RE_5539

Although we teachers (especially upper elementary, middle and high school) assume we're ignored much of the time, we are, according to Kohl, "listened to more than they {we} usually think they {we} are" even though we are not always "obeyed" for he extends the thought by explaining that "listening, understanding, and obeying are three different things altogether." Thank you, Herb Kohl. I couldn't agree more! And, with that expression I place myself in the unenviable category with Ronald Reagan who was criticized for employing casual speech. I digress. First of all, I thoroughly enjoyed Herbert Kohl's chapter because I personally adhere to many of the same beliefs, not the least of which is that what I say is often less significant than HOW I say it. I've learned that through the "school of hard knocks" and I don't just mean within my teaching profession. I've learned to step back and LISTEN and most of my listening, interestingly, is to myself rather than to my students. I've learned that I need to listen to how I sound to my friends,my family, my students and the parents of my students (even to my administrators). Kohl really "hit the nail on the head" with his discussion of the difficulties of finding that fine line of commanding trust and respect. It certainly differs from school to school and from student population to student population. Just as I had to find a way to be the adult, the parent, with my own child, I also have to find a way to be the adult, the teacher, with my young students. There must be love, respect and a certain healthy "distance" or lack of familiarity. Perhaps my favorite part of Kohl's chapter dealt with claiming the right to stand up for my students' best interests even when it requires the "fine art of defying ignorant authority." I could identify with his dilemma over whether to give his female students credit for their "incorrect" answers on a standardized test. I appauld him for his wise and reaffiming choice. Because I teach in an equity plus Title I school (which is also in year one of "improvement"), I (along with entire faculty) am constantly being observed, critiqued and hounded to teach according to specific and very narrow test-driven standards. My school (and the administration which directs us) is a perfect and sad example of Kohl's statement that we will ultimately fail because of our "obsession with standards."

Another sad example of the rigidity of the NC standardized testing system was brought to my attention just this week. As I read chapter 10, the discussion on page 170 regarding correlations between the frequency of Black English used in essays and the lower scores, I was angered because it reminded me of the scores that my black students received from the NC 4th grade writing test. My only student to pass, with a 3, was my only white student. That student hails from the same neighborhood of poverty but she probably employs language at home that is closer to standard English than what my black students employ at home. One of my brightest black students, a girl who can read 8th grade level, not only did not pass the test but she scored a one. Even though this student employs BE and qualifies for speech services (due to a lisp), she is incredibly bright and creative. I know that her content was probably far superior to the content of the passing essay but her conventions were unacceptable. Yes, this student does need to learn to employ standard English in order to succeed in the big world but was her language so distracting that the scorer could totally discount the content of her writing? I am incensed because I truly believe that happened. Geneva Smitherman is correct in saying that my students must acquire a working knowledge of standard English but I fear that our system continues to repudiate the identities of many of our students. She echoes the thoughts of Friedman in THE WORLD IS FLAT when she reminds us that America and Americans must wake up to the narrow belief that we can ignore other cultures and other languages.

The thought that English is THE standard is certainly no way to "win friends and influence enemies." In Joan Wynne's chapter, she points out the dangers of encouraging an intolerant view of English as superior to other languages. How ludicrous that would sound to those whose cultures and languages predate ours. I appreciate being reminded that propagating the belief that English is and always will be the standard limits our white students by encouraging a myopic and mistaken view of their own importance. Again I am reminded of THE WORLD IS FLAT by Friedman. He reminds us that we can not afford to become complacent; the world is ever changing and in order to remain viable, Americans must awake to new possibilities and new understandings of others (their cultures and their languages). One of the obvious places to begin to instill a respect for the diversity of the human race is within the classroom. That's pretty intimidating, isn't it, but I read what many of my fellow teacher-students have written and I am encouraged for the actions must begin on a personal level, that level between teacher and student, student and student.