own opinions about the world. As teachers, we can teach them all of the names, dates, numbers, and rules that we want, but unless our kids know how to acquire new knowledge and form unique thoughts, they will never be life-long learners.

I thought Kay’s story fell in line with other articles/readings that we have had this semester. Like Henry suggests, kids are constantly looking for ways to share their views and ask questions about the world around them. Even if they don’t watch the news every night, they hear adult conversation, and make observations--kids are very perceptive. At first, she was reluctant to express herself in writing, but once she finally found a topic that she could relate to, the writing came. This reminded me of a boy that I have in one of my classes. He is what educators might call a “hard case.” He comes from a troubled, broken home, with no real support system. In my class, kids can do anchor activities if they complete their assignments and have free time. Well, his activity instructed him to write about what he thought the earth would look like in 200 years. At first, he was very reluctant, but once I told him that he could turn it into a song (even a rap), he got excited. Within a couple of minutes, he had completed the first two lines. I think we just have to find that “connection” with children.

To take this one step further, I also agree that we not only have to provide our kids with a “voice,” but also give them confidence in their voice. If I ask for a student’s opinion on the War in Iraq, for example, and then immediately tell them that they are wrong, then I am doing them an injustice. Even though we may not always agree with our students, we need to allow them to express themselves (without them worrying about being chastised). I always tell my students that it is important that people have different opinions, and that the world would be a boring place without them. Kids need “room to grow” emotionally and mentally. With our encouragement, they will continue to form hypotheses until they grown into their own adult person.

Heather Coe

Wow...I am reminded of how lucky I am.Reading about these girls and the things that they had to go through...
I was struck by the quote by Annie Rogers on page 235 of the article : that she talks with all students individually or small groups so that she would be aware of their needs. How often do I take the time to do that?
I have one particular student at this point, that I do this with now. He is a foster child and has been taken from this mother several times. He is in his ninth school in three years. Studies show for every move, a child regresses four months. So you can imagine what he is like. He is one student that I try to spend as much individual time with as I can. He is a student that makes me wish my class size was waay smaller. He is also the reason I enjoy teaching so much.
Each year there are one or two that I get to know...yet I know that this is not enough. I have been to the hospital to visit a parent of one of my students, but I need to make the effort to reach all students. For my action research project, we are going to writing every day. I hope that this will open some doors for communication between my students and myself.
One thing I can say about this class and it's readings, is that is has made me question my teaching and is forcing me to reevalute myself constantly.

SuSu Watson

I enjoy the articles we have been reading. While I enjoy the research aspect, it is the application into my own classroom that keeps me reading. So, Henry's article of course, focuses my attention on VOICE. Beverly McElroy-Johnson eloquently explained in this article, "Voice is identity, a sense of self, a sense of relationship to others, and a sense of purpose. Voice is power, power to express connections, power to direct and shape an individual life towards a productive and positive fulfillment for self, family, community, nation, and the world." Once again, I am struck by a quote. When have I felt powerless, fearful, or anxious? I felt those differing emotions when I was not in a place where I could voice my thoughts, feelings, or opinions. The release would have been the ability for me to communicate all that was stuffed within either through verbal words or words written on a page. My next thought is the context of a classroom. Am I creating an environment where sharing one's voice is allowed, encouraged, and accepted? Are foundations being laid right now in our early grades enabling children to express all that is within them, or do we neglect the "messy" because of a lack of time. There is a schedule to keep, test scores to raise, there simply isn't time to develop voice in our work today. May I never buy into that attitude where the option of remaining silent becomes the norm. May I constantly find pockets of time where I do not know all the answers my students ask, but by golly, they are inquiring and sharing from the deepest parts of themselves. Comfort is apparent and they feel empowered to ask anything, there is no question too little or too big. What space do our students occupy in our rooms? Is it just a physical presence centered around their desk, chair, and personal belongings. Or is it a presence that may not necessarily operate in the physical realm, yet holds a place in the construction of the atmosphere of the classroom. When a child feels secure and accepted, there is no stopping them. As I read the quote from McElroy-Johnson I made a note in my margin , "when voice is apparent in a classroom, it is inserting color into an otherwise black and white picture." Voice is the allowance of individuality. It is the statement to a student which acknowledges their background, their language, their worth. May I continue to commit my community of learners to conversations in which we learn more about ourselves, each other, and the world around us because of the twists and turns our conversations take. While our article referenced, The Diary, I will again reference a book we read this week. We are finishing our author study of Patricia Polacco, and took several days to digest The Butterfly. Last week , our story took on the topic of racism. This week, we explored a different kind of oppression, life under Nazi rule. We had to break this book into several days because of our discussion. There were so many questions, so many thoughts. WOW, their minds brought tears to my eyes. We were attempting to "read the world". How sad it would have been if after each page I read, I look up into the blank faces of my students who had been conditioned to be seen yet not heard. Thankfully, rich dialogue and questions beyond my own years were offered and we closed the back cover still formulating an understanding of life during this dark time. The atmosphere of our room was full of the echo from our voices, hopefully left to linger and reverberate when we enter back in Monday morning.

Disclaimer: While I revel in the discussions our literature takes us to, I am just hungry to learn more. I question myself everyday and these articles help direct my self questioning and focus. I hope I never come across as preachy. I am just in awe of the blooming that occurs when a child is given the opportunity. Just like us; I think each of us is blooming as we explore topics we perhaps have not marinated on. I learn so much from your blog posts.
Stefoni Shaw

After reading the Hinchman article last week, my greatest concern about qualitative research was how the researcher constructs meaning. While I recognize the tremendous benefit of a qualitative approach to provide insight for why some students struggle with literacy, I can understand why some decision makers reject this type of research deeming it too subjective to truly be used as a guide for program direction. Although it has been stated that qualitative inquiry requires the researcher to state her own biases or perspective, when I read Henry’s declaration that her “outsearch” was framed from a critical Black feminist perspective I wondered how much her own agenda would drive the process and influence the students. I am coming to realize that to some degree both actions are acceptable. But I also consider Maher and Tetreault’s (1994) assertion “that in the classroom voices are ‘fashioned’ not ‘found,’ from ongoing conversations with each other.” Would Henry really allow these young women to “speak up” and “speak out?”

In the section about Nadia and Alice, Henry states that she “tried to raise Black feminist questions and issues throughout the course of the workshop.” I wish some of the excerpts of the transcripts were included in this article. However, Henry’s inclusion of the play Nadia and Alice created demonstrates a commitment to allow these students to truly express themselves even if the researcher desires a different “voice” for the students.

For me, Henry’s greatest demonstration of respect for these young women was her willingness to follow Tamisha’s instructions to “Turn that thing off!” Tamisha spoke out, perhaps in a more literal way than Henry intended, and Tamisha found a voice. Henry's literacy research became exactly what she envisioned--social activism--as these students were allowed to transgress. Just as Henry was willing to allow these girls to discuss what mattered most to them at that moment, it is when I am willing to venture away from the task at hand in order to seize a teachable moment that I may teach more than at any other time. It is at that moment that I allow my students to “speak up” and may inspire them to “speak out.”

I really appreciated Henry’s concluding remarks and came away from my reading convinced that I, too, can approach qualitative inquiry from my own perspective and still be true to myself and my students. Henry’s comment that “a commitment to students’ voices and to collective curricular and pedagogical decisions necessitates a willingness to allow our researcher aims and agendas to be reshaped or even die off” resonates with me as I consider her willingness not to count her project as academic research. Henry is truly a teacher at heart! And yet, her decisions also make her a more credible researcher. Henry would rather sacrifice the research than the student. I wonder how many times good teachers are forced to sacrifice students because of research—not theirs, but research that comes to them in the forms of expectations based upon test scores and not students. The more I learn about qualitative research and realize the benefits of it, the more I cannot understand why its findings would not be given more consideration in guiding educational policy. After all, we are teaching people. If their voices are not heard, why would they ever speak up or speak out?

Lisa Rasey

While reading this article I had that overwhelming "When am I going to get it all done?" feeling. I kept picturing the girls in my classroom (2 black, 2 white, and 3 hispanic) and questioning whether or not I give them enough time in an environment that allows them to freely "discover" their voice. All but one of my girls are very quiet, usually compliant, and content to fall behind the scenes in classroom conversations. The fact is, all seven of these girls deal with stuff that 8 and 9 year olds in a "normal" world wouldn't even know about. As an adult that genuinely loves and cares about them, I really want to give them the literature that reflects their life and help them work through some of the discord that is present in their lives.

In the article, Henry states that in the traditional model of teaching and learning the students are passive compliers and regurgitators of knowledge. The girls in this study were definitely not passive nor were they simply regurgitating what they read. These girls were synthesizing new information and using this to make evaluations about themselves, characters in the book, and real world situations. They felt safe to discuss, explore, and be "real" with one another. The conversations continued no matter how taboo the topic and the girls were able to write without the stumbling block of Standard English, hence they wrote something.

The most important piece that I took from this article was the last paragraph on page 244: "Students come to class with real-life questions that a teacher cannot always predict, and that students who may be labeled as "low" or "poor" readers are constantly reading the world and anxious for spaces to express their heartfelt views." How can I meet test requirements and still make sure that all of my students, no matter what, have the opportunity to debrief about what is happening in their life and in the world?

Cherrita Hayden-McMillan

As I was reading this article, the gender aspect kept pulling at my heart. I have always wrestled with the idea of gender based curricula. The idea of separating the boy from the girls was a difficult one for me to understand. This is probably because I was raised by an independent single woman. I loved being in competition with boys in school. And I loved it when I was "smarter" then them.

There are schools in this nation that do have gender specific classrooms. I think that is an extreme measure to meet the needs of students. This article opened my eyes to the possibilities of creating "workshops" that are gender specific. I loved how these girls were able to open up, and "speak out" in these sessions.

One of Henry's research perspectives says, "Black girls are expected to adopt “female” roles of passivity and complacency; they are invisible to teachers as serious learners; they receive less encouragement and rewards; they are assessed for their social skills rather than academic achievement; they are evaluated by their physical characteristics such as hair texture and skin color; they are considered sex objects as they mature (Evans, 1992; Grant, 1984; Okazawa-Rey, Robinson, & Ward, 1987). This makes me think about some of the girls that I have in my class now. Typically they are very reserved and quiet. I never have discipline problems with them, and they always "comply". During whole group activities I rarely get responses from them. However, this quarter they are all in the same reading group, with no boys. I noticed a few weeks ago that I could not get them to stop talking, in order for me to ask comprehension questions. I quickly realized that I didn't need to ask questions, as they were proposing them on their own and discussing and understanding the text. I am not sure if it is because they were in a small group, or a small group with no boys, or just around each other that made them open up. Or even if it is the texts that I am supplying. I am glad that they have opened up. It is been very rewarding. This is something that I want to take a closer look at. Maybe in the next few weeks I can bring in texts that are more relevant to them. I would like to have a moment with this group, like Henry did with Tamisha; "turn that thing off!"

Sarah Feinman