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.
Comments (5)
Lisa, I too could relate to Hicks’ life as told in chapter 3. It amazes me how the experiences I had growing up shaped my life and my literacy learning. I would have never thought those events had anything to do with literacy. I think another of students felt the same way as they read also. I guess it not a race thing, but a cultural thing. Many times, we think we have different cultures because we are a different race from someone else. Although there may be some things that are different, I think being from a certain region or locality is a culture within itself. For instance, the author talks about the southeast being the bible beltway and with most of us sharing similar experiences it shows that we have a similar culture by just being from the same area.
I agree with your thoughts about how we must find a way to tie the home/school bond to help future generations. If we could explain this to parents and let them know how their children experiences shape their literacy experiences and life it may help them make better choices of how to raise their children or what things to expose them to.
Posted by Danielle Griffin | June 10, 2007 4:52 PM
Posted on June 10, 2007 16:52
Lisa,
I love your insight and personal connection you made with the chapter. I, too, grew up in the south and I recall my mother presenting herself in a certain way in various circumstances (much like your mother dressing up to go shopping). I remember my mom dressing up to go to the doctor. She still does today. She said it's a show of respect for the doctor. I love that. Isn't it amazing how much value we place on appearance? Appearance can dictate intelligence, level of respect, and honor given to someone. I buy into this thought. For instance, I went out on "black Friday" last year to cash in on Christmas shopping deals. I rolled out of bed, washed my face, brushed my teeth, pulled my hair into a ponytail, threw on some old clothes, and rushed to the stores before the sun rose. Wouldn't you know it? At the last store on my list (several hours later and looking HORRIBLE, to say the least) I happen upon several parents of students in my class. I was, needless to say, a bit embarrassed because I didn't look professional. Heck, I didn't even look disheveled. I looked ROUGH. Appearance is EVERYTHING. Anyone who denies it only does so because they happen to look good at the time. ;)
Posted by Jeanna McIntyre | June 10, 2007 7:06 PM
Posted on June 10, 2007 19:06
What a wonderful autobiographical connection you made! All of your practices are tied to cultural approaches to literacy -- even appearances can be such as they are "texts" to be "interpreted." My mother taught me to never go anywhere without lipstick. I have about 4 tubes in my purse and two in my car!
Alecia
Posted by Prof. Alecia Jackson | June 11, 2007 8:54 PM
Posted on June 11, 2007 20:54
I am my mothers child. I act, talk, and do most things just like her. I have noticed it most here recently because we are building a house for my fiance and me. I noticed that I wanted to put the phone in the same place that it was at my house. And I wanted to use the same detergent to wash my clothes. Many things that my mom has done for reasons over the years I have just picked up. I guess it just habit but I wouldn't have chosen the washing detergent I did if I hadn't known it was the kind my mother used.
Posted by Kristen Billings | June 11, 2007 9:36 PM
Posted on June 11, 2007 21:36
Hi Lisa,
It's amazing the experiences we encounter during childhood shape our literacy learning. I never thought about relating literacy learning with my childhood experiences until I read this chapter. My mother too, dressed up to go shopping. She said that we must always look prim and proper when we go out in public because we never know who we may see. It is so true; whenever I go to the mall or Wal-Mart, I will always see my student’s parents there. Being prime and proper must have something to do with the era or maybe it has something to do with culture. As I can recall that on an earlier post on the blog, I remember stating that, the skin that we speak has something to do with the environment in which we resides and our culture. It appears that this book may have the same connotations.
Posted by Shirley Mathis | June 11, 2007 10:22 PM
Posted on June 11, 2007 22:22