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

Even though I've never fully experienced the same issue, I understand Delpit's concern that African-American children hesitate to speak because they are worried of what others will think. In some way, everyone who speaks a dialect other than standard English has a fear that they'll be ostracized in a society they so desperately want to fit in to. I wish she had mentioned non-standard English speakers as a whole, like Judith Baker did in her chapter, although I understand you have to "write what you know." I have felt this fear myself many times, although my fear comes from saying something unintelligent in a classroom full of deep, intellectual people, saying something that others disagree with, or speaking up only to be interrupted. It's not the same, I know, but it is a slight connection, and I have felt it often, especially in honors/AP classes in high school/college.

Perhaps I'm interpreting this chapter all wrong, but I didn't like how she described classrooms: "students rarely get to talk in classrooms...children are taught through worksheets or textbooks that make no reference to their lived experiences...teachers seldom know much about the children's lives...or aren't willing to connect instruction to issues that matter" (pages 40-41). There are so many teachers whose style is the complete opposite of this description. I can't think of a single teacher I know who doesn't allow student communication or who doesn't allow room in the curriculum for flexibility. Sure, there are teachers who make this stereotype a reality; we are all imperfect teachers, but many of us don't get into the profession for the reasons she mentioned.

That said, I wholeheartedly agree that students who feel comfortable, safe, and accepted in any environment will flourish in the subject area, be it language, literature, science, etc. I think it goes without saying that when humans feel their safety or comfort compromised, we put up a wall and block out anything new. Fight or flight, right? My favorite line in Delpit's chapter was, "their not achieving is not the way things should be, but a serious break in the history of the world" (pg. 46). I loved this. It is my hope that we can convince ALL students, regardless of their race, gender, whatever, that they are in a long line of learners, and that what they learn in school today affects their future. So powerful. I fully appreciated Baker's tips for making non-standard English speakers feel more comfortable. This would work wonderfully in a more diverse classroom; however in a classroom like mine where 99.9% are white, it might draw unwanted attention to those students who are "different."

I did enjoy reading and learning more about Ebonics from Delpit's point of view. I'd like to learn more about how their African root language has evolved to make this new dialect. Being from SC originally, I am familiar with the Gullah language, and boy is THAT fascinating. I'd like to learn more about the ties between the two.

Regarding the "permission to fail" chapter...this scared me. I wonder how many times I have inadvertently done this to a student. I thought about my 2 Hispanic students in this chapter. Because of the language barrier and the fact that (at the moment) I have no ESL teacher to help me, there are just things I cannot explain to them. Also, because of the speed in which the class moves and the prior knowledge needed to succeed, I sometimes let them off the hook for doing certain activities. I worry I'm giving them "permission to fail," but I don't really know what else to do...

Christy Rivers
(sorry for the long post...there were so many ideas spinning around in my head!:))

The main idea I took from these chapters was, "Teachers and schools must accept students, their native languages/dialects, and demand success." As Delpit learned from her daughter, a child can and will learn to code switch. When that little girl's affective filter was lowered in the presence of those who accepted her and her speech, she blossomed. Her school was inviting and she could connect there. Another place students were accepted and learned respect for one another was in Baker's classroom. I loved that they examined their speech and role-played. I loved even more the idea in chapter 7 of taking a piece of music and bringing it to life on paper! That teacher was willing to do something new and different just to see if it would motivate. I would like to try that idea in my own classroom. Sometimes when I don't what direction to go in next, I ask my students, "What would you like to study next?" Sometimes I get answers like, "dinos" and sometimes I get answers like, "Could you help us with the parts of speech." Maybe we should do more asking.
Chapter 8 was an "ah ha moment" for me reading about the man who had never driven a car. We would never consider him dumb or unable to learn! The same is true of children who have never used computers. We just give them more time and more exposure. Why is it so different when the child cannot read? We need to give them more time and more exposure.
This week in my school I have tried to ask myself, "Am I saying/thinking this because I belong to the class in power? (white middle class)" "How would a minority see this situation?" I think this is what we all must train ourselves to do.

Ashley Catlett

I found it interesting that both the Delpit and Baker chapters addressed many of the questions raised in our first blog: How do educators teach Standard English in a manner that honors the students’ home language? It makes sense to go back to language acquisition theory. We have known for years that language is best learned in social settings, not formal classrooms. So it is logical to find ways to teach that are relevant to the students’ interests. I love the “hair” theme. It reminds me of a book my husband just purchased to use in his high school algebra class: Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education, by Liz Kolb. “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” I also love Baker’s idea to study her students’ home languages. What a wonderful way to validate their oral language while recognizing a need for Standard English in other settings. Both authors made me wonder if I am doing enough to make my students feel comfortable talking in my class? Do I provide enough opportunities for them to use language? Am I creating relevant, motivating learning opportunities? How do they receive my “corrections?” My method for “correcting” non-standard English is the same one I used with my own young children. I repeat their phrase correctly, in a conversational manner. I hope this simply serves as a model for future. But I wonder, is this okay? Or have I inflicted irreparable damage to some child’s self-esteem?

I saw myself in the Ladson-Billings chapter on “Permission to Fail and Demands to Succeed in Urban Classrooms” and the Purcell-Gates chapter on “Issues of Literacy and Power.” I’ve been guilty of not pushing all of my students equally. As much as I love working with struggling readers and writers, I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of time and effort a low performing student needs from me. Some days, I just don’t have the energy to demand success. It’s not personal, it’s just harder. Our children come to school with so many needs and there’s never enough of me to go around. I’m not saying this is right, or trying to make excuses. I’m just being honest. It’s tough to meet everyone’s needs every day. So I just do the best I can and pray that it’s enough for today.

Jayne Thompson

and students education of language and literacy is affected by them, and Purcell-Gates argued that "it is the duty of teachers to guide all students to literacy with equal rigor". I felt these chapters were a little more beneficial than the previous chapters because within the chapters there were examples of how to acknowledge the "isms" in a positive atmosphere and how to build instruction based on the background the students bring into the classrooms.

In chapter 3 the author argues that "if schools are to be as successful at teaching Standard English, they must be just as welcoming", she is speaking of the lives of the children and their interests. The chapters we read for the last assignment identified the issues and struggles of several children and how their lives in the school system affected them, and problems with the school system. I always feel that if there are going to be problems identified, there should be suggestions for improvement. In these chapters we have more of an idea of how to improve the instruction our children receive regarding the instruction towards standard English and written expression. In chapter 3 Deplit writes about the struggle her daughter had in the school system. She writes about her daughter feeling more comfortable in the school system where she was surrounded by more students of her race and how she felt embraced by them. If I am correct, I feel Deplit argues because her daughter felt accepted by her peers which made her lower her guard and "embraced the language of her new friends". I wondered if we as teachers provide a welcoming environment with standard English models who welcome conversation, if it would bring a learning environment where students build their understanding of Standard English. Is providing that environment enough? And if so, how do we effectively "correct" the dialogue within conversation without the students feeling attacked. Because it seems the subject is a very fragile topic.

The people who compiled the book are very talented, because I was feeling as if there were too many complaints and too few ideas for improvement. Then I read Trilingualism. In the chapter Judith Baker describes an activity she completes with her diverse high school class. The activity represents her theory that there are at least three forms of English that should be learned. The labels and definitions she proposed, I agree with. I think students have a "home", "formal", and "professional". I think most of the chapters we have read so far, lead to this point.
Everyone has read the activity so I do not want to go into detail, instead I have a question. Like I said I do not have a classroom of my own and I haven't spent much time in the high school setting, but I wondered about specific part of Baker's activity. Within the discussion at the beginning of the assignment, some of the students were commenting that it takes more time to add an s on the end of a word and those who do not enunciate are lazy. I understand this activity addresses the sensitive feelings some students have for their "home" language. I also understand there needs to be a certain amount of maturity for the activity to be successful, but to those of you have classes do you think this would bring up to much emotion and people feel attacked?

I also enjoyed reading Chapter 7 because the author provided another suggestion with an activity that addressed the problems that have been pinpointed. I understand the issue that is present in some classes, the "permission to fail" some students receive from their teachers. The author describes situations where students receive the permission to fail from their teachers, but continues by describing a situation where a teacher appears to be very effective. I admire Carter for approaching the educational system without a undergraduate degree in education, but I think there is a point the authors are trying to make by identifying that his undergraduate degree was not in education. In every field there are going to be those who have a higher success rate with their responsibilities, but sometimes I think our creativity can be weakened by factors that face us in the school system. Carter did not allow those factors to limit his teaching ability, and his unspoken perseverance in an urban school system is "mystical and magical". As the authors say, the "magic is in the teaching". I hope to be as creative as some of these examples, but to also accept the cultural difference that is described in chapter 8 by Purcell-Gates. Because I believe it is a cultural difference, not a cultural deficit, and with early intervention in the young grades students will have more opportunity for success.

Elizabeth Griffin

These were very hard chapters for me to read. Although it has been some time since I have been in the classroom, I know what kind of a teacher I was then. While I thought I cared deeply for my students, I did not recognize the brilliance of each one. Delpit asserts, “If students are to acquire a second language form in school, teachers must not only see their students as nondeficient, they must understand their brilliance, and the brilliance of their home language” (p. 42). Instead of recognizing the brilliance of my students, I was totally enthralled with making my students brilliant—giving them the knowledge base, language and skills I thought they needed to become brilliant.

Recognizing the brilliance of my students’ home languages requires an authentic response from me. Judith Baker makes the point that it is not enough to “pretend” to respect a student’s home language (p. 56). And thus, I admit I have a problem. Appropriate language was so promoted and valued in all venues of my upbringing that I recognize I am a product of a system that most values Standard English. I am conflicted as to how I will change who I am in order to truly meet the needs of my students. It is at this moment I realize how much my identity is truly tied to my language also. And, for the first time, I may be struggling with some of the very same issues with which my students struggle. How will I value Ebonics without disrespecting my own home language?

A careful examination of my own life yields credence to Judith Baker’s “trilingualism” although I have never really considered “teaching” all three forms of English. Is the key truly in presenting various forms of English and allowing students to make an informed decision as to which will serve their life purposes best? By providing “motivation first, rules last” will I demonstrate an authentic respect for my students’ home languages? If I demand the very best of my students, ensure they understand their own brilliant heritage, and demonstrate “their not achieving is not the way things should be, but a serious break in the history of the world” (Delpit, p. 46) then am I beginning to recognize their brilliance and true potential? For me, the answers to these questions provide a map for the long journey I have to truly respecting another’s home language and recognizing it as brilliant.

Lisa Rasey

I enjoyed these four chapters more than the previous ones probably because they provided real classroom situations and practical knowledge. I was not surprised by Lisa Delpits daughter and her rapid change in language. I believe children are very quick learners, we often forget that and insist on trying to drill things into their heads. I also admired the way Delpit handled the situation and did not make her daughter not use her new language. But rather made sure that her daughter knew how and when to use which language.
Delpit (p.40) states that "When students do get a chance to speak, if anyone uses what the teacher considers to be 'bad English', the transgressor is told that he or she is speaking incorrectly and must "fix" the language in order to gain a response..." I feel that this is one area where I do a good job. I do not correct a child, or even tell them that it is wrong. I simply ask if there is another way to say it. Even then, I don't always do that.
I loved it when Delpit talked about the middle school and the "hair curriculum". What a great concept? I will be looking for ways to incorporate something like this in my classroom, on a smaller, third grade scale of course.
Judith Bakers essay touched me on so many levels. The idea of three forms of English was very enlightening. Although I have never thought of that way, I agree whole heartly with the concept. The projects she did with her students were inspiring. She was able to embrace where each child came from and build upon that foundation, to create some wonderful learning experiences in which the children learned to respect each other and were able to move forward in their education.
"I ain't writin' nuttin'" really made me think. Do I give permission to fail? I think back to my first year of teaching. I had a EC student. I allowed him to do nothing in my classroom, because it took so much effort on my part to get him to do anything. I know that I failed that child. I have since required more of my EC students, realizing my mistake that first year. But, the chapter really made me think, do I demand all students to succeed?
The story of Carter Forshay was another motivating story. He was able to have his connect and create in a non traditional way, that will have life long meaning for those students. This is the kind of teacher I am trying to be, finding ways to reach children and motivate them in all subjects, not just the classes they enjoy. I have The Magnificent Seven by Elmer Bernstein on my ipod. Every time I hear it, I "see" a story... cowboys, indians, and danger on on the open plains of the West. I have often thought of having students listen to it and write the story they hear when they listen to the song. But alas that is all that I ever done, think about it. But maybe I will try it complete with character webs and all. My guess is that before we finish this class I will have tried. Remind me to let you know how it turns out.
I recognized the story of "Donny" from Victoria Purcell- Gates from undergraduate studies. This story always touches my heart, since I have always lived in rural areas like McDowell county and Boone. I believe, as I am sure most of you do, the true tragedy of the story is the schools refusal to listen until a phone call from Dr. Purcell Gates. Oh I pray that I will never be that teacher.
I have this very year, done the same thing "Miss M." did on page 136. I had a student stand because he kept falling asleep during the reading of a passage. I felt bad about it, thinking perhaps I wasn't taking into consideration things that may be going on in his home that I wasn't aware of, and that maybe I had been a little harsh. But after reading this piece, maybe I did the right thing after all. Does anyone else feel that sometimes teaching is a fine line. We must care and we must demand, we must be all things to all children. No wonder I come exhausted at the end of the day.
I really did enjoy these chapters and the reflections it allowed me to have on my classroom. These chapters have certainly encouraged me to reflect and try new things in my classroom.
Until next time,

SuSu Watson

From the beginning of the section, I was very intrigued by the reading. The 1917 Speech Week Pledge immediately put thoughts of Stepford wives in my head, with its insisting that people “speak pleasantly.” Then I started to think about what today’s version of that 1917 pledge might look like. It would definitely have to be amended. Instead of just “no yehs or uh-hums,” it would have to include a section on no “LOLs, IDKs, or any other messaging lingo.” Since the dawn of text messaging, these abbreviations and others are constantly being included in the vocabulary of today’s youth. This is one of things that separates my generation from the generation that I teach.

One constant theme that I discovered throughout the reading was the idea that a person can happily exist with two (or three) “languages,” and educators should encourage, rather than insult, a person’s “home” language. Without an appreciation for their students’ identity, a teacher can never fully reach that child--in effect, they cannot encourage them to learn “proper” English. Children will never forget the language that they most identity with. As the reading suggests, we must make school an inviting place for children. I thought that it was fascinating that the author intertwined hair into the Middle School curriculum. There’s probably no better way to reach the kids than through cosmetics.

Language, as mentioned in previous posts, has a way of connecting a culture of people. Have you ever been to a restaurant and sat next to a group of Hispanics (for example) that spoke very good English to the waiter, but immediately switched back to Spanish when addressing each other? Until now, I don’t think that I fully understood why. Their language sets them apart from everyone else. It allows them to connect with each other in a way that I can’t relate to. This same phenomenon happens with children in school. Whether they are speaking Ebonics, Spanish, or Mandarin, their language allows them to identify with a group. Even when Carter Forshay got his fourth grade class to write a story, within it were elements of their vernacular (“dissin,” for example).

Before reading Judith Baker’s essay, I had never considered the idea of “trilingualism.” It is absolutely true! For example, an educator uses jargon on a daily basis that the majority of the world would not understand--PEPs, ASD, EOGs, EC, IEP, AYP, just to name a few. However, are kids supposed to learn their “technical” language while still in school? As a Senior in High School, I had no idea what I wanted to do as an adult (much less in Middle School). The way that high schools track kids is a little upsetting. The majority of these kids have no clue what profession they want to enter.

The story of Donny and Jenny was very upsetting for me. I couldn’t imagine growing up with parents who could not read and write. As sad as it is, I have heard several teachers react to parents in the same respect that Jenny was treated. Although she was correct that Donny should have been held back, they ignored her because of her Appalachia dialect. A lot of teachers think that kids who do not speak proper English have no chance of succeeding in school. But, as Victoria Purcell-Gates pointed out, even upper middle class kids do not talk like they write. She explained that learning how to talk in church, school, or court comes with experience, just like knowing how to write a letter, story, or book report. Honestly, this completely changed the way that I thought about kids and their ability to learn. The reason that middle and upper class kids knew more about reading than Donny, was the fact that they had experience with it. They knew that a person’s mouth moved when they read aloud. They knew that a person read left to right. The reason that Donny was not proficient, was because he had no experience with literacy. I think that more teachers need to realize why some students are not as successful. Instead of just giving up and accepting that they will fail, they need to demand success.

Heather Coe

After reading Chapter 3, many things stuck out in my mind. The first that stuck out was the quote from Maya Angelou on page 35. She brings out an excellent point. Are we telling young people that because you have your own language you do not need to learn another? As an educator, I certainly hope not! But is that what some are being told at home? It just made me wonder. Something else that stood out in my mind was the media attacks on Ebonics. Of course I had never heard of it until the Oakland issue. At that time I was quite young. But I was relying on what my mother thought. She thought it was ridiculous. And she should have, because that was what the media was telling her. As I mentioned in the previous critique, I really like the idea of students being able to switch back and forth between languages, and noted that some of my students can do it now. I think this really needs to be encouraged. I hope to do it more in my classroom. And I hope I help them see the value in knowing how to code switch (and maybe they won't listen to their parents telling them that they don't need to learn a new language!).

I could really relate to the author, Judith Baker in Chapter 4. She seems to be doing the same things that I am doing in my classroom by comparing the home language to Standard English. Of course, she is going about it at a much higher level. As I was walking around my room today, I paid attention to what and how students were saying things. It really made me realize that some of them (not all) are speaking very differently. I think I am going to start making a list of things that students say that are not correct English, and have another whole group discussion about it. Especially after reading all the comments and blogs this week, I want to approach it again. When I had the discussion with them the first time, I said, “school talk” and “home talk” are different. But I like how Baker breaks it down into three categories: home, formal, and professional. I would like to try that with my students. On page 58 she says, “Learning a formal grammar is a choice a student makes-not a choice a teacher makes for a student.” And my question is: are teachers making the grammar interesting and approachable for the students?

This article (chapter 7) nailed it right on the head for me! I am always trying to come up with lessons that are REAL to the students. Working at a Title I school makes it that much more difficult. The students that I have this year are musical and physical learners. I am always trying to find a way to add a song here, or make a movement there. And I know that if I give them a worksheet on contractions, some of them are going to fail. But if I can get them to learn the poem, Puddin Tang, and then recite it by translating the contractions, they will learn contractions. And if we give it a little urban edge, they will really get into it! I feel that every teacher in every school needs to demand success. And just saying it doesn’t cut it.

I like how Purcell-Gates points out that the lack of experience with literacy in the home is not a deficit but a cultural difference. It’s taking me a while to agree with her. In fact, I might be on the fence. The teacher part of me is screaming though. I do understand what she is saying. I believe that everyone should be reading to their children at night. I think it is so incredibly important. Of course I do! I am a teacher! But when I put myself in a parent’s shoes, I can also see how literacy is not a top priority for their child. But as a teacher, I want to show this child that literacy should be a top priority for themselves. I think that is truly the hardest part of my job. Teaching poor minority children that literacy is power is very difficult.

Sarah Feinman

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." -William Butler Yeats This is the quote hanging from the top of my computer screen which catches my eye everytime I sit down at my desk to plan a lesson, write an email, or breathe for a moment. These words rang in my mind just now as I think about the chapters we digested this week. I think Carter Forshay and I could engage in an enlightening conversation about the aforementioned quote. He is lighting fires in his classroom. Children who walk into a classroom with negative attitudes about a specific subject or idea are becoming transformed. The atmosphere in these rooms is changing. The disconnect is connecting, the fog is lifting, the spirit is soaring. Forshay's belief that his students have the "capacity to learn whatever he taught them," is contagious. He thought outside of the box. He covered the necessary material, yet the presentation was relevant. He engaged the learner in their learning. His lessons were purposeful. It was a great piece to read and reflect on my own teaching and pedagogical beliefs. Am I structuring my lessons, my classroom, even my beliefs about my students in such a way as to light a fire? Or am I the teacher mentioned in the first half of the chapter who gives a free pass to failure and disengagement?
Delpit and Forshay are like-minded educators. They believe when you capture a student's interests, they are more likely to build connection; light fires. I have been thinking all week as I teach, what in this lesson is interesting to the lives of my students? While I may not have a student from the hills of Appalachia struggling with English, I do have several who struggle with creative writing. What can I do to build a bridge that may not have been forged in their home environment? Perhaps creative thought or creative play are not key components of their time away from school. What can I do to stand in the gap? The answer to these questions is thought and attention.
These two words were laced in each chapter we read this week. Am I thoughtful and attentive to the needs of my students? Am I considering what each child needs or am I stuck in the teacher's edition and the testing rigamorole that my school has laid out for me? In my specific situation, I do not have a test hanging over my head as an "indicator" of what occurs in my classroom. The greatest part of my school environment is the creativity we can insert into each lesson. While this is amazing, it does require more time. I have so far to go in lighting fires with my lessons, but the fullness I experience when the flames are evident in the eyes of my students is what spurs me on. A friend from class this fall suggested her idea in teaching DOL, or daily oral language skills. She creates a class story involving each student as a character. They continue to correct the grammatical errors necessitated by the curriculum standards, but instead of on a worksheet, they are involved in the discovery on a Smartboard. I began this with my class, and we are deep in a forest with interesting creatures right now reminiscient of the land of Narnia. My favorite question has become, "When are we doing DOL today Mrs. Shaw?" I think there are some embers burning there. Full flame may arrive later in their own creative writing piece.
I think this week, while I am intrigued by code switching, the words that rang out to me were thoughtful, attentive, connection. That is the essence of building Language in the Classroom. The DOL idea is a fantastic one, and it is not original. There is such power in sharing our ideas, we're building fires with each other. It is time to kick the pail out, and make room for a big roast!
Stefoni Shaw

As I read this week’s chapters I couldn’t help but wish that we could discuss them in person. There is SO much to think about in each chapter and I’ve loved all the different perspectives we’ve all brought to the reading. Trying to narrow my response to only one or two issues was challenging for me this week!

I feel like I need to start by sharing a story that doesn’t come from my own experience. It is a story shared by my mentor. Some of you may have heard this story before but I think it’s worth hearing again. It relates directly to one of the main ideas of this collection of texts – a child’s experiences with the printed word impact that child’s ability to learn to read the printed text. As a doctorate student I have been lucky enough to spend a great deal of time outside the confines of a classroom with some of the reading faculty. Most of the time I sit in awe as I listen to each of them share their experiences. One day Dr. Morris shared a story that was told to him by his mentor, Ed Henderson. One day Dr. Henderson was asked by a colleague to observe a first year teacher in her classroom. The colleague was principal of an inner-city school and had been unsure of the instruction the new teacher was providing her new little readers. Dr. Henderson agreed and came to observe the teacher. He also talked with her to see her perspective on her instruction and her reasoning behind it. I don’t recall how many days he observed her but after it was all over, his colleague asked him, “So, what do you think?”. Dr. Henderson told him that he had nothing to worry about. The young teacher was doing exactly what she needed to do. As it turns out this teacher had learned that many of her students had little experience with books and reading. Many of their parents worked 2 and 3 jobs to care for their families and had little time to read at home. Some of the parents never learned to read as children. Some were struggling with moving to a new country and just knew that they wanted their children to be in school but weren’t sure what they should do to help them. This teacher decided that for now, in their first year of school, she would read to them and read to them and read to them. She worked hard to bring the world of books to them, to teach them that the squiggles and shapes on the pages of books meant something and could be read. I think too often we are quick to judge students who come to us unable to read, yet isn’t school where we promise to help them learn?

One other story - The first year I taught fifth graders, I had a student who had already lived through more than I ever had – her mother was in prison, her dad had left some time ago, and she was living with her elderly grandparents, who unfortunately, were dealing with difficult problems of their own. Each day my student would come in looking tired and hungry, and she was. The hungry part I could partially take care of because I tried to keep quick breakfast foods in my room, but as soon as she got into our room, her head would hit the desk. At first I let her sleep. I was a young teacher and thought that I was showing her I cared by letting her sleep. But then I was in one of my master’s classes and we read the same piece by Victoria Purcell –Gates. As I came to the part where she observes an African American teacher in an inner-city school, a light went off for me. I realized I wasn’t giving my student what she really needed. In trying to help her I was actually hurting her, allowing her to miss opportunities to meet her potential and create a better life for herself. Once I saw what I was doing I talked to the teachers she had had before me. I already knew from her file that she has been held back twice. I also knew from my initial reading assessment that she was reading about 2 years below grade level. Her previous teachers weren’t surprised to hear that she slept in class because it had happened with them as well. Year after year, our school had failed her. I honestly don’t believe that any of her former teachers meant to let her fail. I think that they, like me, thought that they were doing the right thing. For the rest of that year, my teaching partner and I tried to make Purcell-Gates proud. We already had high expectations for the class, but we worked hard to make sure that we had those high expectations for all of our students. We demanded that every student stayed awake in class and that all assignments were completed to the best of their abilities. It was hard to wake up our sleeping students and immediately direct them to finish their work. You feel like a bully at first until you realize that what you are giving them is a reason to try. Our student knew that we expected her to work hard but she also knew that at the end of a long day we were there to celebrate her success – for her that became a reason to stay awake.

I think that all teachers need a wake up call from time to time. It’s easy to get caught up in the quickly moving school year and forget that you had planned to work closely with the student reading below grade level, or that you meant to spend time just talking to the student who had lost a love one. Sometimes the wake up call comes in the form of a student different from any you have had before, a student that pushes you to change your instruction to make sure that everyone can learn and grow. Usually, for me, the wake up call comes as I read the words of other educators who have been there before and then I realize what I need to do and it is at that moment that I am grateful for all the others that have taken on this noble career with me.

Amie Snow

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

Hi everyone. I have to say that honestly, when I read some of these chapters I was very upset. I feel like a lot of these issues are focused around race and that teachers are really being portrayed as horrible creatures who, in Delpit's view, create this environment of ""Say it right or don't say it at all!"" How many of us have actually ever done this? And why is everything being focused around race in these chapters? I am as white as all of my other children, yet I do not speak with this southern drawl that is found in this area. Each of my students is unique in their own way. They are not all EXACTLY alike and this is something to be celebrated!

I was also really thinking about Delpit's use of her daughter as an example. Her daughter spoke the same way as everyone else in her private school so language was not the seperating boundary making her have lower self esteem. Their were other African American students present, but no African American girls. So, of course being around other students similar to her own physical background and now having others like her to play with made her self esteem grow. I don't see how learning and speaking ebonics had a lot to do with it. That would be like taking the only female in an all boys school, placing her in a southern public school and saying that her self esteem increased because she started saying ya'll, not because she had other females to associate with! Delpit's observations and theories do not hold up here.

Overall, children like new things. They get excited when I speak Spanish in my classroom. It is the learning of new knowledge that makes this fun and interesting, not just the language! They get excited about using big "adult" words when I teach them words like frustrated, pilfer, etc. And these are new things that they can use later on in life. Think about it, the proper use of the English Language, or any other foreign language can be used to reach millions of other people. Ebonics, just like southern slang, only reaches a collective group. It is limiting. So, I understand when people like Maya Angelou fought out against teaching children ebonics and accepting that as a form of communication. As I have said before, the reason for speaking and writing is to express one's feelings, thoughts, and beliefs. Aren't you losing that ability if you can only express them to a certain minority?

It also infuriated me that she was making so many presumptions about educators. Stating that we don't know what our children go through or what kind of backgrounds our children come from. I am sorry, but if that is really the type of teachers she has observed, than she needs a better perspective! I, along with the rest of the teachers I know and admire, make it a POINT to know our children and their lives. We constantly act as social workers, parent educators, nurses, lawyers, best friends, etc. all day every day. That is why we work so hard to help our children get out of the situations that many are in by trying to encourage and empower them with the knowledge they need to be successful and to show the world that they are the bright intelligen children we love! Thus is why I did enjoy Baker's article.

IBaker really examines the idea that there are certain instances in which one speaks differently and needs different types of language. She also did not limit her ideas just race. Her different levels of language (home, formal, professional) are very important for students to understand and as she shows, can easily be taught in a caring way like many of us want to do and by simply explaining WHY it may be important. By having students examine their home language, they can see the areas in which they need to improve on in academic language and decide to so if they wish, thus motivating them to learn. I am in fact conducting an action research project on this very topic right now for another class. I am looking at how the use of modeling correct grammar in a written and recorded response log effects the use of correct grammar by a child. I am not saying "That's not right! Now fix it or don't talk". It is a very natural process with some minor heartfelt corrections along the way. I would provide the student wit a unique opportunity, the ability to hear theirself speak.

I do have strong beliefs and I am fortunate to never have felt or experienced a teacher making fun of or chastising children for the way they speak, but I still believe correct English grammar is important for any child to succeed whether they are black, white, "country", "ghetto", it doesn't matter. Everyone needs and deserves a voice that can reach the masses.
Whitney Gilbert

As I read this week it reminded me of how awesome it is that our Kindergarten team really focuses on creating the frame work for reading for the entire first half of the year. Each year they face parents and other teachers (from other schools) questioning their technique and why they don't have reading groups. However, they stand by what they believe and explain to them that in order to teach kids how to read they first have to have knowledge of how reading works. They do not assume that any student has had exposure to literacy but they know that it is their job to ensure they have a solid foundation before jumping in to reading.

Ladson-Billings and Purcell-Gates chapters were all too scary for me. To think that so many children fall between the cracks because they have learned that their teacher(s) has given up on them is devastating. I do not believe that this happens in every classroom or with most teachers, however when there is even one teacher that will allow this to happen it is one too many. Every child is reachable and teachable. The path to reaching certain students and teaching them may not be easy, but with encouragement, dedication, and the right teaching it can happen. I could not believe the situation with Donny and his family. So many times I have had parents that I wished I could reach and talk to but could never get in touch with. This mother was so dedicated to making sure her son had a future that she was even willing to admit that she was illiterate to everyone at the school. She made sure they knew she could not read their notes but for them to call anytime they needed her to know something. This situation reminded me of a family we have in our school. I have the youngest of the group and the others have all been to our school. There are some hygiene and other issues that are involved but it is obvious that the mom is involved with and loves her children. When I inquired about the family I received A LOT of negative feedback and was told about how basically the family was unreachable. It was discouraging to me because it was obvious that they had given up on the family. One of my goals this year is to help this family get the resources they need and to keep them informed about their child. This is a family that no one had ever seen or spoke to the dad before. I was told he doesn’t come to the school and that from what they heard he has social anxiety. Now this is a dad that I see at least once a week and we always have at least a small conversation. (In the beginning he didn’t say much but the more he has seen me the more he has opened up.) He has also attended a family night with his family where we preformed some songs and built gingerbread houses. I don’t think he ever felt welcome at the school until now.

On another note, Judith Baker has the right idea. Her theory of trilingualism truly categorizes language. As students get older they need to be taught and be aware of the different types of language and situations you would use them in. I loved how Baker worked to make the kids aware of their similarities and differences, as well as made them the judge of when certain types of language are appropriate versus not. She not only helped the students understand each other but gave them a better understanding of society.

Amy Spade

"When we do this, we play God, conferring or denying educational opportunity to individual, socioculturally different children. And we do not have the right to do this."

After reading these four chapters I was forced to ask myself, "Have I ever 'played God' in my classroom?" And I was immediately taken back to my first year of teaching in my 4th grade class. The school that I taught at was a mixed race school comprised of mostly middle to upper class families with very few lower class families sprinkled in. At the beginning of school I knew he was going to be my "special" project, but by Christmas I was tired of probing, prodding, and pushing. He "ain't go'nta do nufin, and I cul'nt make 'em". In January I decided that teaching to the rest of my 4th graders was easy, but more importantly fruitful. So that's exactly what I did. I, like all of the teachers he had before me, gave this young black male permission to fail. I now wonder if he was lucky enough to meet a teacher like Mr. Forshay? Someone who recognized that although he was in a classroom with other black students, the only identity he had with them was their color. Someone who understands that he felt isolated and disconnected from the rest of the class. Someone who will authenticate his learning, celebrate his differences, bring his language into the classroom, and respect him as an important part of the classroom learning community. Or is he still getting teachers that were like me? If so, it will be safe to assume that myself and the 12 other teachers that he has and will encounter are hugely responsible for the life of crime and poverty that he will likely live. That my friends, is a hard pill to swallow. I do have some consolation in the fact that after that year I vowed to NEVER let a child sit in my class and be free to do nothing ever again. And though I am sure that I am not alone in my effort to make learning accessible to every child in my classroom, there are those teachers that are not on the same page.

(My thoughts as they literally run through my head and I try to keep up with my fingers.)Unfortunately, there are more and more Shannon incidences happening everyday in classrooms all across America. What we know as teachers, yet fail to realize is that we are our country's power source. What happens in our classrooms (or not) is directly related to what happens in the world. Yes, we know this, but I am convinced that too many of us don't fully understand what this means. The language conflict is not a new revelation, but there is failure to do something about it.

Hypothetically speaking, let's say there are 5 people on a grade level, two teachers teach only to the students in their classroom that fit the "mold" and the other three teachers desire to reach every student in their class and successfully does so. These students from all five classes move to the next grade with a different set of teachers. All things being equal, there are now 2/5 of each of those classroom populations that contain students that "maybe learned something, maybe they didn't". Let's say that this grade level was just like the previous. Some of the students are lucky enough to get the three teachers that are there for everybody, unlike what they had last year. But then the rest aren't so lucky. Let's assume these are testing grades. So for two years a nice population of students have nothing to contribute, thus they feel like they have nothing to learn.

Here's where this is showing up in our "real" lives as a real problem. Literacy is the beginning of everything. Oral language is the first language we learn. It is the language of love and family. To quote Delpit, "To speak out against the language that children bring to school means that we are speaking out against their mothers........" This is not just true in the African American community. It is true among Hispanics and Pacific Islanders as well. When we as educators don't embrace this language we have just turned off any synapses that were ready to connect and fuse. Bring on the dominio effect!

(From the eyes of a 3rd grade student, hypothetically) "You are not interested in me probably because I talk funny and have made no effort to connect with me. Maybe and I am interested in you or what you have to teach me, but I cannot connect, not because I don't want to, but because I do not know how to (you have not taught me). In order to teach me, you have to start on my level, because I do not have the knowlege or the know-how to get to your level. I thought I liked reading when I was younger, there were simple sentences with a syntax that I could somewhat understand. Now that I am older I encounter syntax that I have heard, but it was not made meaninful to me, and I just don't understand it. It shows up when I am doing social studies and science, but that's okay I am not tested on that until later. But it really bugs me when it shows up in math, because I "know" how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. But then here comes those word problems. I just don't get what they are asking me, but I know that I know the answer. The same thing happens when I write. My teacher always tells me it's a good story, but all I see are the million-and-one red marks on my paper. And why couldn't the author of the EOQ passage have plainly said 'The girl needed to go to the bathroom', instead of 'it became immediately obvious to the young lady that she should go to the womens communal'? Tell you what, from here on out I'll just come to school and take up space."

This is so real, I see it every time I am bombarded with quarter test and EOG data from Forsyth County. And for those 3/5 of us that are in this for all students, the other 2/5 are hurting us, and bad.

So how do we move an entire nation of teachers to become more like Judith Baker and take the time to make students trilingual? When will we move past "I don't have time to do that, because I have more important things to teach?" When will we understand that if we don't take the time to do this, those more important things will fall on deaf ears? Though we don't get paid for the power that we possess we play an important role in deciding who becomes a lawyer or a criminal, a pharmacist or a drug-dealer, a mid-wife or an active contributor to the adoption agency. And it all begins with something as simple and complex as embracing someone else's language, teaching them another language, and showing them when to use either one. *On a side note* I don't know about you all, but I am thinking that for every lawyer/doctor/nurse we produce we should get paid accordingly! ;)

Cherrita Hayden-McMillan