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
Comments (5)
Allison,
I agree with you about Jake’s identity was defined by his family. It was defined more so by his father more than his mother and grandmother. I truly believe that is because of his masculinity, his father spent more time with him in showing him the family business. Jake father's passion and desire was for Jake to take over the family business and his father gave him that first hand (hands on) experience. This experience and knowledge extended into the classroom which in kindergarten, Jake was successful because he constantly engaged in activities with manipulatives. He was able to make that connection and be successful. That was his literacy experiences and practices. However, in first grade, his literacy experiences expected more of him because the curriculum being taught required more, in which Jake did not have that experience. Yes, mother and grandmother tried to engaged him in social studies activities, however, his interest were more in tune with his father’s business and happiness—in turn was Jake’s happiness.
Posted by Shirley Mathis | June 18, 2007 9:06 PM
Posted on June 18, 2007 21:06
I too agree that Jake's identity was defined by his parents and mostly his father. I can only think of the influence his father had on him and how that will effect him for the rest of his life. I think of my students and the types of home lives they have and why they act the way they act. Well I get that answer when the parents come in cussing out principal for giving their child detention or suspension. Some people just are not fit to be parents... but who gets to make that decesion? I appluade Jake's mother though for trying to get him interested in something other than the his fathers work. I just don't understand how some kids come out of it though and are totally not affected by their homelife situations. One of my very close friends grew up in a very neglected home life and his dad drank and his mother was beaten and let it happen time after time and never stood up for herself. And even today even though he doesn't beat his wife he still runs around on him and she will say he is gone but he always comes back. How did my friend turn out so well. He is kind and smart and did well in school. Never has a cross word to anyone. Did he just have a great teacher that he connected with since he was neglected? I guess that is why I try to always be there for my students no matter what and hope that I don't push my own values while respecting theirs. It is very difficult not to do that.
Posted by Kristen Billings | June 18, 2007 11:00 PM
Posted on June 18, 2007 23:00
Hi Allison,
I agree that we need to find a way to make writing and other subjects more interesting and accessible to older students. As a fourth grade teacher, I become very bogged down every year in the teaching of writing. In fourth grade, there is little if any room for freedom in their writing. From the get go, we begin working on sentence structure, then move to paragraphs, and then move on to personal and imaginative prompts. Everything that is written is formulaic. I have become very concerned over the past 3 years that what I am doing is not helping. The kids learn how to write the “perfect” paper; however, they are not really becoming creative writers. I wish there was a magic answer! I feel that I do a much better job in other subject areas allowing for creativity and creative thinking. However, I wish there was a way to change writing. It comes down to: Do you want creative thinkers; or, good test scores?
Kelly Mabe
Posted by Kelly Mabe | June 19, 2007 7:40 AM
Posted on June 19, 2007 07:40
Allison,
I agree that Jake's identity is very much defined by his family. He obviously looked up to his Dad and identified with his father's profession and mannerisms. The comments about Jake's future educational career saddened me as well. I think beginning the idea early in a child's head that they do not have to go to college is a mistake. Whether or not he takes over the family business, he should be encouraged to go to college. You never know when a company will close. You need an education to fall back on for survival.
Posted by Beth Rigsbee | June 19, 2007 10:57 AM
Posted on June 19, 2007 10:57
I too was curious about Jake's response to the science kits as "dumb." I wondered if his reactions was defensiveness of some sort. I wondered if in that moment he was really struggling to identify himself with school in a way that was different from what his father wanted -- and Jake could have been intrigued by the kits because of their hands-on nature, but he was at a complex crossroads knowing what it would mean to enjoy something "academic." Just my interpretation!
Alecia
Posted by Alecia | June 19, 2007 9:39 PM
Posted on June 19, 2007 21:39