RE_5539

I like the point Herbert Kohl made about teachers encouraging the importance of intelligent guessing in our students to combat the avoidance of learning. Until reading these chapters I had not considered that students choose not to answer or participate due to their language. I see the importance of validating their ideas as well as their culture and language as a means to engage and promote learning.
In his references to hearing yourself as you teach and the perception your students have I began to consider my own voice in the classroom. I am certain that I try to use standard English but find that students relate more easily and appreciate knowing me as a person as well. When they hear me tell experiential stories or use local terms and idioms I think it makes them more comfortable and gives them a sense of who I am. I can also see how in a differenct setting my choice of speaking could be less effective. After reading Chapter 9 I will be more conscious of how I may be interepreted.
As I connect this to the following chapter I question whether we as a society are practicing passive oppression by not working toward the rights of many dialects and languages. After all are we not the melting pot of the world? On one hand I see the need to do this but feel that as a nation we must take care to preserve not only the heritage of our many cultures but also to consider the need for the supremacy of any particular language.
I know that many would argue that those who established this country spoke (the Kings) English, but what about the Native Americans who were here before them? How do we choose or rather why should we choose a superior language? Could we not adopt many that are most useful to us worldwide and is that perhaps why we use Standard English today? Yes, I agree that it is politically driven and that we as educators should make that apparent to our students as we encourage and embrace each of their cultures. I also wonder how much of it is driven by the idea of being supreme if we choose not to learn other languages--(again passivity).
I like the quote at the beginning of Chapter 12 --"The world is richer than it is possible to express in any single language" - Ilya Prigogine. I think we see people in our graduate courses who shrink from communicating their ideas as a result of what others may think. In some ways I wonder if we discriminate against others as we become more educated. Do our intellectual conversations make others feel less intelligent? Once again I am considering how I am heard and not only in the classroom.
I like the idea of the need for a collective responsbility and potential for language development and perhaps a change toward an acceptable language format that embraces all dialects without the idea of supremacy. However, if this issue has been in the works since 1974 how long and what will it take to affect this change?

Chapter nine gave me much to think about. First the title of the chapter “Topsy – Turvies” Teacher Talk and Student Talk” gives you an idea that the author believes in shaking things up a bit or look at something from a new perspective. Sometimes this needs to be done, but when and how is sometimes difficult to determine. Teaching is one of the most difficult professions you can find. K-12 teachers have so much to think about all the time. It truly is an art and a philosophy in finding a path that will reach each student. I remember my days when I first taught high school and some of the African–American kids threw the word racist around too much. On more than one occasion I was told I was a racist for trying to do my job. Most of the time I ignored the comment because I knew the student was trying to get a rise out me, but I was young and inexperienced. I know I could have handled many situations better.

Later in the chapter Herbert Kohl conveys that, “Teaching requires listening, not merely to your students but to yourself being listened to.” This idea has been presented to me in the past, but never this distinctly. It is something that constantly needs to be addressed. It is an art that must be practiced and refined. I am vowing to myself that when I begin teaching this fall, I am going to listen to myself and try to be more thoughtful of how I say things. I also want to incorporate many of the ideas from the previous chapters. The ideas presented in this book are so thought provoking. I am spending a great deal of time digesting and thinking about what I am learning.

One of the issues presented in chapter ten is respecting students’ home language or the mother tongue. It further states that if people are fully educated in their mother tongue, then it will be easier and students will be more motivated to learn Standard English. Our goal should not be to teach Standard English. The goal should be to respect all languages. Students learning Standard English will be a natural result. Unfortunately, it seems this country is turning in the opposite direction. I agree with Geneva Smitherman that it will take a national campaign to change the course of the country is heading in. If research and plain common sense support validating the home language, and even in many situations educating the student in it, then where is the push in educational settings to make sure this will occur? At very least the increased visibility of the issue would allow the general population to understand the importance of learning and valuing other languages. Are these issues presented in teacher education programs in a way that pre-service teachers feel the passion and compassion to validate and teach other languages? Do teacher training programs demand that teachers have a command of another language? This chapter raised many questions. The attitude of this country definitely needs to change.

Joan Wynne in chapter twelve states, “By neglecting to teach the beauty and richness of the language of Black America, we also damage White children.” I believe this is true, but my question is how do you do this in areas of the country where there is little diversity? It seems that teachers are so worried about test scores and curriculum (with good reason) that the most important issues are left behind. It seems the only way to truly address this issue is to make it important from the top down. I go back again to our political leaders and those who create curriculum. It is true in this country we have many areas that have diverse populations, but we have many more areas like rural North Carolina where you have search to find diversity.

On page 211 Joan Wynne asks the question I would like someone to answer. Her question states’ “I wonder why, when language is the major medium of instruction, would we in schools of education give so little time, effort, and attention to teaching our pre-service teachers about the basic assumptions of the realities of language diversity?” It seems this question has no political clout. Is this because for the most part political leaders mirror our lack of attention to diversity as a whole? I wonder how many of our political leaders speak another language, or have visited a Third World Country with an open mind and open heart to understand instead of judge?

Something else came to my mind as I read this sentence on page 212, “If any of us refuse to respect the other’s language, it becomes too easy, consciously or unconsciously, to then disrespect the person.” When I think about this statement, it reminds me of how this country was founded, and we have a long history of not respecting other cultures. Look at how the Native American’s were treated. Again until we can change politically it is going to be difficult to make real attitude changes, but I do agree with the author that one place to begin is in our teacher training programs. One final question, how do we change teacher training programs?

Although we teachers (especially upper elementary, middle and high school) assume we're ignored much of the time, we are, according to Kohl, "listened to more than they {we} usually think they {we} are" even though we are not always "obeyed" for he extends the thought by explaining that "listening, understanding, and obeying are three different things altogether." Thank you, Herb Kohl. I couldn't agree more! And, with that expression I place myself in the unenviable category with Ronald Reagan who was criticized for employing casual speech. I digress. First of all, I thoroughly enjoyed Herbert Kohl's chapter because I personally adhere to many of the same beliefs, not the least of which is that what I say is often less significant than HOW I say it. I've learned that through the "school of hard knocks" and I don't just mean within my teaching profession. I've learned to step back and LISTEN and most of my listening, interestingly, is to myself rather than to my students. I've learned that I need to listen to how I sound to my friends,my family, my students and the parents of my students (even to my administrators). Kohl really "hit the nail on the head" with his discussion of the difficulties of finding that fine line of commanding trust and respect. It certainly differs from school to school and from student population to student population. Just as I had to find a way to be the adult, the parent, with my own child, I also have to find a way to be the adult, the teacher, with my young students. There must be love, respect and a certain healthy "distance" or lack of familiarity. Perhaps my favorite part of Kohl's chapter dealt with claiming the right to stand up for my students' best interests even when it requires the "fine art of defying ignorant authority." I could identify with his dilemma over whether to give his female students credit for their "incorrect" answers on a standardized test. I appauld him for his wise and reaffiming choice. Because I teach in an equity plus Title I school (which is also in year one of "improvement"), I (along with entire faculty) am constantly being observed, critiqued and hounded to teach according to specific and very narrow test-driven standards. My school (and the administration which directs us) is a perfect and sad example of Kohl's statement that we will ultimately fail because of our "obsession with standards."

Another sad example of the rigidity of the NC standardized testing system was brought to my attention just this week. As I read chapter 10, the discussion on page 170 regarding correlations between the frequency of Black English used in essays and the lower scores, I was angered because it reminded me of the scores that my black students received from the NC 4th grade writing test. My only student to pass, with a 3, was my only white student. That student hails from the same neighborhood of poverty but she probably employs language at home that is closer to standard English than what my black students employ at home. One of my brightest black students, a girl who can read 8th grade level, not only did not pass the test but she scored a one. Even though this student employs BE and qualifies for speech services (due to a lisp), she is incredibly bright and creative. I know that her content was probably far superior to the content of the passing essay but her conventions were unacceptable. Yes, this student does need to learn to employ standard English in order to succeed in the big world but was her language so distracting that the scorer could totally discount the content of her writing? I am incensed because I truly believe that happened. Geneva Smitherman is correct in saying that my students must acquire a working knowledge of standard English but I fear that our system continues to repudiate the identities of many of our students. She echoes the thoughts of Friedman in THE WORLD IS FLAT when she reminds us that America and Americans must wake up to the narrow belief that we can ignore other cultures and other languages.

The thought that English is THE standard is certainly no way to "win friends and influence enemies." In Joan Wynne's chapter, she points out the dangers of encouraging an intolerant view of English as superior to other languages. How ludicrous that would sound to those whose cultures and languages predate ours. I appreciate being reminded that propagating the belief that English is and always will be the standard limits our white students by encouraging a myopic and mistaken view of their own importance. Again I am reminded of THE WORLD IS FLAT by Friedman. He reminds us that we can not afford to become complacent; the world is ever changing and in order to remain viable, Americans must awake to new possibilities and new understandings of others (their cultures and their languages). One of the obvious places to begin to instill a respect for the diversity of the human race is within the classroom. That's pretty intimidating, isn't it, but I read what many of my fellow teacher-students have written and I am encouraged for the actions must begin on a personal level, that level between teacher and student, student and student.

Chapter 9 really hit home for me. I will be honest and say that the idea of Teacher Talk and Student Talk is a very difficult one for me. I, like many of you have either experienced or witnessed most of the scenarios that Kohl listed in chapter 9. Daily I watch the class across the hall be as Kohl says, "in control while they were out of control". The class is led by a middle aged first year teacher at a second career from Conneticut. She is the epitome of the scenarios we have read about in this book.

Middle school students wear their feelings on their sleeves. This year more than any I have become more aware of what I say and how I say it. I also liked Kohl's point that many times how you think you are speaking and how your stduents interpret you are saying are not necessarily the same. I hate feeling that I have to walk on eggshells around certain students in fear of saying something to them that they misinterpert. There are very few students in which I feel this way, but I feel this way due to scenarios where students turn around my words on me. It has once become an issue of race, which I think is nonsense. I find that often people argue the issue of race when they have nothing left ot stand on. I have worked hard to connect with my students and enhance their learning, in fact I feel as though one of my greatest strenghts as a teacher is my relationships with students. However Kohl's statement of, " If you are too soft, too hard, too rigid, or too permissive, the students will develop attitudes that often contribute hostility or restistance to learning " is SO on point. I truly feel this is why some students will work or behave for some teachers and not do so for others. The idea of a topsy-turvy is excellent, yet challenging. There are many of us who really need to take a strong look at how we are heard, then I am sure what or howt he students react to us would be much more clear and provide more understanding. I feel as teachers we are constantly adjusting day to day, minute to minute. We also adjust from student to student. I speak to some students differently than I speak to others based on how they best understand or best respond. I think this is an okay thing to do?

In chapter 10, I think Smitherman has a great plan, but I truly wonder what would it really take to not just implement it, but to get all people to buy into it and believe it? I think she makes an important point to that the issue of giving power to the mother tongue would benefit all Americans, not just Blacks. I feel often this issue becomes to much of one of black and white, and she makes and interesting claim that very few powerful need an "linguistic sanctuary" but that the less powerful among us do. How true it that statement? I too, loved the joke she tells about Americans. This is also so incredibley true. We go places and expect them to speak english, when people visit our country, we expect them to speak english. We never go with the idea in mind that perhaps even we, mighty Americans, might need another language to get by?

Wynne in Chapter 12 puts an interesting twist on the conversation of mother tongue. We have been thinking about how we are affecting the lives of the minority children, but she brings up the point of the damage we are doing to dominant culture from learning the gift of the others. If we don't allow mother tongue languages in the classroom we are only continuing the cycle of the dominant culture feeling that their language is superior. The challenge then as I stated earlier is where do we really begin, and what will it take? In part I guess it begins with each classroom teacher, implement the idea of cultural and linguistic acceptance.The idea was brought up that our preservice teachers should be exposed to the reality of the language diversity in the classroom. I feel nothing can truly perpare you for what you experience when you walk in the classroom door, however I do feel like it is a reality that preservice teachers do need exposure to.

Sarah McMillan

I truely never deeply thought about how sensitive my students are to my language. I have always known to watch my tone, but never fully considered how I was being heard and understood. It is true that you loose your studetns when they detect your insincerity or even don't trust you. Listening to my students is something I have done, but now know I need to do much more of. I have done a turn around since my first year of teaching. I do remenber loosing a few students my first year when I had a hard time knowing how to connect with them. I still have lots to learn, but see a big difference in how my students respond to me now that I have learned more about how to build my students trust and give them "fair opportunities." It is true that teachers are listened to more than they think they are. When my students are at the puppet station, I hear them replaying and acting out things that I have said and done in the classroom. They are reinforcing the "teacher talk" they hear.

There are so many Julia's out there that are afraid of not knowing the right answers to a question so they just don't speak up. I was one of them and yes I was afraid of what the teacher and even my peers would think about the things I said. I had many teachers who created an open and giving environment, but the fear of being wrong and humiliated stopped me from speaking out. A child doesn't understand that intelligent guessing is more important than avoiding learning.

Standard testing gives false information to some degree. The students that were supposed to answer the CBESET test, is an example of how testing is not 100% accurate. I just wonder the percentage of questions students answer incorrectly on tests just based on their sensibilities.

I agree with Knols statement that "Teaching is a matter of craft, experience, and art, which makes teaching well a continuing challenge." To earn student's trust and respect is a hard skill for some to aquire and comes more naturally for others. The "topsy-turvy" art of being a consciouencious listener is definately an art and it makes sense that lovers do wonder if what they say affects their partner.

I don't speak about religion in my room except during times it fits in the curriculum, but I never thought about how the children turn against you if they disagree with your religious beliefs. As teachers we have to be so careful with the language we use. An example they gave in the book was telling parents, "you people have disrespectful children" which was implying that all the parents children were disrespectful. Teachers do need to watch their talking skills since some comments could seem racist.

In 1974, the Conference on College Composition and Communication passed a policy resolution, "The Sudents' Right to Their Own Language". Smiterman suggests this policy was failed to be acted upon and now we must re-act. Smiterman suggests a language policy that has three parts. 1. reinforce the language of wider communication; 2. promote and extend the legitimacy of mother tongue languages and dialects; and 3. promote the acqusition of one or more foreign languages, preferably those spoken in the Third World.

I agree with point two that we need to teach students by taking into account their culture and background. I was very interested in point three and agree that we should learn more than one language. I was disheartened when foreign language was taken out of our schoos. Our principal is trying to make Spanish a specialist choice for us next year. I hope we get this.

It hurts me to hear stories such as the one about the students who had won the award for the best newspaper, but felt too inferior to speak because of their language. I like Wynne's statement, "If we want these children to be socially and economically mobile in mainstream culture, we must teach the standard English; yet, if we reject them by rejecting the language they grew up with, we alienate them from the very places where they could learn the standard dialect. I agree that we need to teach SE to our students, but what is the best way to teach it without alienating them from who they are and damanging their self-esteem? I do agree with Rokeach's statement that, " by fostering prejudice such a language biases, we stifle all students' cognitive development."

Even the African American students said the SE is the "proper or correct" English to use. Colleges need to continue classes such as this one. I agree with Wynne that it would be failure not to discuss the political ramifications of language use and acceptance to the students.

So now I wonder if any of you have awesome ways of teaching SE to your students, but still are respectful to their mother language?

Linda Younts

While reading the introduction and beginning of chapter 9 everything I was reading confirmed what I have been thinking. Many problems in the classroom stem from teachers and students being unaware of what they have heard or understood. The language we use in the classroom is more than the words that we speak. How we say something is just as important as what we say. In a few classes in my school, I see this and it turns into a big issue between a student and teacher or a teacher and his/her class. The distressing thing about it is the child ends up the one being blamed and is punished. Often I want to go in and tell the teacher that the tone they used or what they said caused the situation to escalate, but how do you tell a teacher what she has said it incorrect or misunderstood even when you do it in a friendly way. I find it hard to convey this message to teachers and do not want to be perceived as someone interfering in something that is not my busy, especially if the problem is not with one of my students. It’s unfair how we as adults feel we are correct in our actions or thoughts and children are wrong. I have seen it vice versa many times and the child is right in most cases. Adults misinterpret children words just as much as children do. I myself am guilty of this as well. In classrooms, we do need to listen to what students are saying as well as be mindful of what we say. I like how the author speaks of a teachers need to be topsy-turvy. I know we all need to analyze ourselves every so often because sometimes we think we are right and from someone else perspective we aren’t. This can help make a classroom environment more productive.

I had some difficulty following chapter 10 although I got a general idea of what Smitherman was saying. It seems that long before the Ebonics initiative there were other initiatives to accept everyone’s language and dialect. The author feels very strong about affirming everyone’s right to his or her own language and dialect. I can understand why. When we tell a child he/she is not speaking right, we can affect their whole world. It can have an impact on how the feel about themselves, their family, and cause them feel inferior. I agree that we should help students feel secure and accepted as we try to build their knowledge of Standard English, but I am not sure if I agree with any policies to affirm everyone’s language. One benefit of a language policy I can see is that it would possibly protect people from linguistic imperialism or feeling inferior.

It is awful when children or adults feel inferior to other races because of their oral language that it causes them to become quiet and not share their thoughts and feelings. It is wrong when society makes you feel as though you do not have anything valuable to share because you do not speak in the same manner as most people. The worst part about it is it starts in America classrooms. We have to learn how to affirm children while teaching them how to use grammar correctly. As the author cited on page 209, “by fostering prejudice such as language biases, we stifle all students’ cognitive development” and that is not what we are here to do. In order to help children we have to build them up and be mindful of how communicate our thoughts and ideas about their language.

Dawn Thomas

I can relate to Julia in Chapter 9. I have done the exact same thing because of fear of not knowing the right answer and if I do answer with the wrong answer then someone may laugh. I hope my students do not feel like they can not answer questions because of fear of humiliation. I've always worked with the younger children and this hasn't seemed to be a problem in my classes. I know Julia was in a K-1 classroom, though. Most of my students want to talk, talk, talk even when I need them to be quiet or listen. So this chapter has opened my eyes that this may not be the case in some schools. I had to think back on my teaching career to actually think of something similiar. I had a Vietnamese girl in preschool and she didn't talk much. I figured it was because she was learning English and was shy. This may not have been the case at all. It may have been because she didn't feel comfortable and didn't know the response she would get. I will definitely be aware of this in the future.

After reading this chapter, I've realized how important tone and presentation are. I believe tone especially can have an influence in the classroom. A teacher's tone of voice can make a difference in a student's attitude. I have said comments to people and they got upset. It was not the way that I meant for it to come across and I was shocked at the reaction. I asked what was wrong and was told that it was the tone that I said it in. I didn't realize it at the time but I wasn't hearing myself.

I felt for the young teacher who took the retired teacher's place. She definitely made some mistakes. It could happen to anyone. I guess we can learn from her that we need to create respect and affection in the classroom.

I have learned from reading this material that I need to listen as I'm teaching and learn what my students are hearing. As Herb Kohl says, I may need to make a topsy-turvy!

In reading Chapter 12, I believe it is very sad that the newspaper staff was afraid to ask questions because of the way they talk. That's why we as teachers need to make sure our students feel comfortable with language in our class. What are we to do to help these students feel confident? How can we do this in the classroom and it carry over to the "real world"? In conclusion, from reading this chapter it strongly urges schools to accept the home language and teach the standard dialect at the same time.

I enjoyed reading Kohl's chapter especially making note of her description of Julia. She was a child who lacked self-confidence and was not completely comfortable in the presence of teachers in the classroom. It may be that Julia felt vunerable and needed reassurance and feeling comfortable enough to make mistakes. I wonder if there is a Julia in many classrooms-the child who is capable, bright, and ready to learn but is not ready to take the step and put herself out there. How can we make children feel comfortable enough to express themselves and be Ok with making mistakes? I believe the answer is to begin by putting an emphasis on a personal relationship with students. Share with them your own personal vunerabilities and insecurities. For example, I do not sing well-- at all! I try but it doesn't sound so great. I try to explain that each person in my Kindergarten class has special talents and interests, including their own teacher.
Kohl explains that children listen differently when listening to the same teacher. Since the majority of communication in the classroom is the teacher directly speaking to the class we should take a step back and realize that our instruction, our approach, sounds different and is interpreted differently among students.
Smitherman's comments on the legitimacy of non-mainstream language left me feeling agitated. I realize that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It seems as if I was supposed to feel that whites don't see non-mainstream language as legit, as a real form of communication. I don't like the feeling of being grouped into a large category and generalized. I do believe in learning and appreciating new languages. I am nearly bilingual myself having studied Spanish for eight years. Consequently the knowledge gained in studying a new language gave me the opportunity to learn simultaneously about various cultures where Spanish is spoken. It was an incredible experience. I have met and communicated with various people from several Latin American countries and found that each has their own dialect, accent, and in some cases specialized vocabulary or slang. I just don't think it's fair to make a general comment about the haves and the have nots, the whites and the blacks. It is not politically correct to group any one segment of the population.
Wynne's chapter reminded me of the discussion that many people in NC are having these days. If you're going to come to this country, then you ought to learn English. True-- in the sense that if helps when one is out in public or in need of a service. Americans are a bit arrogant and ignorant in believing that English or more specifically SE is the end all and "best" form of communication because it is the dominant language. Bilingual students leaving college are, in the end, at a tremendous advantage when entering the workforce. Those who know Spanish or another second language should be more well-respected. The United States, the most powerful country in the world, does not emphasize the benefits of learning a second language. Perhaps in our dominant culture, we may feel that our language is supreme and there is really not a need to learn another language.

Before reading chapter 9, I never contemplated all of the factors that can affect the communication process between teachers and students. I am always aware of the importance to present what I say to my students in the clearest terms possible and to be careful "what" I say to my students. However, this chapter raised my sensitivity to another aspect of classroom communication: "It has everything to do with the way in which language is heard and interpreted, with tone, presentation attitude, implication and an understanding of how to convey complex meaning in a way that is understood by the spoken to." Not all students grasp and understand in the same way. It is up to the teacher to pay attention to how he/ she is heard at the same time he/she is speaking and be aware how students hear and interpret what he/she is saying. Kohl calls this ability "attunement", a necessary skill that enables teachers to not only communicate effectively with their students, but also improves the quality of the learning that takes place in the classroom. Kohl also states "The way in which teachers speak shapes students' attitudes and is a major determinant in the nature and quality of the learning environment." This chapter highlights the powerful influence that a teacher's language has on the dynamics of a classroom and the importance of teachers needing to choose their words wisely to maintain class order and maximize student learning.

Chapter ten was a difficult chapter. Since I was a little tired when I read the chapter, it took me a while to figure out what "the language of wider communication" was. I know the author used this term to make a point, but it would have made better sense to use the term "standard English" instead. I agree that language discrimination is wrong, and that nonstandard forms of English are not inferior but linguistically valid language forms that need to be fully accepted by educational institutions and American mainstream society in general. According to Smithermann, mainstream society's acceptance and validation of nonstandard language forms could only benefit the speakers of nonstandard English forms: "In William's own research in the Seattle, Washington, Black community, he demonstrated that Blacks who were conscious of their own language as a legitimate system were more receptive to learning the language of wider communication." We've read more than once in this book about the studies language experts have done on nonstandard language forms. If all of this research exists, why isn't anything being done about it? Smitherman's chapter is a call to action for concerned citizens to get involved in the political process and do something to change the negative biases against nonstandard English that exist in American society.

Joan Wynne's chapter was interesting in the way it shined the spotlight on the need to include language studies as part of the teacher training curriculum to educate teachers about the linguistic truths about language. I have to admit that before reading this book, I would have answered the question "How would you describe Standard English" the same way as the students in the book. I have learned things about language from the book The Skin that I Speak that I have never been taught in any other class in my entire life. This is important and basic knowledge all teachers should know in order to better understand, interact with, and instruct their students.

Vickie Howell

Heather Holland

Chapters 9, 10, and 12 seemed to take me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I enjoy reading non-fiction, practical, applicable things and sometime I get so engrossed in certain issues, that I have to step back—pause and then reflect on the reading and read it again. I will discuss topics in chronological order (the same order that I read). However, I wish that I would have read chapters 9 and 12 first because I was especially hung up on chapter 10’s debatable issues.

Chapter 9 had my full attention because I was entirely vulnerable to miscommunication during my first year of teaching. Two weeks before the first day of kindergarten, I moved over 500 miles from Cleveland, Ohio to the small country town where I now live. I moved to this place by myself to teach and did not yet know or understand my children’s language. My discipline was awful because they did not know or understand my style of talking either. It was rough and downright awful. I struggled-- not because I could not teach, but because I could not speak their language. They were only five years old. I could not expect them to accommodate to me; I had to adapt to their style. I did not learn the language my first year. I offended people, unknowingly with my “Yankee” comments. I inadvertently made remarks about the differences in our language—just trying to let them know I was making an effort to understand them. However, my assumptions-- that they understood my plight, created problems for me. It was not until several years later, when I had earned their trust and confidence that they told me how brash and even insulting I seemed to them. I felt awful. I had no intensions of being offensive or rude. I was very embarrassed. I was just trying to fit in and show them that I truly cared about them and their children (my students). Eventually, they understood-- completely, but it took awhile. I overcame enormous obstacles to be accepted and feel like I am part of the community here. Now looking back on it, I never dreamed that I would have had so much trouble. In college, I worked for the International Student Affairs’ Office. I was one, of many student “ambassadors” for my college. I picked up international students from the airport at all hours of the day and night, helped them learn American customs, and become acquainted and comfortable in the United States. My job was to make them feel welcomed. I really thought that I could handle the differences between Ohio and North Carolina, if I was friends with people from all over the world.--Wow… I was naive. Listening to yourself is important. And just as Herbert Kohl stated, “... it is imperative that we are cognizant of the way in which our language is heard and interpreted, with tone, presentation, attitude, implication, and understanding of how to convey complex meaning in a way that is understood by the spoken-to.”

Chapter 10 was difficult for me to read. I thought that the author, at times, was more focused on political or personal agendas rather than the key issue/topic—“teacher knowledge”. I want to keep my comment proactive and educationally driven, not driven by my personal beliefs or ideas. From the reading that was focused on language, I found that it is imperative that we, as professional educators, stress the value of people, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, color, or culture. We must teach the children, who are our future, to embrace one another’s differences. At the same level, as Geneva Smitherman stated, we must teach to broaden children’s language base in order to facilitate communication and acceptance. Wanting to bridge the gap between languages, teachers must validate children’s feelings of acceptance and belonging. It is critical that we do this because children will become more receptive to learning the language of wider communication. We do need children to progress to this stage of language development, because—like it or not, Standard English is the power language that people view as dominant and leading in our nation.

Chapter 12

Reading about the young journalists who refused to speak at the journalism workshop because of their fears of rejection or judgment from white individuals was difficult for me to digest. As I continued reading, I began to wonder if the white members of the audience would have been judgmental or stifling to the African American students. I know that racism has not disappeared in America. But I don’t agree with the statement that “whites” take racism like morning oatmeal (I read this in a previous chapter and I am not quoting it because I have looked and looked for the page where I read this and I cannot locate it). I sometimes feel reverse racism. Because I am white, I do not automatically feel or think a certain way. That is simply not true. As a teacher, I value all of my students for the individuals that they are. I want them to see past color lines and cultural barriers so that they may learn from one another. Am I overreacting to this issue? I do not want parents of my African American students to automatically think that because I am white, I have some prejudicial ideas about their race or culture. If anything, I’d hope they think that I’m color blind.

Written by Heather Holland

I found this section of reading very difficult to read; some parts I felt a little unnerved to read and other sections I could have agreed to with a resounding, "Amen!" I especially found chapter 10 difficult to read, but I think this is mostly due to its being more technical and history oriented, which is literature I have always had trouble wading through. Chapter 9 was very interesting to me. I thought it was very insightful to think about not necessarily what I say, but rather how I am heard. This was an eye-opening revelation to me: "Teachers must analyze how they are presenting themselves and then make a 180-degree shift and construct how their students hear them." I always try very hard to break down all of my instructions and lessons into easy to understand pieces, but what I intend in my language may not be what my students are actually perceiving. I absolutely agree with the author when he stated that, "The hard thing is talking to a whole class when people listen differently." This exact thought was running through my head as I read this chapter. What a difficult task we have! How do you ensure that 20 students all comprehend something in the same way so as to accomplish the same task when all 20 of them hear something in a little bit different way? This truly intrigues me! I think of times when I explain something what seems like a million times, and also in different ways, in math and a student just has no idea what I am talking about and then just one time I explain it a little bit differently and suddenly the light bulb goes off. It's a fantastic feeling when a student does grasp something like this, but getting to this point in communication can be a very frustrating process. How wonderful it would be if we knew exactly how to say something so that a student discerned it exactly the way we intended! One of my favorite things about this chapter was the grouping of questions near the very end: "How do you sound? How is anger expressed? Who is praised? How is failure expressed in front of the class? How are you exposed when you think you are failing or perhaps even in despair? How many times a week do you express joy or thanks sincerely felt rather than mechanically administered as a matter of educational policy? Where is your joy in teaching and how is that conveyed?" These are definitely a tool I will be using in the future to determine if I am conveying my message in a way that is easily heard!

I found chapter 12 to be a great ending for this text. I found it a great resource for reviewing what I had previously read and kind of wrapping it into a more organized package than what I had in my head. I found these words from the author especially helpful: "If we want these children to be socially and economically mobile in mainstream culture, we must teach them standard English; yet, if we reject them by rejecting the language they grew up with, we alienate them from the very places where they could learn the standard dialect." The more I read about this topic, the more I am realizing that this is a fine line that we walk as educators. It is reassuring to read of successful stories from teachers who are putting this into practice in their classrooms every day. I will definitely be less quick to just say something in my class and more apt to take a moment to consider what I am saying and what I am allowing, or not allowing, my students to say.

Chapter 9 was a great chapter for me to read. It discussed teacher talk and how language impacts classrooms. This is a discussion that took place in my last Language Arts class with Dr. Pesko. Our class studied how teacher talk and student talk affected learning. We tape recorded lessons and transcribed the lessons. As we studied the teacher talk and student talk, we were able to see the percentages of what type of talk was occurring in each lesson and areas that we could improve or continue to do. It was an insightful approach to reflecting on a lesson. The recordings were eye openers and really showed me how much student talk needed to increase in my room. By the end of the semester, my student talk percentage increased by 10 percent. I hope by the very fact of being aware of the need for more student talk that the percentage will continue to increase. Mr. Kohl seemed to be well aware of the student talk taking place in his classroom when he noticed Julia turning away from his lessons. By talking with Julia and fixing the problem, he allowed her to be in charge of her learning. This gave her the power to control the situation instead of letting the situation control her.

One paragraph in chapter 9 really caught my eye also. It is the second paragraph on page 152. It discusses how students selectively listen to teacher language. Students that may appear to not be listening can very well be hearing exactly what you are saying and retaining the information. I have a boy in my class this year that fits this scenario exactly. He would appear from a person observing that he is doing anything, but listening to a lesson. He makes noises and is easily distracted, but when called on by the teacher, he can repeat and explain anything that is being taught.

Chapter 10 disturbed me a bit. I am not sure I agree with all the author is saying. I realize America is full of cultures that do not speak Standard English. I do think students should be given the opportunity to learn in any environment, but should we really change our SE teaching to their language just to increase proficiency? SE will always be the mainstream of conversations in America. Why should our children of today not be given the opportunity to learn correct grammar and conversational skills? The “real world” speaks SE and shouldn’t we be preparing our students for the “real world?” Everyone at some point in time will need to go on a job interview, speak publicly or use conversational skills in public. We should grant our children of today an opportunity to succeed in life and be able to acquire the best job possible. If SE is not taught at home and not taught at school, are we not depriving our children? Are we lowering our standards to meet the needs of the students? I think at times we are. We could turn this idea around and find ways to make the students want to strive to raise their own standards and learn how to code switch appropriately.

One area that I do agree with is the foreign language issue. Students today need to have more exposure to foreign languages. They need it at an early age too. My school system has cut the foreign language program in the lower grades due to budget cuts. It is a shame to see this happen when now more than ever students need to be able to learn how to communicate with peers that speak a different language.

Chapter 12 seemed to be written rather harshly. I do not know if it is because I disagree with parts of it or if it is truly written in an abrupt manner. I felt as though the author was focusing on how we have hindered African American children by not allowing them to use Ebonics for educational purposes. Why shouldn’t African American children learn SE? If we want to break the cycle of African American children performing lower on standardized test, which often times dictates the level of higher education that they receive, then we must prepare them for a future with an equal playing field. In the corporate world, communications skills are essential and often provide the first impression to the person’s audience. The fact remains that grammatically Ebonics is not correct. Should we lower the standards of language for one culture? I think a better option would be for us to educate their culture. Why couldn’t we utilize available resources to teach African American children SE or how to code switch when necessary? Resources can also be utilized to educate their parents.

Beth Rigsbee

I can attest to what Herbert Kohl is saying about the examples that were exhibited in Chapter 9. I do believe that when one feel that there is dissonance among students, teachers, administrators, and parents one tend to shy away from conversations and interactions with them. As adults, we mentally challenge ourselves to muster up enough courage to ask questions and answer questions in meetings amongst our colleagues, peers, and administrators in fear of being perceived as incompetent because of uncertainty. There are times when we as adults would rather avoid exhibiting what we know than for anyone to view one as having lack of knowledge. I really and truly believe that it comes from feeling safe and accepting your environment will only allow one to explore the possibilities of taking a chance on learning. Yes, we may work and learn in an environment where we put up a shield of avoidance and only allow certain events, emotions, and feelings to take place in our lives so we will not stand out in the crowd or being ridicule.

I also encountered a similar situation with a student just like Kohl experienced with his K/1 students refusing to answer a question because of their belief. This student is a person of few words. Basically, on the Unaided part of Running Records, he summed up the story in four sentences. Well, you know in reading a ten-page story, there must be more to the story than a summary of four sentences. So, I proceeded in asking him the Aided questions of the story. The question was the development of the character, the student proceeded to say, the mouse was too slow and because of that the mouse ended up on a new farm where he missed his family and he wanted to go home. When he finally returned home, he was happy to see his family and his family was happy to see him, which he was right. Then I proceeded to ask him about the events in the story and this little fellow said, I just said that. He was right again. Although there were two different questions, however, the questions had the same answer. I accepted his answer as I just said that because he did. Why must he repeat himself with the same answer?

In Chapter 10, Geneva Smitherman made a very powerful statement and it is repeated several times throughout the chapter. The statement is, “It is time to call the children in and teach them the lessons of the Blood”. I think she meant that regardless of the nationality during this particular era in history, it is time to take a stand on respecting their language and dialect and rejecting the idealism of inferiority amongst the people who does not speak Standard English (SE). All they are asking for is acceptance.

Chapter 9, 10, and 12 seem to have the same twist. When it is all said and done, they all ended up being about their fear of speaking due to uncertainties of being right or wrong, and how one is looked upon as they are learning SE, and accepting ones language and dialect as they learn SE. The jest of all this entanglement about the skin that we speak is to not make anyone feel inferior or disrespect them because of the language they speak.

Shirley Mathis

Lisa Outland-
Wow, this book was definitely different from The Skin That We Speak. I must admit I had to do quite a bit of rereading to make sense of what I had read.
I related to the idea of following students’ progress over several years. I was able to teach one group of children in kindergarten and the next year in first grade. I thoroughly enjoyed working with that group more than any other group of children since then. I do believe it was partly due to the fact that I did get to know my children and their home lives so well. I wish I had had the forethought to visit them in their homes while we were together. I think that is the missing link for that particular group. The author was so fortunate to be able to follow Jake and Laurie through second grade and be able to get to know them and observe them in their home lives. I am sure this answered many questions the author had concerning the missing links in their schooling.
I gained insight from the dialogue in the second chapter where the author is observing Jake playing with his sister Lee Ann and some cousins. The whole incident amazed me. The family seemed to be so careful with Lee Ann and was ok with her getting justice for Jake shoving her. It was so different from how I take care of business such as that in my classroom. Something as little as this one episode does give you immense knowledge about their literacy lives as well. I would think that the family would cater more to Lee Ann and helping her and see Jake as the independent one who doesn’t need help with his schooling. I wonder how this really turned out in real life.
Heath’s information about Roadville was extremely eye opening for me. I had never thought that when I ask a child to make up something or use their imagination that I might be asking them to lie, in their eyes. How many times a day do I stop and listen to the story that starts, “one time me and my momma . . . “ I cannot imagine not allowing a child to share their experiences, or dismiss them as soon as I have heard them. You can learn many things about a child and their family if you stop and listen. It amazed me that in Roadville children’s stories were not valued at all. Only the adults were given the authority to be story tellers.
The story parts of chapter two and the dialogues just amazed me. They helped me grasp the concepts from the chapter with more ease. However, I must say I was disturbed by the dialogue from Walkerdine’s observation of two preschool boys and how their gender played such an important role in the incident that occurred. I teach in a school that is very much like an urban school and never have I had children use that sort of language or be so disrespectful to their teacher. This really does tie in with what is taught at home to some boys can tie over into their schooling lives and effect their education. They saw their teacher as worthless because she was a woman. They had been taught this. They will not receive the education they need because they think women are worthless and the majority of teachers they encounter will be women. This whole section of the chapter really frustrated me. However, it did really drive home the point that a child’s education truly is tied to their race, gender and social class.

I started watching a movie a few weekend ago that I recorded from HBO, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." The movie is about the Sioux Indians and how they were forced to adapt to the culture of whites in their own land. (I never completed the movie, but what I saw was very poignant and pertained alot to what I've been reading in this class.) One of the young Indians was in a school that taught the Indian children how to act "white." They were forced to choose new "Christian" names and abandon their given Indian names. They were also forced to memorize the history of the whites. Something clicked when I was reading these chapters. Who are we to say that traditional English is correct? It is, undoubtedly, what is accepted in our society. (Which is dominated by white, who have the power.) Like the Indians lost their power and were forced to take on the characteristics of white society, could those who have their own traditional languages feel the same way? Are we simply falling prey to those who have been in power the longest? Where and when was it decided that traditional English was correct? Before I would've said "We are a country that was created from England. Our language was brought with us to this new world. Traditional English is what we're always spoken. Therefore traditional English is most correct." This would hold water if we didn't live in a country that boasts to be a "melting pot" of cultures, ethnicities, and races. (This is a HUGE epiphany for me!) I never quite looked at it this way because I viewed the controversy from one viewpoint: mine. How egotistical of me. I am now amending my stance. I still feel that there is a time and place for everything. And, because traditional standard English is what is respected in professional settings, I think we need to teach those who speak with variations of the English language how to properly use traditional standard English, much like we do with ESL learners. HOWEVER, I feel that we should embrace and study the differences between the two in the classroom. I LOVE how Judith Baker (chapter 4) spoke of studying with her students the different "Englishes" they speak. This is a wonderful idea! It respects each students home language, while investigating it's roots and growth through the generations. Isn't that amazing? That piqued my interest tremendously. It also shares the power and lends more of an equal weight to the home language of each student in the classroom, rather than correcting those that aren't standard English.

As I was reading chapter 9, I couldn't help but think of a story I was told when I first got married. It was a wonderful "topsy-turvy" for marriage and one that I try to think of when I'm interacting with my students in my classroom.

"There was an old couple who had tea and toast mid-morning each day. The woman made the tea and her husband made the toast. She always put alot of thought and love into her pot of tea. She measured the water and the tea exactly and made sure her husband had his favorite cup from which to drink his tea. She was frustrated, however, whenever the loaf of bread was at the beginning or the end because her husband always gave her the heel for her toast. Why should she always be the one to get the heel? How selfish of her husband! He saved the perfect pieces for his toast. One day, feeling exasperated from his years of selfishness of always giving her the heel, she let him have it! "Honey," she said, "You are terrible! You give me the heel EVERYTIME and NEVER take it! Why must I always suffer through the HEEL?!?" Her husband, looking shocked and a bit dismayed simply said, "Dear I gave you the heel because it's my favorite part of the loaf. I wanted you to have the joy of eating it."

This story not only shaped the way I interact with my husband, but it also made me mindful of my interactions with my students, colleagues, friends, and family. When it comes to successful interactions, it's all about PERSPECTIVE. Because I perceive something to be negative, it may not be. It's all dependent upon the intent behind what is said. Wouldn't that be a good lesson in the classroom? I love to teach my students how to interact with one another, to be respectful of differences, and to handle their own problems (within reason) in a kind manner. Wouldn't it be great to teach children (and adults) not to always jump to a negative conclusion because of the words you hear from someone's mouth? Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could look past the words (which are sometimes clumsy) and see the intent behind what their teacher, classmates, friends, siblings, parents, spouses, etc, are saying?

Like Beth Rigsbee, I took Dr. Pesko for an earlier literature class. She assigned us to tape record a typical interaction of ourselves, as the classroom teacher, and our classes. We then calculated the ratio of ourselves speaking versus our students speaking. This was eye opening to me. I dominated the conversation. Obviously I had to in certain areas of the lesson to guide my first graders' thinking, but there were so many other areas of the lesson where I didn't have to (dominate). This made me very mindful of my interactions in whole group, small group, and individualized instructional settings.

Chapters 10 and 12 focus on the frustration those who speak alternate English languages feel. If I were faced with the daily corrections many students face who speak soundly in their home language, I would feel intimidated to attempt to speak and express myself in the classroom. Is this how my students feel when I correct them when they say things like "mines" instead of mine? "Yea" instead of "yes"? When they make something plural that should be singular and vice-versa? Where do I draw that line? I certainly don't ever want my students to feel that frustration. How do I, as a classroom teacher, respect my students' language of home AND teach them standard English? Or do I? Is there a right answer?

These chapters were a real eye-opener. The insight they provide into the lives of children is a an excellent reminder that our experiences dictate who we are in all facets of life. This has been the most difficult thing I've had to learn in the process of becoming a teacher. I grapple with this understanding on a daily basis. Our schools run on middle class norms. I was raised with these ideas and expectations, so this is nothing new to me. In fact, this is my comfort zone because it was (and is) my reality. I have to remind myself to step out of my skin and into that of my students each day when I become disappointed or frustrated by a situation. My biggest learning experience came as a first year teacher. One of my students failed to return his homework assignment. This was the third time in as many days and I was annoyed that he wasn't being responsible. I spoke with him, expressed my dismay, and punished him. It was later that morning that I found out that the father was abusing the family. The night before he beat the mother, who fled with the children in the middle of the night. This poor child had little sleep and was dealing with the emotional turmoil in his home. My concern? His failure to return his spelling homework. Can you imagine how TERRIBLE I felt? Needless to say, I apologize profusely, hugged the child (and didn't want to let go), and encouraged him to talk to me about anything. Regardless of what had happened, I would be there to help. (Given the way the morning began, I'm sure he didn't feel that I was someone whom he could turn to.) WHAT A LEARNING EXPERIENCE! Now, whenever something happens with one of my students, I ask WHY. And I try to be very kind in my interactions when I'm doing it. By gaining insight into HOW our students home lives are, like in chapter one, we gain a strong understanding as to their behaviors and motivation in situations in and our of the classroom.

Chapter 2 really hit home with me. While I can't relate to the manner in which the teacher was spoken to (I can't imagine!), I can relate to feeling a lack of respect for being female. A student in my class, I'll call him John, comes from a terrible home life. His father is not a good role model, to put it politely, and John idolizes him and everything he does. John's father curses at neighbors, with John at his side, kicks the family dog, with both actions garnering laughter from John. John has even spoken of watching movies with "naked women" in them with his dad. (Upon further questioning he denies it.) When I met with John's parents, he was incredibly disrespectful to the mother and was rude with me. (He wouldn't even look at me to acknowledge I was speaking.) John's lack of respect for me and the other female teachers working with him is evident. He does, however, respond positively to the male teachers who also work with him in the school. Sadly, he won't always have male teachers in every classroom, as the school systems are dominated be females in the role of classroom teacher. Because of this, John won't wholeheartedly embrace learning and education unless there is an intervention of some sort. A child's strongest role model is the same sex parent. Unfortunately, when this parent has a lack of parenting skills, children like John and the boys in chapter two are the ones who suffer.

Children are usually ready to share their experiences, especially in the younger grades. As a first grade teacher it seems that I can't get through a lesson without one of my students wanting to share something they're excited about in their lives. When thinking about Roadville, I'm floored because part of my classroom community is my students sharing their life experiences. I want my students to know that their experiences matter just as much as mine or the other teacher (PRT) in my classroom. By validating their stories, they feel like what they have to say is important. This, in turn, builds their confidence and self-esteem as being an important part of their classroom family. I simply can't related to Roadville.

These two chapters come down to one basic of importance: Our experiences determine our thoughts and actions. We don't come from the same life experiences, so we have to reach out to our students and their families to know and understand what is happening behind closed doors. This insight and knowledge will help us, as teachers, to reach our students on their most basic level of understanding. It will also serve to support us as compassionate human beings.

well, after reading these chapters a few things came to mind. the first was a flash-back to those frustrating days that i spent in second grade at those blue round-robin reading tables where i struggled with a "dick and jane" text. my next thought goes to lisa outland...thank you. your first comment about the text made me feel somewhat better. next, in our teacher as researcher class i just took with dr. moorman, we were specifically told to write clear, clean and consise qualitative research papers. if your sentences go more than three lines...shorten them. if a paragraph goes over a page...shorten it. finally, i was somewhat disappointed because im afraid im going to miss something important! now that i got all that out...here are my thoughts...

i definately believe that class has an effect on children and their literacy and how they approach life. when i was a title I teacher we would follow our children's progress from first grade through fifth grade. i found the information that we gained to be valuable. in many cases the children that we served were from working class families. (i would have been a title I child, so my work with these children was extremely important) many of these children would have the same type of family behaviors as jake and lee ann. it is certainly an eye opener to read the dialogue between this family. kindergarten is a time when children do learn social literacy. i definately will be listening more to the conversations that go on in my children's literacy center...as well as home living and doll house...i would like to understand more clearly their social literacy.

the roadville and trackton section was also valuable. wow, in some home cultures it is wrong to "make up" a story! our school is now using writers' workshop. we are able to have the children write about their lives...things that they are excited about writing. we are also using the "turn and talk" and "say something" strategies that allow the children to talk about what they are thinking...what the discussion reminds them of. these strategies and writers' workshop would probably be beneficial to these children. my kindergarten children are so excited to share.

i am at a loss of words for what to say about the discussion between terry, sean and their teacher. i found this part of the text to be disturbing...extremely disturbing. obviously these boys have learned negative words and behaviors from their home culture. not only do these children know words that are horrendous, they actually know what context to use them. and they are in pre-school! and the teacher said that they were being..."silly"? they are not being silly.

what about the other children in this pre-school? it reminds me of an event that happened in my life when a child said something horrible to me. i asked my mother about it in the car as she was driving home. luckily she didnt wreck the car! that was my first experience with other home cultures and how mine home culture was different. that was a frightening time for me...my thoughts when reading this section were...what about the other children that are hearing this language? should the teacher handle this situation in a different way? what exactly are we to do if this happens...tell the children that they are silly so we dont hurt their home culture? im having difficulty with this one...
donna byrd-wyatt

Kelly Mabe – Situated Histories of Learning

As I read Chapter 1, I fully agreed with one of Hicks’ initial statements: “Sometimes missing in research discourses about literacy learning are the histories that shape connections with school and workplace literacies.” Too many times in this data driven world we are always looking for facts, figures and statistics to mold and shape our thinking about students’ learning. How refreshing it is to see that there are researchers, such as Hicks, who are willing to look beyond test scores to see the “whole” student. Her initial paragraphs drew me into the chapter because I knew from the get go that this book was going to be “student-centered” rather than “data-centered”. Immediately one could tell that Hicks cared about all aspects that effect the development of the child both at home and school.

As I read further, I immediately thought back to my own childhood growing up in a middle-class family. I have to admit that I had never thought about how my life experiences might have been different from that of a working-class child. Now that I think about it as an adult, with children from both worlds in my classroom, I can definitely see the differences. For example, even giving specific writing prompts can show difference in class. One of my favorite prompts to give my students is: Write about a trip you have taken with your family. It never fails that 4 or 5 of my students will tell me that they have never been on a family trip. For someone middle-class like me, it is almost unbelievable that these students have never been on a family trip. However, they truly haven’t. Amazingly this year, I had several children in my classroom that had never even been to the beach. For these children, it is very hard to make connections with something they have never experienced before. I even this year had a little girl in my classroom who had never been to the mall. Therefore this shows that we as teachers need to be more conscientious of the topics that we ask our children to read or write about.

Moreover, I also liked the fact that Hicks was focusing on white poor and working-class children. I agree with Hicks in that many times we do focus most heavily upon ethnicity rather than on other just as important factors. Hicks states, “I was concerned that much of the educational literature on the learning needs of working-class learners focused less on class than on ethnicity, a hidden message being that poor and working-class children are largely members of ethnic-minority families and neighborhoods.” My school is a prime example of the fact that we should be looking at class rather than race or gender. The large majority of students at my school belong to the white poor or working-class families. Therefore I definitely see the importance in this type of research. I am very interested to read about Hicks’ discoveries in the remaining chapters of this book.

In Chapter 2 the interaction between Jake and his family is very eye opening. The way in which Jake’s family deals with the situation with Lee Ann definitely shows how his family and culture could impact his future learning. In this given situation Jake goes from being the oppressor to the oppressed. His sister was taught to stand up for herself against those of the opposite sex. It is amazing how this one single instance could change how these children adapt to the social world around them. I have seen examples of this given situation within my own extended family. However, I had never thought about the impact it could have on the children until I read this chapter.

Mrs. Heath’s discussion of the children in Roadville and Trackton was very enlightening. It was amazing how these two very closely related towns could be so different. I actually felt pity for the children from Roadville. I felt sorry for them because they were it seemed expected to be “perfect”. One feels that these children have been trained to be “normal”. It almost appears that these children are not supposed to be creative free thinking individuals. As a teacher, I do not feel that the students from Roadville would be that much fun in a classroom because they would not be free thinkers ready to investigate and explore. One truly would need a mix of the children from both towns in order for the classroom to be successful.

Finally, As I read Walkerdine’s work, I truly realized the power of discourse. The interaction between the two pre-school boys and their teacher was unbelievable. THESE BOYS WERE PRESCHOOLERS!!! How scary to think that children can already use gender/sex at such a young age to intimidate and degrade others. As I read this, I began to think about the students that I have taught. Fortunately I don’t think I have ever had a child do this to me; but, you better believe that I will be more vigilant for this type of discourse in the future.

Wow, I think I know how my students feel after reading Chapter 1 and 2. I had difficulty myself with some of the language and had to reread constantly to gain meaning.
I think I get the general idea of how discourse the student has experienced at home influences their learning and perception of discourse at school. I also agree that most students need to feel loved and a sense of belonging at home as well as at school to be able to open up to learn.
In chapter 1 the author commented on how the school setting sometimes is distancing and sometimes embracing. In reading these first two chapters I found ideas that made me feel both. For example, I embrace the idea that educators hope that education will result in change of oppression. I also agree that we are limited by our pedagogical expectations especially when it comes to intervention. By the time we meet the expectations of our curriculum in as creative a way as possible, our time is running out to go back and work with those who just don't pick it up as quickly. Unfortunately it is usually those students who lack the prior knowledge or discourse that would have helped them make the connection.
At my school our students are not making good Math connections. They do not seem to begin with a good foundation about numbers. This has been a topic of debate all year as we examined how we are teaching Math. It isn't the fact that we aren't teaching it, but seems to stem from a lack of discourse about numbers, time and even money before they come to school, that sets a purpose for Math. It also seems to be most evident in our economically challenged subgroup. As I read Chapter 1 I began to think about the NCLB, middle class practices and expectations and thought again about what a social injustice this is for those subgroups although this is supposed to help those very groups to not be left behind.
The quote that begins Chapter 2 confirmed for me why we as teachers must point out and teach strategies to our students so therefore they can begin to make sense of new ideas on their own. So many of our students come to school with very little prior knowledge about the world. Many of them have a large repretoire of family experiences like we read about with Jake and Lee Ann but few experiences outside of that circle or outside their home area. I like the idea of getting to know a child's background and social circle through home visits as a means to enlighten our teaching approach. But then also working toward giving them as much experience and knowledge as we can point out, as the books says "school and teachers can transform and create new positions." This challenges us later in the Chapter as it states "construct pedagogies that our students can easily move between at school and at home."
I embrace the idea of listening to and using the experiences and stories they do bring in an unbiased manner to engage them and empower them to learn and experience more through others language and experience which is exactly the idea we read about in "The Skin That We Speak".

Overview – Chapter One
The overview brought some questions to my mind about Jake and Laurie’s educational histories. I wondered if they will be similar to my own. I was raised in a rural farming community in Michigan. Growing up, I never considered my class. Thinking back now, I do feel that my life was sheltered, and I was very shy. I do believe that my shyness did affect my educational performance.

My parents did value education and expected me and my sisters to do our best, but the expectation to go to college was not present. We were not discouraged from going to college. We just did not talk about it. When I decided to go college my parents did help me financially. My dad was very good with money and made sure he had enough set aside for me to go. It’s really odd because I never felt like were poor or working class. I am not sure how I would categorize my economic class growing up. In my elementary school, everyone was about the same. I guess we don’t categorize ourselves; other people do that for us.

While in college, I met many people from all over the country. One summer I decided I needed to take a trip and see something new. I wanted to visit my uncle in California. He drove to Michigan and I decided I was going back with him. Everything was in place except for my dad’s reaction to my desire. He would not have anything do with it. He told me if I went to California, I could pay for my own college. I said okay and I went. From then, I arranged student loans, so I would not have to ask for help. Later, I decided to go to Japan for year long academic work study program. I remember my dad saying that I would not learn anything and I just wanted to say I’d been to Japan. When it came time for me to leave he gave $600.00 in spending money, and my mom made plans to visit me while I was in Japan. Now I am wondering, did I grow-up in a working class family or middle class family? How could a working class family afford a plane ticket to Japan? I looked up the definition of working class. I definitely grew-up working class.

Chapter Two
In Chapter one, Deborah Hicks describes a situation between Lee Ann and Jake that involves them playing with a box. The play gets out-of-hand when Lee Ann gets hurt and she starts calling Jake a “chicken”. The way the mom and the “mom mom” respond is labeled as a working class response. I do not know that I think one case study or even two case studies can be extrapolated to all working class families. I know many working class families that would not have handled the situation in that way. The text further states, “The ways with words (Heath, 1983) voiced by Jake, Lee Ann, and their mom and mom-mom reflect the working-class practices and values of the community of which they lived.” I am sorry; so far I am not buying this. You can not follow one or two families and say that this is a reflection of their values based on their class and community. How can someone state that one family can reflect the values of the community? I came from a working class family and, my mother would not have handled the situation in that manner nor would my grandmother. I do not think we would have been allowed to play in that manner. Is money the determining factor of class? On page twenty-one Jake is described as engaging in a “macho discourse”. There are plenty of examples in every class where men and boys portray a “macho discourse”. On the other hand, I have met many poor families where the children and parents were very sensitive and well mannered.

As I read further I am beginning to understand, I think, that cultural literacy researchers have one school of thought and critical psychologists and critical literacy researchers have another school of thought, but I still disagree with the idea that working class children identify themselves as “failures”. It is society who does that for them. I do not understand the following, “Children and teachers together can contest and transform the relations that position children as “failures” because they voice and enact working-class identities and values, or Black identities and values.” Again I believe it is society that deems them unworthy. Is this the point the author is trying to make?

On page 33 the first paragraph is about the “smallness of power” and how it is, “lived by women, girls, Blacks, and working-class people” This is true of all non-White males. All other minority groups are struggling for power at this present time. This is a time where I believe we have to be very careful. Our rights are at risk and there is an opportunity for real change, if people have the courage to allow it to happen. I am alluding to our 2008 election year. I do not think it is out of line to talk about it as we are talking about feminist activism and the powerless. When children see people of their race, gender or even orientation in positions of power, it is going to give them new goals and opportunities to reach for. Historically, we are in interesting times. There could be great discussion in the classroom, and yes differing opinions among children could be a problem especially when students discuss these ideas with their parents, but that is no reason to not have a discussion. It is time to validate all people. When I say this I include everyone from the poor to all races and those whose sexual orientation differs from that of those in power. There should no place for intolerance. When people feel accepted, they are more open to learn. It is creating that environment that can be difficult. I guess that is where critical literacy comes into practice.

This book seemed to begin as a difficult read. The study the author is doing appears to be an interesting one. We as teachers are often unaware of what our students are dealing with at home before they enter our classrooms. Students are often expected to meet standards set that are unrealistic to their needs. Jake’s home environment seems to one in which children are taught revenge rather than coping mechanisms. There is no doubt that how we are raised feeds into our educational, personal and social lives.

As I read chapter two, I associated it with my school. It is a magnet school that goes on approximately 18 field trips per year on each grade level. These trips are directly tied to the Standard Course of Study and are used to guide lessons. I feel these trips are a way for children to be exposed to the environment and learn how to communicate with each other and the environment. It also gives children exposure to topics that may or may not be done at home and the children are somewhat on the same playing field while on the trips. There are very few times when children from all social ranges can be on the same playing field in education. The non-readers are able to be on the same level as the high readers. The EC children are not being taught by another teacher. The struggling writers are able to converse instead of write their thoughts. The discourse that takes place enhances all the students’ comprehension and brings meaning to the subject matter. In my county most elementary schools are cutting field trips. Some schools don’t go on any trips. I feel sorry for the students who would never have the opportunity to be exposed to the world around them and make connections to what they are learning.

Walkerdine’s study was an interesting one. It is amazing to me that preschool children have already formed opinions about gender and are acting on it. I believe that it does happen, but it saddens me that at such an early age, negative behavior and opinions are being formed. My biggest concern here was that the teacher gave the students no consequences for their actions. How will these students ever learn that what they are saying is wrong if they never see consequences? Don’t we have a responsibility to respond to negative discourse that occurs in our classroom?

Beth Rigsbee

I must say that this book was very difficult for me to read. Even with me going back and reviewing the text, it took me a while to grasp some of the points the author made. It was not until the end of the second chapter that I got a little more clarity. I find it interesting how the author chose to do her research by using narratives of children’s lives. Although she cites other authors, it seems the bulk of her information comes from first-hand experience and knowledge of children. When we are asked to read research or teach a new strategy based on research I feel better when I know that what the author is speaking about is based on real people in their own environment. In this way, we can relate better to what the author says. Many times when we read research it is based on a study done in a controlled environment and the context of the work is not authentic. I’m sure many of us can relate some of what Hicks talk about to students we have encountered in our teaching or our own lives in some way. Hick’s book focuses on white working class children because she felt they were misrepresented in research and books. Initially I was not sure, if this is the case, but when I think back on books and articles I have had to read for class or work I can understand the authors point. Many of the texts were focused on other ethnic groups and ESL learners. I wondered if this is because we know public schooling was created for white middle class children and we tend to group all white children into this group. After reading this and thinking about the white students I have worked with, I think poor and working class whites may be treated differently in school as compared to middle class whites. Working class is working class. I think all children in working class families are misrepresented and are often overlooked in education. Many of the experiences, values, and literacy experiences of working class children are often different from their middle-class teachers’ values. In many ways, the way we teach and think a child should act comes from how we were raised and what our values/beliefs are. We have to think about the whole child when we are educating them-where they are from, what their experiences are, how they are raised, what are their literacy practices at home, etc. I try to think about my children’s lives and their experiences, but it is sometimes easy to forget. I sometimes think that children should act a certain way or relate to something that seems common when in actuality it may not be something they are familiar with in their lives. Sometimes it is hard to remember that, but I try to. I think it is important, as Hicks did, to connect with children by learning more about their home life and literacy experiences to find out about how they learn and interact within their culture.

The chapter on situated histories was informative. The example Hicks gave on pages 18-19 about Jake and Lee Ann was interesting. The way the family handled the situation does give you a glimpse into the children’s lives and how they may handle certain situations at school. It also gives you an idea of their practice at home and how these experiences shape their learning. Think about it. If this is how these children interact everyday and they do not interact with print in their environment, it is going to affect how they interact with literary learning at school. I know many of my students’ and their families interact the same was as Jake and Lee Ann.

The things Hicks write about can be applied to other races with working class children. We can see how many children experiences outside of school can cause friction between them and school practices.

I found these two chapters quite difficult to read. It has taken me several re-readings of them to grasp what I think they are trying to say. I applaude what Hicks is trying to study, how children use language to negotiate identities and knowledge in the cultural worlds in which they come to be and know. So often we forget what all the child brings with them to school (emotional and psychological experiences and thoughts) and try to judge them one-dimensionally. I often get caught up and forget that perhaps a child is stuggling due to an unforseen circumstance at home. Or, perhaps behaviors and values of education are defined by what community and family our students are a part of. Sometimes this is hard to accept as a teacher. Many of my students don't know how to dream, and all they see is what seems like the grim reality in front of them. I sometimes feel that a student's home life is my (and the student's) opponet in an endless battle to educate them.

I also appreciate Hicks's research because often I feel we focus on race and ethnicity, and she takes interest in both gender and class. I am interested to see how Hicks answers the question she poses, "How do our attachments to others form the basis for knowledge?" It is obvious that each of us are a product of our enviornment, but it is fascinating to think how much our enviornment defines who we are and who we believe ourselves to be. Additionaly, as Hicks touches on, it is important to consider how our enviornment influences how we view, treat, and react in classroom discourse.

I love the lines in Chapter 2 which speak of "moments of living" and how they have a lot to do with how children later engage with school literacies. How true this is! Teaching becomes difficult when the "knowings" and "becomings" of students do not "mesh with school literacy practices." Chapter 2 also notes that Heath helped teachers construct "culturally hybrid" classrooms where students " could begin to move between cultural discourses without giving up the richness of their community expereinces and language practices". Isn't this the question we have been discussing and pondering how to solve? If we are examining the mother tongue languages of any culture and their values, isn't this our challenge in the classroom, to "move between cultural discourses" without losing the cultural individuality of the students? I found myself asking, okay if she did it, please tell me and the rest of us how!

Sarah McMillan

Chapter one was a difficult read but the basic idea that feelings and social awareness impact learning, particularly in young people, rings true to me. I certainly concur that children are not autonomous entities that learn within a void. The author's larger goal, to encourage "liberatory pedagogies" for the socially inhibited (poor, working class)seemed to undergird the arguments in chapter one. I particularly agree with the author's statement that "It is when theory becomes distanced from what we perceive as our lived realities that it starts to lose its power for us as readers." That thought can be applied to the literacy learning within the standardized classroom when that learning and the accompanying instructional strategies have little relevance for the students because of their orientations, languages and/or personal experiences. This year I've struggled to "make meaning" for my students (and myself) when I've been required to implement strategies that do not seem to speak to the realities that we bring to our classroom. I have experienced first hand the frustration for my students and for me when I have been required to adopt instructional methods and language (all geared to the EOG) that have little to no meaning (relevance/feeling) for my students. If I'm overstating the obvious it is simply because I fear that our overwhelming obsession with accountability (translated into testing) in this state will be the undoing of our public educational system.

In the second chapter,the author reiterates the view that students (people) can not be adequately identified as disconnected objects of inquiry. I appreciated her attempt to align the thoughts of both the critical literacy thinkers and the cultural literacy advocates. As teachers of children, I think that most all of us would agree that children do indeed bring values as well as language practices to school that impact how they perceive the classroom and instruction. The author's reading of Heath supports the idea that children do not learn in a vacuum and that the classroom can and should become a space which allows open expression, opportunity to move betwen cultures. This seems to reflect a similar hope described in our readings in THE SKIN THAT WE SPEAK, which is a hope that the classroom can become a haven for open expression and "experimentation" with language. I would love to think that we experienced critical literacy in my classroom this year when we addressed our language differences with readings, discussions and modeling of different authors from different ethnicities and cultures.
I think that my students really enjoyed the study that began with different readings, followed sometimes by heated debates and finally culminating in orginal writing. I certainly enjoyed the experience and found it far more relevant ( I think the author describes critical literacy education as "empowering") than the test-driven instruction that I was required to follow "to the letter" in the 8 weeks leading up to the EOG.

Though my students are predominately black, I do have two "working poor" white children who struggle with the standardized curriculum. I hope that I may gain greater insight into the plight of these children as I read READING LIVES.

Betsy Baldwin

I think the method the author used to conduct her research on literacy learning was interesting. Dedicating three years of her life to observe and interact with two children in both their school and home settings had to be an enormous undertaking. The connection between children's cultural and social background with how they engage in speaking, reading, and writing in school systems "modeled after middle-class values and practices" is the author's focus in this book. Her two working-class subjects feel like misfits in the school setting, which often has rules and expectations that conflict with what the children are used to at home. She described them as trying "to figure out how they belonged in school."

As I look back at my early schooling experiences, I had a hard time adjusting to the school setting. I loved the home setting that was full of love and understanding from my grandparents and the freedom to spend lots of time doing what children do best: play. I had a hard time getting used to the restrictions at school such as having to sit "Indian style" on my bottom on the floor, which restricted my movement. Since I was a "wiggle worm", sitting still in this position for long periods of time was torture for me. I never was required to sit this way at home for long periods of time. Another school restriction that was problematic for me was the one that restricted talking. As a child, I loved to talk and socialize with others. I talked a lot at home to my grandparents, mom, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was part of who I was, but the teachers seemed to detest this characteristic in me, especially my first grade teacher. To this day, I remember her name but I don't remember her as a teacher who liked me very much. As a result, I ended up discovering a sense of belonging on the playground during the recesses I spent socializing and playing with friends who acted and talked like me. However, I dreaded when it was time to return to the classroom to engage in learning experiences that seemed foreign and didn't make sense, but instead made me feel inadequate. I am thankful that things began improving the summer after first grade when I began attending summer school.

In chapter 2, I think the author captures the enormous impact of the home environment on children when she notes that the children in her study were "being socialized into ways of being, knowing, talking, acting, and feeling." This is so true. As a child in first grade, who I was as a person, what I knew, how I talked, and how I acted and felt was a reflection of the family I had spent most of my time with. I liked being me and was proud of being me, but as the author describes on page 20, my "knowings and becomings" did "not mesh with school literacy practices". As a result, I fell behind in reading, writing, and math in first grade.

Since taking this class and reading the assigned readings, I have revisited childhood experiences that I haven't thought about in a long time. Many of the off task and talkative children I have encountered during my years of teaching are children who are a lot like I was when I was a child their age. Being reminded of this fact has aroused within me a sense of renewed patience and determination to dilligently seek ways to make these children feel connected and valued in my classroom. Perhaps making their feeling connected and valued a priority will yield the learning results that I desire from them. "For as Code has suggested, there is no moment of learning even 'simple' naming, that occurs outside of relations infused with feeling and value, and formed through attachments with others" (pg. 22).

Vickie Howell

I am finding this text much, much more difficult to read than the first we've been using. I have found it necessary to reread much of the chapters two or three times to get the general idea, especially for chapter 1. After reading the Skin that We Speak, I was not anticipating this text to be more of a research paper, written in such a formal tone.

However, I found chapter 2 to be very insightful and I am looking forward to reading more of this text to see where this research has come from and where it is headed, and also what my responsibilities as a classroom teacher are due to these research findings. I am very interested in the two students, Jake and Laurie, and found myself drawn into the retelling of the author's experience with Jake and his interactions with his family members. I was amazed at how much the author found beneath the surface of the obvious observations. I am definitely intrigued to learn more about both him and Laurie as the text continues into later chapters.

One of the biggest concepts that stuck out to me from Chapter 2 was the idea that feeling and emotion are very much a part of learning. I don't think I would have ever given this a second thought because I would have assumed that this was understood and acknowledged by all teachers. Trying to separate life and learning is an impossible task! I especially agree with Deborah Hicks when she stated, "It is the value and meaning of a touch, the look in one's eye, a shared moment of living in which an imaginative space is opened up for both teacher and student, or caretaker and child." I firmly believe that times like that are when I share the most with my students. I am able to learn so many valuable things from them, and vice versa, when we are merely sharing our lives. Trying to teach without that kind of connection is nearly impossible, at least in elementary school. As a student gets older, this kind of connection with a teacher is not as much of a necessity, which I think is due mostly because students become more intrinsically motivated. As the author said, "There is no moment of learning...that occurs outside of relations infused with feeling and value, and formed through attachments with others." I absolutely agree! ~Allison Reese

After reading the forward and the first few pages of the overview, I began to think to myself—I am going to like this book. However, the further I read into the overview, the more repetitive and drawn out it became. I know that my role, as a grad student, is not to be a reading critique, but I think the overview could have been summed up and to the point in just five pages or less. I lost interest after the fifth page of the overview. Maybe it was just me…

I am intrigued by this book’s focus of study. From personal experience, I have not read much research and/or studies concerning the white, working/blue collar class in our United States Society. This book is on target for the type of socio-economic level and working-class status of the school where I teach. For these reasons, I am eager to read further to gain a better insight into the lives of my students.

The scenarios given of Jake and his litter sister are effective in demonstrating the social responses to situations in working-class families. Deborah Hicks made a comment about the tiff that Jake and Lee Ann got into. She mentioned that in from the middle-class perspective, one would assume that this would be the perfect moment for an adult to educate the children. However, this did not occur. The adults’ responses were direct and to the point, encouraging for Lee Ann to take matters into her own hands in the form of aggression. From the middle class perspective, I would expect parents or guardians to take this opportunity to make this scenario a “learning experience” so that the children could review the preceding events and reflect on them to make an informed decision about how to respond—making the child the decision-maker. Unfortunately, these adults encouraged the more aggressive manner of handling the situation without a moment at all to reflect. The events that unfolded ended up being “reactions” instead of thought-out actions. Although I teach in a working-class setting, I am surprised by the adults’ response in this example. I have never before thought about these situations in terms of social-class differences. Reading Lives is helping me to look past my normal expectations and see beyond class divisions. I believe reactions to events at home can also shape our interactions and reactions to literary examples in the classroom.

Discovering a child’s home environment can be tough. Children are sometimes reluctant to share things about home unless they do so from a different angle. In my classroom, I have journal writing throughout the week. The children meet later at the rug and share their journal writings out loud so that others may hear about their experiences. I find that through this one activity, I gain a much greater insight in my students’ lives. Through this week’s readings, I have discovered that there is an even greater relationship between home experiences and the classroom setting. Children are a product of their environment. It is up to us, as teachers, to give them a strong foundation by creating a bridge between their learned behaviors from home to their learning at school.

Written by Heather Holland

I found it very challenging reading this text. I had to read some parts more than once.

I believe doing a research project for three years could prove to be very beneficial. As with Jake and Laurie, the author can learn so much by following them through kindergarten-2nd grade. I would love to have the opportunity to research for this time frame. I just finished a research project in Teacher as Researcher. My time spent on the project was about six weeks. I would have loved to follow these children for a year or longer to see if it made a difference.

I found the transcript with Sean, Terry and Miss Baxter very disturbing. I guess the language they were using was a learned social behavior from home. The language must have been what was spoken in their home. This reminds me of some incidents from my classrooms. The language was not directed at me by the child. Thank goodness! If I had been in a situation like this one, I do not believe I would have been very tolerant. The first situation happened several years ago with some African-American children. A boy in my class was going around saying that someone was doing the nasty. That was a first for me in the classroom. I tried not to over react but spoke with the child and told him that the language was not appropriate. After talking with mom, the child did not say this anymore. I believe that a child needs to be taught that the language is not acceptable in the classroom. A teacher can do this without making the child feel bad about himself or his home. The next situation happened last Friday with a girl in my kindergarten class. She did not exhibit this particular behavior like the preschoolers did but the language used in her environment was inappropriate in a school setting. She and I were walking down the hall and I had just called her mom to come pick her up because she had head lice. She looked up and said, "Mrs. Thomas, if you would keep this school clean my momma said that I wouldn't get lice." She went on to say, "My momma calls you name a bad name." I said, "She does?" She said, "Yes, you know that word that starts with Mmmu..." I said, "Yes." She said, "You know the other part starts like Fffuu. She says that word about you. That's bad isn't it?" I spoke with the child about the language and told her that I was sorry to hear that her mom said that word about me. I praised the child for using appropriate language at school and encouraged her to continue to use appropriate language. The child was caught between two worlds. There was the home culture and the school culture. She wanted to respect her mom yet she knew the language mom used did not belong in the school culture. I feel like this was bothering the child and she had to talk about it. The child is outgoing and speaks to everyone. If someone speaks to her, she definitely acknowledges them. Except, on that day, the principal walked by and said hello to her while she and I were engaged in a conversation about this language. She didn't acknowledge the principal because she was so concerned about discussing this language. Her home language and school language was definitely on her mind. What are we to do in situations like this? Fortunately, my student did not use the language heard from home. As stated in the chapter, "Somewhere too teachers had to confront their own racisms and classisms before they could see the richness of children's culturally saturated lives." I believe this means that we as teachers have to move beyond our biases. It could be language or anything. I could have told this child how awful the language was and made a big deal out of it. This would have made her feel bad about herself and her home life. She may have shut down and not shared any thoughts with me again. She may have shut down as far as her work in the classroom goes. Instead, I chose to talk with her about the language and how that language at school was inappropriate.

As far as the transcript with Sean, Terry and Miss Baxter, I don't believe responding with"You're being silly" is appropriate. Not only were they using this learned social behavior amongst themselves but other children could have heard it. What actions should be taken in situations like this? What do we do when our children are caught between two worlds like these incidents I have described? How do we teach them to move between cultural worlds? As Heath worked "alongside teacher ethnographers in her university courses, she helped their young students juxtapose community language practices with school literacies, as students learned to articulate language differences and move between cultural worlds." As they moved between the cultural discourses they did not give up their community experiences and language practices.

During chapter one of this book I found myself thinking this is going to be interesting. I was able to understand her goal she wished to accomplish and knew how she accomplished it. I applaud her need for more research into this “put aside” issue of the life of the child and how the child learns not just class. Putting the history of the student together with hard core research to see what she could discern seems to be a great research idea. I applaud her even further for the amount of time and effort she put into this project. One day a week for three years is quite an accomplishment on her part and I can’t wait to hear the benefits of this endeavor. I was able to understand much better after her example from the story, “The Member of the Wedding.” You need to understand the life of the student to better understand the research.

During chapter two when Hicks talks about the myth of autonomy I think she meant that she didn’t agree with psychology’s view of literacy as “…a set of cognitive competencies.” Which I believe means that the learner should be able to go and learn these competencies of literature and everyone should be able to learn them the same way. According to Hicks, this has been the view for many years and I agree with this comment. I also agree that we should consider the learner and how they learn best and then teach them the “practice” of literacy.

I’m having trouble understanding the excerpt from the daily life of Jake and his little sister and two cousins playing. I think it is something to the effect of how you are taught to react in everyday life, the “knowings” and “becomings,” relay over into how you approach literacy in the school setting or anything else for that matter. The second half of chapter two went by a little more smoothly than chapter one and the first part of chapter two. I will probably try to get the book “Ways with Words” because of how interesting it sounds. I particularly like the part about. And especially after reading this I understand a little better about the excerpt on Jake.

I am having much more difficulty commenting on this book than I did the last. I spend a great deal more time trying to wrap my head around the ideas the author is trying to explain. Hopefully that was just for the first two chapters of her trying to explain everything. Anyone else having this issue?

Children become who they are through their senses by what they feel, do, see, smell, hear, and even taste. What we experience as people, shapes our language and even affects what we believe and how we act. I agree with the statement Hicks makes, "Language is not simply a communicative tool; it is imbued with, drenched by, the particular relations and feelings that children experience as they learn language and as they move on from there to develop literacy."

In the Overview written by Hicks she explains the research she has conducted, who she researches, when, and for how long her research takes place. Hicks writes about the history of two children and how such history shapes literacy experiences in children. Her goal was to research the life experiences of these children so that it could help educate educators and enhance the learning that takes place in their classrooms. Hicks engaged in a three year research project where she could explore the affects of literacy on children that come from working class families. The two students remained in the same classroom so that research could be conducted on the same day. Her hope is by researching these students it can possibly create educational change.

Reading this book really opened my eyes to how quickly we are shaped in our thinking and learning and even beliefs of ourselves just in a matter of time from the experiences we are placed in. Hicks gives and example from MCCullers, "The Member of the Wedding", on how Frankie had a new sense of social belonging just from the changes that were taking place right before her brother's wedding. At the wedding Frankie found herself out of place without a sense of belonging. The two students that Hicks researches, Laurie and Jake, just like Frankie needed to find a way to belong in school. They had to learn to write and live a different way in the classroom. Thinking about Laurie and Jake has really has opening my eyes to being more understanding to how children must feel that have to struggle through writing when their dialect is different.

I could relate to Hicks statement about how teachers feel pressured to make sure that children are meeting grade-level expectations. This does make it difficult and frustrating for both the teachers and students when they are pressured to learn at a pace and level that is not right or comfortable to them. I too like Hicks connect my evolving work in the classroom to the reflections of my past. Yes, the past does shape who we are. I think that we can bring rich experiences, values, or beliefs to our classroom just from the things we have experienced in our lives. I too remember reading the Golden Books and still have this collection now in my self-selected reading library. The immagination I learned as a child helps me to be creative in my classroom. This is the type of research Hicks refers to. In her research she investigates how the ways of everyday life shape our language and learning.

In chapter 2 Hicks agrues that literacy learning in part comes from moments that the children are playing at home or at school. She gives an example where Jake is playing with boxes when Lee Ann calls him a chicken so he pushes her down. The family sides with Lee Ann and tells her to kick Jake's butt and jump on the boxes he is on. I totally didn't agree with the way Jake was disciplined. Jake could have been hurt really bad if the box would have crushed when they jumped on him. Also, Lee Ann and Jake have learned that it is ok to hit back. In a school setting, Lee Ann would have been in a lot of trouble for kicking or hitting him back, but these are their ways of being, knowing, talking, acting, and feeling. I can totally see how this type of oral language learning would have an impact in school and their literacy learning. This example did make me think and helped me to come to a better understanding about why some students don't come to us with the same social skills we as teachers would require from them. It makes sense that knowing how to feel and act are part of the modeling of language people have been exposed to.

The book talks about how Roadville children learn community ways of learning and talking that contradict the schools approach to stories. Reading this really opened my eyes and has really helped me to better understand the whys when trying to understand why students act the way they do. The shaping of what children know, also comes from the media, stories, film, comic books, and talk.

Hicks writes, "The specificities of history, locality, and class can sometimes be oddly missing from educational discourses that strive toward getting students to read and write critically." I do believe that the history and background knowledge of all of our students are things that we as educators don't know about each of our students. I do believe that if we knew more about our students, we could possibly understand the best ways to help them attain a better literacy education. My question is now how do you find the time to learn more about each of your students and what are other ways to do this? There are parents that come in frequently and those are the students it becomes easy to learn more about, but what about the students whose parents don't come to conferences, won't send in the background information survey, don't send back notes, or even Keeping-In-Touch folders? Many times these are the students that don't speak up either. I do feel home visits would be helpful, but now you have administrative officials informing staff members not to visit homes without witnesses for safety reasons. Such safety issues makes it even more difficult to connect with the histories of our students. I have realized that I am going to have to be certain I set up more times during my day, like during morning meeting, to learn about my students histories and who they are by letting them talk. The challenges as an educator will be to incorporate so many different learning styles to meet each individual student's learning needs with each having such a wide variety of experiences that they have learned their oral language skills from.

Linda Younts

These two chapters forced me to do some re-reading to comprehend the author’s personal and professional perspective of this study. As I read these two chapters, I consistently and subconsciously tried to convince myself that these complex readings will emerge into something that is so simple that it would be one of those “I got it ” moments. Well, I think I got it! Chapter One is about a study this author is conducting relative to working class families and middle class families, in which I thought the two, is the same. I always thought of my family as being a middle class family, however, according to Hicks' definition or example, I am an extension of a working class family. All I know is that, in my family, we were expected to go to college. If you were not college bound, we had better run to the edge of a cliff and take a dive. When I finish with this post, I will look it up to see what the two really mean. I do know that we as educators are clueless of what our student’s home life may be like on a day to day basis. When they enter our classrooms, we expect them to forget their physical and emotional experiences of home and conform to our beliefs and values of school. We also expect them to meet goals that are impractical for them to obtain. I must admit that there are times when I am more focused on addressing their behaviors, goals, and objectives of the curriculum instead of the child especially when testing is near. Hmmm, this is interesting. How often, we as educators say, if I can get Johnny's behavior under control, then he can learn. Maybe, if we took the time to listen, we could learn. I am a little curious about the outcome of this study because it focuses on race and ethnicity, which encompasses class and gender.

As for Chapter 2, I am still trying to understand the terminology “knowers” and “knowings”. Maybe I am too exhausted from the pursuit of obtaining copies of this book to read for tonight’s assignment. OR it could be that I am frustrated in my pursuit of tracking the order I placed for this book several weeks ago.

On page 31, I found it very interesting what Barbara Comber had to say about teachers and students engaging in critical literacy. From what I could gather, the scheme of this type of interactions entails “experiences”. In educating the child, we must think about what are their “experiences” at home. We have to consider their parental or guardian values and the environment in which they resides. We cannot expect children to conform to our ideology until they become familiar and experience those values and beliefs (Character traits) that are implemented in our schools.

Like many of you I found these two chapters difficult to read. In fact, I made a note in the book about it being "wordy." I had to re-read and make notes along the way the second time through the chapters.
In my mind working class and middle class are one in the same. I had always used those two terms interchangeably. I grew up in a middle class family, yet my father worked very hard to provide for the four of us. There were things we wanted but sometimes had to wait for, but we never had a need for the basics. If he had lost his job, we would have been in trouble financially. So for this reason I felt that our middle class family had to work very hard to earn a comfortable living. I understand that for the understanding of this book, working class means lower middle class or near poverty level. However, I feel that most middle class families today are living right on the edge of poverty. According to Ruby Payne who has completed research on social classes, poverty is situational and can affect many middle class families throughout a lifetime if circumstances change.
So as I understand the working class I try to keep in mind that children who come from these situations are possibly lacking the necessary resources to achieve or perform up to academic standards in school. Perhaps teachers should keep in mind that poverty is not just about lack of money. It involves a completely different set of values because resources are not the same from family to family.
I liked the point that was made on page 13 about teachers should "draw on listening, watching, feeling and understanding." As a Kindergarten teacher I model many practices and therefore my students must listen, watch, and understand what I'm teaching. Each child is unique and capable. I am a firm believer that children live up to or down to the expectations that we place opon them.
In an earlier course I learned about Gee and his description of primary and secondary discourses. I think that the bottom line is this: Children who can successfully shift from one discourse to another and be able to think about the implications of this process will do well in school. Naturally there are other factors that contribute or hinder progress, but students need to be taught that their primary discourse should be embraced and valued for what it is, but that SE and the language of school or workplace is equally important.
Think about students who are trying to learn a second language in school. They are taught and expected to speak using correct pronunciation, spelling, verb usage, etc. The most comfortable form of communication is the language that you learn first-- the language used at home. So when ESL learners are learning English it is important to teach them SE so that they can communicate effectively with other English speakers.
I feel that the book we are reading is focused on the viewing the student as an individual, a complex person with a cultural background that must be considered when setting the course for success in literacy. Teachers should be sensitve to issues that involve social class, gender, or ethnicity when preparing to teach.

Lisa Outland-
Many times while reading this chapter I felt like I was reading my own history as a child concerning literacy. I too grew up in a working class family; both of my parents were teachers. Both of my parents grew up in homes of poverty and their ideals and fantasies played a huge part in how my sister and I were raised. Being raised in the south, I too experienced summers attending Vacation Bible School and strived to be a “good girl” so everyone would be proud of me. While my parents were not very religious people and the Bible did not play a huge roll in our house, I remember trying my best to read the entire Bible because that was what my grandmother expected of me – and she lived an hour away. I also fell in love with books as part of trying to be the “good girl.” Just like bell hooks, books became my friends. I could get lost in them literally. I was able to explore new places outside of rural NC, just by reading a good book. I continued to see myself in other areas of this chapter as well. The author mentioned hating Sunday afternoons because they lasted forever. I too hated Sunday afternoons; I knew we were stuck at home. My father had no desire to move from him recliner and TV to take us anywhere on Sunday afternoon, not that many stores were open for business in the first place. While in high school, I also did my fair share of writing. Although most of my writing was considered private, I spent many hours writing and rewriting stories. I took great pleasure in creating a world for someone else, where I was in control. However, as I went off to college and grew into an adult I found that I had less and less time to sit and create and later on write my stories. I never considered my writings good enough for anything and threw away most of them, which now I regret.
Reading this chapter just reinforced to me the idea that what you read as a child truly can shape who you become. The idea that your mother’s own reading life and expectations of life help shape your world as a child reiterates the idea that we must find a way to tie the home/school bond to help future generations. I loved the part where the author shares the story of her own mother coming to a school function wearing a black dress and pearls. I grew up with my own mother insisting that she dress up to go shopping because she was sure she received better service when she did. If you look smart and act smart, the world opens more doors for you. At least, this was the lesson I learned from those experiences. Even today, my mother will still dress up to go shopping. This chapter amazed me in that it tied how our childhoods at home with ideals and fantasies often did not intertwine with the content and context of our educations. However, our home lives definitely shape who we become in the classroom.

Hicks’ initial discussion in chapter 3 brought back fond childhood memories of church and Bible school. I remember bible school as being one of my favorite things about summer vacation. I loved hearing the stories, singing the songs, and reading about the many historical figures within the Bible’s pages. As a young child, the Bible was probably one of the first texts that I took an interest in reading. I would read over and over the stories of Daniel, Zaccheus, and David. I have to admit that after reading Hicks’ opening discussion; I realized the impact that church and Bible School had in the shaping of my identity as a child. Many of the ideas and commandments that were instilled in me then, still shape the adult I am today. Hicks and I definitely handled the experience differently. Hicks states that these experiences to her were “magical” rather than literal. I, on the other hand, literally believed everything that I was told. Isn’t it amazing how two people growing up in similar circumstances can view an activity or idea very differently?

As I continued to read, I identified with the fact that a child’s mother definitely plays a role in the development of a child’s identity. As a young girl I idolized and wanted to be just like my mother. My mom was a homemaker. As a little girl my aspirations were to grow up, get married, and have children. (I wanted to be like mom.) As I grew into my teenage years, my ideas began to change. I began to wonder why my mom, a very intelligent and motivated woman, chose to give up her dreams to raise her kids. (Please do not think I ever looked down on my mom. She is the NOBLEST woman I know.) In high school my mom pushed me very hard to be the best I could be and to be more than she was. In ways at that time I resented her because I thought that she was trying to live through me. However, my moms push, helped me to graduate from high school and college. Although my mom didn’t suggest I go to grad school, deep down I know that the desire she instilled in me in my childhood still pushes me to go further and be more today. So, I definitely agree that a child’s mother helps to shape his/her identity.

Continuing to read, I definitely identified with Hicks’ desire to be the “good girl” in school. As a student, I too got by on the fact that I listened, obeyed, and helped out my teachers. My whole goal at school was to be the student that was loved, accepted, and counted on by my teachers. I was the “good girl”. I agree with Hicks’ statement, “These traditional practices of literacy, not all different from ones that shape the learning experiences of working-class children today, did a lot to teach me the values associated with being a successful school girl: obedience, accuracy, and conformity work.” I definitely see students that fit these same criteria in my own classroom. A few years ago I had a beautiful and sweet young lady in my 2nd grade classroom. This girl always did absolutely everything I asked and turned all assignments in on time. Only after the 1st nine weeks did I begin to pick up on the fact that this young lady had significant deficits in the area of reading. This child’s ability to be a “good girl” almost caused me to miss some serious problems that she was having. It took me a really long time to prove to her that it was okay that she was having problems. Her “good girl” image of perfection had been so ingrained in her identity that she didn’t think that she could be doing anything wrong.

As I concluded the chapter, I was amazed by how the histories of all of the women within chapter 3 began to intertwine and relate. To be honest I feel that every person writing on this blog site could intertwine their own stories and relate them to the other women as well. Deep down no matter how different we all are, we are all still very much the same.

This chapter had many parts that saddened me. As a Caucasian female, it is difficult for me to truly understand what it must be like for an African American female to grow up. I thought the author really wrote well and made the reader much more aware of her feelings and memories. Society can be so cruel I really felt for Hooks when she was talking about being light skinned and not fully understanding where she fit into the world. I had a similar situation occur in my second grade classroom this year. I have two bi-racial boys in the classroom. They both have light brown skin and seem to be accepted by all students in the room. One of the boy’s mother came to class one day to bring him lunch money. She is Caucasian. A conversation quickly began at this boy’s table about how is that your mother and she is not your same skin color. I quickly changed the conversation and continued with my lesson. I really did not know what to do. The little boy seemed hurt by the conversation and you could tell his mind was racing, I am sure this was his first experience with this kind of attitude with his peers. I decided to incorporate some diversity lessons the following week by using Paideia. This is an open forum type of teaching where conversations and questioning is encouraged. I do think it helped the boy in my classroom and his peers, but more importantly, it gave me some background training/information that I can utilize again and teach immediately if the situation occurs again. Teachable moments are so crucial. It really bothered me that I just did not know what to do. I was taken off guard and that doesn’t happen a lot in a second grade classroom.

One other interesting part of the chapter was the story Hooks told of reading books and experiencing adventure. I regret that I never had the opportunity to enjoy books in that way as a child. I always looked at reading as a chore. I now love to read children’s literature and do it often, but I never enjoyed reading as a child. My mother read a lot and took me to the library often. I would check out huge stacks of books and take them home and return them the following week unread. At times, a few would be read if my mother asked questions, but very often the books just did not even get opened. I have no idea why her love for literature did not rub off on me until I was an adult.

I constantly kept relating this author’s stories to my own childhood. My mother was raised in a house that would be considered a working class family. She raised us in a similar fashion. I really don’t know how to describe what social class my family would be considered. My mother was a homemaker, but was very involved with the church and school. She spent many hours volunteering each week. I really thought of this as her job. My step-father was the sole financial supporter and was very much like Hook’s father. His job was to keep the house running and go to work. My mom’s job was to cook, clean and help the children with schoolwork. It was a comfortable relationship and seemed to work. As an adult, I chose a much different path. My husband and I both work and we jointly take care of the children. This works for me. My mother probably did not want the same home environment as I have. Neither one is right or wrong. They are just both very different. Both environments nurture the child and encourage literacy. Just as Hooks help to mold Laurie into the student she became, I hope to encourage my students and children to read books, write stories and share their lives with each other.

Beth Rigsbee

When I began reading this chapter I initially thought, “Oh my, this is my life.” As Hicks, I to, spent my summers at VBS in a country church in Fayetteville, NC learning about Jesus, the bible which I use to pronounce “bable” in VBS, and singing “Jesus Loves Me”. My mother was a Christian and into the Bible, which mean we were to whether we wanted to be or not. It is true that your childhood experiences shape who you are as an adult. My siblings and I hold strong to all we were taught as a child. Reading about Hick’s childhood was interesting because it paralleled my life in so many ways. It is amazing how people from different localities, races, and experiences have so many cultural connections. It shows us that we are not as different as we may think.

Hicks states on the bottom of page 35, “Looking back, I can see those poetic moments as the beginnings of literary experience, ones that forecast the life of a young reader.” I never thought about the fact that VBS and other experiences shaped my literacy experiences. I guess everything we have been through early in life play some part in our literacy experience. I now see why we were asked to write about this in our introductions to this class. I think it now gives us an idea of how our literary experiences as a child became part of our situated histories. Hicks says that literacy learning is part of these histories, not something that children do as a cognitive task divorced from their lives. That was an eye-opener for me just because I never thought about the two being connected.

I too grew up surrounded by my mother’s stories. Because my dad was a long distance truck driver, we only saw him every few weeks. My mom was a stay at home mom and very protective. We spent a lot of time at home with her. I can remember my mom telling us stories as we sat in the den. She would often tell us the same stories of growing up on a farm and working in the tobacco field with her family. We also heard stories of how well she danced and how she had the opportunity to go on the road with the Isley Brothers, but her mom would not let her (we will never stop hearing that story) and how her lifelong dream was to run off to New York and become a dancer or model. I feel the stories she told shaped my life in some way. Once a week her four children would gather around her bed and we would sing a church song and read a story from the bible. After that, she would discuss the story with us and ask questions. It felt like our bible study would go on forever and I remember my older sister and brother squirming around trying to stay awake while my baby sister and I took it all in. I think part of that was us wanting to please our mom and be the “good girl”. These experiences for me were part of my literacy experience. I believe that our identity may be shaped through our relations with others. As the author stated our identity maybe connected or shared with our mother or other relatives whose dreams may not be fully realized. I think this can be vice versa to. My mother is very intelligent, but she did not finish school because her father would not allow her to go. This was because everyone had to work on the tobacco farm and because of this she pushed us to do well in school, be the “good student”, and go to college. We had to continue our education whether we preferred to or not. Not that we all agreed with this which caused one of my sibling to rebel against it, but it helped us all to become better people and we are thankful because of the experience helped us become successful adults. Therefore, my mom’s unfulfilled dreams became our dream. I think that is why I try to do so well because it makes her feel proud to see us accomplish what she was not able to at that time in her life. In saying this, our identity does shape the lives of others and theirs shape our lives as well.

Our mothers do play a large role in our identity. Like Hicks, my mom was big on feminine classiness. She believed you always had to dress the part and always look your best. As I read I found it amusing that the author and I continued to share similar experiences. My father was not impressed by what you wore or what you have or do not have. For him the simple life was the best life. He did not believe in shopping for new clothes and was ever so fine with wearing clothes even though they are no longer in style. I have to say I do admire this in him. The idea of being yourself and not worrying what others think of you was no big deal for him. My youngest sister and I took after my mom, what someone thought of us played a big part on how we lived our life and how we look, and still today this affects us although not as much. Our family definitely shapes the person we become.

As with the little girl at the end of chapter 3, Hicks, and all of us, our girlhood is affected by our experiences, and it played a significant part in our literacy experience in school.

Memories of Working Class Girlhoods- Chapter 3 Reading Lives

In chapter three, Janet Frame writes about reading taking her out of her ordinary world. I have a similar memory from by childhood. I went through a stage where I wrote short creative stories as a hobby. I would read for fun. Looking back I think it was a means of escape to another place not because my place was bad, I just longed to see other places. I guess that is what separated me from my sisters. I had a longing for other experiences. I do not know where it came from. It may have come from reading or maybe it was passed down genetically. I see reading for many different purposes. One that is very important is that of escape. Getting lost in a good book is one of the most pleasurable experiences in life. This is what I would like my students in my reading classes to experience. I am convinced that if you find the right book, most people will become hooked.

I think reading is even more important (as a mean of escape) for students who live in isolated areas. I wonder how many kids in my elementary school read for that purpose. Further, I would like to know how many people (I grew up with) still live in the area and what they are doing. Last Easter, I took my daughter to stay with my parents. My sisters and I went out to the local bar one night. There was a guy there that attended the same elementary school I did. He was in my class, and I had not seen him in years. In fact, I did not recognize him, but he recognized me. I was dieing to find out what he was doing with his life. I was a little disappointed to find out that he had not done much. He still lived in the area and said something like the leaves don’t fall far from the trunk or something like that. He did not ask me where I lived or what my life was like. He even introduced me to his girlfriend as the shy girl. I was the shy girl 30 years ago.

He lived in the town and I lived in the country. I have always thought growing up in the country rather than a “rural town” made a difference in my life. I experienced “outdoor life” rather than rural town life. I guess I perceive that there is much more to do and learn about in the “out door life” than the “small town life” I don’t know if this makes sense to anyone but me. I saw a lot of kids get mixed with drugs, alcohol, and sex at a young age in my small town. I always thought it was a lack of other things to do. We had a big wooded area behind my house and there were always things to explore. It seemed that the “small town” kids had more problems in their lives than the country kids. This may have been my perception. Did anyone else have a similar experience?

I think growing up in the rural north and growing up in the rural south must be very different experiences. Some things such as internal dreams and hopes that I had growing up are similar to Laurie’s dreams. I think all children dream of something different from the familiar. I think it is human nature. It would be interesting to do a study comparing the thoughts, dreams, and desires of children from working class rural, working class town, or city to that of their middle counterparts.

Reading can open the doors to experiences and desires for travel and education. I do not remember my sisters ever reading for pleasure at home. This does not mean it did not happen, I just do not remember it. It is interesting that neither of my sisters had the desire to further their education. I wonder if reading was the key element that made me want to go further.

Several years ago my sisters and I were talking about our differences. I mentioned that I always liked to travel as a difference. My sister in the middle said she thought I was extended more opportunities than she or my oldest sister. I replied that we all had the same opportunities, we just chose different paths. The discussion stopped there.

Laura Wollpert

As I read Chapter 3 I began to feel better about the book. Chapter 3 was easier to read and perhaps because I made a connection to it. As Ms. Hicks described her early literacy experiences, having been raised in a Christian home many of her experiences mimicked my own. I had not previously thought of those Bible school days as literacy experiences.
Farther into the chapter, I felt agreement with Ms. Miller's idea that a child's identity is formed by their relationship with their mother. As I grew up my mother was the homemaker and the person my brother and I spent the most time with. My father worked and was viewed as more the disciplinarian in our home. If we got into mischief, although she discussed it with us immediately we had to wait until Dad came home for the consequence. I realize now how that scenario set the stage for how we viewed our future roles as adults. I have to question however, whether my agreement doesn't stem from my own personal experience and because I have students from single parent households if that still rings true today?
My mother has never been a reader other than the newspaper but she did encourage reading in our home. She bought books that she felt would be helpful to us as students. She convinced my Dad to purchase a set of Encyclopedias and the Childcraft series from a traveling salesman. She also purchased a People of the Bible series and I read them all being interested in people and history. I could relate to the author in using reading as an escape. As I grew older I reading became an escape from boredom or having to watch a shared TV, usually a show I wasn't interested in. To this day I spend more time reading than watching TV.
Much like Ms. Hicks I learned early how to please my teachers and worked hard at conforming to their and my parent's expectations. I enjoyed reading about her tutored student and the rewarding trip to Borders. I agree with her that in reading and writing their is a world of endless possibilities.
As teachers it is always easier to engage a student with whom you share a common interest or history, however, the trick is to find a commonality with those other students to share with them the freedom that language arts can bring. Perhaps delving into their earlier literacy experiences could be the key to open that door. This chapter has me thinking about ways to do that.

As I read this chapter, just as many of my other classmates, I really began to identify with childhoods of these women. I found it interesting how each of the woman's memories about her childhood significantly involved her mother. I am interested to read memories of a woman who grew up without a mother, because my mother spent much of her childhood without her mother. I am interested to see if the stories of their "girlhoods" would be similar to my mother's or if these women's "girlhoods" would be different than mine.

I bring this up in my blog, because I believe that my childhood was directly affected by my mother's childhood experiences. My mother's mother passed away of cancer when my mother was in elementary school. She was the youngest of three children, and her stories often break my heart. She says growing up they didn't have books, and her father was often consumed in other activites and so there was very little emphasis on school at home. Not too long after my mother's mother died, my grandfather began dating again. He later remarried, a woman who was cruel to my mother, leaving my mother more alone than ever. My mother really struggled in school, and she often told me this as a child. She was miserable in high school, and told me she was the student that would hide during lunch and eat in the bathroom. Academically she did not do well, and when I was younger I remember that she showed me her report card. School was hard for her, and I could tell she did not want it to be hard for me. Thus, my mother emphasized learning, reading, and books. My childhood was consumed with trips to the library and the bookstore. I feel my mother wanted everything for me that she didn't have. As Hicks writes in her book about the mentality of the "good girl", this made me think about myself. I wanted to please my mother so much I often think it came from the fact that I wanted to live and be everything my mother wasn't able to be as a child. I wanted to live her dreams. I didn't want her to "suffer" again with my school experience, as she did when she was a child, so I achieved and was successful. I made good grades, loved school, and was the "good girl" to the teachers.

My mother is a teacher, and now always tells me, " I always knew you would be a teacher". Sometimes I wonder if I would have become one if it wasn't drilled into me during my childhood. I never wanted to disappoint my parents, thus I always did well in school. In my mind, it was what I was "supposed to do". Frame says she" connected to desires voiced by her mother". I felt my mother's desires were not necessarily voiced as her desires, but instead she was showing me the things she wasn't, so that I could do those things. This instilled in me the idea that I had to achieve those things, first for my mother, then for myself. Now, as an adult, I wonder if I would have worked just as hard to achieve my successes for my father, as I did for my mother. For my father I was successful athletically, for my mother I was successful academically. I wanted to make both my parents proud, but primarily my mother. I wonder again, how do the "girlhoods" of girls without mothers differ from those girlhoods of girls with mothers? How would this girlhood experience then shape literacy learning?

Sarah McMillan

The first page in chapter three immediately caused me to think about just how I was socialized as a young girl. Which specific cultures had the greatest impact on me in my childhood? The author describes "process of regulation" and "culturally specific socialization." I was raised in five states ranging from the southeast to the northeast to the midwest! I was influenced by my parents' values first and foremost but the different locations in which I lived most certainly left a lasting impression on me.
Southern values and traditions played the most important role since I have spend the majority of my life in both Carolinas. However, I was also influenced by my time spent in Michigan and Kansas both of which are completely different from each other. Family traditions and cultural norms are quite different in these two states compared with life near Charlotte, NC-- not to mention language and speech differences. I feel that my childhood left me feeling that there is not one discourse that is completely dominant for me. I have an appreciation for the differences I felt by living in so many different places. It opened my eyes to the wonder of travel and adventure and for this reason, travel is one of my favorite activities. I can discover amazing places and wonderful cultures in many places in this country.
My unique life story is just as unique as anyone's elses. A person's experiences shape their identity. From the reading, I began to understand your choices along with your life circumstances including family, upbringing, gender, and linguistic background shape a person's path.
Learning to read or becoming literate is a direct result of all of these factors compiled together. From the author's point of view, learning to read is not something that is a complete and separate process from a child's unique life experiences.
As I read Frame's story I was able to relate to her even though I didn't grow up with circumstances even remotely similar to hers. As she read at a very young age she began to think of exciting stories that were inspired by stories from school textbooks. I did this all the time as a young reader/writer. I would read stories at school (textbook, novel, or otherwise) and begin to use my imagination to think of similar stories I had read or think of real experiences in life that reminded me of the story plot and characters. In my mind I was a fairly creative young author. I was using my unique life story and exposure to various social discourses to create imaginative narratives which I liked to write for fun.
In the story of Laurie, I liked the point made about mother-daughter relationships. It reminded me of my own mother and the ways that she supported my path to literacy from a very young age. She and my father both are the biggest reason that I am a literate adult, that I have an advanced degree in reading, and certainly that I am a reading teacher. While Laurie's relationship was centered around struggles in school, my relationship and my memories are focused on the academic success and excitement for school that I share with my mom.

I could identify with so much of chapter three. I read and then reread much of this chapter, not because it was difficult, but because it resonated with me. Like the author, I was reared, in the Southeast, to be a "good girl." Her descriptions of vacation Bible School and Kool Aid reawakened memories I'd locked away. Much of this chapter helped me recall my own childhood and my personal experiences with literacy in ways I'd not consciously identified before reading this text. I liked Jane Miller's quote that described children learning to read and write, not in a vacuum, but in relationship to "learning to engage with the cuture and with specific and specialised practices in that culture."

Both hooks and Hicks describe their early experiences in terms of magic and beauty even though their day to day realities aslo included pain and alienation. I appreciated the piece from hooks' memoir that describes her awakening awareness of the unspoken "fear" regarding whites. I could (mis)quote her replacing "white" with "black" and that would describe my recollections of the unspoken distrust communicated to me as a child regarding "black folk"( I grew up in the South). Because I have trusted, and hoped, that I no longer adhered to that kind of belief, I've not allowed myself to look back honestly at my early experiences and how those experiences shaped my learning. It can be painful to be honest with oneself!

I also identified with Hicks' description (from hooks' memoir) of the mother's explanation that black is a woman's color. I too learned that I could wear black when I was "old enough." I too longed to be grown, to be able to wear black, to embrace my own sexuality as an adult. I,like hooks and Hicks, and like Laurie, turned to fantasy to relieve the boredom of my reality. I too escaped into the worlds of imaginative literature. I knew all the original tales of the Brothers Grimm as well as the tales of King Arthur. As a college student, I was surprised to learn that many of my fellow students were not familiar with these tales. I guess I assumed that everyone loved fantasy as I did as a child! I don't recall escaping any harsh realities but I do think that I was seeking an escape from the boredom of my mundane (lower) middle class existence, summed up by Hicks when she states that "Children went to school to work and to do what the teachers told them to do, just as adults accepted that everyday work was often routine, boring, and controlled by others."

As a child, I perhaps embraced the class identity my mother desired for me. My mother, like the mother Ernaux describes, valued learning, education, self-improvement. Like Hicks, I excelled in school partly to please my parents. Unlike Laurie, I was not persuaded to embrace the domestic ideal over the academic one. But like Laurie, some of my female students often speak of preferring motherhood to higher education. Hicks reminds us that teaching requires our "situated readings" of our students, but she also points out that act compels us to draw on our own histories. In the margin of my book, I noted that such powerful influence both "frightens and excites" me.I hope that I can be wise in my "readings" as I carefully LISTEN to my students.

Betsy Baldwin

i found this chapter of the book to be fascinating. i immediately began to reflect on my own life as a child. i thought about how caregivers, social experiences and strands of one's life history play such a tremendous role in our literacy life. then i begin to think about my parents and their experiences...and jake and lee ann and their parent's experiences...and what about sean and terry...and then i went back in my mind to the skin we speak book...everyone's moments in life from birth form their future literacy. wow, how huge and profound. gender is learned. race is learned. class is learned. everything is learned from our environment.

first i remembered stories from my mom about her experiences growing up i the bronx of ny. she was born in 1943. in school she had friends from everywhere...they were black, german, polish, irish, british, italian...you name it, they were her friends. she learned how to make food from different countries. she went to the met. museum, broadway plays, and brooklyn dodger games. such culture! how exciting. i would ask her to repeat their last names in her annual because i found them so interesting. she was an only child, living in a middle class working family. is that why i always desire children from different cultures in my kindergarten classroom? is that why i find them so exciting to teach? is that why i want children to experience different kinds of people?

my father was born in 1914...no, that's not an error. my parents were thirty years apart in age. he grew up in an old shack in sc. when he was in the second grade, he had to drop out of school in order to start working in the tobacco fields and cotton fields. his father ran off and left his mom with eight children. so impoverished...is that why i tend to have close contact with social services when i feel a child is living below standards...in risky situations.

growing up with parents that are 30 years apart was not an easy task. i have two siblings...im the middle child...with an older sister and younger brother. my father built a company...he was determined to make it. however he expected perfection from his children. as my sister and brother discuss the past, we often talk about how hard it was to be perfect for our dad...it was hard! and he expected mom to do the cooking and cleaning and the taking care of children. is that why i feel that i have to be the perfect wife and mother and have a career?

i also reflected on a student that i had last year that was verbally and physically abused by his mother and then abandoned. he has a separation/attachment disorder. if my father pushed and pushed and pushed his children to the point where all three of us will work ourselves until we are sick, then what will happen to this boy that just assumes that everyone will leave him because he is worthless?

then i began to think about other things that play a role in the strands of our life histories. i noticed growing up that my sister was pushed much more harshly than i was. my brother was the baby but the only boy! my father expected him to be the perfect athlete, the perfect student the perfect son. and then there was me. i had such a hard time reading...my saving grace was my mother who desperately tried to get help for me. i was expected to make it...so i did. does birth order play a role in our histories? when we have a siblings in our classroom often they come with their our identity...own literacy.

and finally i thought about the age difference of my parents. perhaps it wouldnt have been so tough if my father hadnt had such an impoverished life, but we had three generations living in one house. and im not talking about having a grandfather or grandmother living at home. i mean, my father was older than my mothers dad! he was the head of the house! you could never wear shoes without socks and tank tops were not allowed even if it was 110 degrees outside. did that make me more able to communicate with people of all ages? do students that do not have grandparents have less social experiences with people older than their parents?

wow, great chapter...loved it!
donna byrd-wyatt

Heather Holland

Wow! I loved this reading. I could relate in an eerily sort of way to the author—Deborah Hicks because my childhood growing up was very similar. I am going to share a little history from both my parents and my childhood. When reading chapter 3, I enjoyed the narrative stories of her childhood, so I apologize, in advance, if you do not enjoy reading mine.

Mother’s roots
My mother grew up in a large family of seven children. My grandfather worked very hard to provide for his family and saved every penny. As I was growing up, my mother told stories of how she got “one” pair of shoes for the entire school year. She had to take care of them because that was all she had. I remember one story about their carpet being so old that my grandmother had to place many little rugs everywhere to cover the holes. My mom was so embarrassed that she never brought any of her friends to her house. As my mother became a young adult, she was very in-tuned with how she appeared. She was ALWAYS very well-kept and dressed to the tee. She told me stories of young men that wanted to date her and even marriage proposals that she turned down (*so strange that Deborah Hicks told a very similar story). Her stories helped shape my hybrid identity (just like Deborah Hicks’ identity).

My mother was always concerned with manners and being classy, and she instilled the same values in my sister and me--continuously! It was very important to her that we used proper English and sound educated (she was unable to attend college because her parents could not afford to send her and she helped out at home with her younger siblings). She told us that people do make judgments about you immediately when you speak. These judgments are based on your (SE) English skills and how you are dressed. Ok—now for my father’s history.

Father’s roots
My father attending college, was a basketball star in high school and college, and worked hard to own his own used car lots and body shop. He wanted to be a businessman. He was very driven and motivated. He came from a poor family that worked hard and eventually became a successful accountant and community leader. My grandfather attended college and brought his family from poverty to success. Because of these roots from “rags to riches”… in a sense… He expected my father to be successful too. It was crazy (the insane ambition my grandparents instilled in my father)!

When my parents married, I think they both had the idea that they would have a fairy tale life. My dad worked constantly. My mother kept us clean, well kept, and worked with us constantly to ensure that we would do well in school. My parents ended up struggling financially, but no one would have ever known that because they kept up the image of middle class or maybe even upper-middle class. My mom would get cleaned up and do her hair to just go out and work in the yard! She would NEVER go anywhere without being completely “done-up” (I’m having a hard time coming up with words to describe it.) Both parents always made certain that my sister and I had more than they did when they were growing up. Although my parents valued our academics, they never sat around and read. My mom did read magazines like the Reader’s Digest, occasionally and the newspaper. My dad looked at car magazines, but neither of them ever read books. My mom always made sure we were well-dressed even for play. We would put clothes in lay-away every spring for the summer and every summer for the fall. It was “the thing” we’d do together. My dad was big on shoes. Crazy? He’d always get us fitted for our shoes. We had to have good shoes because we only have one set of feet (he’d say).

I am sharing all of this family history to say that life was NOT always perfect as I imagined it to be and literature was not something my family got excited about. It was something we had to learn to do to succeed. Reading was expected of us. I think my parents struggled as they raised our family with the idea that they had to do better than their parents. Because of these ideals and values, I grew up living in a fantasy world similar to Deborah Hicks. I would write and often daydream about fairy tale endings. I was always weaving imaginary fictions into everyday life as she did. Finally, as an adult… reality has set in. My history did shape me in numerous ways. As a reader it had to have shaped my perceptions and ideas about literacy. I struggled with reading in the second grade. I never enjoyed it until later in life. I viewed reading as something that I had to do to be a “good girl” and a “model citizen and student”.

I am anticipating reading the next chapter and plan to start it as soon as I submit this Blog. I want to read more and find out how my experiences specifically shaped my literacy because I grew up in a white middle class home in small town America. Learning to read was a MUST. I did it because I had to succeed. I remember my mom buying me a plethora of Golden Books and reading to me from large anthologies as a child. I also had a “Grandpa Time” clock that I had in my bedroom that read fables and fairytales to me every night before bed. How did this shape my experiences with literacy? How did it mold me into the person or reader that I am today? I am eager to find out more about the relationships.

Another Topic:
When the author was telling stories about “bell hooks”, why was her name (a proper noun) not capitalized? I read for awhile, hoping that the book would explain why every letter in her name was in lower case letters, but the author never mentioned it. Is this something that demonstrates bell’s creativity and her resistance to certain literary forms? I now have two copies of Reading Lives, and I actually looked in both books to see if it was a mistake in one of my copies—nope.

Written by
Heather Holland

Dawn Thomas

As I read about the author's childhood, it brought back memories of my childhood. She talked about growing up in rural North Carolina. I would love to know exactly where she grew up. She mentioned traveling to Asheville, North Carolina. During part of my childhood, I lived near Asheville in a nearby town called Sylva. I too went to Vacation Bible School every summer and had Kool Aid and cookies. I sang "Jesus Loves Me". I grew up in a Christian home. She said that she didn't take the fundamentalist discourses as literal truths. I did take them as literal truths.

I also grew up with stories. My mother would tell me stories about the past. When I went to visit my grandmother during the summer, she would tell me stories. My grandmother told me when she was a little girl she would memorize her nursery rhymes. My grandfather would also enjoy telling me stories about when he was in school.

I don't remember exactly when I learned to read either but I believe I was reading some in first grade. I too wanted to be a "good girl". I remember my first grade teacher letting me help some students who were having a difficult time. I enjoyed doing that.

It was interesting to read about feminine classiness. We would also go to the city to buy clothes and my mom would put items on layaway. We would go to a shoe store in Asheville called TOPS and would purchase a nice pair of shoes. My mother would always buy my sister and me Easter dresses, shoes and pocketbooks. I can relate to having the Barbies, too. I can now reflect on how my identity as a reader and writer was shaped because of my relations with my family. Before reading this chapter, I hadn't given it much thought. I am interested to know more about Laurie and how the mother-daughter relations affect her identity as a reader and writer.

I must admit, after reading Chapters 1 and 2, I was a little skeptical about the quality of knowledge I would glean from this text because I found it so difficult to read. However, chapter 3 was a pleasant breath of fresh air! I really enjoyed hearing the author's own experiences with literacy as a child, as well as her accounts regarding her time with Laurie, one of the subjects of her research. As I read this chapter, I found myself thinking back to my very first blog for this class, in which I had to introduce myself and my own experiences with literacy growing up. After having read the first text and now being half way through this one, I can honestly say that if I were given that assignment again, my response would probably be quite different!

There is so much more to literacy and its development than first comes to mind. I really loved what Hicks quoted when she said, “Miller argues that readers and practices of reading are situated within histories of locality, gender, race, and class. Literacy learning is part of these histories, not something that children do as a cognitive task divorced from their lives.” In one of my other online posts here, I mentioned how impossible a task it is to tease apart a child’s literacy acquisition and real life. I don’t even know why you would attempt to do so! How can a child truly, effectively acquire literacy without having real life experiences to connect to it? Is this even possible?? Everything I do in my classroom, I try to find examples from real life to connect to the curriculum. I wouldn’t expect my students to be motivated to learn such things without seeing the obvious benefits and applications for every day life. I guess the key issue here is knowing your students well enough that you can find illustrations like this that actually do fit into their schema of life outside the classroom. You cannot possibly expect to find examples for your students to connect to the curriculum, if you do not take the time and energy to discover what is meaningful to your students outside of school. Part of what makes this such a difficult task sometimes is the fact that, “all identities are hybrid”, as Hicks states. Every child can connect with a myriad of experiences and places and peoples.

Therefore, it is part of our job as educators to determine what our students’ identities are, so that we can effectively relate the curriculum to them. I think this is part of the problem with the education system as a whole in the United States. We try too hard to force every child to relate to a particular curriculum which may or may not mean anything to them. Instead, we should be much more flexible and find ways to fit our curriculum and our goals and our standards into the lives that these children live every day. I don’t think education and teaching can work the other way, which may account for the high dropout rates and low test scores and the insane numbers of retentions every school across America experiences every single year. Instead, we should be finding creative ways to meaningfully express concepts to our students. This is exactly what Carter Forshay, the teacher we read about in our first text who created a unit based on a jazz song, implemented in his classroom. It is this example we should be striving for. I love what Hicks ended this chapter with, “Teaching, like research, involves situated readings of students. We read students’ lives in ways that draw on our own histories as learners.” ~Allison Reese

Deborah Hicks states, "...the worlds of living and the worlds of reading came together easily for me. Thinking back on those early years of reading, I can see these two worlds coming together around a love of imaginary places, a longing for something that would transport me from the sometimes mundane quality of everyday life... Memories of girlhood are for me connected to an unusual configuration of forces that led toward reading and writing as forms of imaginative activity." It seems as though many of today's children are also bored with daily living and life's simple pleasures and seek to escape by saturating their minds with images of imaginary places. However unlike Hicks, their love of fantasy does not motivate them to improve their reading skills in order to enjoy a larger variety of interesting fantasies. Instead, many of these children detest reading as much as their chores and prefer to watch TV, movies, and play video games to escape realities that are sometimes beyond their control.

The reality from which Hicks tried to escape was a dysfunctional home life in a country town composed of people she couldn't identify with. She and her family were not natives of the area, and for some reason, Hicks felt like she didn't fit in and used her imagination and fantasy as tools of escape. Hicks uses her memories of her own childhood experiences and desires as a tool to develop literacy experiences that she hopes will help Laurie. I don't know why Laurie is experiencing difficulties with literacy. The book doesn't tell us about her TV or video game habits and whether or not these activites consume most of her time at home. However, since Hick's research followed Laura from kindergarten to first grade, I wonder why her reading and writing difficulties were not discovered until the middle of first grade? With the close observations and interactions that were supposed to take place between Hicks and her two subjects, it seems as though problems with literacy would have been identified sooner.
However, Hicks seemed to be successful in establishing a solid teaching relationship with Laurie.

Vickie Howell

Let me begin by saying that this chapter was much more “readable” than the first two. I felt that I understood it much better than I did the previous two and I think that even after reading this chapter it helps me to understand more of the philosophy behind the first two chapters. Now, with that said, I would like to begin by commenting on my own experience learning to read. I honestly can not remember it. The earliest memory that I have of myself and books is when I was around 7 or 8 years old and I had received the Precious Moments Stories from the Bible set of books and I can remember sitting in the floor of my room by myself reading them. Before that I can remember nothing. My mom was hardly ever home before I went to bed because of her job and my dad isn’t the read to you type so there were no bedtime stories. However I know that I was read to because now going through my tons and tons books that I have stored up, I get that feeling of oh yea I remember this story. But I still can not remember ever being read to, but I know I was. Also, my first memory of writing I can remember well because I still to this day write my “s” incorrectly. I start from the bottom and go up instead of starting from the top and go down. I was told by my teacher that I was doing it wrong and I asked why I couldn’t do it the way I was doing it and she said “Just because, that is the way it is supposed to be.” I went home and told my mom that I wrote my s’s wrong and she said to keep on writing them however I wanted to as long as they looked like an s. So I did and still to this day I write them from the bottom up.

I too grew up in a very rural town and still live here. I don’t remember having a bad home life where I needed reading to help me escape like she did and so I really don’t remember “needing” reading for anything other than to do it to be a “good girl” in class and get my work done. Which I believe is why I hated to read when I was in school. It was not until I got into college and started reading for pleasure that I truly fell in love with reading. I would only read what was required of me and because of that hated to do it because it was forced. However, I do remember being read to in the classroom and I LOVED it. I didn’t like to do it on my own, but I loved to be read to. I even remember being told on to the teacher because I had my eyes closed while she was reading to the class and the person telling on me thought I was asleep. I remember boldly saying no that I was not asleep I was just watching the story in my mind.

Hicks experience with Laurie at the end of the chapter made me think about my own relationship with my mother and the types of books I read now. My mother wants me to have and has always wanted me to have whatever I could earn in life. She wants what is best for me and wants me to be happy. She wants me to be a Christian, which I am, and live a Christian life. So I guess the connection with reading is, I don’t know what life holds for me and I can’t wait to find out, so in a way, because I love to read fictional series that have more than one book I see how life unfolds for these people in a way that you don’t get in just one book. But, am I stretching to try to find the connection and is it really there? I don’t know, but what I do know is that this chapter has made me think a lot about my own reading experiences and how they shaped the type of reader I am today.

~Kristen Billings

In this chapter Hick's talks about experiences she had as a child and how it has shaped who she is and the beginnings of her literary experiences. I also believe that our history does play a big part in who we are and aids in our literacy development. Hicks states, "Reading is a part of children's situated histories."

Hicks memories of how her church, Bible school, and songs about Jesus, brought back my own memories of my church and up bringing. I remember my parents reading from the Bible to me every night before they went to bed. I too learned songs about Jesus and memorized some verses from the Bible. I attended Bible school and went to church and Sunday School every week. I never really thought about how these experiences molded who I am and even how much they affected my literacy learning until I read Hicks childhood memories.

As I read more of these girlhood memories, it brought back even more of my own memories. I remember my mom brushing my hair and reading me books. I remember her taking me to the library for storytelling and afterwards we would check out books. I too played with Barbie dolls and used my imagination as I pretended they were real and role played situations I had experienced myself, seen or heard about in some sort of way. I have memories like Frame of writing poems as a child. I used to climb up the dogwood tree that was in our front yard and write in my diary and sometimes I wrote poems in it. Because they were personal, I never shared them like Frame did.

It is so true how much our parents play a role in our literacy learning. I remember going many different places with my parents. Each time I learned so much from the experience. In the memoir of Bell Hooks, she "writes of the strong feelings beteen a headstrong little girl and a mother struggling to meet the economic and emotional needs of her family." My relationship with my mother was one where we butted heads, but in the end I now realize how much she instilled values and morals that made me want to succeed. She pushed me to go to church every week, do my homework, say my blessing and prayers, be polite to others, and much more. She instilled a feeling in me that made me want to be a "good girl" so that I didn't disappoint her. These voices from our parents do become a part of our emerging identity and can help to create moods that influence our desires to read and write. The lessons I learned at home, I truely believe gave me the desire to want to learn to read and write. I was as Hicks would refer to a "good girl" in school and did my homework. Everything was on time and I always worked hard to do the best I could on it.

As I was reading the different memoirs in Hicks chapter, I began to think more about how race, sexuality, predjudice, ect., all are shaped from our childhood experiences. We do like reading books that have characters and experiences in them that are like ours since we can relate to the character. As educators we need to be mindful of the race, gender, ethnicity of our students and be certain that we have books and provide literary experiences that represent the differences in students that are in our classrooms.

This chapter really reinforced to me that the fantasies we imbark upon as children and how the things we did and read as children shaped who we are. I never really thought about how much our childhood experiences help us with becoming who we are. I can see how our histories can evoke different feelings and different relations that shape us as readers and writers. So my question is what are some things I can do in the classroom that ensure that I am providing experiences for my students that they can relate to? I do as the teacher did for Laurie, search for books and themes that will connect to their interests, but the challenge we have as educators is that there is a classroom full of unique individuals with many different learning styles and cultural experiences.

Linda Younts

Lisa Outland-
As I read this chapter, I realized I have taught Laurie in many different forms. I was relieved to see that she did many of the things my students do while in class. I have one little girl this year who strives to be good, raises her hand only when she is sure of the answer, and choral reads a second after everyone else. She, like Laurie, is struggling academically and working hard to hide it in being good. Laurie is so representative of the children I work with daily. Many of my students lead double lives. They are angels at school and full of chaos at home, or vice versa. Children of the working class continue to struggle with bringing their two worlds together. I think they work so hard at being good or perfect in one place that all their energies have to come out somewhere else, often in the form of behavioral issues. It was sad to read of Laurie’s personality change after going on medication for ADD. Unfortunately, this is something that I see more often than not. The loss of who the child used to be is one reason why I rarely suggest medication for a child who is struggling. I always suggest behavior modifications for the child first, medication as a last resort. So many children do lose their sense of self when on the medication. Although, I have seen the exact opposite happen and a child suddenly become a happier and better adjusted child after getting medication to help them with their issues. I wonder how different Laurie’s education may have been if she had not been put on medication that resulted in the behavior changes. Would it really have been different, or would she have lost herself just the same? How many children do we see in the classroom who live through this same thing? I thought it was very fascinating to read the part about Laurie and Nicholas. I have often seen this same type of roll play in kindergarten and knew it was often a representation of how their homes lives are or wish they could be, but this really did put a different perspective on it for me. I rarely interfere with children in the dramatic play area and now I am glad that I have this rule. They are working out and merging their two worlds together.
This entire chapter was so eye opening for me. As I mentioned, I saw so many of my own students in Laurie’s stories. I have always had an idea of what was going on, but now I see how truly heartbreaking it can be for a child to try to conform to the norms when they are not capable. I realize I must continue to work with small groups in my class so that each child does get the more individualized instruction that some of them so desperately need. It was very heartbreaking to read about Laurie’s change in attitude because she thought her mother was going to marry. Her whole world became so much more positive because she thought she was going to have the family she always wanted. Then for her to be so devastated when things did not work out, just pulled at my heart strings. How can I take these situations and find a way to continue to pull out the desire for great school involvement even after the devastation? I see this sort of home/school connection all the time. How can we continue to empower children in their literacy skills after their world falls apart? I always encourage my children to write or draw what they are feeling, but is this enough? Laurie’s spruced up stories and those she completely made up do remind me of my own students. Those who long for something else in this world. How wonderful it is that they will let me in and see what their longings and desires are made of. I think Laurie doing this in class as well as my own students shows a level of trust and an unknowingly willingness to intertwine their own two worlds. I did not realize how fortunate I am to have those stories shared with me in any form. What I took from this chapter over everything else is, how can we continue to empower girls in the classroom and draw from the strengths of their home lives

Lisa Outland-
As I read this chapter, I realized I have taught Laurie in many different forms. I was relieved to see that she did many of the things my students do while in class. I have one little girl this year who strives to be good, raises her hand only when she is sure of the answer, and choral reads a second after everyone else. She, like Laurie, is struggling academically and working hard to hide it in being good. Laurie is so representative of the children I work with daily. Many of my students lead double lives. They are angels at school and full of chaos at home, or vice versa. Children of the working class continue to struggle with bringing their two worlds together. I think they work so hard at being good or perfect in one place that all their energies have to come out somewhere else, often in the form of behavioral issues. It was sad to read of Laurie’s personality change after going on medication for ADD. Unfortunately, this is something that I see more often than not. The loss of who the child used to be is one reason why I rarely suggest medication for a child who is struggling. I always suggest behavior modifications for the child first, medication as a last resort. So many children do lose their sense of self when on the medication. Although, I have seen the exact opposite happen and a child suddenly become a happier and better adjusted child after getting medication to help them with their issues. I wonder how different Laurie’s education may have been if she had not been put on medication that resulted in the behavior changes. Would it really have been different, or would she have lost herself just the same? How many children do we see in the classroom who live through this same thing? I thought it was very fascinating to read the part about Laurie and Nicholas. I have often seen this same type of roll play in kindergarten and knew it was often a representation of how their homes lives are or wish they could be, but this really did put a different perspective on it for me. I rarely interfere with children in the dramatic play area and now I am glad that I have this rule. They are working out and merging their two worlds together.
This entire chapter was so eye opening for me. As I mentioned, I saw so many of my own students in Laurie’s stories. I have always had an idea of what was going on, but now I see how truly heartbreaking it can be for a child to try to conform to the norms when they are not capable. I realize I must continue to work with small groups in my class so that each child does get the more individualized instruction that some of them so desperately need. It was very heartbreaking to read about Laurie’s change in attitude because she thought her mother was going to marry. Her whole world became so much more positive because she thought she was going to have the family she always wanted. Then for her to be so devastated when things did not work out, just pulled at my heart strings. How can I take these situations and find a way to continue to pull out the desire for great school involvement even after the devastation? I see this sort of home/school connection all the time. How can we continue to empower children in their literacy skills after their world falls apart? I always encourage my children to write or draw what they are feeling, but is this enough? Laurie’s spruced up stories and those she completely made up do remind me of my own students. Those who long for something else in this world. How wonderful it is that they will let me in and see what their longings and desires are made of. I think Laurie doing this in class as well as my own students shows a level of trust and an unknowingly willingness to intertwine their own two worlds. I did not realize how fortunate I am to have those stories shared with me in any form. What I took from this chapter over everything else is, how can we continue to empower girls in the classroom and draw from the strengths of their home lives?

As an adult, I can count on my fingers the number of times I have read something that I could truly identify with on so many levels. While reading this chapter I found myself smiling, laughing, and crying as my mind began to allow it to reminisce on my childhood. The first bible verse I learned was John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but shall have everlasting life.” This verse alone was what I said to myself in the midst of everything growing up, and as an adult, when I have faced hardships and trials, I quietly retreat to my very first bible verse. We always relied on the “Bible” as our source of strength and the belief that everything was going to be all right.

My mother taught me bible verses before I was able to read. Looking back, I realize I did not know the value of being able to read what my mother called, “The Good Book.” The stories of the Bible were my very first literary experiences. I was taught to believe, no matter what, that God would see me through whatever came my way. My life is a testimony to this belief. My husband died on our first anniversary and five hours before our daughter was born. One of the happiest days of my life quickly became one of the saddest. All of a sudden, I was a single mother. In the blink of an eye, I was a widow. In a split second, my life was changed forever. At a time when most people would have given up, I turned to “The Good Book.” I relied on that faith instilled in me as a child. I used that faith to pick up the pieces and do the things necessary to ensure the best for my child and myself. As time passed, that faith has allowed me to share memories that helped ease the pain.

I too grew up in a rural area and as I continue to read more of these girlhood memories, the scenes of my childhood reappear. I remember as a little girl, after our dirt yard had been raked and using those lines to write words on them. My mom would always say, “those lines would help us to write perfectly”. When I taught kindergarten, I was called into the principal’s office for encouraging my students to write on lined paper. I know the requirements of the state when it comes to writing. However, I felt that children needed a guide and boundaries when it came to forming letters and writing words. Think about it, you give a child a blank piece of paper, and tell them to write their name. Now, as you and I know, that child will use that entire sheet of paper to write their name. Letters of their name would be everywhere. On the other hand, if you told that same child to write their name on the first line of that paper, the child would be able to see his or her name all together on one line and their name is not scattered. I asked the principal, “why not start teaching the students what they will encounter and is expected of them in first grade. In first grade, they will start writing on lined paper. This is fourth quarter of the school year and why not let them write on lined paper”. Not, until now, I am able to see why, I was so adamant about my students writing on lines. It was because of my mother and this literacy experience I wanted my children to write on lines. It is so true about your childhood experiences, does shape who you are as an adult.

As Hicks referred to as “good girl”, I also remember the moral values my mother taught and instilled in me and expected as being a “good girl”. I had to clean my room, do my homework, say my blessings before I ate and my prayers at night before I went to sleep. We went to church every Sunday, and I had to have “good” manners by saying yes, please, no thank you, may I, and so on. These are all the things we had to do and are expected of us as being a “good girl” that influenced me to do “good” work at school, home, and everywhere I went. So I could make my mom proud of me because I was being and doing all the things that is expected of a “good girl”. The impact of these expected qualities that were instilled in me is the framework of my identity.

When I read the different memoirs in this chapter, I thought about race, sexuality, prejudice(s), and all the other things we encounter that shape our lives. I love to read books and in particular, I really enjoy reading non-fiction and fiction stories. I guess that comes from my first experience of listening to the stories from, “The Good Book”. The “Bible” is comprised of stories that represents fiction and non-fiction stories. They all have characters and experiences we can connect with. As a teacher, I need to consider my student’s ethnicity and their gender. In teaching the curriculum, I must provide them with a print-rich environment that encompasses the literary experiences they can connect and relate to. By doing this, I must take the time to know my students, so I can provide them with the necessary tools to make them successful in the classroom. I remember going to a math workshop and the presenter said if we wanted our student to be successful in math, we must provide them with real life mathematical experiences. Therefore, if we want our students to become proficient readers, we must activate their prior knowledge, to provide them with books they can relate to. If we want them to become proficient writers, we must build on what they know and give them information to incorporate in their writings. Therefore, in the schema of educating our students, we must design lessons that will accommodate them as we are addressing the goals and objectives of the curriculum.

While reading this chapter, it really brought back a lot of memories; so many, I would end up writing a book. In writing this assignment, I found myself going in so many directions. Reading this chapter was like the feeling of being in a candy store. In a candy store you want it all and by reading this chapter, I wanted to tell all.

After this reading, I couldn't help but think about my own childhood. I have the same "good girl" memories of church, Vacation Bible school, and (I still love it!) Kool Aid. In fact, the memories are so vivid that I can still smell the musty upstairs classroom where my Vacation Bible school class took place. (I loved that smell!) I also remember the strong desire to be a "good girl" to make my mother proud. This desire led me to make alot of "safe" decisions in my life that, looking back, I regret.

My mother never went to college. My grandparents couldn't afford to send their children to college. College, to my mother, was a dream that she would never fulfill. I'm sure that was why it was so important to her that my sister and I attend college. When I graduated from high school, my mother wanted me to attend a community college that offered an extremely limited number of programs. None of these interested me, but this college was my only choice. My mom was afraid for me to "go away" to college. Because she hadn't attended college, she didn't realize that not all colleges and universities were the same. Not wanting to disappoint my mother, I attended the college she chose. It took me almost ten years to return to college and attend the university that I wanted to attend in the first place. My initial "safe" decision took me ten years to "undo."

While reading this chapter, I kep thinking that in our society, especially in the south, the "good girl" image leaves so many girls feeling like they have to please everyone around them. For me it was my mother. It was also my teachers. While this is a good trait in many instances, it is also detrimental. I want my daughter to be a "good girl," but I also want her to be a strong girl who goes after what she wants in life - regardless of my opinion (within reason, of course... hahaha). I want the same for the girls in my classroom. I don't want them to be timid. I want them to have confidence and jump in with both feet, regardless of the consequences.

Laurie made me think of a child I had in my class this year. Her mother warned me about this little girl, I'll call Amy. She said Amy was, basically, a terror who would not follow directions and would disrupt my class. She told me to call her whenever there was a behavior problem and she would "step in" to handle it from home. This conversation made me dread working with the child. I had two children in my class that I was already aware of that had special behavioral challenges. I really didn't want a third. Amy, it turns out, was fine. She was polite in our interactions and was kind with her classmates. I asked her to help in doing various activities in the classroom, which seemed to bolster her self-esteem. The more I gave her to do to help me, the more helpful (and better behaved) she became. It was wonderful! (Her low academic performance also started to improve.) Her mother was shocked to find out about her behavior. To be truthful, I was sad to see the school year end. Amy was such a sweet little girl who thrived on being viewed as a "good girl." Isn't that what all children want?

I LOVED this chapter! It made me think alot about my family and how THEIR experiences shaped and molded my own. My father is one of sixteen children. His dad was about 30 years older than my grandmother. She was his second wife. His first wife died in childbirth. My grandmother was a teenager when she married him. They lived on a farm and relied on what they grew (animals and vegetables) for food. Needless to say, they were poor. They lived in southern West Virginia and raised their family during the Depression. My dad never finished high school. He was forced to quit school to help take care of the family when his father for sick. This is something he is very embarrassed about. Going to school was very important to him. This is why he pushed my sister and I to not only graduate from high school, but to go to college. My dad worked from the age of 14. When he was 17 he lied about his age and got a job working underground in the coal mines. He worked in the mines until he was disabled at the age of 50. I didn't have a real understanding or appreciation for the efforts he put in to take care of his family until I became an adult. I couldn't imagine going underground where there is no sunshine to work in small areas to remove coal. While the conditions are much better in these modern days, it would still be an unbearable way to make a living.

I remember my dad reading to my sister and me when we were little girls. It wasn't a process that he seemed overly comfortable with. Don't get me wrong. My dad can read. It's just not something he did for pleasure. He read for a purpose.

My mom also grew up in southern West Virginia. Her dad was a coal miner and her mom did odd jobs to make extra money, like doing laundry or ironing. They lived in a "coal camp" when my mom was small. (A "coal camp" is a town where the houses are owned by the coal company. The miners lived in the houses, a nice way of saying shacks, as part of their payment for working in the mines.) Her family was poor when she was young. As she got older they earned more money, but were still "working class." They didn't make enough to send their children to college. My mom always wanted to go to college. She had a penchant for writing and wanted to be a writer. And she loved to read! I remember her taking my sister and me to the library. She would let us check oiut "as many books you want" from the library. This is one of the things that made me to love to read. (To this day my mother, sister, and I trade books.) Reading for pleasure became a hobby I learned from my mother.

I never really thought that my mom and dad's life experiences affected my literacy acquisition, but now I see they did. Had I only been exposed to my dad's view of reading, I probably never would've learned to enjoy reading. It's amazing how life experiences dictate so much of our being.

As I read about Laurie in Chapter 4 it made me consider a trio of girls in my classroom this year. Within this triangle there was a constant struggle to be the best friend of one. Each of these girls were bright and working on grade level but two of them came from working class homes where the mother was the central figure. The other was from a middle class family. While reading I realized that I witnessed a similar scenario within their revolving relationship and tensions that filtered into their journal writing in which they could write freely about a chosen topic.
This year because of a smaller class size it afforded me an opportunity to get to know my students on a more personal level. I made the effort to attend ballgames and birthday parties which gave me alot of insight into their lives and behaviors outside of school. What I found was exactly what the book described. The two working class girls had almost a different personality in their family setting than they did at school. At school they desired to be more like the middle class girl and constantly struggled with achieving her acceptance. She in turn perhaps unaware played the role of "good girl" and wielded her power to befriend one today and the other the next. Often the weaknesses of the "odd-one-out" were verbalized. We spent many recesses discussing how best to communicate with each other while following our rules of "Be kind", "Be Safe", "Be Responsible" and "Be Respectful". Through these conversations I think I attempted to help these girls move between their two worlds, however that was on a more social level.
In looking back I too, as Ms. Hicks did, wonder if I could have used this as a critical learning arena during Reading and Writing. I had a tendancy to keep this struggle at bay due to my own teaching agenda during class time. Once again I am considering the author's point and question when it would be more effective to abandon my method and strive for contextualization of their reality at that moment. Would better understanding and engagement evolve for my students?
I also considered the willingness of Laurie's mother to make this change for her daughter. With many of my students from working class families I find a reluctance to accept help or the fact that their child is struggling. With many I perceive this as a lack of value for education because of their own school history, but now I wonder if it has more to do with acceptance or denial of their social class. Or perhaps it is a reluctance to accept that a middle class teacher really cares about them or their child. Could it be embarrassment and did my questioning cause it? This chapter has given me alot to think about not only the fictions of my students but what fictions might I have build around them through my own middle class perception?

This chapter began with the history of Laurie. I really felt for Laurie as the author began describing how her personality changed with the induction of medicine for ADD. As teachers we all have students every year that exhibit the ADD traits and some are medicated and some are not. I have often thought I wonder how these children will be in 10, 15 or even 25 years. It seems almost cruel to have so many children medicated for such long periods of time. I know ADD truly exists and believe me I have had my fair share of students who have had ADD or ADHD, but are there really this many children today that have these disorders or is it poor parenting or even environmental issues? I find it hard to believe that sometimes up to 1/3 of a classroom can and need to be medicated for attention difficulties.

The academic difficulties that Laurie experience were very typical of students that have attention problems. I really felt for Laurie while reading. We all have students that just seem to really struggle with reading. I did wonder why Laurie was expected to do the same program as the other students when she was being taught by a “seasoned teacher” in first grade. I felt some interventions were really missed for Laurie in the regular classroom. She did have the Title One reading group, but by then the gap was really too big for her try and close. Early intervention is vital for struggling readers.

Laurie was also hindered academically by her home life. I felt so sorry for Laurie when I read about her dreams of a fairy tale family that she would never have. Sometimes life can be so cruel to children. Often adults are unaware of how much their children are hearing and internalizing. The home issues Laurie faced had to take a big toll on her personal and academic life.

The observer in Laurie’s classroom that eventually became her tutor played a vital role for Laurie. She was a friend, teacher and role model. She helped to give Laurie the attention and love that she needed during difficult moments in her academic career. Laurie’s mother and grandmother also helped to mold her personality. They created an independent, active and motivated little girl. I hope that in the future Laurie experiences even more positive things at school and home. If she continues medication, I hope to read that it will help her behavior and not hinder her bubbly personality.

I have often thought about the topics that Mrs. Hicks brings to attention. The environment that children have grown up in and the people that have been their "others" have an impact on how and what they learn in school. There have been many days where i've made or someone around me has made the comment, "I wonder if they are doing this b/c of their homelife.....or.....I wonder what happened to them this morning before school." Environment, culture, class, gender, and race affect how children learn. I'm glad that Mrs. Hicks if finally bringing attention to this heated topic.

I grew up in a working-class family. We ate a constant diet of hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and peanut butter and jelly. I thought i was in heaven! Looking back though, i realize it was b/c we just didn't have much money. Mom has told me that we lived paycheck to paycheck. Because of this, my parents pushed me through school so i could have a different life than they had. I believe this impacted my learning. Now that i'm a teacher, i see it full circle. I see kids that have tons of parent support and love, and most of the time, they do well. The kids whose parents i never meet, whom the kids never talk about, they're the ones that struggle. Does this have to do with class? I'm not sure. Based on my first hand experience, working-class did not hold me back, it pushed me forward. I actually think success in school has more to do with the "others" in your life, but who knows, the way the "others" act could have something to do with class. Maybe this confusion is why these two chapters were difficult for me to read. I got the main idea. Children do not learn autonomously, they learn through their "attachment to others." I loved and am going to put up on my wall, the quote under the heading of Chapter 2: "Knowledge comes to form in human relationships. The world we notice is the one that someone we cared about once pointed to." I think sometimes teachers forget that they are the eye-openers...along with the student's parents. As mentioned before, some kids have no love and support at home, so teacher's may be some kids only caregivers. In this test driven society, teachers are quick to teach by the book and for the test, however, we lose many children this way. Just as mentioned in our last book, The Skin that we Speak, we have to respect children's dialect as well as their culture. I see how these two books connect.

The situation in Chapter 2 with Jake and his cousin Lee Ann made my teeth cringe. But, as a teacher, i have to realize that this IS how some kids are brought up. It may not be the way that i think is right, but it could be the student's "others" right way to think and react. So, if we automatically turn our noses to Lee Ann's reaction, we are turning our noses to her "others." This could have consequences in Lee Ann's response toward us as teachers. I look forward to reading more about Jake and Laurie's literacy experiences, home lives, and how it all fits together. I feel like after reading more of the book, i'll have a better grasp on the author's main idea.

As I began reading Chapter 4, I quickly connected Laurie to a young lady in my 4th grade classroom this year. The young lady, whom I will call Kay, initially won my heart with her warmth and laughter. As the year got underway I noticed immediately that Kay was the nurturer and “mother hen” of my classroom. Kay was very bossy and authoritative towards the other students. Surprisingly, my students accepted Kay as she was and were not bothered by her behavior. Academically, Kay was well below the 4th grade level but did put great effort into all of her work. After the first few weeks of school, I was notified that Kay’s mother was blind and that she suffered severely from diabetes. I was told that when Kay returned home from school everyday her job was to care for her mother. Kay was the cook, cleaner, and caretaker of the home. Just like Laurie, Kay “brought to her [4th] grade classroom a history of assuming a motherly role at home.” Kay was only doing what she knew to do best: take care of others. Our classroom was shocked and saddened in early October when we were told that Kay’s mother had died. As I stood talking to my classroom that morning, Kay walked in the classroom door. At first I was shocked and wondered, “Why is this child here at school when her mother just passed away?” Then, I realized, that Kay was there because school was the only “normal” place in her life. Kay considered our classroom as her family and she really did consider her classmates as her kids. Kay came to school everyday during this time except on the day of her mother’s funeral. When she cried my children cried with her. Kay left one week after the funeral to go and live with her real father in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately we have not been able to reach Kay since that time. I wanted to share this story because I want everyone to be reminded that we really do need to be aware of our students’ lives at home. As educators we should always make sure that we “know” our students as much as possible. I will never forget Kay because I probably learned as much from her as she did from me.

The section on “Anger” discussed Laurie’s diagnosis of ADD. Sometimes one wonders if teachers/doctors use this diagnosis as a “quick-fix” to solve more severe underlying problems. I was saddened when the author stated, “we noted that she seemed to lose her voice after being diagnosed and medicated for ADD.” What seemed odd to me was the fact that the examples given by the author involved her home life rather than her school life. To me, it seemed that her “ADD” was brought on by her stress and circumstances at home; not her school environment. Shouldn’t a child with ADD express behavior such as this in all circumstances (home & school)? I’m not a psychologist so I do not have the answer; but one does wonder if placing Laurie on medication was the best choice.

As I began to read about Laurie’s first grade learning difficulties I began to honestly wonder about her teacher and observer. If these people saw that Laurie was having difficulties, why didn’t they step in earlier in the year? It seems that no one bothered to intervene until they thought that she was going to fail. Another thing that bothered me about 1st grade was the lack of differentiation within the classroom. I fully believe that using an anthology a few days a week is fine; however, where were the leveled readers / small flexible groups? There was no way for Laurie to experience success. As an experienced teacher I am positive that Laurie was not the only child in that classroom experiencing difficulties.

When looking at Laurie’s 2nd grade year I became much more hopeful for her success. Although the author connects much of Laurie’s happiness with the hope of getting a dad, I have to say that I think the classroom environment had a lot to do with her happiness. Laurie’s 2nd grade teacher appeared to be the type of teacher who tried to find ways for her students to be successful. I also loved the fact that the Chapter one class also helped to bolster her confidence and make her a more active participant at school. As I read Laurie’s writing and read the author’s observations, I was once again reminded of how life situations (desire for a dad) affected Laurie as a student. The author states, “Changes in this important relationship may have contributed to the variability in Laurie’s responses to academic activities.” This just reconfirms the idea that we should each try to get to “know” our students and the many variables that play into their lives.

The following statement written by the author rings very true: “With classes that are too large to manage and increasingly stiff curriculum mandates, it has become difficult for teachers to come to know children with the kind of depth that engenders successful change.” I challenge not only myself, but each of you to find ways to get to “know” your students.

I enjoyed reading this chapter and found myself really connecting with Mrs. Hicks and the other women's memoirs. All of the stories had a common theme: The girls learned to read and learned to love to read because of people in their families (mothers mostly). All of them, even little Laurie, whom i recognize in many of my students, read because they loved to feel transformed into another fantasy world. They liked to escape their realities and just imagine what it would be like to be someone or somewhere else. Who hasn't done this?? And isn't it interesting that these working-class girls aspired to be classy. I was a tom-boy growing up, but remember my sister trying to constantly impress her friends with clothes and material things...which we just didn't have. I'm interested to learn how this impacts literacy learning however.

I remember reading The Secret Garden and imagining my Grandfather's real garden would turn into this secret place. I would run to the shed beside the garden and play for hours, talking to the wind, imagining beyond my dreams. Books shaped who i was when i was a little girl, and i believe they shaped who i am today. Every night before bedtime, my mom would read to me out of a child's devotional book. I remember curling up against her, hearing her heart beat, and drifting off to sleep. I still have that book.

I couldn't talk about my history without mentioning the Sunday lunches after church at my Grandma's house. The kids ate down in the basement (gosh that sounds horrible now, i promise we weren't beaten). After scarfing down tons of homeade sourdough bread and strawberry jelly, we'd act out scenes from various books or shows that we had read or watched. In particular, i remember acting out the Swiss Family Robinson. We had such adventures down in that basement, it was another world. Aren't books amazing??!! By the way....just a side note.....a great read-aloud that my kids love every year is The Tale of Desperaux, by Kate DiCamillo...they beg me to read it again!

I'm anxious to find out how Mrs. Hicks connects this chapter to Jake, since all her memoirs and the next chapter focuses on girls. Is it different for little boys? I thought it was wonderful how Mrs. Hicks really connected with Laurie. As she was talking about her times with her, i realized what a great job we have. To be able to connect with someone so little, and mold them, and imact their lives, it's just amazing. I can't wait to read and find out what happens with Laurie.

As much as I enjoyed reading and rereading the third chapter, I struggled through this chapter, not because it was a difficult read but because I found the message sad, almost disturbing. Laurie's story was one that parallels the story of many young female students who must deal with conflicting messages at home, at school and within society. Quite often, young female students are expected to be nurturing, a positive and unselfish characteristic, to the extent that they abandon other characteristics such as competetive impluses which are interpreted as selfish. In our society, the female student has traditionally been encouraged to develop self-denying traits even as the male student has been allowed the freedom to pursue a more self-fulfilling/selfish behavior. Laurie was allowed the freedom to be "bossy" only because it was in the context of "mothering." Hicks stresses that Laurie's behavior became more and more compliant, due partly to the ADD medication but also because of expectations for "good girl" behavior. As Hicks points out, being good was the acceptable means to gaining power for a girl. This discussion brought back memories of my own elementary experiences. In particular, I recall a disappointing experience in 5th grade; my teacher announced that we would have math teams and the two top math students would be the captains. She then proceeded to state that even though I had one of the top scores in math, I wouldn't be a captain because the two next best scores were boys who would more appropriately be captains!!!

I was saddened by the unfolding tale of Laurie's search for identity as a romantic object, first with Nicholas and then with Steven. Obviously she was repeating the social expectations communicated to her by her mother, expectations that finding, securing, a "prince" was the ultimate life goal. Even though her mother was attending college, Laurie was influenced more significantly by the social view of femininity than by the importance of education. Laurie's value system reflected her upbringing and her home experience but they also reflected a set of social expectations that still exist. Today, as I worked on cum folders in my classroom, the granddaughter of a co-worker watched SNOW WHITE on my television and I was reminded that many little girls still hear the refrain from "Some Day My Prince Will Come" and dream of being rescued from the need to find their own professional identify. I was struck by Walkerdine's statement that "many young girls do not understand high attainment and femininity as antithetical."

Laurie sought to belong and her academic struggles impeded that sense of belonging in the classroom. Through writing, Laurie was able to attempt to find her voice but her story was not one of success. Although Hicks strives to include many of the factors that contributed to Laurie's lack of academic success, she admits that her history does include 'being disabled by a system of institutional practices" similar to our current obsession with standardized methodologies and assessments. I continue to worry that my students are discouraged by the emphasis upon mandated standards to the exclusion of creativity and spontaneity in the classroom. Hicks encourages us, as educators, to seek to know our students, to understand their realities so that we can "respond in ways that extend from those contextualized understandings." Hicks points to the vastly different social/educational expectations that existed between Laure and herself; she suggests that through building a sense of trust, she was able to meet Laurie "halfway" in developing a sense of literacy. I found the story of their final exchange, the trip to Borders, to be a sad, almost meaningless, experience. I was saddened that though they obviously had formed a bond (student to tutor), their actions did not reveal much intimacy, Laurie did state that she "loved" Hicks but the descriptions of the interchange between student and tutor didn't reveal much depth of feeling. I was discouraged by the chapter because I feared that the message was that we are not only shaped by our histories but limited by them. I hope that my students (and my own children) can work beyond the limitations of their own histories.
Betsy Baldwin

Mrs. Hicks made a comment in chapter 1 that let me know that i'd enjoy chapters 4 & 5 b/c i was a teacher. Well, she is correct so far. I liked learning about Laurie, even though her situation is heartbreaking, and not far from the reality of many young girls. I had a young girl this year that was in almost the exact same situation as Laurie, academically, socially, and physically. I've seen what Laurie probably was like in 4th grade. I wish the author would do a follow-up study, just so we could see if there were any teachers that took her under their wings and helped her to grow. Our job is so powerful that someone actually could help Laurie turn around for the better. However, and i think Mrs. Hicks would agree, Laurie's social class will always be a part of her (mentally and most likely, physically).

I found myself really analyzing this chapter and Laurie's situation. I practically underlined the whole chapter in blue ink. I just kept thinking about what could be done to help Laurie. It bothers me that she had such a boring 1st grade teacher. She seemed to just want to follow the curriculum and the books that the county provided. But, as Mrs. Hicks stated, they just were going too fast for Laurie. This is a situtation that occurs way too frequently. Reading instruction has to be individualized, especially if a child is having problems with whole-class instruction. I'm hoping her teacher didn't do anything about it b/c Laurie was such a "good girl" actress, that she just didn't realize the implications. This is the case for many young girls. They put on the act and slip by the system. As teachers, we need to be on the lookout for our "good girls" and ask ourselves why they are behaving like they are. We also need to delve into our student's lives and find out who they really are. As mentioned at the end of the chapter, teachers do not have much time to do this anymore.....but we need to try to make time! It would be especially helpful at the beginning of the year, during get to know you activities. Does anyone have any good ideas for getting kids to open up to you early????

I was saddened by Laurie's relationships in K-2. In kindergarten, Laurie was the model student who was the mother/girlfriend figure to Nicholas. She was popular and assertive and empowered. I think she acted like the mother to Nicholas b/c she was a caretaker at home (page 65: "I'm too old for my age.") A child should never have to think this way. This statement brought me back to reality and helped me to see how all of this ties together with class. In a working-class family, children are often called upon to be another grown-up in the house. This is a problem and creates inner conflicts for the child. Kids should be kids. However, back to reality, hard-working parents need help in order to make it in this world. Kids who grow up in privileged families, don't have to usually take on this extra responsibility. No wonder kids like Laurie struggle. I can't imagine the hardships that they face. Once in first and second grade, things started piling up for Laurie. Her life was more complicated and academics became too hard for her. Couldn't you just see her falling between the cracks???Yet, hardly anyone was able to help her. What a sad situation.

So, how can we as teachers use this chapter to help the Laurie's in our classrooms?? What can we do to help them sort through their personal issues as well as succeed academically?

Fictions of Girlhood (Chapter 4) - Laura Wollpert

Chapter four depicts Laurie as a struggling reader and writer. She wants to be a good girl at school and she sort fakes her way through (as much as possible) with good behavior. She begins to show deviant behavior at home that suggests a conflict. As I read further about little girls play a thought entered my mind. How do we educate girls and boys on all the possible roles that may be in store for them? When I look to my friends, I see every example possible. For instance, one friend is the bread winner of the family while her husband has been a stay-at-home dad. I have other friends where both the mother and father work and all the childcare and house work are shared. Further, I have friends were both parents have very professional and demanding jobs, but the mother of the house still tends to most of the house hold chores while employing some paid help. Still others, the mother decided to stay home to care for the children. How do we raise children to be prepared for all of these different roles in life? Our family structure is changing, as it should with more women working, boys need to be prepared to take on more domestic roles that have been typically female. Do any of these issues surface in the classroom?

As I read further about Laurie, I thought about her experience in second grade where she believes she will have a new daddy and how this changed her academic outlook. When the new daddy left, her dreams were shattered and her academic performance began to once again deteriorate. In today’s world how often does this occur? I remember when I taught Japanese at the elementary level in Michigan, one fourth grade class had three intact families out of 24 students. How do children deal with the reality of a broken family and school at the same time?

As Laurie’s story came to an end, I was saddened. I would like to know what happened to her as she progressed in school. Does she ever catch up to her peers? I can imagine that every classroom has a Laurie. It almost seems that Laurie should have been retained in first grade. She seemed so far behind in second grade. I know there are many issues when retaining a child, but it seems like the frustration will become so great that it is better to do it sooner then later.

I love Laurie’s imaginative stories about horses and unicorns. I hope this imagination continues to flourish as she grows up. I wonder if her mother read imaginative stories to her at bedtime. Maybe that would allow a place for her to dream and escape.

Laura Wollpert

oh, how i wish had laurie in my classroom. i just love her! but there are so many laurie's out there. i was fascinated how year after year hicks became more and more involved with laurie...not just through observations and tutoring but how she began to love her...and how laurie showed at the end of their time together that she loved ms. hicks. (the card) i found the story of their years together to be somewhat sad. there have been so many times that ive wanted to pick up my little kindergarten children and make things okay for them...make it all better. if only hicks could have sprinkled magic dust on laurie's life and given her a father and the financial means to make her life more comfortable emotionally and physically. if there was only a way to give laurie the individualized time that she so desperately needed. i have two girls and we plan little trips together and alone. one day i will go on a journey with my 14 year old and then the next day my 6 year old and i will go on an adventure. my husband does the same with them. children need time with their parents and laurie's just didnt have the home life that allowed her time with a mother and father. im wondering what laurie thought deep inside about her trip to borders with hicks...im wondering if it was one of those memorable events that she will never forget....time alone with ms hicks. i wonder if that day changed how she viewed herself.

it is so upsetting that laurie's love for writing and literacy in kindergarten did not flow over into her next years of school. i do not believe that there is a "program" out there anywhere that can teach all children perfectly. so why did her first grade teacher just watch her fail...knowing that the material she was using was not supporting laurie? you can not teach a program, you have to teach children. between her busy life at home without a father, her medications that made her "voiceless", and a reading series that was not supportive of her prior knowledge...her needs, its no wonder that she remained a struggling reader...no wonder she began to have difficulty at home. and bless her heart, she couldnt even get title I until second grade! poor thing just had to sit there without support. as a former title I teacher, i found this part of laurie's life to be painful!

once children fall behind the gap just gets wider and wider as the child gets older. it seems as if the "worksheets and planned reading program" was not right for laurie. it is so sad...so unfortunate that her teachers could not see laurie's needs...and gifts. where was guided reading and writer's workshop in first grade?

when it comes to discipline i believe that we have to understand our children...everything about our children...home life, class, race... when a child is out of sorts we have to see the whole child. and when children are having difficulty academically we have to see the whole child as well.

i have thought so much about my kindergarten class and how many different types of family/home situations there were...no child came from the same kind of family. each child had something to offer! and each child had needs. this chapter has encouraged me to continue looking deeply into the lives/backgrounds of my children. in the end i believe all children want acceptance for who they are...how profound.

such a sad chapter for me...but powerful!
donna byrd-wyatt

I must admit that while I really enjoyed reading this chapter, it was not what I expected. I was so enthralled to read the story of Laurie and her struggles with literacy learning. However, I was deeply disheartened to hear of her seemingly increasing inability to perform at the level of her classroom peers. One of the biggest reasons Laurie had such difficulty in becoming proficient in reading was due to the textbook series adopted by her school system. Even more disturbing to me was the fact that Laurie’s teacher seemed unwilling to adapt to the needs of her students when she realized that this book series was not allowing some of her students to progress at the rate necessary. I had a professor in college who liked to share lots of horror stories, like Laurie’s, related to textbooks, so I must admit I have been a little wary of using them since I began teaching in January. In fact, this past semester, I rarely, if ever, used the textbooks that have been adopted by our school system. Actually, the math textbook is the only one I used at all. Does anyone else have an opinion on textbooks or even how to use them in an engaging way? I certainly don’t want to bore my students to death, but I do want to ensure that they are being taught in an effective, step by step process, which textbooks, at least math textbooks, tend to do a good job of outlining.

Another important point that Hicks touched on was the fact that a diagnosis, not necessarily the medication used to treat it, can often affect a student’s performance and acceptance of themselves and by their peers. Hicks stated, “The diagnosis changed her [Laurie’s] social relations in school in ways that extended beyond the side effects of the medication itself.” I think this is an extremely valid point, but often an issue that is overlooked. I think it is very important to be sensitive to a child’s feelings and opinions about themselves all the time, but particularly during the process of diagnosis because this can significantly alter how a child thinks about themselves. A child can determine that they are not smart, are not liked by their peers and teachers, and a myriad of other things just through the title of a diagnosis. For example, this year one of my students, who was normally outgoing, bubbly, funny, friendly, and well-liked by his peers, was diagnosed with diabetes. This took a significant toll on his self-image. Suddenly, he was very aware of his weight and what his peers might think if they saw him prick his finger. He was embarrassed that he needed to go to the bathroom more often than his classmates and that he had to leave our classroom early to go to lunch so that he could receive his insulin shot before going to the cafeteria. While a lot of these changes were certainly determined by the insulin and glucometer and other tools he needed to use on a daily basis, some of his self-concept was shaped and changed by the fact that he was different than everyone else in our classroom. No one else had to do the things that he did or eat the things that he did, etc. Children are keenly aware of whether they or someone else is different. This is an issue that teachers must be extremely delicate and supportive with. These children need to know that we still love them the way they are, that their diagnosis does not change who they are in our classroom, and that it is okay to not be exactly like everybody else.

I also found Hicks ideas regarding how girls and boys gain power in the classroom to be very interesting, and hit right on target. Of course these ideas may not apply to every single child, but overall I have found in my classroom that boys gain their meaning and power in the classroom from being cool or funny, even if this means being “bad”, and girls tend to do this by doing what is necessary to please the teacher, thus making them “good”. Hicks said, “Though boys…can gain power through voicing their resistance to the roles associated with being good, girls often seek power through being ‘nice, kind, and helpful’.” Hicks also found a connection between the gender of the teacher and the behavior of a student: “Girls…align themselves with the values they associate with real schoolwork and with their teachers, often women in primary school.” There is no doubt about the fact that we lack male role-models in the education field, particularly at the elementary level. However, I had never considered the fact that this may contribute to girls showing more studious behaviors, such as better studying and organization skills. Could this be because they associate these behaviors with their teachers (women), whom they see to be successful adults? Perhaps boys have more difficulties with these concepts because they lack the male role-model of their teacher to show them that these skills are important for grown men as well as women. Does anybody else have thoughts on this? ~Allison Reese

Every student wants to feel empowered in school: the growing confidence a child feels when he/she engages in successful learning experiences. The problem is that many children lose their feelings of empowerment because the curriculum is moving too fast and is over their heads. They can't keep up with the pace that is expected to learn in order to be successful in the classroom. It seems foolish for the "powers that be" to expect all children to develop and progress at the exact same rate, and at the exact same age. Some children need more time to learn concepts and skills, while others catch on and understand during the first lesson. I don't understand why the people in charge of setting educational standards for children don't seem to acknowledge that every child is unique and needs to progress at a rate that fits his/her stage of development and style of learning.

I can identify with what happened when Laurie was unable to make the necessary progress at the expected rate to read the Houghton Mifflin basal reader in first grade. When I first started teaching, every child was expected to read the same Houghton Mifflin basal reader. The book was easy for some students, just right for some, and too difficult for others. I didn't feel good about the reading instruction I provided, with what I felt was a limited resource, because it failed to meet the individual instructional needs of all of my students and was more or less "hit and miss" reading instruction. Thankfully a few years ago our school system adopted a guided reading philosophy. Now students in my class are placed in flexible reading groups, according to their reading ability, and receive guided reading instruction in literature books that match their level of reading. Possibly in spite of the material and social stresses she dealt with at home, Laurie's first grade literacy experiences could have had a more positive turnout if her first grade teacher had access to our guided reading training and bookroom containing hundreds of guided reading books from all different reading levels. Maybe then, the pace of learning would have been just right for her.

On the other hand, maybe the key to ensuring success for all students, regardless of how quickly they progress, is helping them to feel social success and confidence, which hopefully will "spill over into their academic work". We teachers need to avoid the mistake of being overly attentive to a child's academic performance while ignoring the child's needs for attention and nurturing. Balancing these elements is not an easy task that definitely requires tact.

Wow, how much I enjoyed this chapter, by the end of Hicks stories and descriptions,I felt I really knew Laurie. At first I was apprehensive about Hick's description of Laurie taking on a domestic role with her relationship with Nicholas. I felt Hicks was reading to much into her actions, after all the child was only in kindergarten. Yet as I continued on, I began to understand. Laurie seemed to be shaping herself around what gave her power and a place. "Taking care" of Nicholas gave her power. Being a good girl at school, pleasing her teachers, acting out at home, disconnecting from schoolwork, it all gave her power admist her working class girlhood.

I felt like the most heartbreaking moment for me reading Laurie's story, was when Hicks said during Laurie's first grade year, she "began living a dual existence as a model student who was learning how to fail". Hicks tells how Laurie began to rummage in her desk, quietly chat with her peers through out lessons, as well as stubbornly refuse to try something new. I think she simply did not want to fail. She would then lose her power. If things seemed too difficult, she would not try. Good gracious how many students I have like Laurie in this regard! The more frightening part for me is that they are middle schoolers displaying these behaviors, and they are only falling more and more behind. Just as Laurie, my students lose motivation when work or reading is too high for them. The complexities of dealing with 12 to 15 year olds all in the same room on various grade levels from 2-12 with different situated "histories" is sometimes too much to take in. Just as Hicks says, " in retrospect, a literacy program developed to suit Laurie's needs may have helped her literacy difficulties" frustrates me. I feel so many of my students needed a program like this, and still do. If we know this as educators and an educational system, why are we not doing something different? Then, as I continued to read on, how Hicks wrote that then something happened, that Laurie suddenly became interested in learning and school, I readdressed my prior thought. It was obvious Laurie was suddenly excited because she was going to have a new daddy. Hicks calls this a girlhood fantasy, I would like to think of it more as a dream. Just as easily as Laurie was excited, she was instantly disappointed. Do we really have any power over these children's literacies? After all the time Hicks spent with Laurie, the only thing that really got her excited about school was something going on a home. Can we really battle our student's home life's and win? I love when Hicks stated, "Such is the power of stories, as they assume moral weight and influence in the context of our histories". Earlier I mentioned what seemed to give Laurie power in her girlhood. The "stories" Laurie lived seemed to have complete power over her all along. Her identities continually competed between home and school. We may never completely understand the realities of our students lives, yet we can give them a chance to live fictions in our classroom and more importantly, the chance to make those fictions histories.

It was interesting reading about Laurie from kindergarten through second grade. I enjoyed reading about her relationship with Nicholas. Being a kindergarten teacher, this is definitely easy to picture. Since Laurie assumed a motherly role at home, I guess it was easy and natural for her to carry this over to school. She felt comfortable in this role. She also had another role that she could assume with Nicholas and that was being an adolescent with him. This seemed like an important relationship for her. They seemed very close since they ignored another child in a center. There was a part in the book that said, "She was academically and socially more mature than he was, and this gave her an edge of authority." The motherly identity was in her and I believe this made her feel good about herself. I'm sure that she liked the authority and she knew that she could have that with Nicholas. I found it interesting how it limited her academic practices with the goop episode. Sometimes this happens with kindergartners. You want them to get something out of it academically but instead it may be more domesticated. But I believe that is alright sometimes because at the kindergarten age children are learning social skills and how to get along. They are also learning through play. I read a poem about children and play and it said that when you see your child playing in the homeliving center, for example, your child may be learning how to be a mom or dad someday.
Laurie seemed to have a successful kindergarten year and progressed in academics throughout the year.

I believe that it was unfortunate that in her first grade year, part of the problem was due to the reading series. I could see how this could happen. I have had some series in the past and couldn't believe some of the books in it. Some books were too difficult to read and other books were ones that no one would want to pick up and read because they were not very meaningful. Fortunately, in my kindergarten classroom now, we can take and use what we deem appropriate. We also have a reading book room where teachers have wonderful reading materials appropriate for our students. We can use these in our guided reading lessons and find books that are interesting for the children to read. I believe this approach would have been much better for Laurie. I know the teacher was committed to teaching the adopted curriculum but what could she have done for Laurie? I feel that if it wasn't working for Laurie that the teacher should have explored a different avenue. The same approach doesn't necessarily work for all children.

As I continued to read, I was saddened by Laurie's regression in school after her ADD diagnosis. I like how Deborah Hicks became an advocate for Laurie and combined work on reading and writing with a nurturing relationship. I believe it helped when she found an area of common interest. I found the story touching at the end when Laurie said, "I love you" to Deborah Hicks. This story reminded me of a girl in my classroom. As my research project, I read to her an extra ten minutes a day. We would go to some quiet place and spend time reading together. This was something that she didn't get much of at home. The girl began to enjoy reading books. She wanted to retell and sometimes act out the stories. She would always say, "Don't forget. We have to read today." One day as she was getting on the bus she said to me "I love you." I like the way Deborah Hick says it. "Our relationhip, which by that time was one of mutual caring and acceptance, helped to make such movement between practices possible. Though we were living our lives in different class settings, we were in this moment of teaching and learning able to move between and across those disparate locations." She also goes on to say that this is possible in classrooms but it can be difficult.

After reading this chapter, I thought of so many ideas to address. To conclude, I have enjoyed teaching Writers' Workshop this year. My children have been successful at it just as it seemed to be good for Laurie. Great chapter!

“Fictions of Girlhood” tell the story of so many young girls and teenagers in our schools today. I found the reading interesting, but sad as well. As I read, I thought about Laurie and others like her who deal with difficulties at school due to their home lives and what internal conflicts they must go through.

I enjoyed reading this in-depth description of Laurie’s life from kindergarten to second grade. It gave me a lot of insight on what some girls at my school face. I was raised in a home with a mother and father and cannot imagine how it feels to be without a father and the effects it can have on my learning, but I have seen situations in my own extended family were this same situation has affected my relatives. The lack of emotional attention at home can cause a child to act out in home and at school as Laurie did. If a teacher or school does not understand what is going on or know how to interact with a child dealing with this it can affect their education and social relations. I have an eleven-year-old cousin who does not know his father and is dealing with the same thing Laurie dealt with. The fantasies, the problems at school, the diagnoses of ADD, and school failure are all so real in his world. It is a sad reality that the school system does not know how to help a child like this and thus they are placed on medication, risk failure, and often times placed in special education. I think we need more involvement between school and mental health agencies to try to help these students if the parents are unable to assist us. It is interesting how children who start average in school begin to fall behind because of the conflicts between home and school. Our emotional development plays a large role in how we function academically. I think in order for a child to continue to make steady gains in schools they have to be a balance between physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development and any part is out of whack it can interfere with their learning.

The unfortunate thing about children who grow up too fast or are placed in situations where they have to care for other siblings or families members is that is cause them to mature too early in some areas and it creates an imbalance in their lives. Laurie had to help raise her sibling and this caused her to act more mature and take on the role of mother in the classroom. Not only did this affect her social relations with other students, but also it caused her to butt heads with her teachers. At my school, a second grade teacher shared with me how she has a student who is mothering and she can be sweet at times, but she is not learning what she needs to know. When children are asked questions, she interrupts to answer or tells the students they are not correct; however, she has no clue what is being discussed either. When the teacher tries to tell her this it is as though she does not hear her and the next time she does the same thing again. She also displays this same behavior in social situations. Although she is sweet, the teacher was beginning to become upset because of her behavior, but it was difficult to get the child to change. She was the oldest child and she was doing the same thing at home. How do you change this behavior in girls when it is a part of them because of their responsibilities at home? I know a 5th grade teacher who had a similar problem, but could not help the girl see that her interfering was affecting her class.

It was disheartening to read how vibrant and confident Laurie was in kindergarten then for it all to change and her to struggle in 1st then 2nd grade. The text mentioned that problems at home plus the curriculum material used at school contributed to Laurie’s difficulties in reading. It would seem that if the teacher would have tried to differentiate even a little that Laurie may have had more success and not have fallen so far behind. I know that using the basal and curriculum supplements given may be good for most children, but one program does not work for all. It is sad that some teachers are unable to see this and even if they do know this, they do not do it because of the time it takes to gather different materials. Not saying all teachers feel this way, but I have worked with quite a few who believe their way is the correct way although it may not work for a few students. At certain grades, it may be necessary to give children a little extra to help them meet the demands of the next grade especially when the academic practices are different from one grade level to the next.

I was glad to see that Laurie did make improvements and the relationship between her and Deborah Hicks evolved. It shows us that although teachers and their students may have different values or come from different backgrounds they can find a way to connect to our children, give them attention, and hope they get what they need. I think the implications Hicks give at the end of the chapter gives us all something to think about and try with our students.

Heather Holland

Laurie was faced with similar circumstances that my students face. She was expected to be a “good girl”. When she could not be a “good girl”, and control herself, she was labeled—ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Why are school institutions so quick to label? As a relatively new teacher, I wonder why we, as a society, must label EVERYTHING! If someone does not act how he/she is expected to act, then there must me something wrong. I find this so difficult to swallow. When I was an undergrad student, I was expected to value differences, and teach the child. I was supposed to accommodate and make adaptations for the learner. These were the “best practices” that I was taught and expected to follow. Never did a professor tell me that I needed to make the child fit into a mold. However, in the educational setting, if the teacher does not know how to “deal with the child” or educate him/her, the teacher must have the child tested. Why?! I get so upset when this happens. There are definite circumstances where children need medication, but with Laurie? I think she needed some behavioral modifications, some counseling per say, or maybe just an accepting teacher who was willing to understand. Learning to become a “good girl” or “good boy” is expected in our society. Yes, teachers want students to know how to behave and respect others, but we (teachers) must admit that many of us expect kids to meet certain criteria—like walk in a straight line, sit up in the chair with both feet on the floor, and use your indoor voice. These are expectations that I have in my room, but for some children, simply sitting up straight in their seat with both feet on the floor is an absolutely unmanageable task. For these children that do not fit the mold, I make adaptations.

I feel that Laurie’s educational experiences were compromised by our society’s impatient or maybe even lazy way of dealing with behavioral issues. In my opinion, Laurie’s gaping wound that needed to be sewn up was fixed with a small Band-Aid, leaving her with a BIG ugly scar. Laurie definitely had issues at home that were festering in the school setting. Because these issues were never dealt with effectively or at all, she faced enormous challenges at school. So often, home experiences spill over into school experiences. Are we educating the “school child” or the “whole child”? If we were just educating the “school child” then we would assume that a child’s life at school and a child’s life at home are mutually exclusive. This is just not true. Both experiences are intertwined and must be approached as a whole.

“She was learning deceit at home and the value of being quiet at school.” pp. 79, 80.

Because of the environment at home, children often choose to act out in different ways. In my experience, have seen some children act out at home for their parents and then be the “good girl” or boy at school. Parents are often surprised if their child is better at school. They frequently want to share with me comments about their child’s poor behavior at home. I think that I have a structured environment at school with high (manageable) expectations. Most children can find success in my classroom with regards towards behavior. This makes me wonder if a child’s behavior is poor at home, and great at school…is the family unit organized, structured, fostering of a healthy environment. With Laurie, I wonder if she saw much order at home. She spent many hours at a Laundromat that her grandmother managed. The atmosphere provided for her, there, does not seem conducive to a first or second grader’s imagination, needs, or desires. Could this be why Laurie has discovered how to “work the system” both at school and at home? She desires attention at home and doesn’t get it, so she acts out—trying to be noticed. At school, because she is not successful with her academics, she seeks approval and attention from the teachers by being a “good girl”. This kind of positive behavior is working for her now, but I have to wonder if the good behavior will continue as she grows older.

It broke my heart as I read and reread parts of this chapter because so often I see these same scenarios in little girls’ lives that I teach. I want to be the accepting, supportive, and fostering factor in their lives, but will this be enough? I wonder about Laurie. She continued to struggle and retention was still a topic on the table. Is she stuck in a working-class cycle that will never end because of its reoccurring scenarios?

Written by
Heather Holland

First of all it broke my heart when I was reading the part about Laurie dreaming of a Prince, a daddy, to come and love her and be with her. I grew up in a very stable home and honestly never wanted for anything. I didn’t have any of these hardships or economic battles to face day in and day out like Laurie and half of the population at the school I currently teach at. This is one area that is hard for me to identify with, which in turn makes it difficult for me to become closer to and understand better the life that many of my students face at home. I hope that by knowing this and being aware that I need to make sure and identify that because of home life things might not always be great at school, I can better understand how to help them. As Laurie tries to cope with trying to make friends while also struggling with her reading I think about my life growing up in school. I didn’t have to worry about what the other kids thought of my academic ability like Laurie does. And because we all know that some kids can be really mean, I can only imagine what all students who struggle with academics have to go through in school.

All of the writing that Laurie was doing in 2nd grade really showed how she thought about everything going on around her and how all of it impacted her so much. I never really realized that in the first years of writing and reading how much of it is about your own experiences because what else do you know? Even make believe stories were stories created from the basis of another book she had read which was an experience for her. I just can’t believe how much influence some of the smallest things can have.

Hicks ending statement, “Teachers have to contend with their own class specific histories and the feelings they evoke, as the girls they teacher learn which kids of fictions will be safe to write, voice, and live in school,” made me reflect upon myself. Do I understand that my upbringing was different than many of my students and just because it is the way that I want to do it doesn’t mean it is the only way? How many times have I told a student that they were doing something wrong when it was the way they knew from experiences of their own. I wish that I could go back to last year now knowing what I know because there was this little girl that needed something. We never could figure out what to do with her because she was as sweet as could be until she wasn’t being watched. She stole, she cussed, she messed her pants, and later we found out it was an abusive situation at home and she has been recently pulled from the home and put back. I would have done so many things different. We tried loving support but that didn’t work, we tried discipline and that didn’t work, and I even tried a behavioral modification program with her and that didn’t work. But now I see that it was the home life she was brought up in and that was what she knew. Her older brother was put into jail for stealing, and her father abused her so she messed her pants, and the cussing well you can only guess where that came from. Hindsight is 20-20 I guess.

I sometimes feel some of this might be stretched just a little to try and make Laurie’s situations fit the roles that Hicks wants them to fit. I mean some of the playing between Laurie and Nicholas or Laurie and Steven could just be normal stages of a young girl’s life to go through. I remember wanting to play house and be the “Mom” and there was nothing wrong with that. Don’t get me wrong I can see where Hicks is coming from, but I just wonder about some of the situations.

In chapter four Hicks researches the affects that the social status of working-class girlhoods has on the development of a child's literacy learning experiences. She follows her research subject, Laurie, from Kindergarten through second grade. Hicks observations come from both Laurie's home and school environment. Hicks uses her research to make sense of how relationships affect a child's strengths as well as vulnerabilities in school.

I was sad to read about how Laurie's diagnosis changed her social relations of power in school to a more withdrawn "in a funk" person. It really made me think about how a student diagnosed with a disability is affected. As I was reading about Laurie who became violent in her struggles to get the emotional attention she wanted and needed, it reminded me of the many students in our classrooms that have had to act out to get attention. Maybe some of you know more about a ADD diagnosis than I do, because I guess I used to think it was more medical and didn't realize that material stresses and emotional strain went with it. If this is the case then it makes sense why there are so many ADD and ADHD diagnosis at low income poverity schools. At the same time, I question ADD and ADHD diagnosis and wonder how many students could possibly be out their that were diagnosed incorrectly and how this affected their well-being throughout their schooling.

This book has really opened my eyes as to how much our social experiences play such a huge role in writing and literacy experiences. Laurie's love For Nicholas had her writing stories where he was a fictional character. As writers, we do use life expereinces to help us write. In poverty stricken schools, especially, we need to be aware as educators to be certain we are incorporating life experiences such as field trips or mini-fieldtrips to give students concrete pictures in their minds to write about.

The fact that Laurie was showing great signs of becoming an emergent reader and writer in Kindergarten, but having problems in first grade partly due to the reading series that the shool had adopted, saddens me. I am sure that this is happening in many different school districts. Book companies are out to make money so they make changes even when reading programs are working. I admit that I do still go back to some of the old basals because I feel they do a better job of sticking with and building upon the vocaublary words the students have already learned.

My life was like Hicks in that anger outbursts were not the norm in my household. So it is good to read about her research since it helps me to identify with why working-class children sometimes read and write the way they do. I can definately relate to her comment that acting "bad" can be a means of gaining power for children. I had a little girl this year who acted out and wanted to be in control. After meeting mom, I understood why she was so vocal since mom was just like her.

In second grade, Laurie decided to be a good girl in school after seeing others rewarded for their good behavior. Positive incentives do persuade some students to conform to do the right things. Laurie's goal to be good so that she could get kudos from the teacher, is what many students do. Just by saying to one student in line that you like the way he/she lined up, helps the other students to conform. Reading about how she was a good girl in school , but not at home made me think about the children I have had in my room that are good in school but when you tell the parents how good they are, they can't believe it and say they are not like that at home. I have often wondered why this is. How developmentaly appropriate are the books that they are reading at home ? Are the parents expectations in line with the child's reading and writing abilitiy level?

As I was reading about how Mrs. Rhodes continued to use the reading materials presented that did not match the needs of struggling readers such as Laurie, it broke my heart. I'm sure there are many teachers out there that fall under this category. This year I began using our new reading series that our school district adopted. Only one out of three of my groups were experiencing success with these books, so I went back to my old faithful, Yellow Fish Blue Fish series. My students became more successful with with this series since the vocabulary continues to be repeatative whereas the new texts don't reinforce old vocabulary words as well. If we are not careful to select books that are on a child's level and even interest, they become distressed and unsuccessful readers and writers. I like Hicks believe that students need to read in books that match their reading abilities and build their confidence and motivation in reading. Laurie's second grade teacher resembles my classroom where my students are in groups geared toward their reading levels. I truely believe that individualized reading instruction is important to building fluent readers and writers.

I was fortunate to have a daddy figure in my life and did not have to dream about it as Laurie did. But I have taught many children in this type of scenario. There are cases that I have witnessed a child shutting down when dad or mom doesn't show up at school as they had promised. Some become violent and others disoriented and saddened by tears. I struggle in these situations to find the best solution to comforting the child who has been let down and yes it does affect the academic performance as it did Lauries'. It is amazing how much parent relationships empower a child's identity.

Reading about how Laurie's second grade stories were influenced from her social world, really has helped me to understand in more depth, why some children are able to elaborate more than others and where their writing ideas stem from. Truthfully, I feel that their needs to be a good balance in our writing program which includes both writers workshop for confidence building and explicit instruction to help students with writing hurdles. It is true that children such as Laurie will often embark in narrative writing mostly, therefore, instuction that brings about other types of writing genres such as letters, factual stories, discriptive stories, poetry, ect., is also a reason for teachers to occasional choose a writing prompt. Many of Laurie's stories expressed feeling of friendship, her likes, and emotions. I really see more than ever the importance of journal writing so that teachers can identify with their students. I wonder how many students are more fantasy oriented when they come from a disfunctional social life. In cases like this, I agree with Hicks that "maybe reading practices could have been brought into that more critical teaching agenda."

I really enjoyed reading this chapter and do wonder what beame of Laurie. Did she continue to struggle throughout her school life? Was retention ever an answer for her? Changing a school system to meet the needs of challenging students such as Laurie, is something I am not sure how to do, but I do believe that teachers will think differently about their practices with students if they read research about the affects of histories on a child as we have in this class. When we as teachers reach out to understand our children and hear the words "I love you", as Hicks did, then we know we have had a huge impact on the students well-being in school.

Linda Younts

After reading about Laurie's situated history I began thinking about my mother and father and the struggle it must have been to raise two children on modet salaries. Her situation is somewhat different than mine in that I couldn't categorize my family as struggling financially. We never endured many hardships but all families whether headed by a single parent or a two income family must plan well and provide for their children. What a task this must be. I am still single with no children of my own and often cannot figure out how to make my finances work for just me!
Once again I think back to my studies of Ruby Payne and her research on children living in poverty. Families with different sets of priorities based on economic situations must pull from any resources they can find. When a single mom struggles to provide food, shelter, and clothing (the basics) then her focus may not always be on the emotional and academic needs of her child(ren). It is most important to make sure your child has dinner to eat, and reading bedtime stories or taking time to talk and chat about school may take a back seat so to speak. Not to mention the physical strain placed on working class parents. When someone in the family is sick or not feeling well, a doctor's visit may seem too expensive or a burden.
Children like Laurie who may not be provided with all of the care and personal attention may seek it in other places or from other people and school often feels like a safe place with caring people. Laurie sought companionship and love with her friend Nicholas. She acted as a caretaker, perhaps a role in which she feels a sense of control. In her homelife she may not feel like she has much control over what happens.
As Laurie was diagnosed with ADD in Kindergarten I began thinking that this all really does make sense. Why is there an apparent prevalence of kids with ADD or ADHD in our schools these days? These kids existed when I was in elementary school in the 1970s and 1980s but we didn't call it that. I think about the statistics of the number of single parent households and also grandparents trying to raise their grandchildren. Is it any wonder that we have kids who are confused about roles in the family and their role as a child who is expected to behave in school, make great grades, get along with peers, etc. I do not mean to offend any single parents out there. My sister struggled as a single mother not so long ago and I know first hand how my nephew reacted by a divorce and subsequently acted out a bit in school. I felt sorry for him and tried to help my sister and my nephew with my limited knowledge on ADD.
Laurie it seemed truly tried to do the right thing and behave as a "good little girl" in school and be a teacher pleaser. I wonder what was the real root of her anger at home? Was it frustration with her homelife?
I know we all have had students similar to Laurie. I suppose that the best approach I can take it to get to know my students. Ask about their interests and their beliefs. Make them feel important at school. Give them an extra smile and discover their hidden talents and intelligences.

Lisa Outland-
I learned so much from this chapter. I was surprised to see the connection between the home literacy world and the school literacy world being explained so explicitly. Jake truly learned his values concerning literacy at home. What he saw a use for he didn’t have a problem learning. But, if he couldn’t find the everyday practicality in school work, then it was a waste of time. This made so much sense to me and was the missing piece to the puzzle I sometimes have concerning my male students. It also shocked me that his home was full of literature and opportunities for reading, yet this didn’t really carry over to his school world. I think this was mainly because of the attitudes he encountered in each world. His family, especially his grandmother, praised his reading abilities and other abilities. He was so smart. Yet in school, he was a typical kindergartner, then a first and second grader who was struggling. Jake’s story gave me insight concerning some of the boys I have taught in the past, one presently, and many that will come in the future. I realize now I have to find a way to tap into their interests as often as I can to help them succeed. But, this is true with any student. Yes, this will take a lot of hard work and extra planning, but we teach for the children, we owe it to them to do what is needed to help them towards success. I knew boys were different from girls, but it was not until I read Jake’s chapter that I became more aware of how their minds work, where school is concerned. Both children wanted to please their teachers to some degree, but Laurie was all about creating a fantasy world based on the future in her family. Jake also created a fantasy world, but it was based more on past events that he changed so he became the star of the fantasy. But, more importantly, their whole attitude towards school was simply different. Jake seemed a little more standoffish about learning as a whole. Laurie appeared very eager, even with all of her learning differences. Jake is typical of many of the boys I see in kindergarten. If he can touch it and manipulate it, then it has meaning and worth to him. I just wonder how can we bridge the gap between kindergarten and first grade a little better so that the two school worlds aren’t so different. Another interesting two different worlds issue that kept replaying through my head was the part of Jake’s mother wanting him to get a college degree and his father walking through the room mentioning he didn’t need a degree. In school, it has been my experience that we try to plant the seed of more education in our children’s heads. With Jake, it seemed that his mother and school were on the same page with education while his father was on another. How conflicting for a small child. How many children do we teach that also lives through this type of conflict and how can we get them to understand that you have to look at both worlds, not one or the other, or which ever one seems easier?

After reading this chapter, my head began to hurt and my mind just shut down. I could not think anymore and I could not stay awake. This is so heart wrenching. This is how I handle painful situations. I cannot function anymore. The only thing I can do is to pray to God, ask him to be at peace, and tomorrow I can face the obstacle. This reading brought back so many memories. You will find out later on as you read this post. Let’s continue with Laurie.

In Kindergarten, Laurie was an interesting little person. She is bright, very confident, and she is very observant of her home life and tries to replenish her emotional upheaval with the prince, “Nicholas” when she goes to school. I wonder why, some females feel that if you find your prince charming, then all your problems will be resolved when it might just add onto your existing circumstances? It was interesting to see how Laurie was so protective of their relationship at school. By drawing Nicholas into her web, while she was at school, gave Laurie the control to monopolize and consume the relationship, in which she did not possess at home. It seems to me that her observation of the females in her family were the dominant ones in her household. Therefore, she felt that she should be the dominant one too, which ceded into the school environment. Her, I’m in charge attitude and nurturing tendencies because of her experiences at home, transferred into the school environment only isolated her from other experiences in the classroom. She just migrated to Nicholas, because her confidence was not there for her to venture into the unknown or explore other relationships in the classroom. She was exhibiting what she had experienced at home and this is what she thought life was all about. In Hick’s story, she never said anything about the mother or grandmother taking the time to read, write, or instill moral values that would make a difference later on in her life. Its amazing, yet, still it is true, there are people who are struggling to survive. The people in this household struggled to survive financially, emotionally, and physically. Now, I really know the meaning of EXIST. It is a fact that these people in this household exist, however, they do not relate, they do not connect, and the only purpose for them is to survive. We have a lot of Laurie’s on every grade level in our classrooms and in this world. I know, my daughter was a Laurie. She was an emotional Laurie. She was as smart as a whip. She had very good manners, and she was very sociable. However, she was self-fish and domineering. There were not any males present in her life or mine, just as Laurie’s mother and grandmother’s life. My husband was killed in a car accident the same day she was born and my father past away when she was 3 years old. I worked two jobs. She was dropped off in the before and after school care at a daycare center and they would transport her to school. I would then pick her up and drop her off at one of my cousin’s house and I would go to work. Then, I would pick her up at 9:30 at night or sometimes at 10:00; depending on the time I would leave my second job. The store closed at 9:00 and I always had to close the store for the day. I would use my lunch hour on my first job to do my volunteer work at that school. She attended a private school. In attending private school, parents had to volunteer their services one-hour per week as a way of showing parent involvement. One day, I received a letter from the headmaster of that school to attend a conference. I thought it was strange, in regards to that, I knew it was a formal meeting. Remember-- I received a letter. When I met with him, he shared with me all the positives of my daughter. He said, she is a very intelligent young lady in academia. She’s a great speller, enjoys mathematics, science, and all the subject content area of school. However, and that is when my heart dropped. That HOWEVER was like a BUT. He shared with me the emotional behaviors my daughter was exhibiting in the classroom. Then he asked me to share our home life. I shared with him my working schedule and our interactions at home and how we attend church on Sundays and it went on. These are his words, and they still bring chills to my body today. He said and he was very stern and authoritative, “if you want your child to be emotionally stable in society, you MUST quit one of your jobs. You must quit one of your jobs for your child’s emotional well being”. I was speechless and I continued to listen. I could not believe that my child exhibited those behaviors he shared with me. I quietly exited his office, prayed, and took the rest of the day off from work. I did not know what to do. From the headmaster’s conversation, the scenario I envision was that eventually, one day, my daughter might end up being emotionally unstable. I do not know the extinct, but being emotionally unstable is something you do not want for your child. I thought long and hard about our lively hood and the extra money made it comfortable for ME. So, I resigned from my part-time employment and from that point on I promised myself, I would never work two jobs as long as she attended school. Her kindergarten year ended up being a successful and positive one academically and socially.

When I read about Laurie’s experiences in the first grade, I was heartbroken when Hick’s stated that Laurie was learning how to fail. Laurie sounds like one of the little girls in my classroom. I will call her Jane. Jane is the only girl in her family of five. Her mother is divorced and she has four older brothers. Jane came to me from first grade reading on the level of 5/6 at the beginning of second grade. Which is equivalent to a Level C or Kindergarten reading level. She would drop her pencil on the floor, ramble in her desk trying to find something, go to the bathroom and stay as long as someone doesn’t knock on the door, would wonder around the room, and she was the classroom bully. She bullied all the male figures in her presence. I knew Jane did not understand what was going on in class and this was her escape, bringing attention to her behavior to disguise her academia. I scheduled a conference with her mother (dejavue). When we met, I informed her of her daughter behaviors in the classroom in regards to her academics. Then, I asked her about her home life, another one of those “situated histories” we encounter as teachers on a daily basis in the classroom. Jane’s mother shared with me their home situation. Then I asked her, “who is bullying her at home”. Have you ever heard that old saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words?” If you could see the look on that woman’s face, she looked at me as if I had lost my mind. Then, I said, the reason I asked, who was bullying her at home is because she is bullying the boys in the classroom. Jane’s mother disposition dropped and she shared with me how the boys are making her life at home difficult. They are picking on her, teasing her, and slapping her on the head. This is what she was doing to the boys in the classroom. We finally were able to correct her behavior and her final reading assessment score is 21/22. She is not on grade level, however, she has really come a long way from a reading level of 5/6.

Laurie’s year in second grade was much better than first grade. She noticed that students were being rewarded for their good behavior, so she made a decision to do the accepted thing. However, it seems that the roles reversed from school to home. She was good at school and not at home. Her writing at school flourished as she imagined this perfect life in her head when she believed she was getting a “daddy” that would be there forever to solve all of her problems. Then shattered when he left.

These examples are the examples of our children lives that we teach everyday in our classrooms. The “situated histories,” of a little girl trying to survive and to be successful academically and socially is definitely a challenge within itself. We as educators, MUST find a way to make those differences in the student’s lives we teach. We cannot wave any magical wand to make that difference. We possess the necessary tools to educate them. We are teachers; we know what to do in preparing them academically. However, we must show them compassion, loving, kindness, and understanding for them to be successful in the environment in which they resides.

While I did not enjoy reading this chapter as much as the one about Laurie, I could definitely see the connections between home and school and their impact on Jake’s literacy learning very clearly. One of the biggest themes that stuck out to me in this chapter was the fact that Jake’s identity was very much defined by his family. I was upset to read about the differences between his parents’ view of Jake’s future education. I wondered as I read about the interaction between them, when Jake’s mother voiced her hope that Jake would go to college one day and his father’s response that Jake would take over the family business, whether this was an issue of argument often in their home. Either way, this had an immediate impact on Jake and how he viewed himself. I very much believe that students will reach the goals that we show them we believe they can reach. Jake respected his father and his business very much and was definitely shaped by the views of his father regarding his future. Hicks stated, “The stories voiced about us, by those whom we most love and value, shape our identities in ways more powerful than even the most authoritative instructional systems of social regulation.” Jake was very aware of what was expected of him and what his family believed he was able to accomplish.

Another idea that interested me from this chapter was Jake’s success in a program like Writer’s Workshop, in which he was given much freedom and was given resources and instruction that he was comfortable with, versus the more rigid and formal teaching that is used most often in higher elementary grades (second grade and higher). “Writing in Workshop came closer to helping Jake negotiate home and school identities.” Hicks noted, “By second grade, social spaces and practices were more bounded and constrained. Within those bounded practices, Jake’s options were more limited.” I guess I am curious how to best create an environment like the ones he experienced in Kindergarten and first grade as he moves farther up the grade levels into fourth and fifth grade and higher. This is such a difficult task because the concepts become more structured and students need to be taught the “correct” way to do things (ex: grammar, paragraph formats, etc.). I also found it interesting that Jake thought the science kits were “dumb”. My county also uses these kits and I have always found them to be very flexible and hands-on experiences and rarely have seen my students resisting the observations and experiments. In fact, my experience with the science kits has been that they tend to keep students so excited about the things they are seeing and the experiments they are doing, that they often do not realize that they are “working” when they write in their observation notebooks, or fill in charts of information, etc. ~Allison Reese

The first thing that struck me in Chapter 5 was the huge contrast in the way Jake was expected to behave and learn at home versus school. Jake’s parents believed that their children should “learn by doing”. Jake’s home was filled with many different activities that allowed him to move, create, and build. Unfortunately, I realized early in the chapter that these characteristics of home-life would eventually lead to problems in the classroom. In schools, many teachers do not believe in “hands-on” / active engagement. Therefore, I could foresee Jake having huge difficulties sitting in a classroom and working at a desk. As I think about this I definitely see the need for teachers to become more creative and “hands-on” in their classrooms. We need to realize that students have different learning styles. I am not saying that we should cater to Jake and do everything his way. However, with a student like Jake, the only way to reach him may be through hands-on activities.

As I continued to read I began to see the strong role that Jake’s dad played in his life. Jake, one can tell from the get go, truly wants to be just like his dad. This is shown by Jake’s shared interest with his father in carpentry and NASCAR. I also think Jake’s choice of centers (blocks, puzzles) reflects things that his dad would have probably enjoyed as a child. I really enjoyed reading the conversation between Hicks and Jake’s grandmother. Jake’s grandmother truly shed light on the similarities between Jake and his dad. The author states, “These words voiced about Jake echoed themes from his father’s life story: independence, giftedness, as a learner, reluctance to box himself into a single profession.” I actually have to say that I am glad that Jake shared a strong connection to his dad. Unlike Laurie, Jake truly has “good” role models to look up to and model after.

When reading about Kindergarten I was glad to see that Jake was able to start school in a centers based classroom. This classroom provided a good initial transfer form home-life into school. Jake, at times, was able to select the activities that he wanted to do. My only problem with Jake was his refusal to complete many school literacy practices in an appropriate manner. It bothered me when his teacher stated, “He’s always on task; it just might not be your task.” Although I am all for Jake having time to complete hands-on activities, there comes a time when you have to do things that you do not want to do. I did not like the fact that he would blatantly refuse to complete some tasks. As a teacher, I would have probably tried to use Jake’s centers time as an “incentive” to get him to complete his other work as well. I wonder if this is a bad idea. I’ve never taught Kindergarten, so what would be the best way to correct this behavior?

As first grade began I was very interested in Jake’s desire to be “good”. Just like Laurie, Jake realized that being “good” would help his standing in the classroom. As I read about his changed behavior at home, I wondered if this was coming from the fact that he was now trying to be calm and subdued at school. Jake was a very “active” child. He had to get his activeness out somewhere and the only appropriate place for him now was at home. Continuing into first grade, I saw the same problems with Jake that I saw with Laurie. This first grade teacher also strictly adhered to the 1st grade Anthology. Due to this fact, Jake could not read stories with the rest of his peers. Just like with Laurie, I wondered why this teacher did not differentiate instruction for Jake. I also became concerned with the fact that the teacher did not try to connect Jake’s interests with his reading. I know from personal experiences that there are many great books out there related to NASCAR and things that Jake was truly interested in. Why were no connections made for Jake? Jake only responded to things that seemed important and valuable to him. Therefore, I really feel that the 1st grade teacher should have made more of an effort to connect Jake’s interests with his learning!

For all of the first grade teachers out there I am now beginning to wonder about how 1st grade is taught. I realize that 1st grade is tough because the students are for the first time truly beginning to read; however, should reading be taught with just the anthology? I truly feel that Laurie and Jake both had huge issues transitioning from K to 1st. Does this happen with most children? What do you do to make the transition easier?

Once again Jake’s second grade year proves more successful just like Laurie’s. As I had hoped, Jake’s second grade teacher provides more freedom in his book choices. However the following comments made by Hicks truly worried me: “Overall, however, I’m seeing Jake position himself outside the culture of formal schooling, both physically and emotionally unless he can connect it immediately to the worlds he most values.” Once again we see that the teacher needs to find ways to connect Jake’s interests to school. Although this can’t be done for everything, one wonders if a little effort by the teacher to include Jake’s interests might engage him more in the classroom. I truly felt sorry for Jake because he was caught between being valued as “highly gifted” at home and “below grade-level” at school. No wonder he didn’t want to participate. I wish that Jake’s teachers had allowed him to experience success at school. If he had been successful, he might have found school more valuable and worthwhile. Hick’s sums up Jake best when she states: To bring about critical change that we, as teachers, demanded of him, educational practices would have to be at least partly situated in the life worlds that Jake so strongly valued.”

Boyhood Stories and Practices (Chapter 5)- Laura Wollpert

As I read Jake’s story, I wonder how he will proceed in school. It seems that Hicks writes a prescription for his education that would allow the best possible chance for Jake to be able grow, value and interact with educational practices. She prescribes, “For Jake to engage with the kinds of literacy practices valued by school, he would have to see a space for the things he most valued. Instruction that allowed for movement between practices would for Jake require that his self-reliance, preference for three-dimensional symbolic activities, and valuing of embodied action be valued aspects of school.”

First, why weren’t Jake’s educational preferences taken into account? Another thought which of course would have been out the question is the Montessori system where the educational needs and interests of the child are considered when writing an education prescription. I guess what is frustrating about Jake’s story is it is very clear how to connect with Jake. I have a colleague that is suffering from something very similar. Her son is very gifted, but he is unwilling to engage in activities that do not interest him. He very interested in nonfiction books, history, biology, etc. In fact my colleague was tutored by her fourth grader when she took college level biology. The boy’s teacher will not allow for any alternative approaches to be used with him. It is the traditional way or no way. Why isn’t there room for different learning styles? In many cases the traditional methods work, but in the cases where they do not, and there is a clear path that will work why not go for it? In the case of Laurie, her educational prescription was not clear as it was for Jake. It sounds like he will most likely follow his father’s path.

After reading further, it becomes apparent that Jake’s father does not value education for the sake of being educated. This is fine for him because he has found what he wants to do, but he is instilling his educational believes in Jake. Jake’s mother mentions college, but Jake’s father steps in and says that Jake will take over the family business. This is fine if this is what Jake wants to do and as long there is a need for this type of business, but what happens if there is no longer a need and Jake is left with out a business. His father is not allowing Jake the opportunity to explore or develop other areas of interest. Jake's mother seemed genuinely concerned about Jake's education. What will happen to Jake?

My oldest sister is suffering right now because she was laid off and is competing for jobs with people who have college degrees. Her skills are obsolete and with no degree she unemployable at least to the degree she was prior to being laid off.

Working in a community college setting, I see students’ everyday that did not learn the necessary skills in high school to take college level courses. Many of these students are required to take many semesters of developmental courses before they can proceed. Somewhere there is a lack of connection, and I think this book pinpoints the problem, but the solution is not an easy one.

I hope more research is devoted to this problem. I am sure there were other students in Jake’s class that suffered from the same problem as he grew up in a working class community. It is apparent that Jake has great potential. Hopefully someone will reach Jake to help him engage in school.

At the beginning of the chapter, Jake appears to be a typical boy found in an elementary classroom at my school. He is eager to please his teachers and seems to enjoy learning new things. He learned to “work the system” and adheres to classroom and school rules on a regular basis. I always find it interesting to hear at parent conferences how different a child is at home than at school. Jake seems to be much more boisterous at home than school. I don’t know how you raise children to be so aware of their own surroundings and be able to follow rules in public and not as much at home. I know this is a common occurrence. It just reminds you of how smart children really are. As the chapter progressed, Jake’s frustration with school emerged. The gap between home and school is getting larger and larger.

Jake is emerging as a reader at home and is being encouraged to following in his father’s footsteps. He is eager to please his parents and seems interested in similar subject matter. It is interesting how his parents perceive him as a student. They see him as a good reader and the school is noticing his weaknesses. Jake is engaged when the subject matter deals with what he is interested in. His parents’ opinions of higher education differ greatly. Jake is hearing all of the conversations and is forming an opinion quickly about school – he dislikes it.

I really felt sorry for Jake when his NASCAR miniature was confiscated. I know all teachers have to take toys away from children and I have to do it on a regular basis, but seeing this from Jake’s point of view makes me stop and think. Jake’s entire attitude about his school work changed when his teacher took away his toy. I know why she took and it and understand that, but when you actually see how important the object is to Jake, it makes me wonder, should we as teachers at least be open to the opportunity to see why the child has to toy on their desk? Jake’s teacher could have allowed Jake to use the toy for the assignment and then had him place it in his book bag for the rest of the day. This way, her academic day was not hindered and Jake’s school work was encouraged. We as teachers have no idea how important a seemingly meaningless object is to a kid. By taking away Jake’s car, his teacher stifled Jake’s creativity and excitement for the assignment.

Home-School connections need to be made in all classrooms. We as teachers need to learn what motivates our students and encourages them to learn. Our classrooms will benefit from the extra effort we put forth to see what entices our children to master new subject matter. Students need to feel a sense of belonging and comfort as soon as they enter the classroom door. Laurie and Jake both needed (as all children do) a method of instruction that allows them to accept their identity as a student, friend and community member. These children need to be encouraged. We as teachers have classrooms full of Lauries and Jakes every year. We can shift our instruction to meet their needs and reap the benefits from their enthusiasm.

Beth Rigsbee

Jake reminded me of many boys in my classroom. He was interested in the things that he could relate to and uninterested in school and literacy practices. I think this is true of boys from all different classes, but i can see where it really affects boys from working-class families. Boys, in general, seem to be less interested in reading and writing. How can we, as teachers, make literacy more appealing to boys? Like Mrs. Hicks stated at the beginning of the chapter, most teachers are women, who seem to struggle relating with boys. She definitely had more of a connection with Laurie, and i know that in the past, i've had many connections with the girls in my classes, but fewer with the boys. I think that it is actually one of the greatest challenges of teaching.....How do women teachers make a true connection with boys in their classrooms? It's necessary in order for the boys to learn to their full potential.

Jake did well in kindergarten. He was able to move around the classroom and make choices as to what he wanted to participate in. I noticed that he rarely chose the writing corner, unlike Laurie. Once moving on into first grade, Jake began to struggle with school practices. He had to learn what the teacher told him to learn, whether it interested him or not. It was almost as if the teacher implied that what he wanted to learn, was not important. Once again, the first grade teacher did not individualize reading instruction. Did the administrators at this school not notice that children were falling behind in this first grade classroom?? Why wasn't anything done about it? Obviously, the reading series was not working for all of the children. I'm just glad that the kids had a great 2nd grade teacher to move onto.

I really felt that Mrs. Williams did as much as she could to get the kids interested in learning. I was baffled that Jake didn't like the science experiment. Well, he liked the experiment but not the work to go along with it.

Soap Box: (Sorry) This happens to me all of the time. I come up with a great, engaging lesson, yet i hear small complaints when it comes down to the nitty-gritty work that goes along with it. I know that some kids, like Jake, think that some writing work is pointless and useless, but how else are they going to learn to express their feelings in writing, if they don't get the chance to try? Sometimes i feel that teachers can only do so much, then it's up to the kids to take over. I don't know, i guess i just sympathized with Mrs. Williams, a little more than Jake at that point. Like Mrs. Hicks suggests on page 134, how can teachers make this constant connecting happen in a real-life , complex situation? There are about 20 kids in a typical classroom. There is NO possible way a teacher could hit on everyone's interests all of the time. A good teacher tries to incorporate as many interests as possible into her lessons, as many times as possible a day. I've always hoped that if i atleast hit on everyone's interests atleast once a day, i was doing good. I guess i'm just frustrated. Any suggestions?

I think the best idea of the book is the writers workshop notebook. I'm going to incorporate it this coming year into my classroom. I never realized how important of a tool it could be for some kids, especially working-class children. Atleast in that one spot, they get to express their true identities and feelings, and dreams. Overall, this chapter opened my eyes to some things i hadn't thought about before. I never realized the impact of class until learning about Jake and Laurie, even though i think many kids go through issues of some kind, no matter the class. My mind is racing with thoughts of how i can improve my teaching, and become more sensitive to gender, race, and class,.....which is hopefully the point of this course.

Hmmm. Well I left very frustrated by this chapter and have somewhat of a sense of hopelessness. It seems once again we as teachers lose a battle to a student's homelife. I was confused at the portion of the chapter that said Jake learned to "do school" when it came to the point where he won the ABC student award. He was able to adhere to expectations in that school setting, so why couldn't he do that at home? This made me start to realize there were never expectations for school and education set by Jake's family at home. No one seemed to "make" him do anything due to the parenting philosophy of Jake's mother that children need to learn from their mistakes. Yes the parents read to Jake and involved literacy in their day to day tasks, but there was no standard for literacy learning at home. This is probably due to the fact that Jake does come from a working class family, but still it seems the blame was being put on the teachers and not Jake's family context.

Yes, there are things teachers can do. Jake was only interested in doing activities at school that interested him. Kindergarten somewhat worked for Jake because he was allowed to do what he wanted to do. Isn't there a lesson here that needs to be taught that the world doesn't always allow you do to what you want to? It is obvious that Jake comes from a home where the family has different ideals, but I am still just stumped by this situation. At the end of the chapter Hicks speaks that schools need to change for the Jakes and Lauries to feel they belong at school. So I would like to ask her, what more can we do? We can continue to try day in and day out to make our lessons culturally relevant. We can attempt to show children the significance of education. We can provide them a loving and caring environment and have an open mind when it comes to their histories and home lifes. But within the school setting now, what can be done?

Resistance and tuning out became a safer route for Jake. He was obviously a product of his enviornment and embraced many of the same values of his father. Hicks states that "for Jake to engage with the kinds of literacy practices valed by school, he would have to see a space for the things he most valued". She then stated that responsive school for Jake would be an acknowledgment of his identity a sa member of a blue collar family with particular expressoins of masculinity and that in his first and second grade years that did not occur. The writers notebook activities seemed to work for Jake, other activities that did not involved his interests did not work. At some point kids have to meet us halfway. What seemed missing here was that Jake was not open to valuing anything else besides want valued to him. It is then our job as teachers to only teach them about what they value? Isn't school a place for learning new ideas and having new experiences? What are we then to do?

So I am stuck at the end of this chapters. Yes Jake's behaviors make sense do to the context of his family life, but now what? I would have been interested to see if the teachers made an effort to get to know Jake personally, and perhaps have a conversation with him about the importance of school, ect, but really I am just stuck. Does anyone have any ideas of where we go from here with Jake?

As a Kindergarten teacher I have had the experience of teaching children like Jake. First of all, I would like to mention that if Jake were in my class he and I could discuss all of the NASCAR drivers and the interest that we both have in the sport! Many of my current students have family who work for NASCAR teams. I have tried to make a conscious effort to find a personal connection with each child and their parents. It could be a shared interest, a common friend, etc. This is important to me. I understand that it becomes a problem when teachers want to be "good buddies" with their students and not the role of teacher more seriously.
Jake came from an honest hard-working family. In the eyes of his parents and grandparents he was reading well because the context that was set for reading at home was agreeable for Jake. As an example, Jake was able to read the decals and words on his racecar models, just as some children can read restaurant signs or other familiar types of environmental print.
When Jake began to feel somewhat frustrated by first grade, it was of no surprise to me. I have tried many times to explain to parents of first graders (I taught first grade for six years) that reading can have several purposes and the classroom reading practices are most often very different from reading casually at home. Both are very important in a child's literacy development. Children should encounter parents reading at home and should also understand that there is more to reading than just decoding. That is only the beginning!
Parents should begin to understand that teachers in K-2 have a responsibility to teach concepts of print, phonemic awareness, decoding skills, comprehension strategies, literary genres and much much more. So when a parent describes their child as a competent reader at home, or shares that their child is reading at a certain grade level, or that their child is most definetly "gifted" I have tried to tactfully explain that reading instruction is not just reading a story and answering a few questions.
Children like Jake may resist some activities in first or second grade when the stakes are higher and expectations are different than Kindergarten where there is often more freedom of choice and a sense of independent learning. Reading which was once view as an enjoyable low risk, non-stressful task when adult help and guidance is nearby, may evolve into an activity where the child feels anxiety and confusion about the reading experience. In the case of Jake, he must be carefully nurtured and taught to understand that reading and language practices at home are most certainly different than reading and writing at school. Direct instruction should reflect the differences among our students. Again, we must keep in mind that we teach children using the SCOS as our guide.

Initially in reading this chapter I started to compare Jake and Laurie. I began to wonder what it was about first grade for both of these kids that caused them such struggle? As a first grade teacher I thought about the structure and agenda of a first grade classroom The L.A. curriculum is extremely heavy in comparison to other grades. This is the year when the foundation for spelling, reading and writing is laid. This is also the year that expectations for reading progress is greatest and that is our primary focus making it difficult to allow for more freedom.
I noticed that in neither the case of Laurie or Jake did we have evidence of class make-up (i.e. size, gender ratio, ethnicity or special needs). So we are missing part of the total picture.
I believe that as teachers we encounter Jakes and Lauries every year. While it is true that our politics drive the hope for middle class conformity we know that our classes are filled with all types of children and learning styles. I noted that this book was published in 2002 with the research having taken place prior to that. Today's hot educational topic of differentiated instruction and its benefits appear to be more supported by the everchanging students we encounter.
I agree to an extent with the author's push for instruction more suited to Jake and I believe that a more flexible classroom and differentiated instructional tasks that he could choose from would have helped him (and others) to merge their two conflicting worlds. However, I believe that without some "buy in" from Jake regarding the need and use of these tasks he would continue to consider them "stupid" and use his stall tactics. This being due to the heavy influence of his male role models who appear successful in their own world which we cannot change.
What I get from this is that as teachers we must strive to fine tune our instruction to accomodate all students and their learning styles. But most of all we need to set a purpose for these tasks and connect them to their lives (world) to generate that "buy in" so they make the choice to conform.
n no way is this going to be easy, but I would hope that in doing so we can instill a sense of belonging for those students and begin to create that hybrid space Ms. Hicks wrote about.

Although Jake's story had its share of disappointment, I didn't find this chapter to be as discouraging as the 4th chapter (Laurie's story). I was encouraged by the caring, nurturing aspects of Jake's home life. Although his mother and father didn't adhere to a strict definition of formal education, they did value reading and learning. I've had much interaction with parents, working class AND middle class, who insist to me (usually at the beginning of the school year) how well their child reads or how clever their child is. Often these parents are correct in assessing their child's eagerness to learn or love of reading; these parents want the best education for their child. Perhaps they are unaware of the institutional aspects of literacy learning. They are focused on the practical aspects of learning, much like Jake's father. Jake was becoming the learner that his father envisioned, a practical learner. Unlike the traditional literacy education experts who view literacy education as a process of moving children FROM their home practices TO more formal textual practices, Jake's father merely hoped that Jake would be academically succesful enough to assume the family business. Is that an insignificant or insufficient goal for Jake? Do we, as a society, believe that all students must attain a certain level of formal education that includes what we once described as "college bound"? I do not mean to suggest that we label students or lower our expectations. Many students mature late and excel beyond their parents' expectations as they enter/complete high school. I merely suggest that we, educators, humbly respect the parents' insight regarding their student. Jake's successes and failures were related to his strong connection to his father and to the values (class and gender) values that father embodied.

How sad that Jake's worlds (school and home) became more and more disparate as he progressed to 2nd and 3rd grade. Yes, he excelled when he was allowed the freedom to choose and when the classroom teacher's practices more closely mirrored the freedom of home. Does this suggest that a classroom teacher must adjust her practices to "suit" her students? Or does this suggest that the classroom teacher must be aware of her student's home lives and be open to modifications where certain students are concerned? How do we as educators help broach that divide between "institutional practices of schooling and working-class values" (p. 99)? Hicks certainly attempted unsuccessfully to do just that. Can a sole practitioner (educator) accomplish such a task without the support of the entire body (of educators)? Hicks did manage to open up a dialogue with Jake and his family. How do we further that sort of dialogue into active practices that benefit the working-class (or even poverty-level) student? I don't have answers; I just have questions, even more than when I first began this class! I do believe, however, that the answer does lie in dialogue! My personal experience is that a willingness to LISTEN to parents and to students often allows for improved trust and an improved learning environment for student and teacher. I especially liked the statement Hicks made at the very end of the chapter (p.135) in support of courageous educators who brave the status quo to find alternative ("creative") means of "helping students negotiate boundaries of race, class, ethnicity, and gender." She points to schools that have attempted to become what she calls "hybrid" spaces. Hicks points out that the most important, most effective, way to begin to bridge the cultural, gender, class divide has nothing to do with methods of instruction but with the ability to initiate a dialogue with the community members (parents, grandparents, students, etc.).

I truly believe that inclusion usully breeds success; classrooms seem to work most efficiently when teachers are empowered (respected and allowed to be creative) and students are empowered (respected and allowed to be authentic). Sadly, my experiences this year can not be described by the above statement. I honestly believe that the strict compliance that was required of me and my students to specific and very narrow, test-driven (formal) instructional methods and strategies actually had a detrimental effect on the learning that was experienced in my classroom. I think that my students, like Jake, couldn't see the relevance of those learning strategies. Like Jake, they thought it was "stupid." I take hope in the encouragement Hicks offers us (educators) if we will bravely follow our hearts and seek alternative practices that speak to us and to our students.
Betsy Baldwin

i just dont understand these teachers that are teaching "programs" and not children. jake is such in independent child...with so many great qualities and interests. he has a great imagination. his family places value on reading...they are all readers. by the first grade he was already defeated enough to say that he could not read! at home he was making literacy connections...with the spiders and charlotte...but in school, there were no connections. i bet that did not make much sense to this young boy. it seems as if his second grade teacher was a better fit for jake but was this teacher too little too late? and if nascar was something that he and his family placed value on, why was his car taken away from him? in kindergarten i get many many toys and lipsticks and you name it in my classroom. children love to bring things from home. they bring their treasures to school when you dont ask for them...thats what children do. but i never take them from the children. i make a time for them to show what they have brought from home, but i never take them! i even ask them to bring items from time to time that they can write about in writers workshop. five year olds love to write about things they have at home! perhaps jakes teacher could have asked him to bring some of his cars to write about...use his imagination with.

since jake was so great at fixing things, wouldnt it be great to ask his dad to come in and explain his job...community helper? could you just see jake's eyes light up if he had the opportunity to tell his friends what he wanted to do when he grew up. and what about opening his eyes even farther...books about people who design buildings, cars....those who design the nascar logos? there are so many things that could really make jake dream.

and what is with this first grade teacher that doesnt have leveled books for all her children? shes teaching a program and this program does not fit all her children...where are the guided reading leveled texts? not all children fit into this first grade teachers "average" mold. what about all the other children that fall short of this programs expectations? ignore them because the teachers manual stated that they should be able to read the books provided?

i found jake to be such a bright and unique child...this was a heartbreaking story. all "jakes" are fascinating right-brained children!

donna byrd-wyatt

Jake reminds me of so many children we encounter in schools today. The conflict between school and home life can create conflict for any child. As I began reading, Jake appears to be a typical child from a typical working-class family who wanted the best for their child. The way in which they raised Jake was the way they felt was best based on their understanding and values; however, this sometimes is in contrast to what schools perceive as appropriate or correct. The way in which Jake’s family raised him was good for their family, but it made schooling a little difficult for Jake because what was valued at school was not valued at home and vice versa in his opinion. In order for Jake to value what was being taught at school he had to see its relevance to his life. Hicks’ states on page 104, “Sustaining interest in an activity also required that the task make sense. A task had to be something that needed to get done.” It was hard for Jake to see the relevance in many literacy activities he was asked to complete and this caused some gaps in his learning. Honestly, we can try many different strategies and tactics to get children to see the relevance in activities and lessons, but they will not always see how the knowledge will help them in the future. Yes, we still must try to make connections with children so they can see the relevance and learn what we are teaching, but we have to remember that not everyone will connect to everything. I am not saying that we should not try to get children to see the connections. We must make them aware that not everything may connect to their lives now, but somewhere down the road, the skills may be needed and there are things we just have to know and learn. I think we need to try to do activities based on students’ interest to engage them in what we are teaching. In earlier grades, it is much easier to do, but in all grades it is needed.

Although Jake did not always participate, as he should in kindergarten he was relatively successful because of the structure of kindergarten. He is a child that needs to move around and manipulate objects to learn. Reading the observations Hicks made of her work with him made me think a little more about the difference learning styles. Jake appears to be a kinesthic learner which means he learns best through movement and hands on activities. However, if teachers are not aware of this or not willing to allow for those differences it may cause conflict between the teacher and child. There is a big difference between the structure of kindergarten and first grade that I do not feel parents are fully aware. This is where children who are borderline began to become at risk of becoming a struggling reader. I found it interesting how the author spoke about Jake knowing how to “do school”. Many children have learned this and unfortunately, this will not always sustain them. Most will eventually get tired of “doing school” and begin to express their true feelings. I think Jake’s family could have made of difference in how he valued school and literacy practices at school. If I am not mistaken when Hicks or Jake’s teacher explained to his family what was going on with him at school I do not recall his family speaking with him or trying to show him the importance of participating in the activities at school. I believe that if they would have, Jake may have been more willing to change his attitude and work harder. This may not have happened, but this is just my opinion. Jake valued his family and what they thought and what his parents say about school or learning can influence their decisions at school. Many children feel this way. On page 123, it says “The stories voiced about us, by those whom we most love and value, shape our identities in ways more powerful than even the most authoritative institutional systems of social regulation.” I feel also the stories voiced to us by those we love shape who we are and how we perform. Jake’s family felt he was very intelligent because of the things he was able to do at home. I have no doubt that he is very intelligent and possibly has high nonverbal or perceptual reasoning skills, but what children do at home is not like the literacy practices children receive at school. When parents are told their children are struggling or at risk, they cannot understand why because at home they see that their child is developing well in their opinion.

I thought it was good how Jake’s family were avid readers and provided him with many literacy experiences and books at home. Most of the children that attend the school were I work do not have much print at home and only own a few books. I was glad to read that his family valued reading. You would think with them being avid readers and with the resources available at home that Jake would have performed better in school as it relates to literacy, but Jake did not see the value of what he was reading at school and therefore was unable to make the connection and continue to develop his literacy skills.

As with Laurie I wonder how Jake is doing. Will he finish school or follow in his father and leave school? Will he take over the family business or go to college? Will his views of school change early enough for him to get the help he needs before it is too late? It would be interesting to find out.

There are a lot of children in our schools who are just like Jake. The educatonal needs of these children are being neglected, and as a result, they are falling through the cracks and falling further and further behind. I think teachers are placed in an unfair predicament in which they are expected to produce students who are able to achieve the exact same goals regardless of whether or not all of the children are ready to achieve those goals. Everything I've read in this chapter highlights the fact that all children are not the same. They come from different backgrounds, have different interests and values, and learn at a rate and in a style that is unique and dependent on their developmental readiness for a given concept or skill. Children are not robots that can be programmed to think the same, learn the same, and respond the same whan faced with an educational objective. I wish the government would demonstrate an understanding of this truth and stop forcing curriculums on the primary grade student population that in many cases are more harmful than helpful.

The primary grades are a critical time in shaping children's attitudes about literacy and their feelings about themselves as learners in a school setting. Teachers need to respect and carefully handle the values from home that children bring to school with them, tie these values to school literacy practices, and help children realize school literacy practices are valuable tools they will need in life. For example in Jake's case, "Sustaining interest in an activity also required that the task make sense. A task had to be something that needed to be done. Otherwise, as Jake would sometimes later voice about school activities, it was just plain 'stupid'."

I agree that most children I have encountered in the classroom comply with what I expect them to do in class. However, every year I have at least one student (sometimes more) who, like Jake, resists the instructional goals that I try to achieve with him/her. After reading Jake's story, I feel that I will have the knowledge of what to do to try to reach children like this. Whatever I do, I need to make sure that I do not dismiss the values the child brings from home, but find ways to use the values of home as a bridge to connect, in a meaningful way, the child with the skills I want him to acquire in school.

Also, every year I have chldren, like Jake, who can't keep up with the pace of learning. "I approached him and asked whether or not he could find a book that he could read from the classroom collection of books. He responded, 'I don't know how to read any of them'...Many of the midyear selections in the school's first grade anthology series were beyond Jake's reading abilities." No wonder Jake is described as being "disengaged and frustrated" in school and looks forward to the time he can go home again and feel like he is king of the hill.

Our system of educating children needs to change. It works for some but not for all. I think the problem is that we are pushing too much too fast on our kids. Many children are able to float and swim in such a system, but on the other hand, there are also too many who are drowning.

Vickie Howell

Wow! What a chapter! I thought of many situations from my teaching experience as I read this research.

As I read about Jake in kindergarten, I could see how he would do well. Jake had the opportunity to move freely. I teach kindergarten and that's one nice thing about teaching kindergarten. Kindergarten has movement and children are learning social skills through work and play. It is a good transition from home to school because children can experience practices that are similar to home. For example, some of the centers I have in my classroom are homeliving, blocks, writing and art. When I taught preschool one year, I had a girl carrying on a conversation on the play telephone in the homeliving center. She was engaged in meaningful conversation. I learned so much from listening to her, especially, about her home life. She experienced talking on the telephone at home or either listening to her mom talk on the telephone and I believe this made her feel comfortable in her school setting. We are fortunate as kindergarten and preschool teachers to have this type of environment for these children. In kindergarten, "text is connected to the three-dimensional objects" (p.99) for the most part. I could see how it would be difficult for a child like Jake moving up through grades. In our schools today, you don't always find this type of environment as you move through upper grades. It seems that children in first grade and higher are often seated and doing paper and pencil. I'm not saying that all teachers run their classrooms like this because I have seen the exception. We have a second grade teacher at our school, for example, who sings or chants something they've learned at the end of the day.

I found it it interesting that Jake's mother's philosophy was that children need to learn from their mistakes. That would have not been my mother's philosophy. My mother would have agreed that you learn from mistakes but would have taught me or warned me that if I did certain thing that something could happen. She wouldn't have let me stand there and get hit by a bat, for example. It is very helpful to read this research to know that just because my philosophy of teaching and learning may be one way that it doesn't mean that the parents in my classroom have the same philosophy.

As I read about Jake needing to have a task that made sense or a task that needed to be done, it made me reflect on the boys that I've had in my classrooms. Have I not had these boys participating in tasks that made sense to them? Maybe not because I have had boys call things stupid or dumb. I will be more aware of this in the future. My question is, "If you're a first or second grade teacher, how do you make the curriculum to where these boys have tasks that make sense and help them progress in academics?" I know hands-on activities and learning centers can be incorporated into these grades, also. Would this be enough for Jake?

I feel like some of my students this year wil be like Jake because "there was space for Jake to interact with school literacy practices on his own terms" (p.113) in kindergarten. When he got to first and second grade the curriculum was more formal and demanding. I believe my children got along fine in kindergarten since they could move freely and felt comfortable with the environment. When they get to first grade they may not have that type of environment. Even in kindergarten, there are times that are more structured with teaching and at times my students could not sit still for long.

I really felt for Jake as he went on to first grade and began to struggle academically. What was the answer for Jake? It seemed when he was interested in something, he would participate. For example, when Mrs. Williams talked about the construction of heating and air conditioning systems he participated.

The tiny car incident makes sense. Hicks said that she believed that the tiny car was a connect point. I strongly believe that, too. I went to a workshop once that the presenter's background was in the area of exceptional children. She was talking about some children have a difficult time when they don't have something in their hand. For example, she said they could hold a ball,etc. I don't have a problem with this but when I've tried something like this it is so difficult to explain to the other students why this child is holding an object. This reminded me of Jake with the car in front of him. I know Jake's teacher took it because she felt like it didn't lead him toward writing. What about if it disrupts the other students? Any suggestions of ideas?

I would hope that teachers wouldn't want their students to feel like outsiders. We as teachers need to make every effort that this does not happen. As Jake's dad said, we need to find ways to connect our students' interests to their academics. We still have to teach the SCOS but I believe we can be creative in some areas to make this connection.

Boyhood Stories
Written by Heather Holland

Jake’s learning style is definitely body- kinesthetic. He loves to engage in meaningful tasks that require using mainly his gross-motor skills, along with some fine-motor skills. He reminds me of one of my students from years ago. My student, I’ll call him Mark, was just like him! His learning styles, favorite centers, and after school activities were so similar to Jake’s. Mark was not very interested in reading or writing. He liked doing things that required movement, working with his hands, making things, and even story telling. His interests outside of school were all “boy things”; similar to how Deborah Hicks explained it. He was talented and gifted in many areas. His favorite activity at school in the second grade was creating symmetric and congruent shapes from pattern blocks during free choice center time. He never ceased to amaze me with his creativity and designs. Like Jake, he spent many hours, evenings, and weekends with his dad. They had a farm, not as an occupation but, as a hobby. They had horses, cows, chickens, hens, etc. One summer, they spent thee-fourths of their free time putting up fencing around their fields for their cows and horses. This was an activity that even mom helped out with. Their family valued working with their hands and getting dirty. Mark’s father did not attend college, but acquired a specific trade. From speaking with his family, his Mom and Dad never really expected Mark to attend college because they believed he could make something out of himself by using one of his many talents. As the years passed, I thought about their comments about Mark’s education and future. The more I have thought about it, the more I think he would probably be very successful finding a trade or an art, and using his hands. He is very talented and college may not be “his thing”. Jake’s family’s values were more geared towards “doing” rather than “learning”, too. I think they valued learning, but they more so valued skill and manual labor/work. They supported Jake, gave him a stable home-life, and encouraged him to succeed, but because Jake was from a working-class family, his parents did not push academics. They admitted that Jake’s father did very well because he read and taught himself many skills. They did not attribute his success to an institution’s education. He was merely self-educated. Because of this, his family valued literacy and learning, but they also thought it was something that could be self-taught. Does Jake think the same things? –Probably. I think in working-class families, children tend to place more value on learning to “do” rather than a formal education. They often believe that learning a skill or trade will help them succeed. While this is true, it is not the only way. Finishing high school and going to college is also very important, especially in today’s society, since so many jobs require a “formal education”.

Now I would like to comment about Jake’s “Star of the Week” award in first grade. This scenario reminds me of an article that I read in my undergraduate work about social classes. Here is an excerpt from chapter 5:

“At the close of Jake’s Star of the Week session, Jake’s first-grade teacher, Mrs. Rhodes, articulated the behaviors that would lead to getting the award: somebody who follows the ABC rules, does a good job, and always does his or her work nicely.”

Is it true that schools in different socio-economic settings expect different things from their students? Here is what I read about at Baldwin-Wallace College: (I am sorry that I cannot recall the source. If it was during the school year, I could have looked the article up in my college notebook that is in my classroom). Schools that are from a working class economic setting often require their students to complete tasks, follow directions, complete worksheets, and do not regularly question why, and be a “good girl or boy”. School from higher-socio-economic settings, generally teach their students how to collaborate, work together, discuss topics, question things, infer and add their opinions. Not much emphasis is placed on completing menial tasks or worksheets. More emphasis is placed on discovery.

In a nut shell, the article points out that often times “working-class” schools teach the children how to be working-class: follow orders, be a good kid/worker, do the tasks at hand to completion and do them well. Does this make you think of the job settings their “working-class” parents are working in? In “upper-class” schools, children are taught to think for themselves, be leaders, forge ahead, discover, and create new ideas. Does this remind you of the job settings their “upper-class” parents are working in?

My point is… society sometimes inadvertently tracks children. Keeping them or sustaining them where they are. How can we, as teachers, be sure that this does not happen in our classrooms? I must challenge all teachers, to treat all children the same, regardless of their socio-economic level. Let’s create “thinkers”, not “doers”.

Heather Holland

Even in my limited two years of teaching I have seen a few Jakes. Watching these children fall through the cracks is not my idea of a happy time. Why can’t we help these kids? Because we are expected to help them learn no matter what the circumstances. They have no food to eat when they get home, no warm clothes for the winter, no heat when it’s cold, and who knows what else these kids have to go through on a daily basis that we couldn’t even imagine. I have heard and read in some different reliable sources that when the “No Child Left Behind Act” was being created it was a group of politicians, political leaders, and others that created it. Very few if any real educators were involved in creating this very important legislation. No child is the same so why does the government insist on trying to make us teach them all the same way?
Bringing in the Special Education side of the story here I would like to say that I can relate my experiences with students not caring about meeting their goals that we set for them. Each year new goals are set and we expect to see more than a year’s growth in a year’s time for students who have learning disabilities. Now I am not a math teacher but that equation doesn’t add up. My students get tired of trying to reach their goals when they are so far out of reach. I am not saying it can’t or hasn’t been done but in most cases there isn’t the amount of one on one time, resources, or funds to help a child with a learning disability who is already a year or more behind, catch up to his or her peers in a years time. But many of the students do try to live up to standards expected of them and I would hate to think that I pushed my own valued expectations onto them. One example from the rural area that I live in would be the students who live on farms and have a good job lined up once they are out of high school on that farm. When they ask why they should further their education when they can make a good living doing what they already know and love, what am I supposed to say. Why does a student like that need to know why Shakespeare wrote sonnets? I keep saying this but I think I will say it again because I still don’t know what to do about it. There are so many flaws in the education system; can anyone see us ever pulling out with something we can be satisfied with? I don’t know. I just think that the Jakes in the world deserve better.
~Kristen Billings

In this chapter of boyhood stories, Hicks researches the social discources between home and school in the life of a boy named Jake. Her research begin with a study of Jake in Kindergarten and ended at the end of second grade. Unlike Laurie's family, I was very proud of Jake's family for using Hicks research to discover why he was having difficulities in school. Jake, a boy that sits in the back and doesn't want to participate in class activities, is so typical of many of the students in our classrooms. They want it their way. Students who are active, as Jake is, seem to excell when the classroom presents a feeling of openness to choose and move to different activities.

Jake's identity with a boyhood just like his fathers, reminds me of my son. Jake's dad was a gifted carpenter as my husband is, but not professional, just for home jobs. My son sees his dad trimming bushes, cutting trees down, mowing, weeding, fixing a ceiling on our screened in porch, and rebuilding the walls at our new lake house that had molded and become extremely rotten. Like Jake, my son has power tools, a weed eater, lawnmower, and a workbench with all the tools he need for building, which are all toys by the way. My son, Jacob, is only two but plays will all of these things. When we were at the lake this past weekend, he heard a chain saw and said, "Daddy's here". Daddy wan't at the lake , but Jacob has learned to identify the chainsaw sound with his dad since he has uses his chainsaw at the lake to remodel our lake house. Jacob loves to play at his workbench and carry his drill around drilling everthing. "I'm building", he says.

Just like Jake's dad, my husband has a collection of NASCAR and John Deere tracotors. This is Jacob's other love. He loves playing with cars and putting trailers on tractors. I use toy cars in many of my Kindergarten lessons. My students have had games where they drive the car to the number I call out, allowing them to learn to identify numbers. I also had a syllable game this year where the students had to drive the cars down the road to the correct number of syllables on the race track board. My students love these kinds of games and I see in depth more now "why" the students are so engaged since they are identifying with what they know. Even little girls love cars. They see their mom driving them. Hicks writes:

"Schooling in the primary grades should ideally become a set of opportunities for children to experience new identities connected with textual practices."

It was obvious from Jake's stories about NASCAR and his dog Max that he was experiencing success with writing and retelling. His ability to act out a race car experience using NASCAR diriver names such as Labonte and Earnhardt, just goes to show how a child's story telling and writing experiences are results of their identity and the things they know. By allowing students to read, write, and act out stories that identify with who they are and what they like, we are setting the stage in the classroom that says we value their language and culture that make them who they are. Hicks sums it up well by saying, "The instructional movement toward such cultural and class pluralism, however, requires first that the learner's primary values, language practices, and identities be valued in the classroom.

Reading about how Jake and Laurie both struggleed in first grade within the school adopted anthology series, really frustrates me. These children were expected to read on the same level without consideration into their developmental learning style and independent learning level. Yes, a child is going to struggle if they are not reading on their insturctional level. I wonder if Jake would have gotten behind in school if he had been in a classroom where students were grouped and taught on their individual level of learning? I definately feel that all teachers need workshops on how to teach guided reading groups that meet each student's individual needs.

I have never thought about how the types of genres from the various books that we are exposed to, shapes our literacy learning. Jake's family loved to read realistic informative books. This helped to shape Jake's knowledge about history. His family loved to read and so did he, but in first grade during DEAR time he didn't want to read. As teachers, we have to be certain that we have books available that meet each child's level of reading. I have tubs of books in my classroom that are leveled. I train my students on which tub of books to choose their books. My students do enjoy DEAR time because they can successfully read the books they select. During DEAR time I have them select books that are a level lower than their intructional level. During read aloud I select books that are slightly above my students instructional level.

Unlike Jake, I like to read fiction books the best, and still do. History has never been a favorite subject of mine, but I love the fantasy word and immagination that fiction brings. I have created a classroom library, by going to many yard sales, and have stocked my shelves with books from all generes. What I have noticed is that the boys in my room most of the time select the expository texts off the shelf where there are real pictures with facts about real people, places, or animals.

In second grade Jake made tremendous gains in his reading ability, but as Hicks tells us, "his accomplishments as a reader that year though impressive, did not match up with an expected sequence of achievements. Jake was to enter third grade as a fragile reader and the expectations and practices that constituted reading in an instutional sense". Impressive gains is just the kind of thing that No Child Left Behind does not pay attention to. Our society has become a testing world where children, no matter their circumstances are all expected to be at the same level with no regards to the fact that every learner is unique and therefore not every child develops at the same rate or age.

When I read the part about Jake, who is normally distant and disengaged, raising his hand and being engaged in a read aloud of a book Up Goes the Skycraper, it really made me think more about paying attention to the things my students say. By listening to what Jake has to say about his father working as a heating and air conditioning repairman, one can learn important information about his identity. Listening to our students also helps us to know the types of books to select during read aloud. After reflecting and reading about Jake's boyhood stories I am going to do a much better job of letting my students talk and listen to what they say. I confess that I get very focused on time and making sure I get every subject in. In consequence, I often cut students off and suggest students put their hands down. I realize now that I was missing out on an important opportuntiy to learn who my students are so that I can imcorporate literacy experience that match with their identity.

In Jake's second grade class with Mrs. Williams, she brought science into reading and writing. I think this is very important for teachers to cross disciplines in order for students to succeed. I also like that she brought in Writers Workshop. Writers Workshop gave Jake a chance to write about the things that interested him. He was used to choice at home and that is what Writers Workshop allowed him the opportunity to do. After reading Jake's stories in his notebook, it is obvious how home experiences play important roles in a child's literacy. In his notebook, Jake wrote about experiences of playing at home with his brother Brad.

I don't share the same philosophy as Jake's mom who believed that it didn't matter if Jake was reading differently from some of his classmates. However, I do agree with his dad who believed that schools could be engaging enviroments for learning. "All they had to do was find ways to connect students' interest with academic tasks." I agree with Hicks that Jake probably will lead a happy and productive life because of the support he recieves at home. My question is what can we do about the students who don't have support at home to help them become successful? Maybe we can make a difference the year we are with them, but what happens after that? Is one year of a caring supportive school setting enough? Will they continue to be in loving situations that nurture their learning styles and values of who they are? What happens when they are not in a supporative situation? How do we keep these students from falling through the cracks?

Linda Younts

It is only predictive Hicks next study or observation would be a male. In reading Chapter 5, I noticed that there were several similarities of Jake and Laurie. Both stories depicted the impact that home had on their literacy experiences at school. Of course, their home life would have a greater impact on them on account of their initial instruction of learning originates from home. In our children lives, the little boys want to be like their fathers just as the little girls want to be like their mother. They would walk around their house imitating these adults until later; the children will probably find something else more interesting. More than likely, they would continue with this persona of being like their idol, the mother or the father.

In the perspective of Jake’s mother and father expectations of his future, obviously it was not discussed. It was verbalized, however, not discussed. Jake’s mother could foresee him going to college, however, Jake’s father envisioned Jake taking over the business. It appears that Jake’s mother and grandmother attempted to peak Jake’s interest in school by incorporating more literacy materials through reading and social studies at home. I was surprised that this literary framework did not transfer into the classroom. My assumption is that Jake was empowered by his father’s masculinity than the female counterparts.

I could not believe his teacher took his toy car away from him. This could have been the very thing that could have given him that edge to encourage him to write. By making Jake angry, only delayed his desire to perform and learn. Students will do their best when they can make a connection with their learning. I wish this teacher had taken the time to find out what Jake’s interest were and to not be so goal oriented.

There are many Jake’s and Laurie’s in our classroom. It is our responsibility to find a way to be in tune to their interest, be flexible, and adapt, not adopt the curriculum to fit their lives. This is when we will be able to make that inevitable difference.

Lisa Outland –
We must become aware of our student’s cultural literacy’s so we may then begin to educate them properly. Just as we check to see if a child knows their ABCs when they come to school, I think we need to take time and talk with their parents and find out about their expectations, beliefs, and own educational experiences. Without these missing puzzle pieces we may never completely educate the student. I think we are going to have to return to a time when we do take the time to get to know the families of our students. We are being given so many different levels of literacy competence in the home that we cannot assume we can educate the student without this knowledge. I loved the section on the radio being tuned to Classical music and the author (Rose I think) compared this to Shakespeare, very unrelated to their world, therefore, dumb (to use Jake’s word). I have to agree that I felt the same way the first time I read Shakespeare. Now, I am wondering how many of my students think what I am trying to teach them has no purpose for them. It is now my job to figure this out. I am glad I figured out early on, just as Rose did at some point, that it was my job to entice my children into learning. I was to invite them, hook them, make it so interesting they wanted to learn, now if I can just find a means to make this happen with everything that I teach. I realize too that I am so lucky to have already had training from Ruby Payne and her research on working with children of poverty. Many of the issues brought to light in her work were also discussed in this chapter. Hicks mentions that teachers often fuss about how a certain student is doing, their parents don’t care, the students are not learning their lessons, etc. Ruby Payne teaches us as well that it isn’t about you, it’s about getting to know your students and home lives so you can teach them. Maybe she and Hicks need to team up together and do some research.

When reading this chapter, I couldn't help but think of aanother book I read a few months ago called "Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences." (I HIGHLY recommend this book. It provides excellent insight into the thought processes of males and females. It has really changed the way I interact with the boys in my first grade classroom.) Jake was simply thinking like a BOY. Our schools run on middle class norms and are geared toward females in the way their function is carried out. (Can you imagine how frustrating this can be for these boys?) And the fact that the majority of teachers are female further supports this idea. Females think like females. That is a given. We don't understand the "why" behind the things boys (and later on in life, men) do. Jake NEEDED hand-on interaction to learn, as do most males. It's girls who are comfortable sitting at a traditional desk in the classroom doing traditional classroom assignments and carrying them out in the traditional way they've always been carried out. For boys, this is a challenge. I'm not saying all children don't benefit from discovery learning or inquiry, I'm simply saying that boys need this sort of stimulation more often.

I've taught Jake several times over in my classroom. It's challenging, exciting, and frustrating, all at the same time. The challenge is finding ways to keep these boys engaged and active participants in the task at hand. The excitement is watching them become excited about what I'm teaching and what they're learning. (This is most evident when we're working in the organisms unit and we have millipedes in the classroom. Uggh.) The frustration comes when they are more focused on what they'd rather do than the task at hand, which really gives me gray hair.

Children relate strongly to the same-sex parent. Sometimes I think parents don't realize the impact they have on their child(ren) and their outlook and viewpoint in the world. A little boy heartily embraces everything that is his dad. It's only natural that Jake would love NASCAR, carpentry, etc. Children also embrace the expectations of life from these parents. When a formal education isn't an expectation for a "good" life, it becomes something abstract and unnecessary. Jake's dad is one of the people in the world who view higher education in this manner. Unfortunately, when those who are "working class" don't look outside of the box, they limit their children to the same parameters of the lives they created for themselves. This can have an extremely negative impact when this kind of thinking reaching the far end of the spectrum. I had a student in my class in this school year which (mercifully) ended. His home life was, by my own standards, terrible. His father was a self-proclaimed high school dropout. (He bragged about this at open house and said it "never hurt" him.) He informed me that he wouldn't be reading to his child because he "didn't like to read." (I question his own literacy skills and wonder if this was a way hide his own struggle with reading.) This man couldn't keep a job, changing jobs seven times throughout the school year. Life at home was very uncertain. The boy, I'll call Jim, didn't care about school. He wasn't motivated at all, regardless of the activity. The only thing he wanted to do was create things with his hands (like Jake). Eventually Jim became a behavior problem, showing an incredible amount of defiance in every school setting. The parenting skills at home, in my opinion, were extremely lacking. The father was a terrible role model for the future of this child. Jim talked nonstop about growing up to be a mechanic "just like" his dad. Unfortunately he was also doing many other things "just like" his dad (ie: cursing, having a bad attitude toward females, apathy toward school and learning in general, etc). This is obviously the extreme end of the spectrum when it comes to parental role modeling (and an example of the negative depths it can reach). Jake's dad wasn't anything like the father I'm speaking of from my class, but he did exert a large influence on Jake. Jake wanted to be like his dad. He embraced the things his dad did. He enjoyed the things his dad enjoyed. His outlook on life was the same as his dad's outlook on life. He also gained a lack of appreciation for the importance of a higher education. His dad, through no malicious thought, didn't see the value in higher education. He wanted his son to succeed and saw a different way to the goal of success. Isn't this how it is in life for some? Not everyone is created for college. For many it's not interesting and simply not what they want from life. For some a technical school or learning a trade is their choice (sometimes only choice, for whatever reason). Is this only a working class issue? Do upper class families face this same challenge? And how can we better educate parents about their influence, both positive and negative, they exert over their children?

"We can only change the world that we can SEE"~ Iris Murdoch (page 157/bottom)

I believe that this quote sums up the entire course! If we fail to really see and connect with our students, then they will fail to succeed. It makes so much sense, yet why is it so hard? I see many teachers that teach all day long, yet they fail to reach many of their students. This may just be the reason. The teacher next to me yells at her students constantly, talks about them to other teachers, and i know that the kids just don't feel like she likes them. She has constant behavior problems and many of them did not pass the EOG's......I wonder why?! "Poor and working-class children don't just reject our discourses; they reject us- the others whose gaze envelops them in a destructive value context." (p. 151/bottom) Children cannot learn from someone whom they believe doesn't value them, their culture, their race, gender, class, etc....neither can I. Deborah Hicks has opened my eyes to the importance of knowing your students, and letting them know you accept them for who they are and where they come from. I know that i'm going to try to do a much better job of researching their backgrounds and homelives, and using that information in the classroom.....academically and socially.

When i began this chapter, i was utterly confused! But, by the middle, i began seeing what all of the beginning jargon was about and why Deborah Hicks included so much of it. Deborah Hicks seemed to be saying that everything is not "intrisically interesting", it's how a teacher presents the information and knowledge that can hook a child. And, if a child thinks that they are important, and the teacher truly believes that they are, then the classroom environment can become magical, and learning can take place.

Although this book has been difficult to read, i think i've gained a lot from it. I've always felt that i was welcoming to all children, but after reading this book, i realize it's not just "talking the talk, but also walking the walk". I know what i'm going to do different, and i'm excited for the new school year to start.

wow! there is so much knowledge in this chapter. there seemed to be an unlying feeling of acceptance, faithfulness and love...along with dialogue. there were a few quotes from this chapter that i found profound. "the emotional shading that enables the child's individuality"..."from his mother, from others who are close to him." "the child receives all initial determinations of himself and of his body from his mother's lips and from the lips of those who are close to him." if a child's identity and feelings about him/herself come from his/her family, then we must accept the child as well as the child's family because they are one. it doesnt seem as if they can be separated and not accepting a child's whole home life will disable the child. this thought leads me to the next quote..."Particularly as children leave the intimacy of home and family, the constitution of identity from other subject locations can be limiting or damaging." wow!

then on page 151 i found myself talking to the text in agreement when i read, "but this kind of action is more problematic if teachers cannot see the richness of children's situated histories and as a result reduce those complex histories to labels that account for children's academic failures." i had a black, fatherless, poor SES, BED, speech delayed, DD, child this year in kindergarten...i was told that he would never make it in my room. he did! despite the labels this precious child came to me with, he made it. i believe in my heart that if his next teachers choose not to look at his given labels, he can shed them. he is bright and intellegent. what this child needed was to be accepted. he wanted friends! he needed love and patience and understanding and faithfulness from his teachers.

lastly, i underlined these two sentences from page 152. "rather, change also has to entail a moral shift, a willingness to open oneself up to the possibility of seeing those who differ from us. this is very hard work, but work that lies at the heart of teaching." i believe that when one is faithful to the teaching profession and to children a child can move mountains.

donna byrd-wyatt

Hybrid Languages of Inquiry – Laura Wollpert

This chapter gives the reader a lot to think about as our perceptions, views, and beliefs change as we experience and grow. An example of this is how young people most often believe what their parents believe until they have lived and experienced enough life to develop their own opinions and beliefs.

When I taught high school several years ago during a presidential election year, one of my students wanted to know who I voted for. I try to make it a policy not to give students this kind of information about myself. This particular student really wanted to know, so I explained to the student if I told him who I voted for he could not get upset if it was not the candidate of his choice as we all had the right to vote for whom we believe is the best candidate. This student agreed. Of course I told this student and he became very upset because it was not the candidate of his choice. I had to remind him of our conversation and he tried to hold back. What would happen if we taught our children to become critical thinkers? My husband was taught by his father how to think critically from a very young age. He is always thinking and considering both sides of an issue. He often reminds me of things I haven't thought of from the opposite perspective. I think this is a gift his father gave him.

Nussbaum has an interesting statement that I agree with on page 141. It states, “The longer I stay in education, the clearer it becomes to me that some of our basic orientations toward the teaching and testing of literacy contributes to our inability to see. To truly educate in America, then to reach the full sweep of our citizenry, we need to question received perception, shift continually from the standard lens. The exploratory stories that bring this book to its close encourage us to sit close by as people use language and consider, as we listen, the orientations that limit our field of vision.” This is a lot to digest, but for me it says we are all looking at life through limited vision because our past experiences shape us. We must step out so we can see beyond our limited views to look at something in a new way. It is extraordinary when ordinary people do can this. My parents did this when my nephew told them he was gay. My dad is a farmer who is a very traditional thinker. I was not sure how he would take this news as he does not know one single gay person. I was so proud of his reaction. Soon after he received my nephew’s news, he took both my nephew and his partner fishing. My dad loves my nephew and accepts his partner as he would anyone else.

I have read the last sentence in Nussbaum’s statement over and over, “The exploratory stories that bring this book to its close encourage us to sit close by as people use language and consider, as we listen, the orientations that limit our field of vision.” I think the key is listening. If we really listen and try to understand what our students are saying from their perspective not our own, we may be able to have a greater understanding. How do you turn off your own mind enough to listen without judging from previous experiences? If we learn to think critically and shed the layers upon layers of experiences that have skewed our own thoughts and perceptions, we may have a chance of understanding someone else.

Further on page 152 Hicks talks of the, willingness to open oneself up to the possibility of seeing those who differ from us. She states this is the heart of teaching. I argue that it is the heart of humanity. I wonder how much conflict in the world could have been avoided if our government and ordinary citizens practiced opening to the possibilities of those being different from us. My daughter (who is not yet two) has a book entitled “Who Ever You Are All Over the World”. It explains some of the similarities and differences of people all over the world. It explains that smiles, hearts, pain, and blood are the same, while languages, houses and clothing may be different. If we made a chart to compare the similarities and difference, we would find the differences are not important. They are all external while the internal similarities such as the smiles and pain are attributes that every human being shares. I think this is an important concept and it is never too early to begin the discussion.

The one most important concept that I connected with in this chapter is listening to our students is the key to teaching them. If we take time to know our students and understand them (without) judging, we may have a chance at reaching them. This requires shedding our own perceptions, beliefs, and views.

Isn't it amazing the path one may take because he has been placed in a certain social track? It is unfortunate that students base what they can do on placement test scores. Until Rose realized placement test scores would place him on a college-prep track he just wanted to be average. What can we do that this doesn't happen to our students?

I believe the author is on track when she says, "Rather, change also has to entail a moral shift, a willingness to open oneself up to the possibility of seeing those who differ from us.This is very hard work, but work that lies at the heart of teaching." We have to cross these boundaries to reach the poor and working-class children. It was difficult for Hicks to cross boundaries but she had to in order to develop understanding of Jake and Laurie's worlds. If we understand children's situated histories then we can move toward literacy practices in the classroom. Hicks comments that contemporary educational theory may not support these kinds of teaching practices. Before taking this course, I hadn't realized how important it is to cross boundaries with working class children and their parents. I am now convinced that this is crucial in order to connect with and reach these working class children.

I want to begin this post by saying how much I have enjoyed reading the book Reading Lives. The way in which this text was written allowed me to think critically about the way school and home-life effects the education of a student. I felt as if I were able to see the “whole-picture” when looking at the lives of Jake and Laurie. Many times in research we only see the data and rarely do we know much about the “life” of the child. It was refreshing to read research that was done in a totally opposite way. This text has truly changed my thinking in regards to “knowing” my students. I really agree with the quote on page 137 that narrative literature can be used as a “means of engaging teachers and student teachers in critical reflections on curriculum.” I honestly feel that this text has impacted and changed my thinking as an educator.

As I started reading Chapter 6, I saw many of my own students and Jake in Mike Rose. I was very amused by Rose’s descriptions of his first interactions with classical music and Shakespeare. Rose wanted nothing to do with these things because he thought of them as “snooty and put-on, kind of dumb.” Boy did I think of Jake. Just like Jake, Rose wanted nothing to do with those things that did not connect with his own personal life. In Rose’s eyes these things were not “valuable”. As we have read throughout this book, we value what our family values. Therefore, it is very difficult to identify with and value those things that are not important in our daily lives. Reading further, I began to think of my students as the author stated, “resisting were safer modes of response than tackling the unknown territories of science and literature.” I have observed several students throughout my few years as a teacher refuse to complete an activity just because it is new and different. It is our jobs as teachers to make new things seem interesting, exciting, and valuable. We must find better ways to make connections for our students.

Continuing to read, I became intrigued by Bakhtin and Murdoch’s thoughts and ideas. Their ways of “seeing” others was very interesting and eye opening. They truly brought to light how poor & working class children feel in a middle class world. The author states, “Poor and working-class children don’t just reject our discourses; they reject us – the others who gaze envelops them in a destructive value context.” We have to be very careful when giving our own thoughts and ideas to our students. We should present information as just another view of the world; not correct just because we think so.

Finally, I wanted to copy page 152 and give it to every teacher at my elementary school. The 2nd paragraph on that page truly tells the story of many of the teachers, including myself sometimes, at the elementary school where I work. My peers and I get very frustrated year after year when we do not meet the criteria for AYP. Therefore this leads to a lot of anger and frustration. The author states, “When I work with teachers who teach poor and working-class children, the first thing I encounter is their expressions of anger: these children whom my lessons do not reach, and who fail their proficiency tests at such high rates; these parents, who do not support my professional work or share my values; this community – and so on.” I am not ashamed to say that I have felt this way many times over the past few years. However, the author goes on to reiterate the importance of valuing our students for who they are and where they come from. The author states, “Change also has to entail a moral shift, a willingness to open oneself up to the possibility of seeing those who differ from us. This is very hard work, but work that lies at the heart of teaching.” After reading this book, I honestly wish that it could be read by many of my co-workers. I will never again look at child and not take into consideration his/her home & life experiences. This book has greatly changed the way I will teach the students in my classroom!

In Chapter 6 I equated the process of reflection and self-discovery with my own experience in reflecting on my teaching methods. I am continuously questioning and reflecting on what works and what needs to be changed. That process appears to be true for our students as well although we must set-up inquiry based activities and the necessary follow-up for them to learn from.
As the author stated the process of conforming to school tasks does seem to come more naturally for girls but since every year I have predominately more boys I feel that I need to plan a variety of tasks to accomodate both.
It seems obvious through my own experience and through this text that without purpose and connection many learners experience "difficulties in crossing cultural boundaries". It also seems that their feelings play a large role in the acceptance of learning tasks.
In reading further there were many comments that stood out. For example, when Rose was quoted as saying his teachers who had an impact "lived their knowledge and talked it, not to establish dominance but to foster growth". I thought back to an earlier comment I made while reading "The Skin That We Speak" where I questioned how we sometimes turn people off by sounding so intelligent that we intimidate them. My own college age daughter has mentioned professors who like to hear themselves talk so much that they can't let go of their ego long enough to just tell it like it is. As teachers we should be more aware of how we sound since we are the "conduit", encouraging our students to move between their worlds.
If we can do so, we should establish grounded relationships with our students which according to this author's research may be the answer to meeting our working class students where they are and then moving them forward as much as possible.

This was a "heavy" chapter, difficult to read and digest but with a strong message. From the very first paragraphs to the very last pages, the message seemed to be the urgency and importance of relationships. I agree with Hicks that authentic learning does not take place in a vacuum. True learning involves emotional commitment just as a relationship involves such a commitment; just as learning itself mirrors the sensitivity inherent in a meaningful realtionship, meaningful relationships (teacher/student, student/parent, parent/teacher) support meaningful learning. Rose equated teaching with romancing when he stated that he'd learned to "woo kids" in order to bring relevance, significance into the classroom ("Knowledge gained its meaning, at least initially, through a touch on the shoulder,......a conversation....."). So complicated and yet so simple; as people, we respond to those who value us and shut down if we sense we are undervalued. If this is so, then shouldn't we, as teachers, value our students, in order to establish a relationship that can foster inquiry?

Hicks has continually reminded us that dialogue is the means to establishing an environment in which all (students, teachers, parents) are valued and all claim ownership to the learning that results. Historically educational institutions have not supported such open dialogue. In fact, students have been (and continue to be) reduced to a set of data and then labeled as if they are nothing more than a product to be marketed. In this highly competitive age of accountability and "marketability" we as educators have hurrriedly forsaken the old fashioned skill of LISTENING. In our rush to push our students to perform, compete, excel, we have often lost touch with the essence of the child we seek to educate. Hicks implores us to notice the "richness of children's situated histories" in order to reverse the dehumanizing trends in education. In order to establish meaning, relevance, to learning for all our students, Hicks insists we concern ourselves not with instructional strategies but with establishing meaningful realationships. According to Hicks, meaningful dialogue happens when we, as teachers, are willing to entertain and imagine new practices incorporating the differences that we, teachers and students, bring to the classroom.

Yes, we teachers should be angry, not that our students fail their proficiency tests or that their parents fail to understand our formal instructional goals, but that the system is failing our students! All the guided reading workshops and cultural practice professional education does me (the teacher) no good if I hold fast to simplistic formulas of "appropriate" (often privileged) learning behaviors. I agree with Hicks that true learning can come only from an environment in which both student and teacher are vested, mirroring a successful relationship, in which both parties are willing to identify and take into account the differences which enhance the relationship. I hope I can take this idea, the concept of developing hybrid languages of inquiry, back into my classroom
Betsy Baldwin

This chapter stresses the need for teachers to learn to use discernment ("a slow and patient process of 'reading' another's actions and meanings") to be able to respond appropriately to students. A teacher's response to a student has the power to motivate or discourage; build and strengthen a child's identity or undermine it. "...An indifferent or hostile reaction is always a reaction that impoverishes and decomposes its object... Only love is capable of being aestetically productive" (pg. 150). Therefore, we need to not only be careful what we say to children, but also have to be aware of the tone of our voice, our facial expressions, and any other body language that children might perceive as hostile. I have to admit, controlling "what" I say to children is a lot easier than controlling my facial expressions because my face usually shows whatever emotion I am feeling in response to a student's action or behavior, especially when the action or behavior is negative. On the other hand, I don't think the text means for teachers to wear artificial smiles on their faces all day long either. We just need to be more aware of how our responses affect children and learn to control our responses in ways that will benefit them. This is something I definitely have to work on.

This chapter also seemed to advocate that a teacher's response to a student influences how the student responds to the teacher. "I seek and find myself in another's emotional excited voice; I embody myself in the voice of the other who sings of me; I find in that voice an authoritative approach to my own inner emotion or excitement; I sing of myself through the lips of a possible loving soul" (pg. 148). In other words, our responses to children can influence how they feel about themselves as students and individuals, and can define their identity in the classroom. Could a wrong response to a child's action or behavior can cause him/her to develop a negative classroom identity such as a student known as a troublemaker or a student who avoids doing his/her work? On the other hand, could the right response to a child's action or behavior really motivate and encourage him/her to try to please the teacher and do his/her best work?

I plan find out the answer to these questions during the next school year by monitoring my responses to students and students' responses to me. Hopefully, I will learn to read my students and develop the discernment that is required to respond to them in ways that will motivate and inspire them to "reach for the best" (our school motto).

Vickie Howell

In the beginning this chapter was very difficult and foreign to me. I had no idea what Hicks’ was writing about, but the more I read the more it started to make sense to me. In Chapter 6 Hicks sums up what she has learned about “reading lives” and how we can implement it in our literacy instruction and learning environments. Although this book was different from others we have read about working with children, the way in which it is written gave me a new perspective on teaching with children from working class families. On page 138 Nussbaum suggests that narrative discourses focus readers’ attention on how relations between subjects engender changes in identities, beliefs, practices, and understandings. Reading the narrative discourses presented in the book gave me another view into a child’s world and how much their environment influences their literacy. The information presented here has helped me to change my beliefs and hopefully my practices.

The portion of the chapter that discussed Mike Rose’s text was rather interesting. Some of the examples he gave was similar to what Jake felt based on the information Hicks gave in Chapter 5. I think as educators we have more to learn about crossing cultural boundaries and getting to truly know children, their families, and the communities in which they live. Ross’ “exploratory stories” seem to be very similar to Hicks’ narrative text. It allows us to see and feel the difficulties of crossing cultural boundaries, but it also gives us insight into the importance of connecting with children and getting to know them on a deeper level. It is the only way we can effectively change their view of education and ours as well. It’s like Ross said on page 141 “The longer I stay in education, the clearer it becomes to me that some of our basic orientations toward the teaching and testing of literacy contribute to our inability to see.”

What Hicks want us to get from this book is in order to help working class children learn, we must be aware of the family and community contexts of these children and how these contexts create a difference in literacy, which need to be recognized within the classroom (154). If we begin to share our lives with students and give them a chance to share theirs with us we can create a classroom environment where children feel a sense of belonging. If children do not feel connected to their teacher than teaching will be difficult for you and learning from you will be even more difficult for the student. A hybrid approach helps working class students forge caring relationships with educators, relationships that cultivate literacy learning. I think how Hicks showed the students of Appalachian descent that she could cross boundaries is a good example of what we should do in our classroom. Not that we have to use “ain’t” because the children may be using it, but we have to be able to cross those boundaries and connect with children. We have to create relationships and cross boundaries if we plan to teach them anything.

This chapter closed the book very nicely. I feel the author made good points about our society’s need to educate all children. We need to find methods to reach all the needs of every child in our room. Working class children are truly the “lost” children in today’s classroom. We are required by law to follow IEP’s (Individualized Education Plan) for any exceptional needs child. These require modifications, specialized lesson plans and modified course work. These plans are easy to follow and found in most classrooms today. Working class children often do not have IEP’s. They do not come with instructions, they just learn differently. Yet, we need to reach their needs as well. Training and exposure to new techniques and hands-on lessons will greatly increase the mastery of subject matter for all of our students.

The memories of the young man named Rose brought to light how important we need to take this issue of working class education. Rose was tracked into a vocational program, by a mistake his teachers/school made. One teacher noticed how he “did not belong” in the program. What a difference this one teacher made for this child. By placing him in the college prep program, he was given the opportunity to advance his educational career. Even though Rose felt displaced, this one teacher made an impact on this boy’s life that he will never forget.

Finding out that Rose eventually became a teacher touched me. We have no idea how many students like Rose that we have every year. Knowing how to connect knowledge to learning styles is a strength that Rose gives to his working class students. He sees himself in his children probably every day. We have all benefited from hearing his stories of his own childhood experiences.

The author summed the book up well, when she expressed how we need to understand gender, class, and racial locations that have been traditionally excluded. We need to develop new teaching methods to reach all of our students and give them an opportunity to work to their greatest potential.

Beth Rigsbee

As this book closes, the emphasis on realtionships is further revealed. I love when Nussbaum speaks of "love's knowledge", "beteween persons and of persons". Is this not the important knowledge in the world? She also says, "that the process of understanding and learning involve weaving increasingly complex strands of connection with concrete others". Before students will gain anything from being in a classroom, they have to know and believe that the teacher accepts them and wants to be their teacher. This is explained as Rose speaks of "wooing" students. You have to win them over, and have them on your side before anything else. Students must feel safe in their relationships with teachers. It is these relationships with others, both at home, in the community and at school that make up our hyrbid language.

I also gathered from this chapter that the problem is bigger than us as teachers;however, we can start small and embrace our children and their histories. Nussbaum says, "The longer I stay in education, the clearer it becomes to me that some of our basic orientations toward the teaching and testing of literacy contribute to our inability to see." How fitting for how so many teachers execute their classrooms and teachings! We have to assume when students walk into our classrooms at the beginning of the year that we are already rejected. If we approach our teaching approach that way, perhaps we will be more open to students. I found the lines on page 152 to speak directly to so many of us. The right kind of relationships are obviously needed, but so is the support of teachers so that they may focus on students and not the high demands of the testing system. Hicks later again states that she does not find much support for responsive literacy practices in the current educational theory or research. How disheartening. She even says that the struggle facing the practices this book suggests to be the educational system that seems to want to mainstream everyone. She then says this is "devasting" to our working class children like the Lauries and Jakes.

We have to realize it is not a student's fault that they are poor. It is not their fault their parents do not participate in school. It is not the child's fault they live where they do. These parents send us everyday the best that they absolutely have. It is our job, our "moral" duty to accept our students as different, teach them of differences and embrace that we are different.

Finally, on page 154, Hicks addresses what can help teachers move toward more responsive literacy practices. Thank you!! I have been asking this question over and over as we continued to read. What I gathered from her response here is that there is not one specific thing "that works". We must change with the children, learn about them, their community, why they are where they are and how they go there.

In this final chapter, Hicks shares her reflections of the implications of creating educational research discourses that are literary in form. Hicks discribes "love's knowledge", knowledge between persons and of persons which is part of our everyday relations with others. She argues that a big part of what we know comes from our social relations with others. Our relations with others changes our identities, beliefs, practices, and understandings. Our knowledge of others also connects with a feeling. Feelings are also embeded in the texts we read that are part of our reasoning and cognitive awareness. When we talk with others there are feelings that shape the things we say in our conversations.

Hicks talks about how Rose researches writing and literary learning in this chapter. Rose does see that the social classes that people are in, does play a huge part in literary learning. The things we come to terms with in our culture, affect who we are and what we know. The culture we come from creates feelings of things we know and value. Rose also suggest that learning is embeded in the social relations and identies we form with others. She suggest that when we form a connection, like a romance, with our students, then they have an enthusiam for writing because they want the teacher to like them. I teach in a poor and working-class school where I too have experienced that the love I show to the children, creates an environment of learning and has eleviated some possible discipline problems.

Bakhtin's writings point out how language practices shape the relationships that exist between children in the different social worlds. Children's identities as readers and writers are constructed through the cultural and social genres that they are around and exposed to. A child's writing, speaking, and oral language are shaped from the things they hear and see from other people's language practices that are around them. My literacy knowledge came from a Southern culture. It wasn't until I got to college that I started hearing and seeing language that was different from mine. It was then that I felt I started learning and growing more after being around others whose lannguage and culture backgrounds differered from mine. Renee, I did read a post of yours that explained how you had lived in a variety of areas. I feel that your language and literacy were probably shaped early because you had a variety of exposure to diverse cultures,

I agree with Bakhtin, that as teachers we need to have a teaching relationship with our students that is sensitive to a child's history and culture if we want academic success from our students. I never thought about how poor and working-class children reject us, not just our discourses. When I think about my relations with people in general, I can recall tuning people out either because I thought they acted to high-and-mighty or just the opposite where I found them not worthy enough to live up to my standards. It is funny how we go through these feelings as children. As I grew up, I learned to have respect for everyone and truely began to see beauty in the cultural diversities in individuals. So it makes sense that we may find children who reject us for the same reasons or possibly for things such as skin color if they have heard racist remaks from those around them. I think as teachers we have to change as much as the students in order to see why these children are failing. To truely be a good teacher means to open up and see how those students of different backgrounds differ from us and be willing to open our heart to them. I totally see more than ever now after reading this book, how children's literacy has so much to do with literacy at home including their language and culture.

Hicks writes, "Cultural literacy educators have also focused a great deal on language, arguing that classroom instruction needs to build on students' home and community discourses". I like how Hicks used the word "ain't" to connect with the students. I do notice students seem really interested and turned on when I use slang or speech that is not part of my expected cultural voice. I see now that just my desire to learn about the lives of the poor and working-class children in my classroom, is part of an answer to what works with them.

More than ever, I now deeply understand how important it is that I get to the root of who my students are and where they come from. I see how writing practices come from a child's social world. So from here I know that I am going to have to learn who my students are and where they come from in order to maximize the success of my students. I know I plan to send a survey at the beginning of the school year to learn about my students. I also plan to do home visits. If I can not work in a home visit, then I plan to have early conferences with my students. My question is, what are other ideas that have helped you learn about the situated histories of your students? My biggest challenge is going to be how to incorporate histories of the students when they all come to you from a variety of cultures and linguist backgrounds. Any suggesstions?

Linda Younts

In my mind he word hybrid reminds me of hybrid cars-those that must function using two different forms of fuel (gasoline and elevtricty). Ok I am going somewhere with this! So I began to think about students who must use a hybrid language system, meaning more than one style of language to function at home and at school. I feel like after reading this confusing chapter, I understand this to be true- it is our job as educators to understand and appreciate the situated histories of our students, to maintain a positive working relationship with students and their families, to respect individual differences and use that in a positive manner at school, and ultimately to prepare students in understanding the language/skills necessary to engage in and participate in "middle-class institutions of learning" (p. 141). We are the link, in a sense, that provides the necessary tools for children to grow and understand the differences among communications and values among families and social classes. Is it our job to educate children about choices in life or about the doors that a college education may open? The answer is yes. We have a responsibility to lay it all out there for kids- teach them that sometimes life isn't fair but that choices you make as young people can affect your future. It becomes a challenge to try to explain this while remembering each child's background and not relate the information in a judgmental way. Not such an easy task.
Rose explains that he was on a vocational track initially in high school and that it was painful to try and fit it and succeed in school because it seemed as if the track he was on placed a painful label on him. It is no wonder that some students are turned off by school when faced with the expectations for students are different depending on which "track" or category you fit into. For example, I was on a college prep track- my teachers expected me to give 110%, make As, behave, have great attendance, and eventually get accepted to college. My sister was on a different track. Her teachers simply wanted her to show up and give her best on schoolwork- if she chose to work or possibly attend community college after high school, then that would have been the best that was expected of her. Two sisters- same parents-two completely different set of expectations by our teachers.
On page 151 Bakhtin explains that teachers often cannot see the richness in children's situtated histories and as a result reduce those histories to LABELS that may in part account for children's failures in school. This again reminded me of my younger sister. She was labeled differently than me by teachers. Incidently, I am proud to say that she did attend CPCC and has a fantastic career now!
Finally, I cannot agree more with the statement on page 152, we must be willing to open ourselves up to seeing those who differ from us- hard work but it is this work that lies at the heart of teaching.

As this chapter (mercifully) ended, I found myself thinking about the efforts we, as teachers, make to support our students' growth in the classroom. Before we can get down to the business of teaching and learning when the new school year begins, we have to "sell" the classroom not only to our students, but their parents and families. Once you have the parents and families on your side, the rest seems to fall into place. This relationship is essential. Rose supports the idea of "wooing" children in the relationship of the student/teacher/classroom, much in the same way that a business "woos" its clients with the "customer is always right" attitude. By treating parents and families as customers (even when they're not right) they tend to support the classroom and teacher in difficult situations. Combine this support with the "romance" of the child in the teacher/student/classroom dance, and you create the most successful environment for the child as he/she grows academically, socially, and behaviorally. I relate to this (difficult to read!) chapter because it supports the idea of this successful environment by nurturing the students through mutual respect. In essence, the students are given encouragement and are made to feel important because they are valued. This value supports their self-confidence in the classroom environment, which helps them to grow as learners because they feel like they're PART of the classroom - a valuable part. They feel their opinion matters. They look to themselves because they value their own growth and understanding as a learner. And they take ownership in their learning. This is very powerful. The ideas presented in this chapter support the need for the involvement of parents, students, AND teachers in the classroom. The classroom can't be viewed as the "teacher's" classroom. While the teacher oversees the classroom, the students and parents need to feel ownership within its walls. I LOVE THIS. I wish I had the parental involement necessary to forge such a successful relationship with every parent in the classroom. This, unfortunately, isn't possible. Many parents don't view themselves as part of the classroom. Their narrow view is of what classrooms used to be: classrooms that belonged to the teacher, were run strictly by the teacher (with no student input), and were solely the responsibility of the teacher. The students were extensions of the teacher. The parents were merely vehicles to administer support when something went wrong or to help with homework. I much prefer the classroom Hicks is talking about in this chapter. Such involvement and support are ideal and create an optimal environment for all involved. This, in turn, paves the way for each student to fully reach their potential in all aspects of the classroom.

The author speaks of the cultural boundaries in the classroom. I'm guilty of assuming that my students and their families think like I do. This, as I mentioned in an earlier post, has been one of my most difficult challenges in the classroom. I have to constantly remind myself that our values are different and that I need to be the one to bend to meet the understanding and the needs of my students and their families. I need to be the one to bridge this gap. As the teacher, it's my responsiblity to make my students and their families feel comfortable in the classroom. I hold that key. I am working to be mindful in our interactions of the vocabulary I use and the inferred meanings in my statements. They may not understand some of the vocabulary I choose and my inferences may not have the same meanings. Therefore, I need to be very deliberate in the things I say. As teachers, we hold the power to bridge the cultural and social gaps in our classrooms. The bridge is built with solid relationships that we nurture with our students and their families that meet THEIR needs on THEIR terms. What a challenge in the classroom!

Heather Holland

Okay, I have to be really honest. After reading about four pages of chapter 6, I got up and thought… maybe I am not applying myself with the text in this chapter. Maybe I need to move to a different reading spot in the house—that didn’t work, so I broke the title apart word by word and “inquired” about what the author, Beth Hicks, was trying to convey in this final chapter. I have considered Beth Hick’s use of the word, “Hybrid” and I am sensing that she is referring to the “fusion” of languages in the classroom, social settings, and home-situations to make language or communication work for everyone. A child, before coming into the classroom, is generally only exposed to his/her home environment, parent(s), and their social network. With that being said, many children have a very limited resource for knowledge and experiences. They are completely dependent on the teacher for bridging the gap between home and school and the outside-world. A teacher is the conduit and facilitator for children to view the world around them. It is up to the teacher to construct inquisitive minds that wonder about language and the world and its interconnectedness. Without a teacher’s facilitation of this, a child is left with merely their limited experiences from their home life. A teacher must have an open-mind, explore and inquire about the social environments’ of her students, and make educated decisions about how to bridge the gap between worlds of knowledge and language. In order to do this, a teacher must explore, communicate effectively with parents and the community, and look for opportunities to prove trustworthiness to community members. Once trust is established between the parent and the educator or the community volunteers and the educator, the process of exploration and understanding begins.

As a second grade classroom teacher, I have found that it is important for me to understand my students. This job is not easy. My background is very different from most of my students’ and their families’ backgrounds. However, I communicate in many ways. I share with language by using various avenues to communicate: newsletters, telephone calls, classroom website, parent-teacher conferences, notes of praise (about their child’s great work), and family event nights in my classroom. Each avenue has a different level of effectiveness and is used for a specific of purpose. Without language, bridging the gap between our worlds would be virtually impossible. I must try my best, as a teacher, to be accepting, caring, understanding, and friendly with my students and their families. In order for them to view my teaching as important, I must demonstrate my value for each of them. If children and parents do not realize and understand that I value them, then they will not value the language I possess and share with them. Just as Beth Hicks had to do, I must gain perspective and cross class boundaries often to see into the lives of the children I teach.

Written by
Heather Holland

Summative Self –Critique – Lisa Outland

“There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one if to go on looking and reflecting at all.” –Michel Foucault

After I attended a week long Teacher’s Academy last summer of the works of Ruby Payne and working with children of poverty, I knew my life as a teacher would change. As I finish up this class, after learning even more about how race, gender and social class affect a child’s learning, I know my life as a teacher will change again to incorporate more information that I need to know about my students.
I see many needs for using and teaching Standard English (SE). This is the language used in the business world. It is the language which unfortunately many other forms of English are measured against. Children need to learn how to speak Standard English. However, I have discovered that we cannot expect a child to leave their home language at home. We cannot expect children to know of SE when they enter our school buildings. We must find a way to learn more about their home languages, and use them in the classroom to help our students succeed. We cannot forget SE, but we also cannot forget the many and varied wonderful home languages our children bring to us. We need to teach children when it is appropriate to use a certain code of speaking. When you are on the streets, using SE might make you a target, but if you can switch and use your home language there and still use SE in the business world, you have mastered something great. What I have learned from this class reinforced to me I was right in telling parents that it was okay to speak to their child in their native language at home and don’t let their children lose who they are and where they come from. Learning SE is one thing, but you can never forget who you are and where you are from. You must learn to be proud of your own culture.
I also discovered we teachers must be aware of what we say and how it comes across to our students. We need to make sure the message we are sending is what the student is receiving. Children truly can tell when you are not being real with them. They can read in your body language and tone, they know what you truly mean. I need to make sure I remember to say what I mean and mean what I say. This cuts down on confusion for the students and let’s them know you are true to your word.
It was impressed upon me in this class that we must truly get to know our students and their home lives. I reread the section about asking a child to make up a story. I had never thought that when I ask a child to make up something or use their imagination that I might be asking them to lie, or to tell an untruth. Little things like this can change a child’s entire attitude towards school. With just a phone call or two, and a conference or two, we can learn so much about our student’s home literacy and see how it will tie into their classroom learning. Granted, that seems like common sense, but I have spent many conferences going over my own agenda, grade, behavior, etc., and then giving the parent time to share their own concerns. Maybe I need to put my agenda off to the side and really just talk about the child and their life at home. I need to take time and talk with the parents and find out about their expectations, beliefs, and own educational experiences as well. This class really did drive home the point that a child’s education truly is tied to their race, gender and social class – also meaning their home life.
My learning reinforced to me the idea that what you read as a child truly can shape who you become. The idea that your mother’s own reading life and expectations of life help shape your world as a child is amazing. This reiterates the idea that we must find a way to tie the home/school bond to help future generations. Our home lives definitely shape who we become in the classroom. If we find out what interests the parents, then maybe we can come closer to finding out what interests the child as well. I know personally, I read all the time as a child and it certainly has shaped the adult I have become. I love to share a good book with someone.
I realized through this class that I must continue to work with small groups in my class so that each child does get the more individualized instruction that some of them so desperately need. In doing so, there is no way a child can be given permission to fail. Instruction will continue to be on the level that the child needs, not the entire class. I realize now I have to find a way to tap into my student’s interests as often as I can to help them succeed. I can tie their interests into what I teach in my small groups. Yes, I might have a difficult time explaining why I was teaching NASCAR to a group of boys to the administration. However, I know if I can tie it to the curriculum and their needs, then by any means necessary needs to become my approach and philosophy. Administration will just have to trust me!
The biggest thing I learned from this class is who you are affects who you will grow to be. You will always be your gender and race. You may cross class lines at some point, but you never lose who you truly are as a child. The life you live as a child is affected by race, gender and social class. It is my job as a teacher to teach every child as equally and fairly as possible, now that I realize the tremendous differences these three things can make in a child’s education.

I must admit that I found this chapter just as difficult to read as Chapter 1 and was disappointed that Hicks found it necessary to use intellectual ramblings rather than the personable and understandable prose she used for the rest of the text.

Despite this downfall, I found Hicks' recounting of Mike Rose's study from his book Lives on the Boundary intriguing. His personal connection to the lives of other working class families was very interesting. "There are some things about my early life, I can see now, that are reflected in other working-class lives I've encountered: the isolation of neighborhoods, information poverty, the limited means of protecting children from family disaster, the predominance of such disaster, the resilience of imagination, the intellectual curiosity and literate enticements that remain hidden from the schools, the feelings of scholastic inadequacy, the dislocations that come from crossing educational boundaries." I can very much relate to having seen some of these things in the lives of my students this year. One student in my class, for example, probably suffered from isolation due to social status more than any other student in the entire fifth grade. She came from a working class family. She frequently wore the same clothes multiple days in a row, was constantly picked on for her “buck teeth”, and suffered the loss of her dad to suicide due to her parents’ ensuing divorce. She rarely paid attention in class and I found her drawing pictures more than anything else in our classroom. She struggled greatly to succeed academically. Despite all of these hardships, she demonstrated enormous resilience and strength of character. She never once lost her imagination, creativity, or personality. If anything, she allowed these struggles to more clearly define the young woman she was becoming. As an educator, I saw the need for her to express herself in multiple formats. She was given a journal to write in and I allowed her to draw a picture depicting her thoughts or feelings. Trying and testing new methods like this for different students, helped me to become a better teacher, as it gave her the opportunity to become a better student. Rose stated, “ To truly educate in America, then, to reach the full sweep of our citizenry, we need to question received perception, shift continually from the standard lens.”

Reasons such as these are exactly why we must embrace a hybrid teaching philosophy. There is no one right way to expose a child to literacy learning. There is not one specific way to teach so that every child succeeds. It is absolutely necessary to be willing to try and use a multitude of teaching strategies, to better enable our students to learn in a way that is most comfortable for them. If I teach something in only one way and only one or two students truly connect to the curriculum and understand what I am explaining, then am I really teaching? Shouldn’t being a teacher automatically create an opportunity for others to learn from your example? ~Allison Reese

In this final chapter I was disappointed to see that Hicks went back to using the hard to read and understand language of the first couple of chapters. However, this chapter did close the book in an appropriate way. I think that Hicks overall points were summed up and the conclusion that I came to was that Hicks just wants us to understand that we need to educate all children of all statuses individually rather than treating them all the same and providing all the same instruction for everyone. I believe that children who come from the working class are the ones we really need to keep an eye on. They are the ones whose parents have little time to spend with them at home working on academic improvement and this especially hurts the students who are labeled with learning disabilities. We as teachers are going to have to find ways to reach each and every child in our classroom no matter how hard that turns out to be. I truly believe that if we keep working toward this goal of individualized education for everyone, that we will be able to achieve it one day.
The story about the boy who was tracked into a vocational class/program by mistake really made my heart ache. I was so glad to see that someone took enough time to see that he didn’t belong in that track and made sure he was put into the one that was best for him. As a high school teacher this is something I work with everyday. I have an advisory group that I help choose classes for next year based on the track they are placed into. I also help them choose the track they want to pursue by looking at previous grades and test scores and this is a huge resposibility. I hope that I never make a mistake and put a student in the wrong course because it could follow them for the rest of their lives. Thankfully we are trained and taught how to know which track best suits which type of children and this helps a lot, however there are some cases that can be iffy. I just hope with the right guidance, mistakes like that are never made at my school. And then to find out that this young man became a teacher was such a surprise. I don’t know why it surprised me but it did. I can only hope that one day a student will come up to me and say that I changed their life, or that I made a difference with them. That is my ultimate goal. To hear one of those phrases at least once in my life and then I know that I will have done something good in this world.

I think Hicks did a good job summing up the book in a well to do manner. She expressed how we as educators need to understand the many different elements that come into play of our students lives everyday. Gender, race, class and who knows what else makes a big difference in how our students perform in school. And unless we know how to teach those different elements, and understand them on a one on one basis with the student, we will never be able to get through to some of the most needy children.
Overall I am glad that I read this book. I was a little skeptical at first but I enjoyed reading about the lives of these children and I realize now what a powerful tool it can be to know the lives of my students. I will continue to teach using my own basic philosophy but I belive I will make the addition of getting to know my students a little better and teaching them more individually than I already do.
~Kristen Billings

What a great way to end this book! From my perspective, Hicks journey for this research is like a lesson plan. She had a plan of what she was going to do. After the implementing her plan, then she observed her subjects, and finally the conclusion of her investigations, she was able to reflect on what worked, what did not work, and what she learned. At the end of her book, this is exactly what Hicks has done. She summed up this book by reflecting and the admission of self-discovery. In this study, she discovers that our social relations play a great part in our student’s education. I particularly like what Nussbaum’s articulated on page 137, the term “love’s knowledge—knowledge between persons and of persons. To me that mean, when one loves learning, then they will be lifelong learners. The relationships we form among home and school will ensure success for all students, we need to understand our student’s “situated histories”. These “situated histories” encompasses understanding their identity, class, gender, beliefs, and practices.

According to Hicks, hybrid language of inquiry is the bond needed in the educational development of children. Most students from working class environment enter into school with limited or complete absent of knowledge and experience with formal registry. We want our children to think out of the box but before they can think out of the box, teachers must incorporate vocabulary along with the hidden rule of upper and middle class society in educating their students. Research has shown major deficits in student’s test scores, which has been related to student’s inability to understand the language presented on formal assessments.

Unfortunately, language and grammar has inconveniently been removed from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. No Child Left Behind (NCLB), has placed major emphasis on test scores, which has sent state departments and local school systems into a panic. Therefore, teachers have been sanctioned to teach educational programs that have been proven to work. However, based on my experiences in equity plus/ Title I school these programs are designed for upper and middle class students that has developed formal registry. They don't allow for the implementation of vocabulary instruction that is required to develop lower income students language ability to enable them to perform successfully on standardized test. Ruby Payne’s book, “A Framework for Understanding Poverty”, states that it is essential component of students educational development, to teach formal registry and acceptable behavior patterns to student of lower income homes for them to become success. In implementing programs and creating schedules administrators, tend to over look this vital component. Yet, continue to fault the teachers for student failure, when the teachers have followed the schedules assigned to them and implementing the programs mandated to them by the county school system.

Upon her completion of this journey, she suggested, and referred to researchers and theorists ideologies about bridging and engaging our student’s home literacy practices into the school’s literacy practices while implementing the goals and objectives of the curriculum.

I truly believed that Hicks should be employed by our school system to equip our administrators with this knowledge. Then, administrators must trust teachers to implement their knowledge and experiences in instructing our students that will best enhance individual abilities and needs based on prior knowledge experience and implementation of the classroom teacher and not be driven by programs mandated by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This profound effect of free thinking attitude and in seeing the world from a different angle will enable educators in crossing boundaries of the student’s situated histories and the hybrid languages of home and school. These entities will influence our students and make their educational experience a successful one of working class families.

"There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all." ~ Michel Foucault This quote best exemplifies my learning over this course.

After this course I am reminded of the flower basket that I make at the beginning of each kindergarten year. Each child's beautiful face is the center of each flower with petals of different shapes, sizes and colors...freely flowing around each face. Each flower comes from a different home. Each flower must be cared for differently and each one has its own unique style. If we were to put each individual flower together in the same pot and expected them all to grow the same, we would be disappointed in a few months to find that some of the flowers did not meet expected growth. Would it be the flowers fault for not producing to expectation or our own fault because we did not reflect on each individual difference, background and need?

My mind has also gone back to a non-supportive, non-understanding assistant I once had in kindergarten. In her opionion, all children had to be treated exactly the same...sit totally still and be seen but not heard. Even the chilld that I allowed to sleep after being abused the night before should have never been treated differently. He was an "outcast"...a poor child from an ignorant home. I have read that it is better to understand than to be understood. If we understand our children then won't we in return be understood by them? Is it then that our children are ready to learn?

After reading these books I have found a sense of affirmation for the individualized/reflective way in which I teach. I love to hear the low rumble of my chidren talking and their movement within the classroom. I love to hear their stories each morning when they come running through the door. I love the multi-cultural children and the various socio-economical status children. All these different unique flowers fill my classroom with such beauty. I also feel a sense of urgency to teach all children, to continue listening and growing professionally in courses such as this one in which we are called to search deep within our souls.

Finally, at the same time that I was reading these two books, I was also reading a book about Mother Teresa. Ironically, this book helped put this course in perspective. Mother Teresa was a teacher who crossed racial, gender, class and religious barriers. She believed and lived the statement from Hicks' book, "Rather, change also has to entail a moral shift, a willingness to open oneself up to the possibility of seeing those who differ from us. This is very hard work, but work that lies at the heart of teaching." Mother Teresa said, "The biggest disease today is the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for, and deserted by everybody. Outcasts are found at every stage of life from the aged to the newborn infant. I have never refused a child, never. Not one." When we fail to accept a child due to his/her race, gender or class are we exposing him/her to this disease? Have we then refused a child?

In life it is absolutely necessary for one to think differently and perceive differently if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all. We can never refuse and child. All those beauiful flowers that bless our classrooms and our lives each year...how vivid and unique each petal is. It is indeed hard work to understand each flower's origin and to understand how each flower grows best but that is truly the heart of teaching. And oh, how joyous it is to watch each beautiful flower dance to the music of learning!

Donna Byrd-Wyatt

Text of pleasure: the text that contents, fills, grants euphoria; the text that comes from culture
and does not break with it, is linked to a comfortable practice of reading.
Text of bliss: the text that imposes a state of loss, the text that discomforts, unsettles the
reader’s historical cultural, psychological assumptions, the consistency of his [sic] tastes,
values, Memories, brings to a crisis his [sic]relation with language.
Roland Barthes

As I began this course, my first thoughts were: “What have I gotten myself into?” To be honest, I have to admit that I have always been a “text of pleasure” reader. During the summer months one will find me reading a book by Nicholas Sparks, Sue Monk Kidd, or J.K. Rowling. I love to read books that reflect my wonderful southern heritage and dialect. Moreover, I enjoy books that take me on a journey or to a magical place. These books do not make me critically think or question anything. These books are like a warm cup of soup on a cold winter’s day. In these books I find comfort, relaxation, and pure enjoyment. Therefore, when presented with the texts The Skin that Speaks and Reading Lives I was a little less than overjoyed. I knew that these books were going to require more than a casual read. I knew that these books were going to be difficult, critical, and controversial. I knew that I would have to step outside of my own little world to make connections and understand. What I did not realize; however, was how much these books would question, confirm, and change my own philosophy of teaching.

Initially, as we began The Skin that Speaks, I was honestly caught very off guard. I had never really thought about the effect that language has on the way we perceive others. Growing up in a southern town and going to a southern college, I have spent most of my life with people who speak the way that I do. On occasion I have been reprimanded by a professor or administrator for speaking incorrectly; however, I had never thought about the impact that language has on a student. This whole idea truly took hold on me as I thought about what my students are expected to do for the 4th grade writing test. My students are expected to write a narrative that has proper grammar and is punctuated correctly. Unfortunately, my students tend to write the way that they speak. As we all know those who speak in the southern dialect do not always use proper English. Therefore, my students already have a mark against them before they even begin the test. As a teacher, this book has made me question what I am going to do to help my students in all aspects of language. One thing that I have truly learned is that we need to make students more aware of language and the way it is spoken. As a teacher, I have never really sat down with my students and talked about the way that we speak. This is going to change! I am now beginning to think that we should make students more aware of the various forms of language. I would like my students to understand that their Southern or Black English way of speaking is beautiful and a valuable part of their heritage. I would definitely make sure that my students understand that I respect their way of speaking and find it valuable. However, I also want them to learn that there is a certain place and time for each kind of language. I think it would be wonderful to speak with students about the way we should speak at home versus school. If I could make proper English valuable and exciting to my students, then they might be willing to accept it and use it more fluently. After reading The Skin That Speaks I have realized that we must teach our students to value their own language as well as the language of others. I truly found inspiration for my ideas in the chapter by Judith Baker. Judith’s teaching and discussion of language in her high school classroom was inspiring. I know that teaching younger students I could not complete an activity to this extent; however, I would like to complete something on a smaller scale with my own students. Baker states, “As young people become less fearful of being manipulated or disrespected, I think they can become engaged in the study of their own language competence. They can weigh their options, choose how they want to speak and write in each new setting. In this atmosphere, the mechanics and usage and vocabulary of formal English no longer threaten to demean them.” I want to create a climate of acceptance and willingness to change within my classroom. All of my assumptions regarding language were changed due to this text. I was forced to lay aside my own opinions and thoughts and look at the importance of language on everyday life. This text was very uncomfortable for me initially because I felt that I was being told that the southern dialect was totally wrong. However, after reading the rest of the book, I realized that the author’s purpose was for the reader to see that we need to be grateful for the many languages around us and utilize them in the appropriate ways. This book truly made me a more open-minded and critical reader.

As I began Reading Lives, I will have to say that I was completely confused by the initial chapters. However, after the wonderful experience with the book The Skin That Speaks, I kept my mind open and continued to read. The way in which Deborah Hicks presented the information regarding Jake and Laurie was very refreshing and thought provoking. As I read about Jake and Laurie, I began to connect them to many of the students in my own classroom. I was able to make connections because of the way in which Mrs. Hicks presented us with the “whole-picture” regarding each student. As a teacher I have always tried to connect with and know as much as I can about my students. Mrs. Hicks confirmed for me that it is okay and right that I do this. Many times other teachers have told me that they felt that I was to close to my students and parents. One of my peer teachers, a few years ago, told me that I was wrong for just going to a student’s basketball game. Now, I realize that they are the ones who are wrong. To be quite honest, I realized that I probably am not aware enough in regard to my students’ lives. This book has definitely made me realize the impact that home-life has on school-life. A student will only value those things that are important to him and his family. Therefore, I cannot expect a child to immediately identify with something that has no connection to his home. I must use student’s interests to make school valuable to each of my children. I must get parents involved so that they will value what I am teaching as well. If I can get my parents to value what I am teaching; then I feel that my students will value it as well.

Reading Lives not only made me think about my students; but also, my co-workers. I realized after reading this book that I should be an advocate of change in my own school. This book, to me, truly sheds light on the importance of teacher-student connections. It also proves that we as teachers have to meet our student half-way. It is our job as educators to present information so that it is valuable and meaningful to a student. Being in “Failing” school (according to the state) is very difficult and disheartening at times. Therefore, I feel that many teachers give up, lose hope, and find little value in their job. The book Reading Lives provides me with a new sense of direction in regards to my teaching style. I hope to share this new found information with the rest of my colleagues. I have found new direction in the statement on page 152 of Reading Lives: “Change also has to entail a moral shift, a willingness to open oneself up to the possibility of seeing those who differ from us. This is very hard work, but work that lies at the heart of teaching.”

I began this summary by stating that I was not “overjoyed” with the thoughts of reading The Skin that Speaks or Reading Lives. Now, however, I would not change a thing. I am very grateful for the ways in which these two books made me question, reflect on, and change my own philosophy towards teaching. I am truly amazed at the impact that these two books have had upon me.

"There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceived differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go looking and reflecting at all." Michel Foucault

The above quote by Michel Foucault sums up this course and also deals with many of the issues presented in chapter six. It says to me that as educators we must peel back the layers that contort our vision and our listening skills when interacting with our students. The way we listen, the way we think, and the way we see is all dependent upon our numerous previous experiences. How we shed those experiences to look at each student and situation with fresh eyes and listen with fresh ears is difficult, but it is imperative if we are going to reach every student in our classes.

This class took me through a series of experiences and helped formulate how I feel about some very important issues in teaching and society. One is the importance of validating all language whether it is a completely different language or an English dialect. I have to admit with my background in foreign language I did not have a problem with accepting other languages, but I realized I had a prejudice against the Appalachian dialect. This class has helped me realize that I was judging a group of people based on what I thought was correct and proper. I can say I went as far to judge their intellect based on my own perceptions which is totally incorrect.

I now believe that correcting speech and language should be very limited and used at very specific times. Reaching out to our students and helping all of them understand each other and support each other is much more important than the use of Standard English. I think Standard English will come with the pursuit of knowledge.

Another important issue presented in this class is to know your students and their families. The only way to do this is to be welcoming and approachable. If a family knows they are welcome to come into the classroom to share something from their culture, they will most likely value the experiences in your classroom. When I say culture, I am talking about anything particular to that family. It could be making apple butter with the children if that is related to the curriculum. Our families have many talents and gifts that they may not realize.

Again, I refer to Nussbaum’s quote in Chapter six of “Reading Lives”. Nussbaum states, “The longer I stay in education, the clearer it becomes to me that some of our basic orientations toward the teaching and testing of literacy contributes to our inability to see. To truly educate in America, then to reach the full sweep of our citizenry, we need to question received perception, shift continually from the standard lens. This relates directly to the above quote by Michael Foucault. It says it all to me. We must be able to view each situation as it arises with a fresh perspective without judging. This class has helped me see areas in my own life that I need to work on to help me become not just a better teacher but a better person.

Thank you for creating this class and conducting it in this manner. The books were excellent and the writing and reflecting were imperative. The issues presented here are in critical need of more discussion and personal examination by a wider audience. I hope a class like this will become required in the college of education.

Laura Wollpert

Michel Foucault says, "There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all." As an educator, this quote is meaningful to me because if you can think differently than you once thought about things and perceive differently than you once saw, then you enrich other's lives and yours, too. This is necessary to do if we are going to cross cultural boundaries with our students and parents. If we are able to do this it will broaden our horizons as educators.

After taking this course, "Race, Class and Gender in Literacy Learning," I think and perceive things differently. I hadn't given much thought about how students' race, class and gender affect literacy learning in the classroom. I see there are different ways that we can help students to achieve in our classrooms. Before, I looked mainly at the traditional approach to teaching but now I see that we have to take other factors into consideration and may have to change our teaching approach. We need to help students feel comfortable and welcome in the classroom so they will be motivated to learn.

One factor I look at differently is language. There are so many languages and dialects that we encounter in the classrooms of America today. We have Standard English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Ebonics, Southern slang, etc. For students to succeed we can not rule out the "home language." The "home language" is the language the students feel comfortable with and value. We need to allow the diversity of languages and cultures in our classrooms and build on them to teach Standard English. If we do not allow this, there is a possibility the students may struggle and not learn Standard English. The story of Maya, in "The Skin That We Speak", is a good example of how children feel comfortable around their language. When Maya went to a start-up public charter school with 98% African American children who spoke her language her self-esteem soared. Children can be caught betweeen two worlds. There is the home culture and the school culture. We as teachers have to realize this and respond appropriately to students so they can learn. An incident occurred in my classroom a few weeks ago with a kindergarten boy sitting at the table saying a curse word during a conversation. One of the girls ran up to my assistant and said that he said a "bad" word. This is the language he heard from home and he didn't realize this was inappropriate for the school culture. I truly believe he didn't know others considered it a "bad" word because it was probably used in everyday language in his home. The boy became upset and began crying. I have learned with incidents like these not to punish a child and make him feel bad about himself or his home life but to talk with the child about appropriate and inappropriate language at school. We as teachers have to move beyond our biases. If we do not, children may shut down and we may not be able to connect with them. We have to value the child with the language so he will feel accepted.

Another factor that I reflect on is that teachers and students may come from different social classes. Deborah Hicks says, "Our relationship, which by that time was one of mutual caring and acceptance, helped to make such movement between practices possible. Though we were living our lives in different class settings, we were in this moment of teaching and learning able to move between and across those disparate locations." She also goes on to say that this is possible in classrooms but it can be difficult. When Hicks did the research on Laurie and Jake she was able to move between these disparate locations and connect with these students. As a teacher, I need to learn about families in my classroom. Families may not have the same philosophy or come from the same social class but it is important for me to learn about them so I can connect with them. Deborah Hicks says that it's not just learning new pedagogies but it is a willingness to see those who are different than us. It is crucial to cross boundaries to reach the poor and working-class children. I currently teach these children and will need to make every effort to reach them. If we understand children's situated histories then we can move toward literacy practices in the classroom.

A factor that I continue to look at is gender in the classroom and how it affects literacy. It is amazing how boys and girls are so different in many ways such as the way they think or the way they learn. The research that was done on Jake said that he needed to have a task that made sense or a task that needed to be done. Girls don't necessarily need tasks that make sense. I need to be aware as a female classroom teacher how boys think and learn and try to find ways to connect with them and accommodate them in the classroom.

I also think differently about my classroom's identity. If I feel that it is best for a procedure, for example, to become the "norm" in my classroom then I will make it a part of the classroom culture. I feel comfortable establishing a procedure or activity as the "norm."

In conclusion, we as teachers need to be knowledgeable of race, class and gender in literacy learning. If we are open-minded, willing to learn and think and perceive differently, then we will be better teachers.

“There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.” Where is it that we can learn how to think and perceive differently? I believe in classes as the one in which we just completed. The above quote is by philosopher Michel Foucault. It captures the process and result of what was taught this semester in our class, “Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Learning”, as well as what I have learned and how I have changed over this short period.

In the beginning of this class, I had a difficult time seeing how everything we read and did tied into understanding race, class, and gender and its effects on literacy. However, shortly thereafter, I could see how we were learning how to change our perception so we can have a more loving perception for all the children we teach especially those from working-class families. I learned that the education system in the United States is set up based on white, middle class ideology and most teachers fit into this as well, but not most children. Working class and impoverished children come from different background and experiences then most teachers. Although I am African-American, coming from a middle class family, I to am a part of the way in which the educational system works. I have learned in the course that I have to change my perception in order to reach all children. I have to think outside of myself. I have realized that it is not about what I perceive to be reality, but what the child thinks to be reality. I have to go into the classroom thinking as my children think and connect with them so I can gain their trust. If they do not trust me, I cannot teach them. I have read that home cultures and native languages sometimes get in the way of student learning not because of the nature of the home cultures or native language themselves but rather because they do not conform to the way that schools define learning. Until this change, I have to change the way I define learning in my classroom.

The literature in which we read was used to teach us about language and literacy. Delpit says just as our skin provides us with a means to negotiate our interactions with the world-both in how we perceive our surroundings and in how those around us perceive us-our language plays an equally pivotal role in determining who we are: it is The Skin That We Speak (p. xvii). It is sad that this day and age people are still classified and judged by how they speak. It use to be thought that what African American children my speak or hear is the reason for their underachievement. I have learned that this is not the cause. Yes, we want children to learn what is called Standard English, but to effectively reach all children who may not speak this way, we need to understand children’s home language and the different dialects children have and how it affects their learning. Standard English may be the language of the classroom, but it is not the language of most children. From The Skin That We Speak I learned that we might need to do as Judith Baker and valid children’s first language then respectfully teach them Standard English. We have to be careful of what we say and how children perceive what we are saying when we speak about Standard English and “home English as Judith Baker calls it (I dislike the word Black English). If not children may feel threatened or demeaned then no matter what you try and teach them they will not learn. What I learned from this book is best summed up in a statement Delpit said, “Teachers must acknowledge and validate students’ home language without using it to limit students’ potential.”

This leads to Hicks’ book Reading Lives: Working-Class Children and Literacy Learning. This book was deeper and more intricate, but the points she made transformed my thinking of children from working class families. I learned that children’s home environment plays a pivotal role in early literacy learning. I learned that real teaching is teaching the child not the curriculum. What I mean is we have to know our children and their families to have an impact on their education. I learned that as a teacher I need to cross boundaries, as Deborah Hicks did, in order to reach my students, and build caring relationships with them and their family.

I will be able to apply what I have learned through the literature to my own life and my teaching as I open my eyes to see children through a lens that is now reshaped and redefined.
This semester, I have gained more self-awareness and have learned to be more aware of the children I work with by having a more loving perception. The only way I can gain a loving perception for the children I teach is to gain more understanding of their home language and culture.

Foucault was correct in saying there are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all. This quote solidifies what this class is about and all we have learned and we will be better educators because of it.

“Education can change culture but only in so far as educators are transformed.”

The quote that best reflects my learning during this course is:

"Critique is understood as an interrogation of the terms by which life is constrained in order to open up the possibility of different modes of living; in other words, not to celebrate difference as such but to establish more inclusive conditions for sheltering and maintaining life that resist models of assimilation."
Judith Butler

Throughout this course as we read about how language is perceived by others and how our race, class, gender and histories shape not only who we are but how we learn, I was constantly questioning myself and my teaching practices. From the experiences of the the writers in "The Skin That We Speak" to the philosophies in "Reading Lives" I questioned how I sound to my students, their parents and others.

From "The Skin That We Speak" I have considered that people are judged by how they speak. I have been enlightened to the fact that we all have different ways of speaking dependent on the company we are in, and we should not judge our students by the dialect they bring into the classroom. We should acknowledge those differences and use it as a means to reach them and to enlighten others to appreciate the beauty of our differences.

As a result of reading this book I have examined my thoughts on a single language. I have come full circle on this idea as a result of comments made by others in this class and conversations with friends and colleagues. I have come to respect the need for SE, come to understand why it is used and recently considered that it is a mixture of words from Latin, French, English, and Spanish. As we continue to watch it grow with the addition of Ebonic terms and others that we adopt, I realize just one of the reasons why it is so difficult for others to learn.

From "Reading Lives" I have learned that language is central to learning and that students need to feel valued and supported for who they are. Their ideas need validation and their differences enouraged and accepted. I have critiqued my perception of working class families and how they may perceive me as different from them and why. I have examined my flexibility as a teacher and reflected on my teaching methods to discern any discriminating or demeaning practices.
As a result of reading about Jake and Laurie I have considered my own learning history and compared it to others. I have concluded that I need to be constantly reflective and aware of my voice in the classroom. I am inspired to be more diligent in fostering better relationships with my students and their parents in order to engage them and entice them to desire to learn. I have questioned my instructional task and feel that I should strive toward more differentiated and inquiry-based activities to help equalize the classroom. I intend to work harder to be more flexible and accepting of students and their situations rather than seeking a label. I desire a more harmonious classroom environment where my students feel comfortable and can be successful.
I had no idea at the beginning of this class how much my thinking would evolve. My mind has truly been "opened to the possibility of different modes of living" and I will continue to question and reflect in order to maintain this openess.
The books chosen for this class were inspiring and thought provoking. This was a very informative and reflective class that all educators should have.

"Text of pleasure: the text that contents, fills, grants euphoria; the text that comes from culture and does not break with it, is linked to a comfortable practice of reading.
Text of bliss: the text that imposes a state of loss, the text that discomforts, unsettles the reader’s historical cultural, psychological assumptions, the consistency of his tastes, values, memories, brings to a crisis his relation with language." ~Roland Barthes

As this course progressed, I found myself frequently needing to reflect on my own views and background and beliefs. This type of self-critique is absolutely necessary for educators to do on a consistent basis; to review what you truly believe and how you respond to different ideas creates a practitioner willing to transform and even revolutionize their thinking, which can make a huge impact on the students in a classroom. I cannot say that when I began this course I was very open-minded or even ready to be exposed to some of the ideas that were expressed in our texts and in my peers’ blogs. However, as the course is now coming to a close, I find in myself something that wasn’t there before: a willingness to be aware of the differences in my students and the ability to move on from these differences to determine how to best design a classroom that provides an environment for all of these students to be successful. I have also discovered a desire to question concepts that have been so ingrained since my childhood. I can say without hesitation that the texts for this course and the comments of my peers have been texts of bliss, and often texts of pleasure as well. I have enjoyed reading others’ responses online and have found myself struggling to define and adjust my own ways of thinking from what I have read in our texts.

One of the most significant lessons I have learned through this course is the importance of communication, not just verbal, although this is essential, but the deeper communication so vital in a classroom that comes from being involved in students’ lives. I absolutely must find ways to connect with my students lives outside of school. Only through making these connections to their personal lives, can I hope to teach them in a way that they are most comfortable with and most willing to learn from. Too often, we as teachers expect our students to walk through our doors with empty heads ready to be filled with the knowledge we give them. This is just not the case. As Jane Miller stated in Reading Lives, “Readers and practices of reading are situated within histories of locality, gender, race, and class. Literacy learning is part of these histories, not something that children do as a cognitive task divorced from their lives. (pg. 37)” As a teacher, I must be willing and prepared to create a teaching program that fits into the lives my students already live. I cannot expect to fit their lives into my teaching; it simply will not work that way. I must be aware of so many identities that my students own, hybrid identities as Hicks calls them. I must be cognizant of how boys and girls earn “power” in the classroom (boys often through acting out and girls through a need to please their female teacher). I also must be willing to communicate with families so that I understand the priorities of a student, their learning styles, and their life-long influences from home.

This course has been a wonderful learning experience for me, particularly as a brand new teacher. I have learned so much about the experiences my students bring to the classroom and how I respond to the learning they bring from their lives. While we may not come from the same neighborhood or social status or gender or race, I can, and must find ways to connect to and communicate with my students’ lives. Only then can I hope to impact their learning inside the classroom. ~Allison Reese

“Critique is understood as an interrogation of the terms by which life is constrained in order to open up the possibility of different modes of living; in other words, not to celebrate difference as such but to establish more inclusive conditions for sheltering and maintaining life that resist models of assimilation.” Judith Butler

When I first received the syllabus for this course and read the three quotes, I liked this quote least but I’ve come to realize that it, of all the quotes, most closely sums up my perspective regarding race, class and gender in literacy learning. Often critique is perceived as negative or threatening, a criticism intended to point out faults or omissions. Both teachers and students shutter at the idea of being critiqued or evaluated because it comes with the negative connotation of being found “wanting.” Critique is “interrogation” (another term which often conjures up negative feelings, I prefer the term “questioning”) of what exists, the status quo, for the purpose of improvement. This course has motivated me to participate in self-critique as well as a critique of established (formal) educational views and practices. Far from being a negative exercise, this critique has led me to a greater understanding of my own situated history, my own literacy leanings, my limitations and my commitment to being open to new possibilities for learning in my life and in my classroom.
From the varied and challenging texts of THE SKIN THAT WE SPEAK to the inspirational voice in READING LIVES by Deborah Hicks, I found a critique that cautioned and yet encouraged me to seek those possibilities for open dialogue with my students, their parents, and committed others that might allow all of us to benefit from our collective languages/beliefs/histories/visions. As I read and mulled over my readings, I realized that I couldn't deny my own gender, race or class and the impact that had on my own learning. I realized that in my limitations I could celebrate my strengths. I kept returning to the concept of inclusion, a means for all students to share ownership despite yet including differences.Far from assimilation, rubber stamping,that often results from a strict adherence to one preferred educational practice (as evidenced in traditional formal practices and even in the current obsession with EOG performance standards)each individual could contribute from their differences and their strengths. Not only would inclusive practices in my classroom protect (shelter) rather than harm (threaten) my students, such practices would serve to establish a healthy, more vibrant and relevant, learning environment which would not only maintain but could ENHANCE the lives of all those who might learn and work there.
Betsy Baldwin

“There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.” Michel Foucault

This quote best sums up my experience in this course. The time is now, more than ever. As teachers, we must think differently and perceive differently. If I do not, I have lost the fight before even entering the classroom as a teacher. I have honestly thought about my students in a different light as well as myself as an educator after completing the readings and posts in this course. I never thought about all the facets of a child’s world that influence and creates their histories, and ultimately their educational experience. I have learned a new acceptance of my students, and I question many of my teaching practices.

There were times this school where I really felt defeated.I was overwhelmed by the low academic levels of my 7th graders, my obstacles as well as theirs, and what I was still supposed to be able to teach them along with what they were to be accountable for. I came into this course thinking I am young white twenty something year old teacher, and what I do in the classroom is the best I can do in the educational system at hand. I have found this to be untrue. There is a lot I can do. From reading The Skin that we Speak, I have learned I can value each of my student’s language and at the same time show them Standard English. I can teach my students the beauty and value of code-switching, a skill I never knew about until reading this text. I can work harder to foster and promote an environment of beautiful multiculturalism in my classroom. From Reading Lives, I have learned I can strive harder to incorporate culturally relevant text and activities, and engage my students. I can think twice before I respond to a student, because I now am coming to realize how much I influence my students my language and history. I must value and involve my students’ communities. Ultimately, I must stop making excuses, stop trying to place blame, and simply, “perceive differently”. Then I can go on looking and reflecting (teaching). Perhaps then, I won't feel so defeated.

A message that was revealed in both texts, but especially Reading Lives is that of communication. One project I really want to work on with my administration is holding a parent night in my student’s Winston community where many of the students are bused from to Kernersville. If we are going to understand each others histories, we must be willing to do this. I have thought more closely about parents’ feelings of school, and their need to be a part of the educational process. I have thought about what myself and my school must seem and appear to be to my parents. Additionally, I have a renewed sense of hope and motivation for teaching my students.

There is a lot more behind each face in our classroom. There is a language, a story, and an individual. We all have prior experiences, and we form our beliefs upon those experiences. Our student’s race, gender, social class, and experiences make them each very different. But one thing remains the same, they are all children. They are the best their parents have, and they send us them everyday. As one of the texts said changing your way of thinking is no easy task, it requires somewhat of a moral shift. I recognize this and see it as my challenge. If any teacher is going to continue their career today, we must begin to think differently about ourselves, and then teach our students how to do the same.

I think the following quote best reflects how I view my learning during this course: "There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all." This course has revolutionized my thinking about my role as a teacher and how I perceive my students. Before taking this class, I never realized the scope of influence my job as a classroom teacher has on children. I've always known that as a teacher I am helping to mold the minds of children and prepare them for the future, but my perception of what was required of me to achieve this end was vey narrow.

I have always cared about presenting clear academic instruction to my students that is based on their needs and the standard course of study. I have also cared about maintaining discipline in the classroom and have given incentives to the children to practice good citizenship and be good workers. These teaching priorites were sufficient for most children, but not all. Each year, I have had at least one or two children who had trouble going along with the program. These children had problems such as trouble getting along with peers; difficulty with self control, staying on task to complete work, and following directions and class rules. These children usually lost their happy gram almost every day. I did not know what to do to help these children change their behavior. Though some made more academic progress than others, most of them carried their bad reputaitons with them into third grade.

I knew very little about the home lives of my students. Most of what I knew about my students was based on what I knew from superficial interactions with them in the classroom. Anything I learned about their interests and lives with their families was a result of information they shared at school in their writing or during discussions. However, I didn't value this information as much as I valued the quality of their work or their achievement of an academic objective. As I now know, demonstrating to students that I genuinely value their backgrounds and interests could have been a bridge of influence to connect difficult students with the expectations of school.

As a result, my classes will be conducted differently from now on. Achievement and good citizenship will continue to be valued as important. However, so will students' backgrounds, interests, and their feelings about themselves as students and individuals. I want all of my students to feel that I care about what they think and feel, and respect their language and values from home that they bring to school with them. Hopefully in a class environment in which genuine mutual respect thrives in the teacher-student relationships, all students (including the students initially known as difficult) will be motivated to practice good work habits, behavior, and strive for their best academic achievement.

Vickie Howell

There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all. Michel Foucault

This course has awakened me in so many ways. The first book, The Skin that We Speak by Delpit, offered new thoughts on how important language is in the classroom. I still remain strong on my opinions of teaching correct grammar, but I have a new respect for all languages. Students need to be given an opportunity to express themselves in every way. Grammar has its place in the classroom, but does not need to hinder what a child is saying. A child’s identity does not need to change just because they walk through a school’s front door.

In chapter 4 of the book, Judith Baker states, “When students know that their home language is respected, they can be fascinated by a study of different Englishes they speak.” The students can see patterns in other languages and refer back to their own native language for understanding. I particularly like this part of the book because it approaches language as a “trilingual” approach. Students learn that there is a time and a place for formal English, but it does not threaten or hinder them. Students and teachers need to learn to appreciate each other for who they are not what they are or where they come from in society.

Delpit’s book allowed me to see another side of language. Why should I force my middle class views and language onto all of my students 100% of the time? They come from diverse backgrounds and speak various languages. I should appreciate their views and comments and save my grammatical corrections for when I am teaching grammar. Their thoughts and comments do not need to be hindered. The discourse that is occurring in my room in small and whole group lessons should be the focus for my teaching. My students and I will benefit more by just listening rather than correcting.

Reading Lives, by Hicks was an interesting book that focused on the study of two children. Jake and Laurie were working class students who learn very differently. They both looked up to their parents and struggled with school in their own ways. Laurie being tutored by the researcher was an advantage for her. She was able to communicate and learn how to read by being given individualized instruction and attention. Jake bloomed in kindergarten. He was full of energy and expression. He enjoyed centers and it showed in every way. Even his body language expressed how he felt. At times, he would resist structure, but would eventually conform. Both children struggled in later grades of elementary school. The home-school connection that did not take place with these children showed me as an educator how important this is in today’s system. We need to connect with our students and embrace their cultures.

In closing, this class has been an exceptional learning experience for me. The lessons that I will take away from this will not only help me as a teacher, but also as a parent. I will listen more and correct less. Communication is the basis for our society regardless of what form or language. Without it, we are expressionless human beings without personality.

Beth Rigsbee

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” Marcus Aurelius said this during Roman times and it's still applicable (and speaks volumes) for my understanding of language today. I now understand that my perspective isn't the truth for all of my students. Initially this was difficult to embrace because my perspective was "correct" in my eyes. (Of course it would seem correct to me because it is my perspective. That is a given.) I now understand that my students feel the SAME WAY. Regardless of their backgrounds and life experiences, my students felt the same way that I did. THEY felt THEIR perspective was correct because it was based upon THEIR experience(s).

"The Skin That We Speak" brought excellent illustrations of life experiences to the table in a manner that made it easy to look into the lives of others. While these life experiences were different from mine, they were the same in that I could relate to their feelings and insight. I still stand by my initial thought that I should teach Standard English in the classroom as being "correct," but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the idea presented in chapter four about students feeling respect for their home languages while studying the other "Englishes" that we speak. This concept lends weight and importance to all forms of English. I LOVE THAT and will absolutely use that in my classroom, although in a modified form of understanding for my first graders.

This class has strongly reinforced the insight that, as teachers, we cant assume our students experiences are the same as our own. What a challenge this has been for me since day one in the classroom! Now, more than ever, I need to be mindful of the lives children live (like Jake and Laurie). In the back of my mind I know not to assume all parents think like me and that all children in my class are growing up like I did or like my daughter is. It's in those split-second decisions in the classroom that I fall back on MY way of thinking and forget that my students and their families may not even UNDERSTAND those expectations and consequences.

From this class, I see (now more than ever) that I need to have more understanding and compassion for what my students are bringing to the table. Although I THINK I understand and my intentions are well placed, I don't really have my finger on the pulse of my students' lives. It seems the only way to be completely aware of my students backgrounds is to make home visits. I'm debating this for the coming school year. I don't know how I will work it with the challenging factor of time, but this seems to be the "in your face" reality check that I need to see that all of my students don't live lives that mirror my middle-class background. What an eye-opener this will be. This won't lower my expectations or standards in the classroom, but it will help me to create alternate paths to reach the ultimate destination. I will continue to raise the bar on academics, behavior, and citizenship in the classroom, but I will be better prepared for my students by being open to more than my own perspective.

I've really enjoyed this class. The introspective look it forces you to take brings home a much deeper understanding of ourselves as teachers, parents, and human beings. It challenged me to look through my own personal experiences and embrace the diverse backgrounds and experiences my students and their families bring into my classroom. Their truths give me pause to understand that mine isn't the only correct experience and viewpoint in the classroom.

The quote that best reflects my learning during this course is:

Text of pleasure: the text that contents, fills, grants euphoria; the text that comes from culture and does not break with it, is linked to a comfortable practice of reading.
Text of bliss: the text that imposes a state of loss, the text that discomforts, unsettles the reader’s historical cultural, psychological assumptions, the consistency of his [sic] tastes, values, memories, brings to a crisis his [sic] relation with language. Roland Barthes

Text of pleasure: By contrasting the effect of words, this quote illustrates that reading familiar text creates a state of pleasure. When my daughter was a little girl, her favorite book was Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. Every time I read that book she would smile and squeal with delight. After reading that story at bedtime for about a week, she began to read the story along with me. Although she could not read the words, she knew the story. When she was older, she found that book in a box. As most mothers do, I put her most precious things in a box for keepsakes. When she saw the book, I saw the same twinkle in her eyes that were there when she was two listening to this story. She opened the book and began to read and squeal with delight. As I stood in the corner and listened to her read the words, I smiled because she could finally read her favorite story. Most importantly, she read it with ease and comfort because it was familiar to her. The same feeling of comfort and ease is evident in adults when they read familiar text. This occurs when reading books by an author that uses the same characters in all of his work, or by reading books by different authors about a particular subject of interest. Human nature enables us to cling to that which is familiar. It’s almost like having a favorite sandwich or entrée at your favorite restaurant. Even though you might want to try something different sometimes, you always know that you will thoroughly enjoy your favorite. I love John Grisham novels. Whenever I have an opportunity to read one of his books, I know I am in for a treat. I know that I can curl up in bed deep under the covers with a good cup of cappuccino and have a wonderful time. Reading his books is a form of enjoyment to me; it brings me pleasure. When I have an opportunity to read for enjoyment I find myself in a wonderful state of peace.

Reading for pleasure is an advantage that I miss. Being in graduate school has kept me very busy and I have not been able to read my John Grisham novels. I have had to retreat from my comfort zone and read so many books about everything except my favorite. All of a sudden, I felt like a child that was being separated from their favorite toy. This is especially difficult when reading a book about a subject that I am not interested in or more or less task oriented. However, I have grown to appreciate the effect of reading books that are not familiar. I realize that the point of being in graduate school is to master my craft and to become a deeper intellectual thinker. These two books, The Skin That We Speak: Thoughts on Language and Culture in the Classroom by Lisa Delpit and Reading Lives: Working-Class Children and Literacy Learning by Deborah Hicks that I have read during graduate school have become favorites; but in a different sense. I now love books that challenge me and make me think out of the box. I now want to be taken out of my comfort zone and placed into a world of situations totally different from my own.

In this class, reading the experiences of the writers in “The Skin That We Speak”. It was pleasurable in reading this book. This book had a tremendous impact on the me by stating that there is a problem, stating out right what it is, what has been done about it, and then stating possible solutions for all those involved in the process, from the child through linguists. Some of the quotes I read in this book were like listening to easy listening music. In Joanne Dowdy’s definitive quote, “The chains fell from around my tongue, and my brain began to feel as if it were oiled and moving along without hiccups... I could travel up and down the continental shift, moving from Caribbean to English intonations, without anyone being offended. Doesn’t this sound so melodiousness? We as educators must allow dialects into our classrooms and allow other students respect those dialects.

Text of bliss: The meaning for this part of the quote, it means for intellectual stimulation, it may be better to read unfamiliar text, as such presents a deeper and mental challenge. Believe me, in reading the philosophies and memoirs in “Reading Lives: Working-Class Children and Literacy Learning has definitely been challenging. I had to read the chapters in this book several times to understand the author’s point of view of the influence of social class relations on literacy learning and the stories of family literacy issues. By exploring their successes and challenges, the book revealed how children's home life experience influences who they come to be and how they come to know in relation to reading practices. From reading my colleagues blogs and this book directed me to move closer to the intersection of "feeling" and "knowing" in my role as a teacher. I have learned that it is essential that children feel valued and know that you accept them for who they are. It also showed me how to be that vehicle to bridge literacy education by connecting what is interrelated such as the student’s identity, relationship, history, beliefs, socialization, and cognition. I never realized that home literacy practices and the school’s literacy practices were like a foreign language. Just as we find ways and make modification for our non-English speaking students, we should do the same with children of working-class families.

I must admit that at my advanced age, I was leery and reluctant about this on-line course. I am from the era that the necessity of the physical structure of a classroom is conducive to learning. I am accustomed to having a teacher present and I didn’t think that this on-line course would offer me the opportunity to explore issues and help me think about my professional work in literacy. However, I was wrong. I found myself having a voice in this on-line forum. I was able to share my discourses from the comforts of my home. I really and truly believe that it comes from feeling safe and accepting my environment allow me to explore the possibilities of taking a chance on sharing my experiences and practices. I have found myself being more enthusiastic about the upcoming year and implementing the knowledge learned of recognizing the differences in my students and provide an environment that is conducive for them to be successful.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading others’ on-line responses and the books required for this course. I am going to share these books with my principal and recommend that the staff read these two books just as we read Ruby Payne’s book, “A Framework for Understanding Poverty”. I feel that these books will have a great impact on our staff as it did on me. It would be of great value to all school administration for the problem of language in the classroom and how best to combat it from their level of authority. The people who I feel will value the most from these books are teachers. Teachers like myself who have not considered or are aware of how their student’s situated histories and their language patterns have a profound effect on their student’s academic success in their classrooms. Last week, I discussed these two books with a colleague of mine and she told me about another book that is written by Lisa Delpit called, “Other People’s Children”. Dr. Beth Frye, who is a professor at Appalachian State University, gave this book to her. I will definitely read this book.

The power of words never ceases to amaze me. The impact of literature can leave the most profound impact on the reader. While books that are familiar bring a state of instant pleasure and enjoyment, books that are intellectually stimulating can place the reader in an instant gratifying state of euphoria. ~ Shirley Mathis

"There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all." ~Michel Foucault

Before i took this class, i considered myself to be a teacher who saw each child as an individual and who didn't look at class, race, or gender; but boy was i wrong. I had no idea how much i paid attention to those things; or how little attention i paid to them, each scenario is detrimental to the child. I've learned so much through reading the two texts in this class. I love the above quote, and it basically sums up my feelings on the course. If i had never been introduced to these ideas, and had an open mind about them, i'd still be the same old teacher next year, who cared about her students, but rarely saw them DEEPLY. I never realized that the way i had been thinking and behaving weren't right.

I have to admit that when i began reading our first text, The Skin that We Speak, i was skeptical. I didn't like how it seemed as if the authors were ok with language other than standard english. It seems like such an ignorant thought now. I even commented to my father that i was frustrated b/c the author was writing in ebonics...at this point my father rolled his eyes and said that he wouldn't even read the book. Wow have my outlooks changed! I know that when school starts up next year, i'm going to do a language/home/family study with my fourth graders. I think they are going to be excited about it, and feel accepted by me and their peers. I want them to know that my classroom is one of cultural exploration and acceptance and respect. Language is so powerful! Language studies can build the bridges that are necessary for children to learn and want to learn. If a child knows that the language/dialect they speak at home, and with their "others" is accepted and respected at school, they will be more open to want to learn their teacher's language. If the teacher does a good job in explaining the time and place for certain dialects, kids will be able to switch (code switch) back and forth from home language to school language to professional language. I think this should be a teacher's main focus.

The second text we read, although harder to read, was actually my favorite of the two. I liked learning about Jake and Laurie, and about the issue of class altogether. I had never read or researched anything on this topic. I'm glad i had the chance to open my eyes to something new and different, so that i could decide for myself the importance of it and relevance of it in my own professional and social life. We need to really SEE each child and their families. I'd like to hold a conference at the beginning of the year and do some type of interest inventory with the family (about their child and themselves), and then do the same with the kids. I think the parents would feel important and they would know that their child's teacher cares about where they came from and will work to preserve that cultural background. Before this class, i didn't realize how class affects children. Now i see that a child's homelife has EVERYTHING to do with how they learn and their attitude about school. I will use this knowledge to my advantage and try to reflect on their situations before teaching and reacting.

I have always known that all children learn differently, but now i have a little more insight to why that is (based on class, gender, and race). I'm so glad that i took this course. I had no idea that my perception could be changed so drastically. It WILL affect my teaching, for the better! It always feels so good when you come away from something knowing what you can do to incorporate what you've learned and knowing that what you've learned will have an impact on those around you. I hope to show my students the importance of learning new things and thinking differently as well. I'll end with the quote that i think says it all: "We can only change the world that we can SEE." ~Iris Murdoch.

Quote:

There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.
Michel Foucault

Let me start off by giving my explanation of what this quote means to me. I think that when you work is a field such as education or any field that is in a constant state of change with new research appearing everyday, you must always be open to that change and never get so comfortable and set it your ways that you aren’t open to the new ideas around you. If I can not accept and adjust to the new technology of this world or the new reading research that is always just around the corner then I might as well just stop trying at all. In a field such as education you must always have an open mind. You must always be ready for someone else’s view point on a subject and be able to either accept it or be able to explain to them why you don’t accept it. For example, I currently co-teach with a teacher who is extremely set in her ways and doesn’t want to hear any of my philosophies or ideas about how to run the classroom. I am just a mere nuisance she has to put up with for a certain period of the day. I shouldn’t be in her classroom because I am not certified to teach the subject she is teaching even though I do have a teaching license in special education. I am there for one reason only and that is to give the test to the students in a separate room when they need it. She has never asked herself that question stated above. She can not think differently and she is not open to anything new or out of her comfortable norm. I, on the other hand, think I have a lot to offer in the classroom. Or at least I would like to think that. And I think that it has a lot to do with the fact that I allow change in my philosophies. I am constantly checking to make sure that my information is the most up to date and I do not just throw an idea out the window because it isn’t kosher with how I currently believe and teach.

I believe that we live in a world where you must always be looking for the best way to do something. We live in a world where you can buy a computer one day and it is outdated in a week. If we, as teachers, can not keep up with the change, then we are doomed to fail. It is absolutely necessary to assess your own philosophies as often as possible because new information is constantly being found and implemented. If we as teachers, who teach the future leaders of this world, can not keep up with this change, then those whom we teach can and will suffer. I refuse to let that happen to my students. I will continue to read professionally as often as I can in order to make sure I do not let me students down. Mine and their futures depend on it. I have enjoyed this class because it has made me look at how I interact with my students. And I have decided to change things that I do in order to accommodate things that I have learned. One for instance is getting to know more about the lives of my students outside of school. I hope that I will never end up so set in my ways that I forget to think and see things differently every once in a while.

~Kristen Billings

Summative- Self-Critique-Heather Holland

The first step towards knowledge is to know that we are ignorant. –Richard Cecil This quote by Richard Cecil seems so simple at first, but it truly exemplifies how I feel at the conclusion of this course. Before taking this course, I thought that I was a ‘pretty accepting person of other cultures, values, belief, etc.’ However, I have learned that I am not accepting of other peoples’ beliefs per se, but I am accepting of the “person” and who they are in relation to their own personal beliefs or ideas. I think of my best friend--Rose and myself. We could not be more opposite. My mother asked me one time, “Heather, how are you two friends? You don’t agree on anything?” I smiled, laughed, and said, “Because we are true friends. We respect each other’s differences and love each other for the person that we are. We get into lively debates, but we later laugh about it. We agree on very little, but that makes it interesting!” I remember back to the first “friendship” moments we had together. Her boyfriend of many years ended their relationship and in the same weekend her friend and co-worker was killed in a motorcycle accident (I am going somewhere with this…I promise). I was there for her at that moment. I didn’t care about her political viewpoint, her religious beliefs, or her ‘crazy’ ideas about woman’s lib…I cared about her! Later, when I needed support when I was going through a crisis, she was there for me! She traveled 600 miles, took time off work, and pulled me together when I needed someone most. It’s because of these “accepting” values that make our friendship great.
Now to the quote that I was supposed to choose from on the syllabus… First, I do not think that my style of learning parallels Michel Foucault’s quote because I do not believe that I have thought differently than I have thought before. I continue to think the same old way… but my ideas about people and who they are as a person, is what is the key component of my learning.
I must say that my learning reflects more of Judith Butler’s quote: “Critique is understood as an interrogation of the terms by which life is constrained in order to open up the possibility of different modes of living; in other words, not to celebrate difference as such but to establish more inclusive conditions for sheltering and maintaining life that resist models of assimilation.”
In the beginning of my journey to find the quote that best exemplifies my learning, I shook my head at this quote because I immediately saw the words “critique”, “interrogations”, “sheltering”, and ‘constrained”. Then, the following phrases nipped at me: “not to celebrate difference” and “resists models of assimilation”. I did not stop there. I tried to figure it out. I could not decide why Dr. Jackson would put such a ‘negative’ quote on our syllabus. Of course, at this time, I did not understand the quote. Now, I think of this quote as more of critiquing of my thoughts and beliefs, as questioning the norm and the things that go on in society, and resisting the models of assimilation that expect us, as educations, to just do what everyone else does—accept things just how they are and not question “why”.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this course. In fact, I looked on ASU’s website for course offerings that were an extension of this one. I couldn’t find another course with a similar format or subject matter. Now, I will just have to be appreciative that this class stretched me and who I am, as a person and as an educator. I will not go back to my classroom in the fall and just take things as they appear. I will look deeper, try to understand the children God has given me, and love and accept them for the people they are.
Thanks for a great class (my first online course)!
Written by
Heather Holland

Micheal Foucault's quote best describes my new outlook on learning during the duration of this course.

"There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all"

I have never been one who is "set" in their ways and not willing to open up to new ideas and have always strived to learn more. During this course, however, I discovered something new happening to me while I was reading, writing, and reflecting on others, perceptions of the books we read. I began to see the world in a whole new light and perspective and began reflecting on my teaching practices and daily communications with others. I suddenly felt like a light bulb and the shining sun where I began to see the "whys" to things I have been in the dark about. I think a small piece of me was in the dark because I wasn't sure how important it was to connect instruction to issues that matter to students, their families, and their community. This course has really brightened up my perspective about happenings both in the classroom and in my everyday life and has helped me to think "outside the box".

Why have I been in the clouds for so long? After reading Reading Lives, the clouds lifted, the sun began to shine, and the sky was blue agian. It makes so much sense when you think about it that individuals all come from different experiences, histories, backgrounds, cultures, language identities, and dialect usage. So why did I think that just because I valued something, or thought a certain way, that others thought that way too? It is just this knowing that I must think differently in the classroom that is going to improve my relations with my students which is extremely important to generate the success of my students. More than ever, I realize, I must listen to my students, read "between the lines", and research who my students are, where they come from, what they value, respect, and what makes them tick.

I now know that I must be careful with my language, tone, and even way of conducting things in my classroom so that I can establish a learning environment in my classroom that assures students and parents that they are valued, accepted for who they are, where they came from, and are important. By peeling the skin off of each little peach in my room, I can constitute knowledge about them which will allow me to change my beliefs, practices, and understandings of what is going on inside of each individual fruit. I am going to turn on the lights in my classroom by doing a better job of researching my students backgrounds and home identities and use this information to see things differently as to what each individual child needs to succeed both socially and academically. It is just that internal listening to see things from a different point of view that will help me to understand them and thus improve my relationships with my students, parents, and even others. Hicks refers to it as "love's knowledge". The energy I put into a relationship with my husband, is the same kind of focus and attention I plan to have with my students. Hicks writes, "Understandings of other individuals (as in the cases of friendship and love) are therefore exemplary of the ways in which social relationships can be constitutive of knowing with others."

The Jake and Laurie stories helped me to realize that past experiences truely do shape our way of looking at things. I realize that just thematic units might not be enough since gender plays such a huge role in a child's learning development. It might be that I need to add a number or name like Earnhart to my toy cars. There are so many instructional opportunities that can be implemented from using NASCAR such as colors, shapes, ordinal numbers, and many other endless possibilities. It is just that incorporation of girlhood and boyhood practices that might just open some doors to literacy learning. So as an educator, I must look beyond the horizon to think and see in a different light.

I realize I must be careful not to judge, since the things that I say may be perceived as such creating a student to "reject" me which will stiffle their learning opportunitites in my classroom. Just because I think a student shouldn't have a toy car in front of them during writing, doesn't mean that is what the child thinks. That toy car could just be the thing that is motivating and generating ideas within the students. I am going to have to take the time to truely learn who my students are if I want to reach them.

After reading The Skin That We Speak, it internalized for me how important it is to use my words wisely because it is the misinterperatation of what I say, that can severly damage my relationships with my students. At the same time though, I see the light differently now that it is not enough just to teach Standard English. First, my students must be convinced that I truely do have their best interests at heart. To accomplish this I must embrace my student's interests, families, and native language. When my students respect and connect with me, then and only then will they be willing to adopt my Standard English format. I want, as Delpit wanted for Maya, for my students to appreciate and accept the beauty of their language, but learn to "code switch" when Standard English is the politically correct language to use. Delpit writes, "Ironically, the more determined we are to rid the school of children's home language, the more determined they must become to perserve it. Since language is one of the most intimate expressions of identity, indeed, "the skin that we speak," then to reject a person's language can only feel as if we are rejecting him."

From here, I now know that I am going to work harder to build a relationship with my families, with home visits, conferences, surveys, and even family nights possibly at the city lake park or whatever it takes to learn more about their identities and what they are up against. All of my students are from poverty or working-class families, so I must implement tons of literacy components and bahavioral patterns since this is absent from many of the families of this social class. This class has shed light on the way I see things and made me realize that I must listen more to what my students are saying so that I can form lessons that are geared towards their gender, interests, and sensitive to the roots of who they are.

I understand more than ever now how literacy learning is linked to the student's social class, gender, race, and life experiences which all work together to help students become "makers of meaning through literacy". I now know that reflecting on each of my students differences and life experiences, that bright lights will turn on and each little peach will be warmed by the sunlight and ripen the way they were intended to.
Linda Younts