RE_5539

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.