RE_5539

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?