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!
Comments (5)
kelly,
i too was blown away by page 152! i few years ago our "kindergarten chair" was given the "power" to make up class lists for the upcoming year...she was actually allowed to put these class lists together for several yers. well...let me tell you what happened over those years...we had high SES classes and low SES classes! which did she have? THE HIGH! if she liked you that year, you received the high or possibly middle and if she wasnt sure about you...you got the low. two years ago i was on her "low end". my kindergarten children were the lowest in the school...with 20 out of 22 PEP's...11 in speech, several in ec...several that would become BED...you name it, it was in my classroom. dont get me wrong, they were precious...but unfortunately they did not have the opportunity to be grouped with all different kinds of children and i did not have the special ed training or assistance and support to provide all these children with everything that they needed. most were receiving counseling for home situations that were devastating! can you believe that this kindergarten teacher would put her name down as the requested teacher if the child she screened was high?! she took page 152 a step farther...not only would she complain about the children that were not "perfect", she actually stopped them from coming into her room!
really loved your post. i too loved this page!
donna byrd-wyatt
Posted by donna byrd-wyatt | June 21, 2007 8:05 AM
Posted on June 21, 2007 08:05
kelly,
I agree that this book was very refreshing. At times, I had to reread sections to understand what the author was trying to state, but not often. The last chapter seemed to sum up the entire book and it's meanings to me. Laurie and Jake can be found in any elementary classroom. These working class students showed us how they perceive learning and how we can model our teaching for others. We as teachers of today need to find ways to make these children not feel as though they are living in a middle class world, but are truly of a poorer class. This author would be a good presenter at a workshop. Her study was interesting, conclusive and very insightful. The study was realistic to today's society and how we can impact the lives of our students.
Beth Rigsbee
Posted by Beth Rigsbee | June 21, 2007 6:01 PM
Posted on June 21, 2007 18:01
Kelly-
I too have encountered the student who really is not the least bit interesting in doing the work I ask of them. Even in Kindergarten, they are getting smart enough to ask how a certain concept will help them in their life. I agree with your statement completely, we have to make things relevant to our students and to their lives for them to be interested in learning.
After reading your comment about the working class and poor rejecting the middle class I had to stop and think about this concept again. In my opinion, they reject the middle class before the middle class has a chance to reject them – maybe a survival skill?
I loved your last paragraph about wanting to distribute the page to all the teachers at your school. I can say I am guilty of not getting it as well, but it just amazes me how teachers can continue year after year saying the students just aren’t getting it without any thought to their own teaching practices. I am with you; I will never ignore who a child is and where they come from.
Posted by Lisa Outland | June 21, 2007 8:59 PM
Posted on June 21, 2007 20:59
Kelly, As I read your blog, I found myself agreeing with you very strongly. It can become so easy, automatic almost, to look at a child and see a test score or an AYP goal or even just a child we must get to pass. However, this class has given me a chance to step back, take a deep breath, and remember that each child that comes to me is just that, a child, not a statistic. I cannot possibly expect my students to gain all that they should from me if they think that all their teachers value is test scores. We must show our students that we value who they are, their strengths AND their weaknesses. They must see that we value the whole child, not just those parts that the school system benefits from. This coming fall, I will be careful not to "judge a book by its cover" as I encounter my new students, but rather sit back and get to know each of them on a more personal level and show them that they are important to me and that they have something special to bring to our classroom. This semester I told my students frequently that our class would not be the same if every single one of them were not a part of it because each of them brought something unique to our class dynamic that no one else could duplicate. A few really great books I love to read aloud to my students that deal with just this idea are The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes and You Are Special by Max Lucado if anyone is interested in discussing this with their class next year. ~Allison Reese
Posted by Allison Reese | June 22, 2007 10:05 AM
Posted on June 22, 2007 10:05
I think that I will probably read this book again because of the difficulty I went through the first time I read it. I believe that I will take my time and go through it more slowly just so that I can get a better grasp on the subject. I enjoyed reading both books but I got the most from the first one by far. So I am hoping to reread Hicks for some better understanding.
Posted by Kristen Billings | June 22, 2007 11:44 PM
Posted on June 22, 2007 23:44