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

How is it that we might forget to inform every pre-service and in-service student that all teachers are obliged to honor the many languages we speak? ~ (p. 212)

I always love when ‘live’ moments seemed to connect perfectly to my ‘reading’ moments. For the past few years I have struggled to put together classes that would be practical and full for the pre-service teachers that I have the pleasure to teach. The hardest part of developing the classes is getting everything in – there is an abundance of materials and knowledge that I want to share with them, but I never have enough time for it. I always have to cut something out or simply gloss over it. However, this week I had one of those moments that showed me I should no longer leave out or cut short discussions of language in the classroom. We were talking about giving the word recognition portion of an Informal Reading Inventory. As we played around with how to administer it and score it, I asked the students what they would do if a student read the word ‘wrestle’ as ‘wrastle’. This led into a student sharing a story about a piece of writing one of her students shared with her. I don’t remember what the student’s story said exactly but he had written it as if he were talking to his friends when the assignment was a report on soil so in his attempt to share the information that he had learned, there were instances of slang. I asked my student how she responded to his piece and she honestly shared that she had to ‘chuckle’ a little. So of course the rest of the class thought that the young student’s story was funny and they chuckled as well. In addition, before class started during their lunch break they watched a few you tube videos that poked fun at the uneducated in poor communities and their inability to speak correctly. While I know the program was meant to be funny and light-hearted, I just couldn’t help but think of all the implications and biases that are built from comedy skits. I realized from these moments that I needed to spend time talking to them about accepting, appreciating and respecting the languages that their students will bring to the classroom. So, I talked for just a little bit about the issues we have been discussing together. I didn’t want to ‘preach’ to them and I knew that I needed them to read a piece first before I could effectively engage them in the conversation. Needless to say, I’m assigning an article for them to read and react to this week. It’s my job to teach them how to accept the diversity in their classrooms, so these ‘missteps’ are really the best teachable moments I could ask for.

One other thing and I’ll try to keep this a little shorter! My favorite chapter from this week was chapter 12, so I apologize that my response focuses narrowly on it, but there was a passage that inspired me and I wanted to share it with all of you. It’s on page 215, 2nd paragraph. Tha paragraph itself is structures so perfectly that you feel the emotion that Wynne has brought to the piece. She questions how we can dare to leave out the voices of those who have brought our country through out most challenging times and deeply supports the notion that all of our children need to hear those stories and realize that we are all a part of that history. The lives we lead today, the lessons we teach and the lesson we learn all extend and add to the history that precedes us and our language, our stories are what make that history timeless. So, I’ll end with a part of that passage,

Those now grown-up activists who created the sit-ins of the ‘60’s, who walked in marches, who survived the jails, have told me about the power of the chants, the songs, the language to keep them alive, committed and unified in a struggle that no one thought they could win. That language and those stories belong in our children’s classroom (p.215).

Amie Snow

I had to say a big amen when I read in chapter 12 that language preference and discrimination is "based on politics, not on science." There is no perfect language. Languages are all useful and enable communication. I hear a lot of teachers comment on elementary ELL students, especially kinder age. The teachers say, "They don't know ANYTHING." Actually they do. They just might know things in another language. They might not have been read to, but a lot of English speakers don't have that luxury either. They might not know how to write their name but they might be able to change a diaper (something I never did until I was 32). All students have some sort of knowledge, whether or not it matches up with school culture. After reading chapter 12, I agree with the author that we need better conversations about language and diversity in our teacher training programs. And here in NC we need more teachers who are not white, who come from some of the same ethnic backgrounds as the students.

The other comment I would like to make is regarding chapter 9. As teachers we are quick to defend ourselves and say that we accept all children and speak to them respectfully. I liked that the author pointed out that what we say isn't necessarily interpreted the same by all children. We might think we are praising or accepting, but what is our tone? Have we made a joke previously that the students overheard? Do we make comments during a read aloud that show our prejudice? "Teaching requires listening, not merely to your students but to yourself being listened to." (159) Whenever I have taped myself teaching I have been shocked at some of the things I said or how "Southern" I sound.

Ashley Catlett

Chapter 9 grabbed my attention early on when Kohl discussed student and teacher talk. Many people outside of the education profession don't realize it, and even teachers aren't faced with this issue until they actually begin teaching, but he is absolutely right: "standing in front of a group of young people is a linguistic challenge" (pg. 147). If we actually stood back and thought through every single word that left our lips or everything we heard from our students, we would certainly learn a lot and wish we could take back many things! We have to be so careful! Yet it is so hard to screen everything that comes through. Just as Kohl states, our students listen so much more than we actually think they do. And sometimes this is a scary thought.

I can certainly relate to the story of Julia on page 148. Throughout my school years, I was the one in class who never spoke up for fear of being wrong, laughed at by my peers, or scolded by the teacher. So I kept my mouth shut, fully engaged in the lesson, but afraid to participate out loud. This kept up even until college, when in the midst of intellectuals and existential class discussions, I held back because I feared I wasn't deep enough. This can play out in the opposite manner as well; I have had many students who feel it is their duty to challenge every word I say and argue about it to the point of nonsense. Kohl has a point when he states "the hard thing is talking to a whole class when people listen differently" (pg.150). The topsy-turvy illustration was great, and it makes a lot of sense to me. This chapter will hopefully make me really think about what I say, how I could be interpreted, and what the responses of my students could be. Could I be eliciting that quiet, non-existent response from the kid in the back? or am I eliciting the loud, defiant questioning from another student? I need to be more aware of how I communicate to my students in order to make them feel more comfortable with learning in my classroom.

I appreciated Wynne's chapter primarily because she argues that all children should have a diverse education in language backgrounds. If children are taught differences in speech and language and are taught to celebrate this rather than stomp on it, then our society would come a long way. I found it fascinating to read about Rokeach's study which found that fostering prejudice stifled cognitive development. Again though, as with other chapters we've read, I wished that Wynne would branch out and talk about ALL dialects and languages rather than focusing on just Ebonics. There's a lot of prejudice going on with Appalachian dialect, and with students who are assimilating from other countries like Mexico. Children should be exposed to all of this no matter where they live. Who knows what they'll do or where they'll go after they leave our classrooms? They need to be prepared to come into contact with a variety of dialects and know that it's okay to accept them.

Christy Rivers

Kohl’s article on “Teacher Talk and Student Talk” complimented one of my assignments this week in another class where we had to tape record and transcribe a classroom discussion. It’s a tedious but eye opening task from which every teacher could benefit. I was surprised to hear myself jump in to finish my students thoughts or to suggest words for them when they hesitated. The purpose of the discussion was to encourage students to exchange ideas with one another, so I was also dismayed to hear myself judge their ideas with the tone in my voice. At times, I answered student responses with enthusiastic phrases such as “Excellent idea!” Other times I delivered a luke-warm, “Close, keep thinking.” The exercise made me reflect on how my “Teacher Talk” affects the “Student Talk” in my classroom.

Now a few thoughts on the Smitherman chapter...
I agreed with two of Smitherman’s “Three Prong Policy” statements. Yes, we should teach “Standard English”, while accepting the native tongue and yes, we should promote foreign language acquisition. However, the idea that we should promote “Mother Tongue” instruction as a “Co-equal language” is impractical. It’s not uncommon for classrooms to have students from several different language backgrounds. My first class had at least five including Hmong, Vietnamese, and Guatemalan. So just how am I supposed to deliver co-instruction in all these languages? I don’t think Smitherman was ever a classroom teacher.

I’ve been wondering how I can apply some of the ideas we’ve been discussing in this class. I found a wonderful book of poems called Hip Hop Speaks to Children, edited by Nikki Giovanni. It even comes with a CD with some poems read by their authors and others performed to hip hop and rap music. It includes well known poets such as Langston Hughes and Maya Angelo as well as authors like Nikki Giovanni, and entertainers like Queen Latifa. The language is rich, rhythmic and anything but “Standard”. My students loved it and I feel like I’ve taken a step toward validating and including some of my students’ native tongue.

I enjoyed the chapter by Herb Kohl. His thoughts on "teacher talk and student talk" really got me thinking how my language affects my students learning and behavior. Previously I would have never made a connection between the two. I will certainly pay closer attention to what I say and how I say it from now on, because like many of the examples he gave in the book, I have a "core" group that listens, while approximately 30 to 40 percent of the students are zoned out. While I have asked a student what the problem is, like the author did with Julia, that is more of the exception than the rule in my classroom. I need to work on getting feedback from my students.
Unfortunately I did not enjoy the chapter by Geneva Smitherman as much. While I agree with some of the points she made, I have trouble with some of the others. I agree with the joke about Americans only speaking one language (p173) and I think Americans have a very limited world view as a whole. However is "Black English" really a language? I believe we should accept the use of it in the classroom, but not teach it. Children should be aware of the differences and cultures in America, that make us who we are, but should learn correct grammar in order to prepare them for what may lie ahead.
The piece by Joan Wynn broke my heart. To read about intelligent students who were unable to speak out, because they "don't speak right", just seems to prove the point I just made. These students needed proper English to feel comfortable in order to particpate in the journalism awards. They were intelligent and obviously gifted students and writers, yet did not want to ask questions. And as the author stated, the others were denied hearing their voice. I feel we need to accept each childs language as valid and worthwhile, but teach them how to be correct. I do not feel that one language is superior to another, but one may more appropriate in situations than another. To put it another way, think of a formal place setting. There are three forks, two spoons, a knife and a butter spreader. Each night when I set the dinner table, I do not set the table this way. However I do know what each piece is and how to use them. You start with the outside fork for and work in- the first is salad, then dinner, then dessert. So while I don't eat dinner this way every night, if I am ever invited to dinner at the White House I will know what to do.

I agree! The issues with Standard English that were presented in these chapters were not new; the authors from the previous chapters have identified similar problems. But the authors provided new ideas and examples. Out of the three chapters I enjoyed reading chapters nine and twelve the most, but all of the chapters made me question and analyze my idea of what is appropriate for the classroom.

“Teachers are listened to more than they usually think they are, though listening, understanding and obeying are three different things all together”. I understand the difference between listening, understanding, and obeying and I understand his point, maybe teachers don’t think students are listening to them when they aren’t obeying their directions. I feel that “obeying” is a harsh way to put following directions, simply because I feel that my dog obeys what I say, and humans are on a different level. Either way, students don’t follow every direction or “obey” everything teacher’s say. I enjoyed reading the example he described of the combined K-1 classroom. But I disagree with a point Kohl makes later in the middle of the chapter. When he is presenting the idea of student talk and teacher talk he explains that both teacher talk and student talk are problematic because they have to be interpreted. The part I disagree with is when he states: “This has nothing to do with language differences. It has everything to do with the way in which language is heard and interpreted, with tone, presentation, attitude, implications, and an understanding of how to convey complex meaning in a way that is understood by the spoken-to”. (pg 151) I have always felt that body language can portray the feelings of individuals more than what they say. Therefore, I agree that tone, presentation, attitude, etc. have to be considered and understood but I feel that is part of language. To me that is a language difference, with each culture and age group there are different actions. The reason I am arguing this point is because I think it is important when you see a student laying his head on his desk and comments “there he goes again”. I am referring to one of the examples Kohl describes when visiting classrooms. I think the body language of this student is identifying his feelings much stronger than his words. He may not be lazy, he may not understand, he maybe having a bad day. I also think about the body language of the student from a later example. The student walked in and pushed a student out of his chair and accused the teacher of being racists. I’m sure his body language was very clear when he walked into the classroom. And the teacher who was being “spoken to” could have taken in the body language he was speaking and prepare herself. The most important idea I took from the chapter was: “laugh at the things you’ve said under pressure and share that laughter with your students and talk, talk, talk about how people speak and listen”.

My questions are about statements that were made in chapters ten and twelve. In chapter ten the opening passage notes a resolution that was passed by CCCC in 1974. The footnote states: “Teachers must be trained to respect diversity in order to uphold this right and preserve the heritage and dialects”. This statement and a statement made in chapter 12 made me think about the “training” I have received. I believe that most teachers cannot be instructed on how to become excellent teachers, instead information (like the topics in this book) can be presented and with discussion and problem solving teachers can be “trained”. I also want to ask teachers who are currently in the field: before you read this book were you aware of the problems with adopting Standard English as the only acceptable language? Because this is the only class I have taken that has presented these ideas, maybe there is information available once you enter the school system.

Elizabeth Griffin

It’s a funny thing how my mind works. Instead of causing me to reflect on insightful discussions and interactions in my past about language, the readings took me right back to my high school chorus days. I attended a private school that placed great emphasis on the arts and its college preparatory curriculum. I have always loved music and singing so I really enjoyed chorus. Our director had just completed graduate school and was exciting and energetic. One of the things I liked best about Mr. Manning was that he chose pieces reflecting a variety of styles. We performed classical pieces, spirituals and everything in between! But, without a doubt, our favorite pieces were the spirituals. Ain’t-a That Good News was one such piece. We worked hard to master the proper dialect—especially since we rarely heard it—there were no African Americans at my school—that’s right, none. Although I enjoyed singing the piece, I remember feeling guilty about it on several levels. It seemed hypocritical to work so hard on the dialect on top of using the word “ain’t-a” over and over again when we were NEVER even allowed to say ain’t at school under any circumstance. I also struggled with feeling as if I were making fun of someone. Although our director “educated” us about the genre, I never got over my insecurities associated with singing spirituals.

Ain’t-a that good news? No, it’s not. It was not good that I sat for thirteen years in a school not predominantly white but ALL white. I now realize that it was not good that I only heard my language from others with my same southern drawl. Maybe the reason I liked singing spirituals so much was that I experienced what Toni Morrison described when she said that language “is the thing that black people love so much—the saying of words, holding them on the tongue, experimenting with them, playing with them…” (p. 214). Maybe I liked spirituals because the language was fun! I look back and realize the lack of diversity did not serve me or my classmates well. In many ways our educational environment bred feelings of both cultural and linguistic superiority. If Rokeach’s assertion is correct that by fostering language biases we stifle students’ cognitive development (p. 209), then I find it ironic that my parents’ decision to provide what they thought to be the highest quality education available may not have rendered the desired result. While I am extremely thankful for the opportunities I have had educationally, I wonder what I have missed.

When my husband and I discuss some historical event or particular time period, he always reminds me that history is written by the victors. Not only do the spoils go to the victor but so does the language. It was good for me to be reminded by Wynne that “language has an army and a navy” (Dorset, 1997, O’Neil, 1997). I am realizing more and more how political language is and my responsibility to listen to myself—to make sure that I am not being misunderstood and thus rejected because I fail to consider what I truly communicate when I speak. While there is no national public policy on language, there is Barack Obama. He provides a connection for many of our students, a symbol of pride. I have a wonderful opportunity to bridge a gap with students as I value what President Obama brings to the Oval Office. While I may not have as many culturally diverse experiences in my past as I would like, I do have tomorrow. I do have a chance to make a difference in the classroom. Ain’t-a that good news?

Lisa Rasey

Many of the articles we have been reading continually criticize teachers for not listening to our students or trying to change our students language, knowledge, or behavior without respecting them. I was very very glad to finally find an honest author that admitted that perhaps he, at one point, did not really listen to what a teacher was saying. Herbert Kohl reflected on a time in which he, his classmates, and their families perhaps jumped the gun so to speak on a young inexperienced teacher. The situation was historically set after the Holocaust and World War II as he mentioned in his article and everyone was offended by the teacher refering to the students and parents as "you people". The community basically had her ousted for potential racial views and this teacher's career may have in fact been ruined. But think about what he said he and his classmates were doing to this teacher. Hiding all of the books, throwing things across the room, and lighting stink bombs in a class would be enough to drive any of us towards complete and utter frustration, probably to the point in which we would not necessarily sit and think about what we were going to say to parents of children that were acting in this manner. He was really upset and almost apologetic in his current time for perhaps having misunderstood the young teacher. This is the idea that I have been trying to convey. Most of these other writings have never once examined the possiblity of having misunderstood someone or some teaching. EVERYONE can be misunderstood. Words are words and sometimes, the nicest comments can be taken incorrectly. I had this happen first year teaching. One of my students had some trouble and I had written in his agenda a note to his parents. I had first written Mr. and Mrs. Norton, however, I remembered that they were not married and that the mother went by a different name. So, trying not to offend her, I crossed it out and put Mr. Norton and Ms. Owens. This was a complete effort to respect her choice and to go by what she had called herself but she took this alll wrong!! She even called my principal and said she felt like I was chastising her for not being married! I think that is the problem with most people today. We react and automatically assume someone is "racist" or "judgemental" without even looking at where the other person is coming from or giving them a chance to explain. The fact that Kohl realized this and reflected upon this was such a relief. We are not perfect in what we say and do. No one is. I do believe though, as teachers, that we try and do everything with the best of intentions and I think that quite frankly, we take a lot of heat from many people. I think if more of society went through some Topsy Turvies, we would be thriving in a better world. One where people are rational and really listen to reason.
Whitney Gilbert

Topsy-turvy. This was an interesting read indeed. I have considered this information several times as an adult but never would have thought to put it into words. I am actually someone who is incredibly aware of my words and tone. I have considered the importance of tone and perception by others since I was in high school. I do believe that all too often teachers and other professionals pay little attention to how others perceive them.

For example, in a classroom setting, a teacher might say, “Randy, I’m serious.” In reality, this is probably not a great idea. This could be easily shown in tone of voice and body language. Actually speaking these words shows the student that you are hesitating. It is almost as if saying “I’m warning you but not doing anything.” I feel that students can definitely sense weakness in a teacher’s tones and words. This is why we should all carefully consider our words and even body language.

Then, I thought the last two readings were somewhat related. They discussed the role of politics in language. With the first reading discussing national public policy and language, the author seemed to present information on the legislation and steps towards encouraging educators to accept student’s languages and dialects. Then, the second reading focused on the supremacy of Standard English in the minds of teachers.

The most interesting idea for me was that the correctness of Standard English is promoted in the classroom. This reminded me of my first observation while student-teaching. There was a section of the observation titled “Proper Use of Standard English.” When I received the compliment “displays excellent use of Standard English and proper grammar,” I sat and thought about the importance placed on Standard English. I do agree that teachers should have the ability to speak Standard English and be able to set an example of this for students. However, I could not help but consider the idea behind this on a formal observation. I suppose it is important to possess the ability and set an example, yet be able to accept other dialects and encourage students to keep their own cultural and linguistic identities. There is a fine line between the two opposing sides, and, for me, there is more gray than black or white in this situation. Perhaps someone else could shed new light on the controversy.

Brittany Guy

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

Kohl made me think of a moment I had in high school. Moving from the Midwest to the South was not easy. I had issues fitting in with my peers, mostly due to the “language barrier”. But I was trying. I remember speaking with my favorite teacher, informally about something I had done. “Me and Jessie went to the beach.” He quickly corrected me. I remember being confused. I felt comfortable enough with him, and I thought he respected me. Why is he correcting me, when I am just trying to fit in? After that I was very hesitant about talking with him. I was always afraid I wasn't going to say the right thing. I even became quieter in class. He meant no harm but I couldn’t get past the fact that he didn’t understand me. In turn, I think about the damage I may be causing my students. I try everyday to give them the respect that they deserve, but I wonder if I am doing enough. I tell students that I am not understanding what they say when they answer me, and I tell them to explain it in another way. Is this hurting them?

This chapter also got me thinking about the way I use mannerisms and my own language when teaching. I will tell you that my first two years teaching were awful. And a lot of it has to do with the fact that students weren’t hearing me. And it wasn’t because they had the volume turned down. I wasn’t speaking to them I was speaking AT them. And with their behavior constantly annoying me, I am sure my tone was not great. I’m sure it was awful. Things have changed this year because I went into it with a positive attitude. I also told the students that I wanted our classroom community to be a family. And it truly is. Of course it didn’t start that way; we put a lot of effort into it. But the students are hearing me this year. They are listening. And I am speaking WITH them. I suppose over the summer I had a topsy-turvy experience. I thought long and hard about where I wanted to be in 5 years and where I had come from. I realized that teaching IS for me, and I needed to do some things to change who I was as a teacher to benefit the children.

The other two chapters also bring out many thoughts that I am having. For example, Smitherman motivates me. She makes me want to go out and do something about this issue of language in the classroom. And Wynne is even more inspiring with the reference to the 60s and the power of words. She questions the universities and the knowledge of its preservice teachers. I have no doubt that preservice teachers are not getting what they need. It is shocking to think that some universities are pumping out teachers who think that people who speak Ebonics are inferior. Maybe I am taking that to an extreme. But I do wish I had read this book when I was getting my BA. It seems so much more profound that anything I had read as an undergrad.

Sarah Feinman

"The question is not what you look at, but what you see." -Henry David Thoreau
These twelve words have been etched on my brain since I first read them last week. I wanted to reference them in my post last week, but knew I had to address those chapters first. These words were a swift kick in my posterior. I believe there has been some deep crevasses of dissonance between what I look at and what I really should see in students. My vision has been rather cloudy in terms of some of my students. My teacher talk to them has not addressed potential, but rather echoed ineptness or lack of a desired outcome. In the place of patience, short-temperedness and low expectation may have taken up residence. How are my words really heard by my students? Do they walk in knowing there is universal acceptance, or do they pick up on an edge in my tone towards certain students? I struggle mightily with one of my students this year. He has not undergone formal testing, but exhibits behaviors that some suggest lend themselves towards Asberger's Syndrome. I do not see that, but rather I see a sneaky, lack of effort attitude that I believe he is very well able to control. He is also an only child who has never been given much responsibility outside of school. I know I speak to him differently than my other students. I do not "get" him. I think I need a topsy-turvy. This student is definitely the epitome of Kohl's quote," They often ignore the words and listen for the tone." I believe his parents, while willing to listen to my suggestions and observations, rather expect our school to "fix" him.
I start our year focusing on the power of our words, we begin on day one with examples of positive and negative words in literature, in real life examples, anywhere we can find them. So, while this is such a backbone of our environment, I as the teacher, struggle with the power of my words in the life of this student. So, instead of damaging words, I have found myself fall into the luxury of silence, offering no enthusiastic praise or corrective instruction.
This quote just hit me off my feet in regards to this student. I have been so focused on "looking" at his faults or struggles, that I have been neglecting to see the total child. That has been my focus this week. I want to truly "see" this child, to build connection, to exchange communication that will enhance his learning experience and our learning environment. Well, it is the end of my first week and it is full of promise. While our week was only three and a half days long due to snow, I am encouraged. My boy recalled a detail from Frecklejuice yesterday! Previously, I have been concerned with his comprehension and connecting the words into intelligent thoughts. This boy provided an answer unsolicited, he blurted out! Yes, he was not just a body mass occupying space. This outburst, if you will, may be the result of extra attention greeting him in the morning and attempting to accentuate the positive I see in him. Not false praise, but genuine acknowledgement of a desired outcome. This student is part of my attunement as a teacher. It is easy when the class is motivated and engaged. It is teaching when practice, thought, and deliberate action is necessary each moment. The Kohl chapter was a huge wake up call to me, this student hasn't changed since the first day of school, but I believe my vision of him is starting to. Clouds are lifting in front of me, my nearsightedness is diminishing and clear vision is rapidly approaching.
Stefoni Shaw

“When I was four years old they tried to test my IQ, they showed me this picture of three oranges and a pear. They asked me which one is different and does not belong, they taught me different was wrong.”

Every year, on the first day of class, we have a discussion regarding tolerance. I always present the kids with this quote. I believe that it corresponds nicely to what Kahl was discussing in chapter nine. Sometimes, as teachers, we do not realize the implications of our word choices. Whether we realize it or not, our inner feelings and attitudes are on full display in our language. Our kids can tell when we are having a bad day, or, even, how we feel about certain people or topics. I believe that it takes a conscience effort to eliminate bias from our words.

As part of the discussion on tolerance, I ask the kids what they believe people are prejudiced toward. Most of them mention race, religion, and gender. However, I also get “the way people talk.” Nine times out of ten, this response comes from one of my minority students. When I ask them to elaborate, they continue by saying, “you know…some people judge you because you don’t talk right.” As I read chapter twelve, I could not help but think of this class discussion. Often, it is really difficult to get several of my minority students to speak--even the ones who are identified academically gifted. The only thing that holds them back (in my opinion) is their insecurity with their language.

Something else that I really had to learn my first year of teaching was how to simplify my word choice. I would present the students with directions, and, even though they listened, they would have no clue what I was saying. Even this year, I have written things on assignments that were perfectly clear to me, but not to the majority of my students. Sometimes, it is difficult to determine how simple to make the assignment. I have some kids that are pretty low; however, they will receive the same EOG as every other student in the state. I don’t want to short-change them by “dumbing down” assignments. What I have finally learned to do is give the original assignment, but go over questionable directions together--often asking the class if anyone knows what it means.

One aspect of chapter ten that I agree with is that children should be exposed to a second language. A great deal of developed countries around the world require their kids to speak two or, sometimes, three languages (especially English). I think that it is time for our kids to become global citizens. With the onset of global trade and, eventually, the internet, our world is more closely connected and interdependent than ever before. Future generations are going to have to know how to survive in an interconnected world. A goal of mine for my seventh graders is to impress upon them the need to understand their world around them. I believe that it is imperative for them to understand how decisions made in Africa, Asia, and other continents affect them and their families.

Heather Coe

I learned at an early age that your tone of voice and your body language overpowers the words that flow from your mouth. My parents and my grandmother made sure that I knew that. "It's not what you say, it's how you say it" was the difference between me getting grounded or not. I am glad that they taught me that lesson. It is a lesson that I carry with me everyday of my life and it has saved me a lot of heartache in my teaching career. Students are sensitive and parents are sensitive about their children.

One thing that struck me about my own teaching while reading chapter 9, is that I "talk" with my white students differently than I do with my black and hispanic students. Although I use standard english when conversing with both groups, I wonder if my white students think that I am "sincere". If you know anything about the two minority cultures, it's that we believe and hold on to our extended family. A lot of times this "privilege" extends to close friends and people that we spend a lot of time around. Being that I am the latter, because of my position, I often become extended family to many of the minority students in my classroom. I talk to them like I would my own children and they'll even make comments like, "I know you love me, because you sound just like my momma." When I have a conference with their parents it's like sitting down to a cup of tea with one of my cousins. It is not the same when I am engaging in talk with my white students. It's not that I care about them or love them any less, but I do not talk to my white students like they are a part of my family. I am very careful about how I say things around them. Funny enough I am NOT cautious like that around any of my white friends or their children. If they are close friends they get "adopted" into my family too, and from there anything goes.

The 11th chapter intrigued me for Tanya and I have much in common. I remember being one of four black students in my 11th grade AP Literature class and my teacher telling my parents that "she was surprised at how eloquent I was and that my writing was so impressive". I also remember my mom asking her if she was surprised with all "eloquent, impressive writers" in her class or just me, and if my skin color had anything to do with her impression. I have yet to find a tomato as red as her face turned that day. I went on to attend UNCG where I in my education classes I became the "spokesman" for the Black culture (please note that I did not apply for this job). Pretty soon I was "fired" from my position because I was outspoken and did not let ignorant comments like the one made by my 11th grade english teacher go unchallenged. Unlike Tanya I was not insecure nor ashamed of my people's language. I am proud of my black sisters and brothers whether they choose Standard English or not. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I know my history and my heritage. I know that my descendants discovered, invented, and founded a lot of stuff. Harriet Tubman in her genius was able to sneak countless slaves to the north without getting caught and I am willing to bet that she didn't speak proper english. When we as a (black) people realize who we are, where we came from, and the significance of our history on American history, will we not let language be the tool that builds the feeling of inferiority.

As educators we can destroy that inferiority tool. I am definitely not saying teach Ebonics in the classroom, but expose all children to black poems and literature. Teach children that words are powerful and the context that the words are used in can take away or add to the power. I will never forget an exercise that my AP Language teacher (he was awesome) did with my 12th grade class (where again I was one of four black students in the class). He gave us a poem written in Black English.After we discussed the poem and it's literary elements, we were to translate the poem into Proper English. What we learned from the assigment was that when the poem was translated it lost it's power. The strong feelings were diminished, the tone different, and the images very altered. His goal was not to teach us Black English, but to view it as a language that should be valued in it's own right.

Cherrita Hayden-McMillan