As I began to read chapter 9 I was very interested in the story about Julia. In a way, as a little girl, I was very much a “Julia”. In the seventh grade I had a teacher who informed me that I needed to think before I gave a “stupid” answer. This experience marked me for life. Throughout my educational career (even in college), I hate to have to answer a question or speak aloud in class. I am fine writing a paper; but please do not make me come up with a split second answer to a question. As an adult, I still revert back to that 13 year old who is afraid she is going to give the wrong answer. I loved Kohl’s statement that “intelligent guessing was more important than avoidance of learning.” We each need to remind our students of this constantly. I try to tell my students that wrong answers are sometimes more important than correct ones. If I can figure out why they are wrong then we can fix the problem that they are having.
Moreover, I loved the fact that Kohl, even in a K/1 classroom taught his students to stand up for their personal rights. Their refusal to answer the question on the CBEST test was awesome! How powerful Kohl must have been as their teacher! I also found it interesting that Kohl gave the girls credit for the answer even though they didn’t answer the question. I definitely see his point; however, I am not quite sure that I agree with his decision. How would he know if the results of his test were accurate? Would a teacher in the future be this open-minded and lenient?
As I continued to read I became intrigued by the discussion of teacher language in the classroom. I too agree that teacher presence, tone, and attitude can make or break the classroom environment. I have to say that I think much of this has to be formed through years of teaching experience. I myself know that I definitely react and teach differently than I did when I started teaching 6 years ago. My first year of teaching, I truly thought that I would gain students love and respect by being their friend. My how my philosophy has changed!!! The teacher definitely has to be the authority figure while still maintaining a loving and caring relationship with each child. To be quite honest I feel that this is one of the hardest roles that a teacher has to develop and figure out for himself/herself.
In reading Chapter 10, I once again began to question and think about my own beliefs regarding the issue of language and its place in society. It is amazing how many times this book has caused me to change my mind regarding the use of Standard English. As I read Smitherman’s address, I found myself agreeing with many of the ideas that she presented. Ultimately, I have to say that I most agree with Smitherman’s point #2: “Reinforce and Reaffirm the Legitimacy of Non-Mainstream Languages and Dialects and In the Language of Wider Communication.” I am of the firm belief that people are only willing to change and add to their repertoire when what they already know and believe to be true has been validated. Smitherman proves this point with the quote by Williams “Blacks who were conscious of their own language as a legitimate system were more receptive to learning the language of wider communication.” Williams went on to state that “ the mother tongue may be the only ‘passport to literacy’”. I truly feel that we can only expect our students to learn proper SE when we have accepted the language good or bad that they have grown up speaking.
Moreover, Smitherman in point #3 discusses the importance of students acquiring knowledge of a foreign language. Smitherman defends this point through the following statement, “The educational benefits to be derived from foreign language study have to do with sharpening critical thinking and heightening verbal skills.” As I read this statement, I wanted to e-mail it to all of the educational leaders in my county. Unfortunately my county has cut out all elementary art and foreign language classes. As I read this I wondered what I could do as a teacher to introduce my student to foreign language regardless of the fact that they do not have foreign language classes.
Chapter 12 clearly exemplifies the need for “language education” for pre-service teachers. As a graduate of UNCG I do not remember ever discussing the issue of language in the classroom. It appears that Education programs feel that Standard English is the correct and proper form of language; therefore, student teachers are not told anything differently. Therefore, in dealing with issues of language pre-service teachers go with what they know. This is shown in the questionnaires provided by Wynne to student teachers. Almost every student teacher stated that they though only SE should be taught in the regular education classroom. Wynne makes a very valid point when she states, “Teachers without this knowledge (language) will limit the worlds of White children and make children of other ethnicities vulnerable to the negative views held by educators and society in general regarding their cognitive competence.” Questions arise: What happens to those students who do not speak SE? Are we going to allow them to fall through the cracks just because they do not speak perfectly? How do we better prepare pre-service teachers to better understand language and its impact on the classroom?
Kelly Mabe
Comments (8)
You made some good observations on these chapters. I agree with you on the need for better education regarding language for preservice teachers. Wouldn't this course be an interesting addition? It has certainly made me think.
In regard to adding foreign language in your classroom. I too have thought about this and would enjoy hearing how you plan to implement this. Would you choose a particular language or several? And to what extent would you incorporate it?
Posted by Sara Joyce | June 1, 2007 11:38 AM
Posted on June 1, 2007 11:38
Kelly-
It saddened me to see that one incident in your life changed you forever, but I know you are not alone. It is so sad to know that this still happens, sometimes on a daily basis in some classes. As teachers, we never know how far our comments will go in a child’s life. I imagine because of this experience in your own life you bend over backwards to make sure it does not happen to a child in your class.
I liked your honest response about how you have changed since you started teaching. I think most of us have, I know I have. I think we all morphed into something a little stronger, if you will. What new teachers lack most of all is the experience that you can only get with experience. Isn’t it funny to look back on how much we have truly changed? I think our core beliefs stayed the same, we just found out who we are as teachers.
I also don’t remember any “language education” classes in my teacher training. It is troubling to me that many of us went through the same experience, or lack there of, in our teacher training. As I look back on my classes, it was predominantly white in both teachers and students. I guess this played a huge role in this as well.
Posted by Lisa Outland | June 2, 2007 1:59 PM
Posted on June 2, 2007 13:59
Kelly,
Isn't is amazing how ONE bad experience can shape self-perception in other similar circumstances? Your story made me think about students who have similar experiences, to yours, over and over and over again. Not just one isolated one, but on a daily basis.
I'm not sure how to think about preservice education and a study of language. I read what you wrote about how much you've changed since your first year, and I think preservice teachers struggle so much over their own identity issues in those first couple of years that it might be difficult to critically examine how power and identity is working in the classroom as a whole. But -- that doesn't mean that dispositions cannot be shaped through critical studies such as our text.
Alecia
Posted by Prof. Alecia Jackson | June 2, 2007 3:46 PM
Posted on June 2, 2007 15:46
kelly,
i too had a difficult experience in school. i found reading to be a very very challenging, if not impossible task. my reading trouble began in the first grade and from there things went down hill. because kindergarten did not exsist in the county that i lived, the downward spiral started immediately. what a joy school was for me! while in the second grade sitting at one of those "blue round robin reading tables", i struggled and struggled through the first few words when it was my turn to read...at that point my teacher had had enough of my horrible reading so she turned to my best little friend and said...donna cant read can you please read for her? if "cant never could do anything" then that meant i was a failure. year after year things continued this way. it wasnt until the eighth grade that i met this wonderful teacher that said i had the determination to make. from then on i felt in my heart that i could succeed.
thank you for sharing your story. teacher and student talk can and will change the lives of students forever.
donna byrd-wyatt
Posted by donna byrd-wyatt | June 2, 2007 10:21 PM
Posted on June 2, 2007 22:21
Kelly,
I was saddened by your story about the teacher saying you gave a stupid answer. That can definitely have a profound effect on a child. I believe comments like that can last forever. From that experience, I know you are conscientious of your students and how you say things. I think that is great that you let them know they can feel comfortable answering and there aren't any stupid answers. We can learn from our right and wrong answers.
As far as Kohl, I don't believe most teachers would be that open-minded and lenient.
I do not remember having any language education as an undergraduate,either. I believe that everyone should have a course in language and the effects on children after taking this class.
Posted by Dawn Thomas | June 3, 2007 9:54 PM
Posted on June 3, 2007 21:54
Oh Kelly, how did your parents not come down to that school and rake that teacher over the coals? Maybe it is because I live in a small town but my mother would have, as we say here in Wilkes County, “ripped her a new one!” I had the benefit of never having to grow up hearing something like that. We were always encouraged that the only stupid question was the one you didn’t ask. I hope that teachers today would never say something like that!
I too have changed my position about language somewhat. I will admit that I am somewhat of a person who hates to call into a customer service line and hear someone on the other line that I can not understand due to their accent. I find myself agreeing many times with the small minded people of my home town when they say things like, “They should learn our language and not the other way around. They came to live here, they need to learn English.” And while I do still agree that if you live in America you need to know how to speak basic English, I think I agree for a different reason now. Because English is the most prevalent language spoken or written in America then anyone who lives here would benefit from knowing the language. But I also respect their language now as well. I feel a need to learn Spanish so I can communicate better with that population where I live.
Posted by Kristen Billings | June 4, 2007 11:00 PM
Posted on June 4, 2007 23:00
Kelly,
At such a vulnerable age—seventh grade, I cannot imagine the impact your insensitive teacher had on your life. That one small comment stuck out very BIG to you over all these years. I constantly think of what I am saying to my students. I know that I will never say anything as hurtful as your teacher did to you but, I must remember that perception is everything. I worry I may say something that I did not mean to be hurtful—and a sensitive child takes it the wrong way. It is so important that we are not only careful of what we say but also, how we are heard by other people’s ears. Recently, a teacher at my school was stunned by a comment that I had made in response to our reading adoption (3rd adoption in 3 years!). She took my comment personally. However, my comment was not directed toward her. I was shocked and confused about why she took my comment personal. I still don’t know that answer or reason why she responded this way. I told her that I was not reacting negatively to her, just the news of another adoption. Because perceptions occur differently for everyone, we must be careful, as teachers, not to cut wounds deeply into our students’ self-esteems or self-concepts. However… if we worry about this one too much, we could make our selves sick.
Written by
Heather Holland
Posted by Heather Holland | June 4, 2007 11:24 PM
Posted on June 4, 2007 23:24
Your comments about being told an answer was stupid rang a bell for me as well. I had a teacher in the 5th grade that constantly was sarcastic and made jokes (sometimes at the students expense). I know that he did not mean to do it, hopefully, but i was scared half to death to answer a question in that class. The vibe a teacher puts out is more powerful than we'd ever know. It's also true with our feelings about language and what we believe is correct. I too have changed my views on SE. I never realized how important respecting and teaching a student's home language was until now, but it makes sense. The more a student thinks you respect them and their heritage, the more willing they are to learn.
I also think it's so important that pre-service teachers are taught about language and how to teach dialects other than SE. Wouldn't it be great if someone offered some staff development on the issue. Because i am 99.9 % sure that most teachers in this state have never thought about the impact of language, and what to do about it. We should take this concern to our principals. Good post!
Posted by Andrea Lehman | June 8, 2007 9:44 AM
Posted on June 8, 2007 09:44