I found this section of reading very difficult to read; some parts I felt a little unnerved to read and other sections I could have agreed to with a resounding, "Amen!" I especially found chapter 10 difficult to read, but I think this is mostly due to its being more technical and history oriented, which is literature I have always had trouble wading through. Chapter 9 was very interesting to me. I thought it was very insightful to think about not necessarily what I say, but rather how I am heard. This was an eye-opening revelation to me: "Teachers must analyze how they are presenting themselves and then make a 180-degree shift and construct how their students hear them." I always try very hard to break down all of my instructions and lessons into easy to understand pieces, but what I intend in my language may not be what my students are actually perceiving. I absolutely agree with the author when he stated that, "The hard thing is talking to a whole class when people listen differently." This exact thought was running through my head as I read this chapter. What a difficult task we have! How do you ensure that 20 students all comprehend something in the same way so as to accomplish the same task when all 20 of them hear something in a little bit different way? This truly intrigues me! I think of times when I explain something what seems like a million times, and also in different ways, in math and a student just has no idea what I am talking about and then just one time I explain it a little bit differently and suddenly the light bulb goes off. It's a fantastic feeling when a student does grasp something like this, but getting to this point in communication can be a very frustrating process. How wonderful it would be if we knew exactly how to say something so that a student discerned it exactly the way we intended! One of my favorite things about this chapter was the grouping of questions near the very end: "How do you sound? How is anger expressed? Who is praised? How is failure expressed in front of the class? How are you exposed when you think you are failing or perhaps even in despair? How many times a week do you express joy or thanks sincerely felt rather than mechanically administered as a matter of educational policy? Where is your joy in teaching and how is that conveyed?" These are definitely a tool I will be using in the future to determine if I am conveying my message in a way that is easily heard!
I found chapter 12 to be a great ending for this text. I found it a great resource for reviewing what I had previously read and kind of wrapping it into a more organized package than what I had in my head. I found these words from the author especially helpful: "If we want these children to be socially and economically mobile in mainstream culture, we must teach them standard English; yet, if we reject them by rejecting the language they grew up with, we alienate them from the very places where they could learn the standard dialect." The more I read about this topic, the more I am realizing that this is a fine line that we walk as educators. It is reassuring to read of successful stories from teachers who are putting this into practice in their classrooms every day. I will definitely be less quick to just say something in my class and more apt to take a moment to consider what I am saying and what I am allowing, or not allowing, my students to say.
Comments (5)
Allison,
You do a fine job of tying up the major themes of this last section. To me, these last chapters critique the power that teachers have in their own language and their sites of privilege. What is important is how subtle this power is, and how this power is conveyed through language that is not merely the spoken word. Language is a social practice in that it constructs relationships in particular ways.
One of my favorite philosophers, Linda Alcoff, once wrote that we have to pay attention to "where our words go and what they do there."
Alecia Jackson
Posted by Prof. Alecia Jackson | June 2, 2007 10:52 AM
Posted on June 2, 2007 10:52
Allison, I to had difficulty with chapter 10 when I read it. It was hard for me to follow and there were a few points I took from it, but not much. Chapter 9 was very interesting. I think we do have to be more aware of how we are perceived by the words we speech. I do not think the author is only talking about it as it relates to teaching, but what we say to our students as well. It is a difficult thing to do especially in a regular classroom of 15 or more students. I to wonder how you can ensure that all students are hearing you the same way when you are teaching. It seems inevitable that someone will not hear what you are communicating. You are comment is right on the mark when you said that we walk a fine line as educators when it comes to teaching children SE and not alienating them. These chapters really make you do some self-reflection into your own instructional practices.
Posted by Danielle Griffin | June 2, 2007 1:41 PM
Posted on June 2, 2007 13:41
How intimidating it is when we think of the power our words have on our children. I still recall statements that were, more than likely, spoke off the cuff from my fourth grade teacher, but they carried astounding weight for me. Mrs. Miles told me that she loved how I always tried my hardest. She said "Trying your hardest leads to success." That was probably something she said to her students throughout the years, but it stuck with me and made me feel special, like she noticed my real effort I put into the project I created. Her hugs and smiles were so encouraging for me. I wanted so badly to please her. She probably never knew the weight of those two simple sentences that would encourage me throughout that year and the next. Our words can inspire or tear our children down. If only we knew when either had happened.
Posted by Jeanna McIntyre | June 2, 2007 8:51 PM
Posted on June 2, 2007 20:51
Allison,
I found Chapter 10 difficult to read, too. I found Chapter 9 interesting also. It really makes you think about what you are saying and how the students hear you. I too will think about the questions as I speak in my classroom. As you wrote, Chapter 12 makes us realize that we as educators need to consider what we are saying and not reject the language the students grow up with.
Posted by Dawn Thomas | June 3, 2007 9:33 PM
Posted on June 3, 2007 21:33
Allison,
I agree that it would be wonderful if we knew exactly how to say something in a way that the student interprets the message the way we intended. It is not easy getting into the head of every student, especially students who are either not in the habit of alerting the teacher when she says something they don't understand, or they have trouble pinpointing exactly what part of a concept they don't understand so they just tell the teacher they don't understand anything. Perhaps this problem highlights the potential value of giving students a chance to participate in metacognition activities in which they are given time to think about and explain what they do understand. This information can then be used by the teacher to assess what it is that the student doesn't understand, which can be used as a tool to help construct the language that is needed to improve future instruction in a way that will improve students understanding of the concept.
Posted by Vickie Howell | June 4, 2007 10:10 PM
Posted on June 4, 2007 22:10