RE_5539

"There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceived differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go looking and reflecting at all." Michel Foucault

The above quote by Michel Foucault sums up this course and also deals with many of the issues presented in chapter six. It says to me that as educators we must peel back the layers that contort our vision and our listening skills when interacting with our students. The way we listen, the way we think, and the way we see is all dependent upon our numerous previous experiences. How we shed those experiences to look at each student and situation with fresh eyes and listen with fresh ears is difficult, but it is imperative if we are going to reach every student in our classes.

This class took me through a series of experiences and helped formulate how I feel about some very important issues in teaching and society. One is the importance of validating all language whether it is a completely different language or an English dialect. I have to admit with my background in foreign language I did not have a problem with accepting other languages, but I realized I had a prejudice against the Appalachian dialect. This class has helped me realize that I was judging a group of people based on what I thought was correct and proper. I can say I went as far to judge their intellect based on my own perceptions which is totally incorrect.

I now believe that correcting speech and language should be very limited and used at very specific times. Reaching out to our students and helping all of them understand each other and support each other is much more important than the use of Standard English. I think Standard English will come with the pursuit of knowledge.

Another important issue presented in this class is to know your students and their families. The only way to do this is to be welcoming and approachable. If a family knows they are welcome to come into the classroom to share something from their culture, they will most likely value the experiences in your classroom. When I say culture, I am talking about anything particular to that family. It could be making apple butter with the children if that is related to the curriculum. Our families have many talents and gifts that they may not realize.

Again, I refer to Nussbaum’s quote in Chapter six of “Reading Lives”. Nussbaum states, “The longer I stay in education, the clearer it becomes to me that some of our basic orientations toward the teaching and testing of literacy contributes to our inability to see. To truly educate in America, then to reach the full sweep of our citizenry, we need to question received perception, shift continually from the standard lens. This relates directly to the above quote by Michael Foucault. It says it all to me. We must be able to view each situation as it arises with a fresh perspective without judging. This class has helped me see areas in my own life that I need to work on to help me become not just a better teacher but a better person.

Thank you for creating this class and conducting it in this manner. The books were excellent and the writing and reflecting were imperative. The issues presented here are in critical need of more discussion and personal examination by a wider audience. I hope a class like this will become required in the college of education.

Laura Wollpert