RE_5539

All three chapters seem to focus on the need for teachers to change their attitudes about the nonstandard English forms children bring to school from home. Instead of rejecting children's home languages as being incompetent and inferior, teachers need to sincerely respect children's interests and their home languages as valid forms of communication to build a relationship of mutual respect and trust with their students, which could be used as a tool to help students acquire standard English.

I like the home language study project that Judith Baker assigned to her students. I think it was an excellent way to examine and validate children's home English languages. Also, students began to recognize that their home language is only one valid form of communication, and that two other forms of English need to be mastered to acquire the ability to adapt and participate effectively in any social occassion whether formal or informal. The thought had never entered my mind of thinking of the "official" standard English in two different categories: formal/ academic English and professional English (which is also formal since it is language related to one's profession). However, when you think about it, there is language related to professions (such as education) that people who are not in the profession would need explanation in order to understand what is being communicated. Ms. Baker's students certainly seemed motivated to learn formal and professional English, and viewed the ability to code switch as a desireable asset that could transform them into competent communicators in any social setting.

I definitely learned lots of basic linguistic concepts in Michael Stubbs' chapter, and also gained new insight about the various perceptions people have about the relationship between a person's language and his/her intelligence and social class. Though Stubbs' study was done in Great Britain, I imagine there are many people in this country who possess the same feelings of intellectual superiority over people who speak nonstandard English forms. Something that had never crossed my mind is the snobbish British origin of the definition of what is officially and unquestionably standard English: "...standard English is the English spoken by educated people, and that what they speak is standard English" (pg. 72). The British upper class used language as a tool to distinguish what they viewed as the inferior lower class from the superior upper class: "...the higher up the social class scale one goes, the less one encounters regional variaton in speech. This is one reason why British people are so sensitive to the social implications of the kind of language a speaker uses. Thus educated people in the upper middle class all over Britain speak in very much the same way, allowing for minor differences in pronunciation. But farm workers, say, from Devon and Aberdeen might have considerable difficulties in understanding each other" (pg. 72).

Language should unite people, not divide. I can understand people disagreeing and dividing over the ideas expressed in language. Everyone does not share the same world view or beliefs. I think most people recognize that believing one thing instead of another doesn't determine how intelligent a person is; however the person's wisdom might be questioned. On the same note, why must social prestige and intelligence be associated with language in America, especially if the discriminating practice originated from people who used language as a tool to validate their superiority over the so called "inferior lower class"? This is America where we're supposed to believe that all men (and women) are created equal. We need to see beyond language differences, stop negatively assessing a person's intelligence and potential just because he/ she speaks a nonstandard form of English, and understand that "no language form" is "better than another from a linguistic or cognitive standpoint" (pg. 42).

(OOps! I forgot to include my name on the above response to chapters 3, 4, and 5 when I originally typed it on May 28th; and one of the chapters I read, chapter 5, was the wrong chapter. The following is my response to chapter 7.)

In regards to the Ladeson-Billings chapter, I agree that teachers' limited knowledge of what to do to motivate and instruct disengaged children in the classroom othen contributes to many children falling through the cracks of educational neglect in our schools. I'm sure if Shannon's teacher know what to do to motivate Shannon to write, she would have done it. I think teachers need more instructional, classroom management, and behavior modification training to better motivate and meet the needs of challenging students like Shannon.

I was a little disappointed that this chapter didn't offer any specific solutions to help students like Shannon. Most teachers that I know do their best to "demand success from all students". The problem is that not all students respond to the methods the teacher uses to demand the success. This chapter contains lots of criticism about teachers who more than likely want what is best for all of their students, wanting them all to achieve and experience success. It is not easy getting a stubborn child to cooperate and complete his/ her work, especially if the parents have been contacted in the past but don't support the teacher. The author's comment " ...there is not magic in technique, curriculum, or strategy. The 'magic' is in the teaching" doesn't make sense to me. Teaching has to possess some kind of strategy or else it would be haphazard. Teaching students like stubborn Shannon is not easy, and I wish this chapter focused on teaching strategies that could transform students like her into motivated learners.

Vickie Howell

I do not have children, however, i found myself connecting with Lisa Delpit. A mother only wants what's best for her child, and i imagine i would have reacted the same way. When her daughter, Maya, came home speaking in her new dialect, she became protective and scolded her. She thought about what others would think of her child and how she would be treated. Isn't it sad that language has that much power? How did this come to be? If America is truly the "melting pot" or "salad bowl", why can't we accept people's "Englishes?"

As a teacher, i found the second half of Lisa's chapter to be disturbing and little offensive. She really cracked down on teachers and i felt she grouped all of us together, even though we all have different styles and beliefs. I do not think that all teachers squelch children's identity and culture; but i do believe that we could all probably do a little bit better job of incorporating it (for instance, the hair unit). I liked Lisa's ideas for incorporating this part of African American culture into the classroom. The only problem i saw with an idea like this is that teachers have to make sure it all follows the standard course of study, even though it would be great if we could pick and choose what we wanted to teach. Student's would probably get a little bit more out of it. Lisa's idea about kids needing to feel apart of and accepted and so on, before they will learn the school language makes a ton of sense.

I really enjoyed Judith Baker's chapter and found it to be inspiring. Obviously her class was a high school English class, but i could see how i could tweak it a bit for my fourth grade class. Children always enjoy learning about their own history, and what better way than to do a language study. It makes sense that the kids were more willing to use the different "Englishes" because they understood them and they understood why they are used in the situations they are used in. It's important to make lessons relevant for the students. I also liked how the kids discussed their own learning. My only concern though with the beginning part of the lesson (the home language) is for those kids that do not have much family support at home. Some kids would go home and ask to tape record a parent talking, and get laughed at. Some go home and don't get spoken to at all. Would this project hurt or help their self-concept/esteem? Any ideas?

The last chapter really hit home for me. I can relate to the kindergarten teacher at the beginning that just let little Shannon off the hook when she said she didn't want to write. Sometimes you just don't feel like dealing with a child's attitude (you've had enough), or you may feel sorry for them because they don't have the experiences that other children have....whatever the reason, sometimes you let a child off the hook. I've never thought before now that i was actually lowering my expectations for that child (granting them "permission to fail"). Ouch! It makes sense though. I wouldn't accept a "no" response from every child. Why that one child? IS it because of that child's background or color or culture? That's scary to me. Now that i'm aware of it, i hope that i will react differently next time.

I also enjoyed reading about Carter Forshay and his music writing lesson. What a great idea! I'll have to try it. The good thing about music is that it's the international language. Everyone can "speak" it. Everyone can interpret it in some way. Music can bring people together. Is there anything else that has that power?

these chapters seem to reiterate the importance of each child's right to his/her own language. i found it painful that maya wanted to have plastic surgery because she thought she did not fit in with her peers. how difficult life must have felt to her. unfortunately "perfection" has invaded the school system and at some point i feel that all young children will feel that they dont fit in with the "perfect children". im going through this with my own daughter who will be entering high school without the "perfect pencil-thin" body. i can only imagine what it would be like for a child to be fighting to fit in physcally and culturally.

language will always be apart of our souls. just this holiday weekend my mom's northern friends came for a visit. what is the first thing they mention after the usual hellos? "that southern accent is so different". doesnt seem different to me.

i also dont believe that language determines cognitive deficiency. im sure my daughter's southern accent...especially her prounciation of "per-ty" for "pretty" would seem quite deficient to a teacher that first met her...but she is far from deficient. she will learn to "code switch" as all southern bells do. another example i can think of is my hispanic students. they come to me speaking no english except "hello". ive never thought that they were deficient because they cant speak english...in contrast all my hispanic children are reading on a level 3-4 (on grade level). they are quite intelligent. they are able to switch from one language to the next. that is a feat that i am unable to do. i am barely able to communicate with their parents, yet they can translate for their parents and me.

another aspect of these chapters that seemed to stick out to me was "verbal communication". in the upper grades perhaps it is difficult for students to be allowed the opportunity to talk with one another. in kindergarten my children have the opportunity to have verbal discussions with each other all day long. they talk with each other in literacy centers, free/social centers, readers' workshop, writers' workshop...when administration comes in my room, i always feel that i have to explain why all my children are "talking"...some kindergarten rooms are totally quiet.

when children talk with one another amazing things happen. one of the cutest moments that i have ever had was a tiny white five year old girl running up to me during centers jumping up and down. she was in centers the one of my precious hispanic girls. she said, "guess what? i know spanish!....hola!" she was so excited and so was my hispanic child. she was so excited that she shared part of her culture and that the other child embraced her language. soon everyone knew, hola....as well as how to count to ten in spanish.

i was also moved by the statement that learning formal grammer is a choice a student makes...not a choice a teacher makes for a student. i dont believe you can push a child to learn anything. children have to be inspired to learn...they have to want to learn while all students are sharing and discussing new ideas and thoughts.

chapter 7 reminded me of writers' workshop...when children are writing what matters them. not only are they writing about what they are passionate about but they are sharing their thoughts and feelings and culture with their classmates.

i do think that it is important to keep asking, "what can i do next to help my children." and the most profound statement that i read was, "a child must not be allowed to determine his/her own demise." perhaps always asking "what can i do next to help my children" will help us help children that stop wanting to learn. i am fortunate that i work with kindergarten children who always seem to be eager to learn. i wonder what those of you that teach older students feel about children that have choosen to stop learning. have any of you have students that gave up because of their culture?

Lisa Outland-
I thought it was quite interesting that it took a little while for the author to accept that her child knew how to code switch. This makes me wonder, how much farther our teaching would go if we would learn the code of the children and use it with them to emphasize the importance of being able to use another code. Many of my student’s parents did not have good school experiences and thus have allowed this to influence their reaction to their child’s schooling lives. I wonder how many of our students come to school prepared for a bad experience just because their parents had this experience. Would it make a difference in the student’s schooling lives if they entered school where their code was used? How many gains could we make if we were considered more like them instead of the enemy, so to speak?
I strive to show my kindergartners how what we learn connects to their lives. I really enjoyed the part of the chapter where the author created lessons based around hairdressing. Make something real or connect it to their lives and of course children are more interested. How could this whole concept change our way of educating the future? I realize in some ways our high schools do this, using such avenues as the career center to teach real life work skills to the students, but how much farther could this go if a student’s entire curriculum was based on learning skills to use on the job such as accounting, human resources skills, etc.
I respected Judith Baker’s idea of trilingualism. By her definition, I definitely use trilingualism. I have my speech patterns that I use at home with my family; it is more relaxed and can be unsophisticated. We use what words or sounds we need to communicate to one another. I have another speech pattern with my students and their parents. I try to teach my students correct grammar when speaking. I do this by trying to model what I consider good English for them. When speaking with their parents, I try to avoid professional lingo and jargon that they may not understand. Finally, I do have professional speech patterns that I use with my colleagues and administrators when discussing students or professional topics. When using this speech I will use the professional lingo and jargon that goes along with my job to get my point across.
Working with children of poverty my goal is to teach them that there are rules that they must live by outside of school to survive. These rules are different from the ones we use in school. I understand that on the streets if they do not defend themselves they could be as good as dead. However, I also try to help my students understand that while they are in school they must let the adults help them handle the situation or they are in more trouble than before. I question if this approach would also work with different types of speech we use. How hard would it be to teach a child that you talk one way at home, another way at school, and when you grow up and get a job, you may speak another entirely different way? Would teaching this concept truly allow for more open communication and acceptance of Standard English, or school speech? Once again, I imagine if you show a child the real life applications of these different speeches, thing could change.
While reading chapter seven, I instantly thought of one of my kindergartners we can call Dee. Dee doesn’t just refuse to work, he cries and throws small tantrums over writing assignments. I have always assumed it was because he was a perfectionist and his writings would look nothing like his older sister’s, based on that he told me he wasn’t as smart as his sister’s were (they are in 2nd and 5th, he’s a Kindergartner, of course they know more). But while reading this I wondered if it might be because he really is struggling to write. He’s ESL, and like many other ESL children, has had a hard time grasping letter sounds. Is all of this frustration based on Dee not being able to figure out what letters he needs to show certain sounds? Is he truly refusing to write because he doesn’t think he’s smart enough? Or am I missing things completely with him and is it something else entirely. My assistant and I will often work with Dee one on one, instead of waiting to see if he will feel like writing tomorrow as the book showed, to help him pick out the correct letters he needs for his writing. He is not being left behind just because of all of his tears. I can’t begin to imagine how many children do get let behind just because they refuse to do the work on the surface, although something else entirely different is going on below the surface. I am so glad I didn’t give up on Dee this year and give him permission to fail. I guess my view of education can be significantly different than others since I get the children coming in the door, so to speak, but since when was it all right to allow a child to fail? Shouldn’t we all be doing something to make sure this doesn’t happen? I know this story is not an isolated case, but how can you leave a child behind? I do know now more than ever, I will never give a child permission to fail. I believe children don’t fail, we as the teacher sometimes do.

Dawn Thomas

My question is "Did Maya feel like she was a different person because of the spoken language and is this why she was losing self-esteem?' She could speak SE. Is one's language so much a part of who they are that they don't feel comfortable if it is not spoken? According to Maya Angelou she said "I am incensed. The very idea that African American language is a language separate and apart can be very threatening because it can encourage young men and women not to learn standard English." Should we teach Ebonics, Spanish and other languages? For example, some Southerners use "ain't, etc. Is that part of their language? It may be but I don't believe it should be taught in the classroom. If there is continued use of the word then the children will more than likely use the word. They make think it is part of SE if they're not corrected. If SE is to be taught what roles do the other languages and dialects play in the classroom? Do we allow the diversity of all languages and build on them to teach SE? I believe if everyone could code-switch then that would be wonderful but can students do that?

Krashen brings up an interesting point about the affective filter. It does make sense. With anything I believe if you're not as stressed it will be easier to accomplish it. Maya was taken out of a predominantly White private school. When she went to a start-up public charter school with 98% African-American children who spoke her language her self-esteem soared. What if Maya were not in an area where she could transfer to this school? Also, should the White children be expected to know her language?

Delpit says students rarely get to talk in classrooms. They are taught through worksheets or textbooks. Teachers seldom know about the children's communities. I am sure it is because I am from an elementary background and currently teach kindergarten but the students in my kindergarten classroom talk quite frequently. I use a strategy called "Turn and Talk" when I teach. During Writers' Workshop children talk and conference with other children. We don't use many worksheets. I know somewhat about their home lives but haven't made home visits. I did have the privilege of making home visits when I taught in a Chapter one preschool one year. It really opened my eyes to the children's culture. That year I had hispanics, african-americans, caucasians and viatnamese children. I enjoyed listening to the different languages in my classroom that year. I believe everyone grew and learned about each other. Their language was not looked upon as the students being cognitive defiecient.

I enjoyed reading the part about the lesson on cosmetology. I agree that teachers should be able to build an academic program around the students' interests.

I found Judith Baker's philosophy on the three different languages interesting. I like how she studies the students' home languages.

In Chapter 7, I thought it was wonderful how Carter Forshay took the children from where they were with their language and built upon it. He was creative in teaching writing and found something that would interest them. He did not tell them their language was wrong but instead worked with the students. He did demand success!

At the beginning of the section: Language in the Classroom there is a pledge that each child had to sign in 1917. As I read this, I wondered if the reason for this pledge stemmed from the way African America and Indians spoke during those days. Even if children did not attend school with children of other races, were people afraid that their children would pick up some the same broken English or did they think it would make their children not sound as intelligent. Whatever prompted the pledge it shows how long America has been focused on children not using Standard English.

As Lisa, I wondered why it was easier for children to pick up other forms of English in school, but not Standard English. It starts with children feeling respected and appreciated. If children do not feel their teacher is genuinely interested in them as a person it is difficult for them to do what is asked of them. If we do not understand something, it is difficult for us to relate. As Lisa stated in her book the reason it is easy to catch on to nonstandard English is because children can identify with people who speak it. We have to make our learning environments conducive to learning by creating an environment were all children feel appreciated and respected. We all know we have to teach what is in the curriculum, but we can incorporate children’s interest and background into what we teach. Maybe then, they will be willing to learn the language from us. One section that really made me think was on page 47 when the author talks about when we speak out against the language children are using we don’t only speak out against them, but we speak against their families because they first learn their language from the people who raised and nurtured them. This in turn makes them feel rejected or not good enough. Even with good intentions to help them succeed if we unconsciously show them that we do not respect them or the way they speak is not good enough then we lose and they lose. We will not be able to connect to them and teach them and they will not learn what they need to know.

I enjoyed the chapter titled Trilingualism. I like how Baker termed the different types of English. Instead of using Black English I like the way, she termed it “Home” English. I think the method she used to connect with her students before she tried to teach them formal English was excellent. It was a way to motivate her students to want to learn about Standard English. She showed the students she was interested in them and their home life. The children did not feel threatened or demean which all goes back to respect.

I first heard about culturally responsive lessons when a graduate student did a workshop that our school hosted a few years ago. He tied events, TV, music, and things of interest to African-American children to math. I went back to my resource class and tried one of the lessons I created and it was successful. I forgot about that experience until I read about Carter Forshay. He too motivated children to learn by teaching them by using things that interested them. He could easily have pushed his own agenda or gave into the students’ unwillingness to write. Either way he would not help them learn how to write. It is easy for us as teachers to teach one way-our way. We are often provided with strategies or lessons to teach a certain skill, but one way does not fit every classroom. Like Forshay, I think we need to be willing to examine why our children are not learning and find other ways to teach them. We are not dealing with the same children of 10, 15, or even 20 years ago. I am 32 so I didn’t deal with them either, but I know we are dealing with children who for some reason we are not connecting with and they are losing out. As I was reading, I reflected a lot on my resource students and teachers at my school. When Shannon refused to perform and was permitted to fail, it made me think of how many of my students refused to work and they were not made to. I had to question my own teaching and see if I was like Shannon’s teacher even though I did not see it as permitting them to fail. I often hear teachers say to students if you want to fail go ahead and comments like this, but it is our challenge to help these children succeed whether we feel like we are up for the challenge or not. The author sums this point up well at the end of chapter 7.

While reading chapter three, I was sadden to think of all the children who are silenced by the inability to speak proper English. This is true for many children who come from homes where proper English is not the focus. Further, when children start school at age five, they do have proper language skills in place. I would hate for a child to not feel free to express his or herself because of not having proper language skills. Language is in motion. People in general not only children should be continuously expanding their vocabulary.

Also from chapter three, a very good point was made when the author stated, “When students interests are addressed in school, they are more likely to connect with the school, with the teacher, with the academic knowledge, and with the school’s language form.” The idea is so simple yet it seems that most children do not have this opportunity in school. I was talking to a colleague today who conveyed to me that her son only likes to read nonfiction. He is in the fifth grade and his teacher will not allow him to do book reports using nonfiction. What is wrong with giving students a little more control over what they learn? We need to tap into these interests as a way to reach and stretch our students.

I wish for everyone to read chapter four. It so interesting how this teacher validated each language represented in her classroom. I believe the Judith Baker has her students’ best interest at heart. I was wondering throughout the previous chapter how to validate each student’s language while teaching skills. The lesson where she put students into groups and had them examine their own language and present the information to the class is so simple yet amazingly effective. I also enjoyed the presentations in their vocational areas. This gave students a purpose for using more formal English, and it revealed they understood from a business perspective the importance of it. It was not because the teacher told them it was important.

As I was reading chapter seven about Shannon, thoughts of a class I took during the spring semester came to mind. I was in a research class. Most of the students were elementary grade teachers. One teacher often talked about her kindergarten class. She separated students by referring to them as academically prepared and under prepared. It was as if students were already setting the course for their academic career in kindergarten. I was thinking these are children we are talking about. How can a label be placed on a five or six year child? It seems that it happens all the time. It is common place to have a mixed classroom of children with varying attitudes about learning. Some children will pass some will fail. What resonated with me from chapter seven is that children should not be allowed to fail. Carter Forshay stepped out the box to try something new to show his students that they can write, and they can improve their writing. Further, Carter’s students seemed to enjoy this activity. I am confident his students are proud of their accomplishments, and this activity served as a gateway to many more enjoyable writing activities.

Below is a paragraph from a document that was sent to me via email. It is timely as it pertains precisely to the issues we are we are talking about. This document was recently updated, and it will be given to every student who takes developmental courses. These courses are for student who place below college level in reading, English, or math. They are designed to help students strengthen their skills in these areas. It was sent asking for comments or suggestions before it is printed. The section states the following:

"Caldwell Community College places value in recognizing and preserving communication styles that reflect the unique heritage of the people of this state and nation. In the competitive job market, however, business and industry have repeatedly stressed the fact that standard English will be required in communications. Since the college's primary mission centers around preparing students for careers and career changes, it is imperative that the use of standard English be required in each of its programs. Therefore, all instructors in the College Transfer Department are expecting you to use standard English in both written and oral communications."

I understand using Standard English in written and formal presentations, but I not see the need to require Standard English for class discussion. I would not want a student to hesitate participating in class because of a language issue. I received this document yesterday. After doing some investigating, I found that this paragraph is also part of our Academic Integrity Policy for college transfer students. Further, I do not see the need for this to be in a formal policy. Many students in our developmental courses are students who have been out of school for a number of years and may be anxious about returning to school. If this document is handed to them on the first day of class, some students may never return.

As I read Chapter 3, I thought a lot about the African-American boys and girls at my elementary school. At my school we have only a few African-American children per grade level. As a matter of fact, this year we had only 2 African-American girls in the fourth grade. Unfortunately both girls were separated and they were the only African-American girls in their classes. I never really thought about the impact that this separation could have on these girls until I read this chapter. The African-American girl in my classroom is very strong-minded and proud of her heritage. She is very independent and unafraid of anyone. To be quite honest, she probably impacted the white girls in my classroom more than they impacted her. However, the African-American girl in the other fourth grade is very quiet and withdrawn. As I read about Mrs. Delpit’s daughter I began to really see similarities between her and girl in the other fourth grade classroom. I am now questioning whether or not it bothered her that she was the only African-American girl. After reading this chapter, I was very conscientious as my peer teacher and I made out the class lists for 5th grade next year. As we made our lists we made sure that both African-American girls were in the same class. I am very confused as to why the girls were separated in the first place.

At the end of Chapter 3, Delpit recharged my desire to engage and ignite my students in the process of learning. I was impressed with the focus she placed on using the students’ interests to learn. Delpit states, “The object is not to lower standards or just teach what is interesting to the students, but to find the students interest and build an academic program around them.” As teachers in an EOG/Writing test driven world, I feel that this is where many of us fall short. Students will only attend to those things which prove beneficial to them. How do we as teachers find time in our busy schedules to truly develop activities that meet the needs of both ourselves and our students? How do we prove to our administrators that fun/engaging activities are better ways to prepare our students for those awful tests at the end of the year?

Moving into Chapter 4, I gained new knowledge regarding the three forms of the English Language. I like the idea that each person has a “home”, “formal”, and “professional” language. Judith Baker’s forms prove that it is normal to be able to adequately speak in more that one way. Personally, I know that I have acquired and fluently use all three of the forms described. It amazes me to think about how we each use various forms of language based upon where we are and the situation we are in.

Judith Baker goes on to prove Lisa Delpit’s point from chapter 3. If we want students to change any aspect of their behavior we must accept and show respect for already learned patterns of behavior. Baker states, “As young people become less fearful of being manipulated or disrespected, I think they can become engaged in the study of their own language competence.” Even teaching 10 year-olds I have come to the conclusion, we as teachers, must be willing to let some incorrect patterns of behavior go. Moreover, students will only change inappropriate behavior when we prove that we ourselves are willing to change. If a teacher is willing to show fallibility then children are more likely to share their insecurities and want to change their own behaviors. I feel very sad for those teachers who always want to prove that they are right. I am always thrilled when my students correct me because I realize that they have LEARNED something.

Moreover, I was impressed with Mrs. Baker’s learning/language groups. As one reads you realize that she is not the teacher during these lessons. The children in each group learn from and grow to respect each other. Through this activity students also make revelations about their own misconceptions and language ideas. With the high school age group I do not think that this issue could be presented or taught in any better way. I wonder how this idea could be adapted for younger children. I also wondered if there are any children’s books that would provide good links to the topic of language.

My initial reactions to chapter 7 were much like those to chapter 3 & 4. I have to say however that I really loved the discussion of the teacher Mr. Carter. His desire and determination to teach writing to his students was beyond admirable. I was very impressed with his lesson using the song by Wynton Marsalis. He truly taught his students the importance of story. In my classroom I do something very similar with the movie Fantasia. As students listen to the music and watch the characters in the Disney movie I ask them to record ideas and come up with a story based upon what they have seen and heard. I recommend this to any teacher 2nd grade and above. Students really add detail and elaboration when writing these stories. Those students who have a hard time coming up with ideas love this activity because it gives them a starting point.

As I finished chapter 7 I like the fact that Gloria Ladson-Billings provides a look into the thinking behind Mr. Carter’s ideas. My principal throughout this entire year has preached that we as teachers should be “reflective practitioners”. I totally agree and Mr. Carter proves the point. Billings states, “To meet the academic goals he had set, Carter had to rethink his practice in some fundamental ways. He had to keep asking himself as Haberman (1995) suggests, ‘I wonder what I do next?’ ” Reading this chapter reminded me of how important it is to reflect upon each lesson taught in our classroom.

Ladson-Billings, in chapter seven, certainly struck a chord with me when she asked if "teachers in classrooms across the country {were} permitting children to fail." WOW. I really appreciated her comprehensive look at literacy, not only taking into account the issues of 'home" English versus Standard English, but also the issues of student engagement and teacher expectations! I think that most of us, as educators, know that teacher expectation plays a crucial role in student perceptions but do we realize that we often allow a student to choose mediocrity or even failure? If I get nothing more from this class, I hope I take this daunting message into the classroom with me each day. I don't believe I deem any of my students as "unworthy" of being taught and yet allowing any one of them to choose to do or be less is, in essence, sending that message. Kudos to Carter Forshay for refusing to give up on his students! Like Forshay, I have discovered that a little creativity and empathy goes a long way towards improving student engagement. When my 4th graders (equity plus school) were first faced with writing this year, most of the responses were very similar to the responses Forshay entertained. I realized that the task seemed overwhelming and uninteresting to most of my students so I put the narrative form "on the back burner" for awhile and began to read poetry to them, all kinds, everything from Shel Silverstein to Carl Sandberg from Langston Hughes to Nikki Giovanni to E.E. Cummings. Then we began to model our own poetry after our favorites. I was amazed how the students became involved and looked forward to writing! Reading the different poets, such as Giovanni and Langston Hughes, also opened up opportunities for discussion about use of "slang" or "dialect" in writing.

Although my favorite chapter was seven, I was intrigued by Delpit's descriptions (chapter 3) of her daughter's experiences as she transferred from a predominately white school to a school in which many students spoke BE. Here was a student whose home language was SE but who, because she was in the minority, felt inadequate. I was surprised to read that Maya felt "inferior" when she clearly exhibited equal academic ability and had been reared in an equally advantageous home environment. This year I've believed that my students were "disadvantaged" not because of their ethnicity but due to their lives of poverty. Delpit's chapter made me realize that her daughter, though advantaged in every sense of the word, perceived herself as "disadvantaged" when she was in the minority. That made me ask myself if my students perceive themselves as disadvantaged because they are in a minority in my community? I found it fascinating that Delpit's daughter learned to code switch so easily and quickly. Like Delpit's daughter, my own daughter, at age 15, could move easily from Southern slang to standard English to "ghetto" talk because of her cadre of friends. Why then is it so difficult for my 4th graders to acquire formal English? I liked Delpit's answer to that question which was that the person (student) needs to identify with the people who speak the language/dialect AND see how that language will meet a personal need or fulfull an interest in order to WANT to learn it. This led very nicely to the next chapter in which Baker gave some suggestions for stimulating student interest.

I liked Judith Baker's theory that there are 3 forms of English language with which most of us need a certain level of comfort, our "home" language, a formal English (she termed "academic" English) and a "professional" English. Although her methods were geared toward her high school students, I began to think that I could incorporate some of her ideas in my elementary classroom. Through the poetry writing activties I described earlier, I attempted to bridge the gap between the home and the formal language. I could also adopt her strategy of encouraging students to contribute to the language study by tapping into their "professional" interests and their professional language. The interests of 4th graders wouldn't be quite so extensive or sophisticated as those of high schoolers but discussion of hobbies, sports, interests (such as hair and cosmetoleogy) might increase student engagement as well as help create an better understanding of the different forms that language takes. This chapter excited me and motivated me to try another approach to language study, one that might interest me as well as my students!!! Quite frankly, "teaching to the test" bores me every bit as much as it does my students and though we are constantly bombarded with references to the EOG, I hope that I can find creative and interesting ways to approach the mandated curriculum so that my students (and I) can discover relevance in our learning.

As I read Chapter 3 I asked myself if it is true that school tries to rid a child of their home language. I do correct my students from time to time as they speak and certainly as they write but I do not recall every saying "this is wrong". I am more like to say "listen to it this way", "now which do you think sounds best?" Most of my students choose the correct grammar everytime. Could it be that there is some inherent nature regarding that?
In this chapter the author speaks about how a child may perceive language as early as the womb. These children hear their mother tongue but do they pick up on others as well? Could this be one of the reasons learning another language is easier for children?
This chapter also made me consider a student of mine this past year. I must confess it has been a fabulous year in our small school. Every first grade class had less than 15 students. Needless to say our individual instruction was enhanced and their success was evident. Because of our low numbers I only had one black student. Part way through the year his mother asked if this seemed to be a problem for him. She was quick to assure me that he had said nothing. In thinking about it I saw no distinction between my student or his peers. HIs mother always spoke SE in our conversations as did he while at school. His father whom I met only twice seemed to speak a combination of SE and Ebonics. As I consider her question as I read I can only thinkg that she has instilled in him the ability to code switch and a purpose for it. She has very high expectations for him, but obviously was already considering what this chapter suggests. As for how he related in the classroom, many of his white counterparts did not speak or write as well and yet as children will, they were accepting of each other in every way. They can teach us so much by how unbiased they are.
In chapter 4 I believe Ms. Baker did a remarkable job with her students by letting them explore and teach each other. As she put it "motivation first, rules last" and her approach as more of a facilitator of learning worked well. She cited examples of her students choosing to work harder at their English through this strategy. Through her examples of role playing and how accepting the students were of the switch gives us hope that when these choices are motivated in the classroom they will carry over into a more successful life.
In a recent study of a book "Understanding Poverty" which we undertook as a staff at our school, we read about stereotyping and the cycle that many impoverished students live. This book is making me consider how language lessons might help students to break that cycle.
Chapter 7 really hit home with me. I immediately thought of a recent student who was diagnosed as ADHD. He is one of the few kids I have met that truly benefits from his medication. The problem I noted was the lack of consistency in which he received it due to his shifting home environment. Each morning during the last semester my students journal about our weekly topic. Because writing is a difficult area for him he would use stall tactics like going to bathroom, sharpening pencils, etc. until his time was gone. Needless to say his journal was pretty bare. I knew that he had some ability to write because his writing was much better during our afternoon writing block. As I began to examine why I came up with 2 reasons. 1) His meds had taken effect and 2) He received more support through a mini-lesson and the use of graphic organizers during this block. I couldn't make the meds take effect faster but I began to employ organization strategies with him each morning during his journaling and finally began to see a change in his willingness and improved journaling.
I agree with the author's conclusion that we must help students appreciate their differences while supporting their academic needs and "preserving their sense of self". That is a very powerful statement and a job we should not take lightly.

Wow! Chapter 3 was a real eye opener for me. I could relate to the stories Ms. Delpit was retelling. For example, her daughter’s feelings of inadequacy made me stop and think about my students. The peer pressure students feel today is far greater than most people imagine. It is so sad to think that one little girl is feeling that she needs to have plastic surgery in order to make herself have more Caucasian features. I do however think her little girl was at an advantage that some of our students may not be. She was able to move to another school and be given the opportunity to relate more to her peers. Many parents cannot afford to send their child to private school and they do not have a charter school option. I know this fear of not fitting in dealt a lot with language, but it appeared to also be a lack of potential friends to socialize with at school.

This chapter also reminded me of a story on the news that I heard recently. It spoke of children today using text messaging and how they used their own language and letters to write to each other. The news seemed to focus on how students carried this lack of Standard English to the classroom when writing. One teenager was interviewed and brought light to the story for me. She stated, I do not text message my mother the same way I text my friends. This is similar to Maya. She knew how to code switch. Maybe all students can do this. Shouldn’t we as teachers at least give each child a chance to “code switch?” We know that Standard English is necessary to be taught and a must in the work force, but does it have to be spoken all the time? Two weeks ago my answer to this question would have been yes. Today, I would have to think about it. If students know when to switch to Standard English, why would we not allow them to speak in the way that they feel most comfortable?

Chapter 4’s discussion of home, formal and professional English were interesting to read about. Dwayne’s tape recorded conversation was a great way to make students aware of their own dialects and language patterns. This would be a good experiment to do with students of many ages. It would also be interesting to tape record conversations with peers to see language patterns found then. I think many students would see patterns like Juanita’s where words have endings left off or the language spoken is switched in the middle of the sentence.

Chapter 7 showed how novice teachers can truly change the way we teach today. I am sure Mr. Forshay’s enthusiasm and creative thinking has changed the lives of many children. The veteran teachers of today (and this includes me) could learn a lot from a teacher like Mr. Forshay. It is awful how our society has just accepted mediocrity as being OK. We have allowed test scores and data to drive our instruction. It would be a wonderful if we could drive our instruction based on our students’ needs and interests rather than how the students do on standardized tests.

Beth Rigsbee

Kristen Billings

What a social pickle that Lisa is in. She wants her child to feel accepted and stay at the new school she has just enrolled in but if she acquires this new language then she won’t be socially accepted in the business world when she grows up, or in any social group other than the Ebonics speaking population. How did we as a country, as a population of people, as a nation get like this? The story about the computer specialist was eye opening. I think that it has more to do with skin color than language. The barrier of segregation had just been blown apart and I believe people still wanted to find reasons not to believe that people with a different color of skin were as smart, worthy, talented, or knowledge as the majority, which was and still is the majority. Have we taken leaps since then? Has it changed? I don’t know for sure. I think maybe we have over corrected in some ways because you hear of so many lawsuits where people and being charged for being racist and some take advantage of that. Then we are left with a justice system that doesn’t want to be racist, doesn’t want to be known for segregating anything, and so small claims where it probably wasn’t racism get blown out of proportion. I think we may have over corrected in that area a little. It is such a sensitive area that we tend to have thin lines between what is right and what is wrong. If I had to make a choice of whether or not we are still a racist nation, I believe that I would say yes to a certain extent. I think a lot of people are racist without even knowing that they are. I have a personal example with that. Living in the south where many people are still brought up to think that all black people are bad or mean has brought many challenges to a current relationship. My fiancé has made comments to me that edge on the line of racist when he is speaking about people who are black. So if I had to choose then yes, I believe we are still a racist country where we put the emphasis on proper etiquette and too many times lose sight of the real person. We can’t see the forest because there are too many trees. I agree with Lisa on this subject wholeheartedly. Her last few sentences really sum it up, “We must respect them, so that they feel connected to us. Then, and only then, might they be willing to adopt our language form as one to be added to their own.”

Making sure that these students are respected is most definitely the key. If they feel comfortable in their own language then they will feel comfortable in any new language they learn. Not only will they feel comfortable but they will understand that being bilingual, trilingual, or just that knowing many different languages is a great skill to have, and it is not a necessity but their own choice to learn it and use it when they want to. If we as a country could understand that everyone knows the three languages Judith Baker talks about then maybe that could put it into perspective. I know as a teacher I speak differently when I am talking to a parent, colleague, or principal from the way I speak at home, and even different from the way that I write a paper for a class. This is so easy to understand and manipulate when you role play and break it all down like Judith does. If I am ever in that situation teaching (95% of the students where I teach are Caucasian) then I will most definitely use the approach Judith uses. And even now I could probably use it because I teach in a county where the dialect is not exactly proper English. They and I speak with a Southern Appalachian dialect, otherwise known as “redneck” or “hickish” speech. But I don’t know if I would go so far as to say that it is its own language. I’m not sure about that.
I think that the Billings article was a testament that you have to keep going and not just let the student fail. When you have a student or several students like that it should encourage you to work that much harder because there are many teachers out there who only do the bare minimum and they are happy with that. Some see something difficult and mark it off their list by saying things like “nobody could teach that kid.” Too many times have I heard “I give up” from a teacher and I have only been teaching for 2 years. I believe that when the going gets tough the tough need to get going. We have to be strong and make these children interested in what they are learning. We have to know what they will feed off of. We need to take them ALL into consideration when creating lesson plans. We focus all too often on the majority of the class and what they want and end up leaving the minorities out.

Language in the Classroom by Heather Holland

Reading chapters 3, 4, and 7 in The Skin That We Speak disheartened me, as a teacher. When Gloria J. Ladson-Billings commented that teachers gave “permission to fail”, I laughed. Surely, teachers do not carry out this kind of teaching. When I read the following, “…I cannot help but wonder if the permission to fail was granted to Shannon so easily, in part, because her cultural style, form of language, and attitude deemed her unworthy of teaching in her teachers’ eyes…” I was disgusted. My first opinion was that, Gloria Ladson-Billings must think every injustice has to do with language and cultural style. I wrote in the margin of the page, “I seriously doubt it!” Maybe I live in a dream world, but I like to think that teachers are in it for the right reasons. Our jobs are not glamorous or high-paying. We deal with head-lice, vomiting children, runny noses, belligerent attitudes, harsh parents, and mounds of paperwork. Surely, there aren’t teachers out there who half-heartedly do their work just to earn a paycheck. As I sulked over the host of apathetic teachers in our society (that I hoped did not truly exist), reality sunk in. I was wrong. I thought back through my educational experiences. Not all teachers cheered on the sidelines for their children, as I do for my students. Not all teachers try to motivate every child to succeed. I was mistaken. I talked to some of my colleagues and read aloud the passage from page 110. The other teachers said, “Heather, this really does happen more than you think.” I just sat in my chair, shaking my head.

“I touch the future. I teach.” --Christa McAuliffe

Christa McAuliffe, a well-known heroine who died striving for excellence, trying to teach children, speaks volumes for what teaching should be. It saddens me to think that so many have either lost their passion for teaching or, maybe, never had the passion. Children are the future. If we (as teachers) don’t look past the language differences, cultural barriers, and socio-economic levels, we are feeding an endless cycle of failure, prejudices, and conformity for the future.

Successful Teaching
“…The object is not to lower standards or just teach what is interesting to the students, but to find the students’ interests and build an academic program around them.” –Lisa Delpit
I want this statement to encompass my pedagogy; however, finding the students’ interests and building the program around them is very difficult! If I taught, high school English, this may work well for me. As a 2nd grade teacher, finding meaningful and connected activities aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study is a complicated task.

Rather than trying to use the students’ interests as my guide, I take slightly different approach similar to that of Judith Baker (chapter 4). I attempt to find ways to demonstrate to my students that I am connected with and respectful of their beliefs, values, or culture. For example, a few years ago, one of my students was not allowed to celebrate birthdays, Christmas, or any other holiday because of religious beliefs. I tried to figure out ways to show this child that I valued him, as a whole, without ostracizing him for his beliefs or culture. It was challenging because I could not change the other children’s beliefs to accommodate this child, but I finally achieved my goal by taking several proactive steps. I accepted an invitation from this child to attend a cultural ceremony where he would be conducting a formal reading (knowing that my beliefs did not align with his). I talked to his family, tried to understand their culture, and respected their beliefs. My aim was to demonstrate my sincerity and acceptance of all my students. I developed a very authentic relationship his parents. In December, he participated in our study of “Christmas Around the World”. My students studied different customs and cultural events conducted in the months of December and January from around the globe. All children, including this child, were able to share their customs, traditions, and cultural backgrounds with the entire class. Years later, as I look back on this single event, I am amazed at the respect and consideration my students showed for one another, irregardless of their differences. I hope that in the future, I carry out my teaching approach in this manner because it is so easy to conduct “batch” teaching (teaching, as if cooking a batch of cookies-the easiest way to reach the masses).

QUESTION
When reading chapter 3, page 42, I have a question…. “Is Ebonics really ‘rule-based’, just like the Standard English dialect?” When referring to the southern dialect, I would assume that it is not ‘rule-based’. It seems to break every rule…like double negatives, dropping endings, etc… I want to understand this idea. Please help.

Written by Heather Holland

I found each of today's reading chapters to be very relevant to my sistuation in the classroom. The component of making our teaching culturally connected to students seemed to be a common thread through all three readings.If we want our students to learn anything from us, not just language, we must make students feel invited and valued in our classroom and school. Of course we want the students to respect adults in the classroom, and we say that we respect the students, but Delpit brings up the idea, do we, as teachers, really respect our students? Many of us say we do, and I honestly believe most teachers mean well, but Delpit makes it clear. If we reject anything about our students, ie language, culture, dress, we are in a sense rejecting them as a self and a person. Not only then do we reject the student, we reject their families, neighborhood and what they know to be their own. Are we as Delpit says, "ignoring our students existence"?

We struggle with this battle at our middle school. We have a very affluent Kernersville population paired with a population from east Winston Salem which comes from a much lower income level. Our school is located in Kernersville, which means our diverse population is bused out of what they know to be part of their identity and their neighborhood. It is much of the scenario in which Krashen talks of the "affective filter". I often feel as if these students feel that the school as a whole identifies with the Kernersville population. Therefore teachers must work extremely hard to make the content of their classes culturally relevant. I would hate for my students to feel what Delpit says, "When instruction is stripped of children's cultural legacies, then they are forced to believe that the world and all the good things in it were created by others." We also must make their families and culture feel invited into school. By middle school often parents expect to hear negative things from the school about their child, so any time the school contacts them, they have the feeling that we are blaming them as parents. Many of these parents were as students the ones who felt rejected. It is just as important to get the parents of our students to trust us and feel respected as it is for our students. I often feel middle school is our last time to 'save' kids before its too late. We must find a way for students to connect to us and win them over. If a child knows you care, and feels "brilliant" as Delpit says, they will do anything for you.

I worry that some teachers at my school, "ignore students' existence", and then allow students "permission to fail" as Ladson-Billings terms it. I too have been guilty of what Ladson-Billing says, of thinking that the reason people are unsuccessful in school is that they do not try hard enough. In my brief three years of teaching, I have learned that it is not necessarily the case. At the end of chapter 7, Ladson-Billings states, that Shannon's resistance to writing "is a challenge for her teachers, but it is their challenge". This seems to say that if a child fails, it is a teacher's responsibility. We can demand success, but does that always guarantee no child will fail? Also, at what point does, or does it ever become in part the student's responsibility to determine their "own demise" as Ladson-Billings states?

I loved the examples of how teachers connected with their students to help overcome the barrier to making students feel "brilliant". Mr. Forshay used a totally different language to connect with his students, the language of music, where there is no "standard form". Often times it seems teachers have success with this language. I also enjoyed Judith Baker's approach of teaching language as well as teaching cultural competence by teaching of trilingualism. Not only were students learning a lot about their own language and other languages, but Baker says she is able to be taught about her student's languages, which enable her to anticipate difficulties the students might have with language. Thus, she is better prepared as as teacher. By teaching triligualism, students do not feel threatened by standard english.This once again builds a classroom climate of trust. I also liked where Baker says students have control over the choice they make to learn or not learn languages associate with the cultures in which they may decide to participate. I think then it is the teacher's role to show the value of knowing the different languages, for which Baker does an excellent job.

Sarah McMillan

As reading Chapter 3 “No Kinda Sense” by Lisa Delpit, I began to wonder how we are like chameleons. There are often situations and circumstances that we will transform momentarily. What is so amazing to me, is that Maya, at an early age, recognized that she had the ability to code switch as she reassured her mother not to worry about her nonstandard English. She knew when to change that allowed her to fit in.

There’s another section in Chapter 3 where Lisa talks about the changes school’s can make. She mentioned the behavior teachers encountered in the classroom and how teachers would belittle the students instead of using the grooming of hair as a form of interest. Lisa states, instead of teaching language, as educators, we must address our students through their interest so they can “connect” with the school, teacher, academic knowledge, and the school’s language form. There were several suggested Websites and useful ideas for the middle and high school teachers they could incorporate in their teachings that would go along with the curriculum.

What an interesting revelation on page 47! I never thought or made the connection, that when we speak against someone’s language, we are speaking against his or her family AND that we should never speak against the child’s “home” language. In order for our students to feel connected, we must do as Aretha Franklin sings this song, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”. We must give them respect.

In reading chapter 4, when I read the bullets, I thought about some of my students in taking a spelling test. One of them was “failure to enunciate certain letters or sounds”. Although they had all week to study for the test and regardless of my pronunciation of a word, the student would spell the word as they sounded it out in their head and not what they hear. When I conference with their parents, I use their spelling test as an example in showing their child’s spelling, writing, and enunciation of a word is used and how they are related, never thinking about the skin that we speak. A child cannot spell the word correctly, if he or she is not pronouncing it correctly. I must applaud Judith Baker. She did a wonderful job in connecting with her students in assigning the project of the three forms of the English Language. It kind of reminded me of the movie,“Freedom Writers.” In this movie, the teacher found commonalties in each of her students that allow them to be receptive to her teaching and language. Judith Baker was successful in showing her students that their commonality was their various languages they spoke, which encompasses “home”, “formal”, and “professional” language. She invited the “whole” child into her classroom and not parts of them.

Chapter 7 was very interesting. When I taught at another school, we were encouraged by the principal to use easy listening music without words as the children worked in class. Using music to inspire writing seems quite impressive. The music was tranquil and relaxing as I can recall. The students were quiet and they seem to be at peace. Within every song, there are beats and rhythms. When a jazz musician, such as Wynton Marsalis, the music brings thoughts and emotions to any audience that is listening to him. These thoughts would trigger any students’ ability to compose their feeling they received from the song.

By having the students write out their story to the song, they found a way to connect to the music. In my classroom, I have found that when a student are able to make a connection, it is much easier for them to write. Earlier this school year, we were working on shape poems and they seemed to find a true connection with these poems. Therefore, this Spring, I encouraged my students to choose something they like about Spring and make it into a shape poem. Some of the students chose flowers, or kites and others chose places they would go. Each of the poems turned out quite well, therefore, I took the poems the students created and made a class poetry book for each student. By doing this, it gave them a hard copy of what they worked on, as well as, what the others in class wrote.

It is interesting how language is embedded in our souls and can be released by the sound of music.

Shirley Mathis

In Delpit's chapter she stresses the importance of respecting and appreciating the differences in children's languages in our classroom. The way a child expresses themself through language is just as unique as voice or a handwriting style. Every student brings something different to the table when they enter school. They each have acquired their own views of the world and have been heavily influenced by their family's beliefs and the culture they've been influenced. I wonder how students can be exposed to other language styles and cultures within school without fear of offending parents. I feel like as a public school teacher we have to be so politically correct and sometimes I just wanna "get real"- tell it like it is. The truth I believe is that all of us are ingrained with a certain amount of prejudices against those with whom we have never really related.Delpit discusses this notion of being able to identify with people who speak a different style of language in order to switch codes or change the style of speech. I don' know that I will ever be able to completely identify with my African American students who were raised in families who speak Ebonics. It doesn't mean I can't respect those students and accept them for their differences. It is my responsibility to teach my students while respecting individual differences. That is the bottom line.
When reading Baker's chapter it reminded me of the new language which many pre-teens and teens of all backgrounds and language styles are using daily to communicate effectively. It is the language of technology through e-mail and texting. The checklist on page 53 mentioned using a name for the different types of English that we speak given the circumstance and the audience. Specific examples of speech that are used in non-standard English are used commonly and freely. For example I can text a friend using shorter words, abbreviations, alphanumeric terms and text slang and the recipient knows exactly what I am saying. This new language sounds somewhat sophisticated to me and it is interesting how quickly this new form of English has evolved and is accepted by most as a valuable form of communication over the past few years.
As I read the beginning of Ladson-Billings chapter I got a bit agitated. One more example I thought of someone placing blame on teachers for allowing children to fail-in part because some student's language, culture, and attitude toward school made it Ok. I can only speak for myself and give my opinion here. I agree that successful teaching must focus on individual student growth and pushing each to their potential. The fact is that some families whether rich, poor, middle income, black, white, hispanice or otherwise do not always see the tremendous value and advantages for those who are educated. Many times is does come down to poverty. Families in poverty have a completely different focus than those with few financial concerns. When I became a teacher 13 years ago I knew that complete strangers would entrust me with their precious children. these children, like Shannon, are dependent upon me for seven hours each day. I must coach, cheer, applaud, praise, encourage, encourage, support and accept nothing less than each child's best effort while respecting their differences and respecting their cultural backgrounds. It is not as easy task. It is endless and tiring but my students are worth it.

In Delpit's chapter she stresses the importance of respecting and appreciating the differences in children's languages in our classroom. The way a child expresses themself through language is just as unique as voice or a handwriting style. Every student brings something different to the table when they enter school. They each have acquired their own views of the world and have been heavily influenced by their family's beliefs and the culture they've been influenced. I wonder how students can be exposed to other language styles and cultures within school without fear of offending parents. I feel like as a public school teacher we have to be so politically correct and sometimes I just wanna "get real"- tell it like it is. The truth I believe is that all of us are ingrained with a certain amount of prejudices against those with whom we have never really related.Delpit discusses this notion of being able to identify with people who speak a different style of language in order to switch codes or change the style of speech. I don' know that I will ever be able to completely identify with my African American students who were raised in families who speak Ebonics. It doesn't mean I can't respect those students and accept them for their differences. It is my responsibility to teach my students while respecting individual differences. That is the bottom line.
When reading Baker's chapter it reminded me of the new language which many pre-teens and teens of all backgrounds and language styles are using daily to communicate effectively. It is the language of technology through e-mail and texting. The checklist on page 53 mentioned using a name for the different types of English that we speak given the circumstance and the audience. Specific examples of speech that are used in non-standard English are used commonly and freely. For example I can text a friend using shorter words, abbreviations, alphanumeric terms and text slang and the recipient knows exactly what I am saying. This new language sounds somewhat sophisticated to me and it is interesting how quickly this new form of English has evolved and is accepted by most as a valuable form of communication over the past few years.
As I read the beginning of Ladson-Billings chapter I got a bit agitated. One more example I thought of someone placing blame on teachers for allowing children to fail-in part because some student's language, culture, and attitude toward school made it Ok. I can only speak for myself and give my opinion here. I agree that successful teaching must focus on individual student growth and pushing each to their potential. The fact is that some families whether rich, poor, middle income, black, white, hispanice or otherwise do not always see the tremendous value and advantages for those who are educated. Many times is does come down to poverty. Families in poverty have a completely different focus than those with few financial concerns. When I became a teacher 13 years ago I knew that complete strangers would entrust me with their precious children. these children, like Shannon, are dependent upon me for seven hours each day. I must coach, cheer, applaud, praise, encourage, encourage, support and accept nothing less than each child's best effort while respecting their differences and respecting their cultural backgrounds. It is not as easy task. It is endless and tiring but my students are worth it.

In Delpit's chapter she stresses the importance of respecting and appreciating the differences in children's languages in our classroom. The way a child expresses themself through language is just as unique as voice or a handwriting style. Every student brings something different to the table when they enter school. They each have acquired their own views of the world and have been heavily influenced by their family's beliefs and the culture they've been influenced. I wonder how students can be exposed to other language styles and cultures within school without fear of offending parents. I feel like as a public school teacher we have to be so politically correct and sometimes I just wanna "get real"- tell it like it is. The truth I believe is that all of us are ingrained with a certain amount of prejudices against those with whom we have never really related.Delpit discusses this notion of being able to identify with people who speak a different style of language in order to switch codes or change the style of speech. I don' know that I will ever be able to completely identify with my African American students who were raised in families who speak Ebonics. It doesn't mean I can't respect those students and accept them for their differences. It is my responsibility to teach my students while respecting individual differences. That is the bottom line.
When reading Baker's chapter it reminded me of the new language which many pre-teens and teens of all backgrounds and language styles are using daily to communicate effectively. It is the language of technology through e-mail and texting. The checklist on page 53 mentioned using a name for the different types of English that we speak given the circumstance and the audience. Specific examples of speech that are used in non-standard English are used commonly and freely. For example I can text a friend using shorter words, abbreviations, alphanumeric terms and text slang and the recipient knows exactly what I am saying. This new language sounds somewhat sophisticated to me and it is interesting how quickly this new form of English has evolved and is accepted by most as a valuable form of communication over the past few years.
As I read the beginning of Ladson-Billings chapter I got a bit agitated. One more example I thought of someone placing blame on teachers for allowing children to fail-in part because some student's language, culture, and attitude toward school made it Ok. I can only speak for myself and give my opinion here. I agree that successful teaching must focus on individual student growth and pushing each to their potential. The fact is that some families whether rich, poor, middle income, black, white, hispanice or otherwise do not always see the tremendous value and advantages for those who are educated. Many times is does come down to poverty. Families in poverty have a completely different focus than those with few financial concerns. When I became a teacher 13 years ago I knew that complete strangers would entrust me with their precious children. these children, like Shannon, are dependent upon me for seven hours each day. I must coach, cheer, applaud, praise, encourage, encourage, support and accept nothing less than each child's best effort while respecting their differences and respecting their cultural backgrounds. It is not as easy task. It is endless and tiring but my students are worth it.

One theme that particularly stuck out to me throughout these three chapters, was that learning needs to be fun and engaging in order for students to take ownership of it. As a brand new teacher, I find this still very difficult to do. Every week as I write my lesson plans, I find it a struggle to think of activities like this. I try to use ideas from more experienced teachers, but I still believe that I should be able to do this more myself. I find this to be such a difficult thing to even admit, because I am a very creative person, I just struggle to think of activities my students would enjoy that also fit into the Standard Course of Study. Part of this may be due to the fact that I am not as familiar with the SCOS as more experienced teachers. I absolutely do agree with Gloria Ladson-Billings' belief that some teachers give their students "permission to fail". I saw this as a student growing up, in college, and even see it in the school that I work in. However, I also believe that many teachers who do this, do not give this "permission to fail" intentionally. I think oftentimes it is in response to performance and attitude of the student. I am not saying that I believe this is okay at all. I agree with Gloria Ladson-Billings when she says, "It is fine to empathize with your students, but don't allow their language or attitudes to lower expectations of their abilities or to compromise your own willingness to seek creative educational solutions." This is absolutely what the novice teacher, Carter Forshay, did in this chapter. He began "a systematic examination of his own practice". I often am aware that the teaching strategies and lessons I teach are just not "reaching" my students, much like Forshay's writing lessons. My difficulty comes in moving on from that point and figuring out what to do with this knowledge.
Another idea that I have just begun thinking about in depth due to this reading was from Lisa Delpit in chapter 3. I found it very eye-opening to hear/read her feelings on the Oakland Policy from an African-American viewpoint. I guess I had never really thought of it from this perspective before. As naive as this may sound, it had never occurred to me that, in Lisa Delpit's words, "African Americans in all walks of life were incensed...How dare anyone suggest that that ignorant-sounding trash was 'our language'". Of course, it makes sense to me that African Americans from different socio-economic status’ and different regions of the country would have different dialects and home languages just like Caucasians in Mississippi versus those in Michigan. I don’t think I found this interesting because it sounds ridiculous or anything like that, it is more that this is just a concept I have never really internalized before reading this part of the text. This is definitely something I will be thinking more about as this week’s blogs progress.
~Allison Reese

Language is very personal and a part of who we are. For this reason we do have to be careful with how we correct a child. I do think children need to learn SE, but feel we need to be careful not to make the child feel incompetent or inferior in any way. They need to know that the teachers do respect them and care about who they are and where they came from.

I found it very interesting that Maya was able to pick up on a new language so quickly. Children who learn to "code switch" certainly do have an advantage since they still fit in with their peers, but can also speak SE which I do feel is important. So why is it that Maya can switch so easily, but it is difficult to teach SE to the children we teach? Are we listening to our children to know who they are and what they like? Do we know enough about their culture? I find myself reading more about different cultures so that I can become a better teacher who truely does identify with the background of a child in order to teach them. We do need to identify with the people who speak the language since we all learn more when we are enjoying what we are doing. I loved how the author taped into the student's interest to motivate them to learn. The students were into hair and makeup so they did activities with lotion and hair the involved science, math, reading, and writing. As an educator, I do try to develop activities that are enjoyable for my students and agree that students are more readily to learn the standard dialect if they are comfortable in the setting they are learning in.

In the chapter on Trilingualism, I found it very interesting how the students were motivated to want to learn the three forms of English. I like the way she began by building upon a firm respect for each student's home language and then concentrated on how different forms of English are appropriate in different contexts. By asking groups of students to present the class with a good, complete description of how their members usually speak at home and with friends, she learned a great deal about them and they in turn learned something about themselves. If students are not fearful of being manipulated or disrespected, they can become engaged in the study of their own language competence. I think many of our students don't speak out for fear of being hurt or laughed at. My husband was telling me about a girl in his class that stopped speaking out in class after the class laughed at her southern dialect. Also I have an Asian student in my classroom who doesn't speak up in the group. His mom told me that he recognizes that his speech is different from others and he is afraid to speak out. These examples just show how important it is to be certain that children are not criticized for their language.

Shannon's refusal to write, "I ain't writin' nuttin'.", reminded me of a student in my room today who refused to read to his fourth grade reading buddy. My Kindergarten students have teamed up with a fourth grade class who come to our room and read to my students. The Kindergarteners in turn pick a book to read to the fourth graders. One fourth grader came up to me and told me that Jacob, who is reading on a level four and a good kid, refused to read his book to his buddy. I immediately asked the fourth grader if the book Jacob was trying to read was leveled 1-2 or 3-4. I then looked up and saw that Jacob was looking at a library book of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. When I saw the book Jacob had in his hand, I knew why he refused to read the book to his buddy. I showed Jacob's buddy where to find level 1-2 and 3-4 books and instructed him to have Jacob read from those tubs of books. This of course fixed the problem his buddy was having with getting Jacob to read. I personally would have never told Shannon "That's okay. Maybe you'll feel like writing tomorrow." I demand success from all of my students. I agree with the author in that the teacher had given Shannon "permission to fail." The teacher should have investigated as I did with Jacob's refusal to read why she was refusing to write. It seems to me Shannon does feel out of place with the group she had been assigned to work with and needs a different setting to help her build her own confidence in writing. Shannon was placed in a group setting that detached her from her home culture, therefore it affected her ability to write. I wonder just like the author how many teachers permit children to fail because they don't feel like fighting with the child, don't know how to solve the problem, or just doesn't care? I would hope that if there are teachers like this they retire soon or find a new profession.

I was very impressed with the way Carter Forshay cared about his students and found a way to get them writing through their interest in music. A caring teacher doesn't let students off the hook, but instead works hard to find motivational ways to get their students hooked.

Linda Younts

I started watching a movie a few weekend ago that I recorded from HBO, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." The movie is about the Sioux Indians and how they were forced to adapt to the culture of whites in their own land. (I never completed the movie, but what I saw was very poignant and pertained alot to what I've been reading in this class.) One of the young Indians was in a school that taught the Indian children how to act "white." They were forced to choose new "Christian" names and abandon their given Indian names. They were also forced to memorize the history of the whites. Something clicked when I was reading these chapters. Who are we to say that traditional English is correct? It is, undoubtedly, what is accepted in our society. (Which is dominated by white, who have the power.) Like the Indians lost their power and were forced to take on the characteristics of white society, could those who have their own traditional languages feel the same way? Are we simply falling prey to those who have been in power the longest? Where and when was it decided that traditional English was correct? Before I would've said "We are a country that was created from England. Our language was brought with us to this new world. Traditional English is what we're always spoken. Therefore traditional English is most correct." This would hold water if we didn't live in a country that boasts to be a "melting pot" of cultures, ethnicities, and races. (This is a HUGE epiphany for me!) I never quite looked at it this way because I viewed the controversy from one viewpoint: mine. How egotistical of me. I am now amending my stance. I still feel that there is a time and place for everything. And, because traditional standard English is what is respected in professional settings, I think we need to teach those who speak with variations of the English language how to properly use traditional standard English, much like we do with ESL learners. HOWEVER, I feel that we should embrace and study the differences between the two in the classroom. I LOVE how Judith Baker (chapter 4) spoke of studying with her students the different "Englishes" they speak. This is a wonderful idea! It respects each students home language, while investigating it's roots and growth through the generations. Isn't that amazing? That piqued my interest tremendously. It also shares the power and lends more of an equal weight to the home language of each student in the classroom, rather than correcting those that aren't standard English.