RE_5539

Kristen Billings

What Kohl says about school performance and expectations is very true. Almost all students worry about what they will look like when answering questions and especially what would happen if you were wrong. Julia in this story acted as many students do because they don’t want to be humiliated in front of the class so she doesn’t participate and ends up cheating herself out of the education she deserves and benefits from. That innate fear is instilled inside all of us very early in life and the preoccupation with how others see us is a tremendous part of what controls many students lives. As teachers I wish we all could live by what Kohl says after his female students refused to answer the “mop” question, “Knowledge and intelligence is more important than conformity to the norms of testing.” Wow! What a powerful statement! I just wish all the teachers that teach EOC or EOG classes had the nerve to live by it.

The statement Kohl makes about understanding both teacher talk and student talk is very true. “This has nothing to do with language differences. It has everything to do with the way in which language is heard and interpreted, with tone, presentation, attitude, implication, and an understanding of how to convey complex meaning in a way that is understood by the spoken-to.” We, as teachers, need to understand out students just as much as they need to understand us. One statement Kohl made about loving the students in your classroom made me think, and I came to the conclusion that I disagree with him a little. Yes, it is trust and respect that make the classroom work but without the love factor, especially in the younger grades, some of these kids will never know that feeling. I believe you need to add that emotion into the equation. The nutshell statement for chapter 9 is that you need to know or learn the correct teacher talk in order to communicate with the class and the parents in an acceptable way.

Smitherman has a great plan laid out that would be beneficial for all educational settings. Too many often times the reason these things don’t happen is because of budget cuts or money issues of some sort. I wish this language policy could get up and going because it would be advantageous for all students to at least be bilingual and then perhaps they would understand the language barriers many people from Third World countries face. This policy, I believe, covers all the bases, so the question is, why aren’t we doing it?

We need to start uplifting students for what they do and who they are! Not how they look and speak. The question keeps coming up why?? I don’t understand why we do this. How can we as teachers tell these students that because of a language barrier they are inferior to the white population? How can we call ourselves teachers when we do that? I do not think I will ever understand how some people can be so ignorant. I hope and pray that I am not like this. I know one thing that has happened from me reading this particular book and this is I will definitely be critiquing my own teaching language that I use from now on.

"Why don't my students ever try? They just don't care." This is a statement i heard earlier this year from the 4th grade teacher that is in the classroom beside me. After reading chapter 9, and learning about Topsy-turvies, and how students perceive you, i think i know the answer. I hear her constantly barking orders, yelling in loud tones, and being very aggressive all day long. If i was a student in her class, i might just stop trying also. The environment is so important in a classroom, and so is how the students see you as a teacher. I'm sure it works the other way around also. I've also seen teachers that are very meek and calm and speak very quietly, but yet have no control over their classes. Where is the happy medium? I loved the comment from Mr. Kohl that stated, "As a teacher it is essential to be an adult among young people." I think that if teachers truly live by this statement, a lot of discipline issues could be handled tactfully. For example, on the last day of school, one particular child was testing me in every way possible. I overreacted and we basically argued back and forth, and then I sent him into another classroom. After calming down, i realized how child-like i had reacted, and knew that i needed to fix the situation. I had to put my pride aside, and be the adult. I got him from the other classroom, apologized, and we moved on. The rest of the day went smoothly. As a teacher, your tone of voice, your demeanor, and attitude, how you question and comment, all play a big role in how your children learn. At the end of chapter 9, the author proposed many questions that i thought most teachers would benefit from reading. I intend to take the list of questions to my teammates and talk about them.

After reading Smitherman's article, i definitely wanted to jump on her national language policy bandwagon. I liked how she broke her argument up into 3 important categories. I like how, in point #2, she stated that the mother tongue that you teach will vary according to the community. This means that teachers in a community need to look at their individual students and cultures, and tailor their language lessons to them. This definitely sounds great in theory, but how would it work? I'm just thinking outloud here, but I guess she means that as long as a teacher recognizes the language as important and cultural, the kids will be more receptive to learning standard english? Is that right? In her 3rd point, she stated that all kids should learn a different foreign language, as well as english. I definitely agree with this!!! I loved her "joke" at the beginning of that section....what do you call a person that speaks one language- American. This is so sad, but true. In fact, while i was at ASU getting my undergraduate degree in elementary education, i did NOT have to take a foreign language. Wouldn't it be great for all kids to have foreign language as an enrichment class weekly? I student taught at a school that did this, and it worked wonderfully. Do any of you have this at your schools? If not, do any of you try to teach a foreign language in the classroom?

Chapter 12 happened to be my favorite chapter for this assignment. I enjoyed how Mrs. Wynne wrote, and the quote at the beginning, "The world is richer than it is possible to express in any single language." It's so true. Can you imagine if we all spoke the same language? I think it would be boring. We need to get this attitude across to our students. We need to help them become more tolerant individuals. I agree with Mrs. Wynne's comment about language myths and how they lie about people's ability to think and they prevent dominate culture from learning the gifts of "the other." As a caucasion person, i'm ashamed to say that i have biases about people who speak in different dialects (black english, southern english, appalachia english....etc). Certain stereotypes pop into my head when i hear these dialects spoken. It sickens me that i think this way, but could it have been the society and classrooms that i grew up in that put these notions in my head? After reading this article and hearing about what Mrs. Wynne thinks, i'm certain that my formal education teachers may have accidently instilled this in me. What can i do as an educator to insure i instill a tolerant and well-rounded classroom of students, who are sensitive to different languages and dialects? I think it's a question that all educators need to work toward finding the answer.

I also believe that if we continue to refuse to respect other's language, then we will continue to unconsciously disrespect other people. The author brought up another good point. Since language is so important, why aren't there more professional development activities devoted to the issue, or why are undergraduates not taught about the different dialects and how to teach them to their students? Universities and school districts need to rethink what is truly important in education and they will possibly see higher test scores because of it. If all children feel important, than all children can learn.

I must admit I was completely turned off by chapter 9. Maybe I misread the chapter or didn’t understand it completely. So, I reread the chapter looking for a different message. Upon the second reading I did receive another message. We teachers must be aware of what we say and what it appears that we say. Children truly can tell when you are being fake with them. They can read in your body language and tone, they know what you truly mean. This reminded me that as our school year comes to an end, when things are hurried and rushed, that I do owe it to my students to stop and smell the flowers with them, if you will. As a kindergarten teacher, I often play the maternal away from home role for my kids. I try to make sure that my kids know I care about them and want the very best for them, but I expect them to do their best whether it is in work or behavior. I think I have done a fairly good job with this over the past several years. I think this because my students are generally well behaved, understand when they may need to be a little more behaved (such as walking down the hall during EOG testing) and they give me all they have in their work. I think this balance is something that new teacher’s struggle with in beginning their career. They have to look to veteran teacher’s who are a positive role model as well as just gain some experience teaching to achieve this balance. If they don’t, it’s been my experience that most will leave the teaching field.
Once again while reading this book I came back to the thoughts that we must meet our student’s halfway language wise. Part of what makes us unique is all the different ways we speak. I think about our state as just one example. I am from the mountains of NC. I can speak the Appalachia dialect, which I refer to as my country dialect. However, when I married I moved to the northeastern corner of the state. That area of the state has it’s own dialect. I truly did not understand a word my father-in-law said to me the first time I met him. I remember vividly one of the waitresses at the local greasy spoon mentioned to someone else that a customer had spilled their drink on the flow next to the doe (on the floor next to the door) and then something else about the brine kie (brown cow). I quickly discovered people carry things everywhere in the northeastern corner of the state, including the need to carry their car uptown to be serviced. Needless to say, after living there for four years I certainly learned how to understand this dialect. And yes, I now carry things places instead of taking them, it rubbed off on me, what can I say?  While living in that area of the state, it was a short ride to the outer banks. I quickly learned that this area of the state also has it’s own dialect that includes words such as hoi toyders (high tiders). Our state has such rich wonderful dialects in it, how could we not be accepting of other dialects or versions of English. Many of my students are ESL; I continue to think that we have to be accepting of their dialect of English, if you will, as we would anyone else. They bring such a wonderful flow and sound to English just as many dialects do. We are truly missing out if don’t become more accepting of dialects, versions of English, translated English, etc.
The story in Chapter 12 concerning the journalism students saddened me. How terrible they must have felt to be sitting there waiting to receive an award and be afraid to talk because of their dialect. We have to be accepting of different dialects, but I can definitely see the need to present Standard English so this would not happen to anyone else. However, the flip side of this to me is why the children felt inferior in the first place. Why is it perceived that speaking one way is so much better than the other? How did Standard English take such a front seat and why is it still driving the car? Yes, I see the need so that we can all communicate on the same level without additional misunderstandings, but when do we stop and grasp the richness and beauty in our own unique dialects? I think that while we have to teach Standard English so our students can survive in the business world, we need to continue to find new ways to incorporate their dialects into our everyday classroom situations.

As I began to read chapter 9 I was very interested in the story about Julia. In a way, as a little girl, I was very much a “Julia”. In the seventh grade I had a teacher who informed me that I needed to think before I gave a “stupid” answer. This experience marked me for life. Throughout my educational career (even in college), I hate to have to answer a question or speak aloud in class. I am fine writing a paper; but please do not make me come up with a split second answer to a question. As an adult, I still revert back to that 13 year old who is afraid she is going to give the wrong answer. I loved Kohl’s statement that “intelligent guessing was more important than avoidance of learning.” We each need to remind our students of this constantly. I try to tell my students that wrong answers are sometimes more important than correct ones. If I can figure out why they are wrong then we can fix the problem that they are having.

Moreover, I loved the fact that Kohl, even in a K/1 classroom taught his students to stand up for their personal rights. Their refusal to answer the question on the CBEST test was awesome! How powerful Kohl must have been as their teacher! I also found it interesting that Kohl gave the girls credit for the answer even though they didn’t answer the question. I definitely see his point; however, I am not quite sure that I agree with his decision. How would he know if the results of his test were accurate? Would a teacher in the future be this open-minded and lenient?

As I continued to read I became intrigued by the discussion of teacher language in the classroom. I too agree that teacher presence, tone, and attitude can make or break the classroom environment. I have to say that I think much of this has to be formed through years of teaching experience. I myself know that I definitely react and teach differently than I did when I started teaching 6 years ago. My first year of teaching, I truly thought that I would gain students love and respect by being their friend. My how my philosophy has changed!!! The teacher definitely has to be the authority figure while still maintaining a loving and caring relationship with each child. To be quite honest I feel that this is one of the hardest roles that a teacher has to develop and figure out for himself/herself.

In reading Chapter 10, I once again began to question and think about my own beliefs regarding the issue of language and its place in society. It is amazing how many times this book has caused me to change my mind regarding the use of Standard English. As I read Smitherman’s address, I found myself agreeing with many of the ideas that she presented. Ultimately, I have to say that I most agree with Smitherman’s point #2: “Reinforce and Reaffirm the Legitimacy of Non-Mainstream Languages and Dialects and In the Language of Wider Communication.” I am of the firm belief that people are only willing to change and add to their repertoire when what they already know and believe to be true has been validated. Smitherman proves this point with the quote by Williams “Blacks who were conscious of their own language as a legitimate system were more receptive to learning the language of wider communication.” Williams went on to state that “ the mother tongue may be the only ‘passport to literacy’”. I truly feel that we can only expect our students to learn proper SE when we have accepted the language good or bad that they have grown up speaking.

Moreover, Smitherman in point #3 discusses the importance of students acquiring knowledge of a foreign language. Smitherman defends this point through the following statement, “The educational benefits to be derived from foreign language study have to do with sharpening critical thinking and heightening verbal skills.” As I read this statement, I wanted to e-mail it to all of the educational leaders in my county. Unfortunately my county has cut out all elementary art and foreign language classes. As I read this I wondered what I could do as a teacher to introduce my student to foreign language regardless of the fact that they do not have foreign language classes.

Chapter 12 clearly exemplifies the need for “language education” for pre-service teachers. As a graduate of UNCG I do not remember ever discussing the issue of language in the classroom. It appears that Education programs feel that Standard English is the correct and proper form of language; therefore, student teachers are not told anything differently. Therefore, in dealing with issues of language pre-service teachers go with what they know. This is shown in the questionnaires provided by Wynne to student teachers. Almost every student teacher stated that they though only SE should be taught in the regular education classroom. Wynne makes a very valid point when she states, “Teachers without this knowledge (language) will limit the worlds of White children and make children of other ethnicities vulnerable to the negative views held by educators and society in general regarding their cognitive competence.” Questions arise: What happens to those students who do not speak SE? Are we going to allow them to fall through the cracks just because they do not speak perfectly? How do we better prepare pre-service teachers to better understand language and its impact on the classroom?

Kelly Mabe

I like the point Herbert Kohl made about teachers encouraging the importance of intelligent guessing in our students to combat the avoidance of learning. Until reading these chapters I had not considered that students choose not to answer or participate due to their language. I see the importance of validating their ideas as well as their culture and language as a means to engage and promote learning.
In his references to hearing yourself as you teach and the perception your students have I began to consider my own voice in the classroom. I am certain that I try to use standard English but find that students relate more easily and appreciate knowing me as a person as well. When they hear me tell experiential stories or use local terms and idioms I think it makes them more comfortable and gives them a sense of who I am. I can also see how in a differenct setting my choice of speaking could be less effective. After reading Chapter 9 I will be more conscious of how I may be interepreted.
As I connect this to the following chapter I question whether we as a society are practicing passive oppression by not working toward the rights of many dialects and languages. After all are we not the melting pot of the world? On one hand I see the need to do this but feel that as a nation we must take care to preserve not only the heritage of our many cultures but also to consider the need for the supremacy of any particular language.
I know that many would argue that those who established this country spoke (the Kings) English, but what about the Native Americans who were here before them? How do we choose or rather why should we choose a superior language? Could we not adopt many that are most useful to us worldwide and is that perhaps why we use Standard English today? Yes, I agree that it is politically driven and that we as educators should make that apparent to our students as we encourage and embrace each of their cultures. I also wonder how much of it is driven by the idea of being supreme if we choose not to learn other languages--(again passivity).
I like the quote at the beginning of Chapter 12 --"The world is richer than it is possible to express in any single language" - Ilya Prigogine. I think we see people in our graduate courses who shrink from communicating their ideas as a result of what others may think. In some ways I wonder if we discriminate against others as we become more educated. Do our intellectual conversations make others feel less intelligent? Once again I am considering how I am heard and not only in the classroom.
I like the idea of the need for a collective responsbility and potential for language development and perhaps a change toward an acceptable language format that embraces all dialects without the idea of supremacy. However, if this issue has been in the works since 1974 how long and what will it take to affect this change?

Chapter nine gave me much to think about. First the title of the chapter “Topsy – Turvies” Teacher Talk and Student Talk” gives you an idea that the author believes in shaking things up a bit or look at something from a new perspective. Sometimes this needs to be done, but when and how is sometimes difficult to determine. Teaching is one of the most difficult professions you can find. K-12 teachers have so much to think about all the time. It truly is an art and a philosophy in finding a path that will reach each student. I remember my days when I first taught high school and some of the African–American kids threw the word racist around too much. On more than one occasion I was told I was a racist for trying to do my job. Most of the time I ignored the comment because I knew the student was trying to get a rise out me, but I was young and inexperienced. I know I could have handled many situations better.

Later in the chapter Herbert Kohl conveys that, “Teaching requires listening, not merely to your students but to yourself being listened to.” This idea has been presented to me in the past, but never this distinctly. It is something that constantly needs to be addressed. It is an art that must be practiced and refined. I am vowing to myself that when I begin teaching this fall, I am going to listen to myself and try to be more thoughtful of how I say things. I also want to incorporate many of the ideas from the previous chapters. The ideas presented in this book are so thought provoking. I am spending a great deal of time digesting and thinking about what I am learning.

One of the issues presented in chapter ten is respecting students’ home language or the mother tongue. It further states that if people are fully educated in their mother tongue, then it will be easier and students will be more motivated to learn Standard English. Our goal should not be to teach Standard English. The goal should be to respect all languages. Students learning Standard English will be a natural result. Unfortunately, it seems this country is turning in the opposite direction. I agree with Geneva Smitherman that it will take a national campaign to change the course of the country is heading in. If research and plain common sense support validating the home language, and even in many situations educating the student in it, then where is the push in educational settings to make sure this will occur? At very least the increased visibility of the issue would allow the general population to understand the importance of learning and valuing other languages. Are these issues presented in teacher education programs in a way that pre-service teachers feel the passion and compassion to validate and teach other languages? Do teacher training programs demand that teachers have a command of another language? This chapter raised many questions. The attitude of this country definitely needs to change.

Joan Wynne in chapter twelve states, “By neglecting to teach the beauty and richness of the language of Black America, we also damage White children.” I believe this is true, but my question is how do you do this in areas of the country where there is little diversity? It seems that teachers are so worried about test scores and curriculum (with good reason) that the most important issues are left behind. It seems the only way to truly address this issue is to make it important from the top down. I go back again to our political leaders and those who create curriculum. It is true in this country we have many areas that have diverse populations, but we have many more areas like rural North Carolina where you have search to find diversity.

On page 211 Joan Wynne asks the question I would like someone to answer. Her question states’ “I wonder why, when language is the major medium of instruction, would we in schools of education give so little time, effort, and attention to teaching our pre-service teachers about the basic assumptions of the realities of language diversity?” It seems this question has no political clout. Is this because for the most part political leaders mirror our lack of attention to diversity as a whole? I wonder how many of our political leaders speak another language, or have visited a Third World Country with an open mind and open heart to understand instead of judge?

Something else came to my mind as I read this sentence on page 212, “If any of us refuse to respect the other’s language, it becomes too easy, consciously or unconsciously, to then disrespect the person.” When I think about this statement, it reminds me of how this country was founded, and we have a long history of not respecting other cultures. Look at how the Native American’s were treated. Again until we can change politically it is going to be difficult to make real attitude changes, but I do agree with the author that one place to begin is in our teacher training programs. One final question, how do we change teacher training programs?

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.

Chapter 9 really hit home for me. I will be honest and say that the idea of Teacher Talk and Student Talk is a very difficult one for me. I, like many of you have either experienced or witnessed most of the scenarios that Kohl listed in chapter 9. Daily I watch the class across the hall be as Kohl says, "in control while they were out of control". The class is led by a middle aged first year teacher at a second career from Conneticut. She is the epitome of the scenarios we have read about in this book.

Middle school students wear their feelings on their sleeves. This year more than any I have become more aware of what I say and how I say it. I also liked Kohl's point that many times how you think you are speaking and how your stduents interpret you are saying are not necessarily the same. I hate feeling that I have to walk on eggshells around certain students in fear of saying something to them that they misinterpert. There are very few students in which I feel this way, but I feel this way due to scenarios where students turn around my words on me. It has once become an issue of race, which I think is nonsense. I find that often people argue the issue of race when they have nothing left ot stand on. I have worked hard to connect with my students and enhance their learning, in fact I feel as though one of my greatest strenghts as a teacher is my relationships with students. However Kohl's statement of, " If you are too soft, too hard, too rigid, or too permissive, the students will develop attitudes that often contribute hostility or restistance to learning " is SO on point. I truly feel this is why some students will work or behave for some teachers and not do so for others. The idea of a topsy-turvy is excellent, yet challenging. There are many of us who really need to take a strong look at how we are heard, then I am sure what or howt he students react to us would be much more clear and provide more understanding. I feel as teachers we are constantly adjusting day to day, minute to minute. We also adjust from student to student. I speak to some students differently than I speak to others based on how they best understand or best respond. I think this is an okay thing to do?

In chapter 10, I think Smitherman has a great plan, but I truly wonder what would it really take to not just implement it, but to get all people to buy into it and believe it? I think she makes an important point to that the issue of giving power to the mother tongue would benefit all Americans, not just Blacks. I feel often this issue becomes to much of one of black and white, and she makes and interesting claim that very few powerful need an "linguistic sanctuary" but that the less powerful among us do. How true it that statement? I too, loved the joke she tells about Americans. This is also so incredibley true. We go places and expect them to speak english, when people visit our country, we expect them to speak english. We never go with the idea in mind that perhaps even we, mighty Americans, might need another language to get by?

Wynne in Chapter 12 puts an interesting twist on the conversation of mother tongue. We have been thinking about how we are affecting the lives of the minority children, but she brings up the point of the damage we are doing to dominant culture from learning the gift of the others. If we don't allow mother tongue languages in the classroom we are only continuing the cycle of the dominant culture feeling that their language is superior. The challenge then as I stated earlier is where do we really begin, and what will it take? In part I guess it begins with each classroom teacher, implement the idea of cultural and linguistic acceptance.The idea was brought up that our preservice teachers should be exposed to the reality of the language diversity in the classroom. I feel nothing can truly perpare you for what you experience when you walk in the classroom door, however I do feel like it is a reality that preservice teachers do need exposure to.

Sarah McMillan

I truely never deeply thought about how sensitive my students are to my language. I have always known to watch my tone, but never fully considered how I was being heard and understood. It is true that you loose your studetns when they detect your insincerity or even don't trust you. Listening to my students is something I have done, but now know I need to do much more of. I have done a turn around since my first year of teaching. I do remenber loosing a few students my first year when I had a hard time knowing how to connect with them. I still have lots to learn, but see a big difference in how my students respond to me now that I have learned more about how to build my students trust and give them "fair opportunities." It is true that teachers are listened to more than they think they are. When my students are at the puppet station, I hear them replaying and acting out things that I have said and done in the classroom. They are reinforcing the "teacher talk" they hear.

There are so many Julia's out there that are afraid of not knowing the right answers to a question so they just don't speak up. I was one of them and yes I was afraid of what the teacher and even my peers would think about the things I said. I had many teachers who created an open and giving environment, but the fear of being wrong and humiliated stopped me from speaking out. A child doesn't understand that intelligent guessing is more important than avoiding learning.

Standard testing gives false information to some degree. The students that were supposed to answer the CBESET test, is an example of how testing is not 100% accurate. I just wonder the percentage of questions students answer incorrectly on tests just based on their sensibilities.

I agree with Knols statement that "Teaching is a matter of craft, experience, and art, which makes teaching well a continuing challenge." To earn student's trust and respect is a hard skill for some to aquire and comes more naturally for others. The "topsy-turvy" art of being a consciouencious listener is definately an art and it makes sense that lovers do wonder if what they say affects their partner.

I don't speak about religion in my room except during times it fits in the curriculum, but I never thought about how the children turn against you if they disagree with your religious beliefs. As teachers we have to be so careful with the language we use. An example they gave in the book was telling parents, "you people have disrespectful children" which was implying that all the parents children were disrespectful. Teachers do need to watch their talking skills since some comments could seem racist.

In 1974, the Conference on College Composition and Communication passed a policy resolution, "The Sudents' Right to Their Own Language". Smiterman suggests this policy was failed to be acted upon and now we must re-act. Smiterman suggests a language policy that has three parts. 1. reinforce the language of wider communication; 2. promote and extend the legitimacy of mother tongue languages and dialects; and 3. promote the acqusition of one or more foreign languages, preferably those spoken in the Third World.

I agree with point two that we need to teach students by taking into account their culture and background. I was very interested in point three and agree that we should learn more than one language. I was disheartened when foreign language was taken out of our schoos. Our principal is trying to make Spanish a specialist choice for us next year. I hope we get this.

It hurts me to hear stories such as the one about the students who had won the award for the best newspaper, but felt too inferior to speak because of their language. I like Wynne's statement, "If we want these children to be socially and economically mobile in mainstream culture, we must teach the standard English; yet, if we reject them by rejecting the language they grew up with, we alienate them from the very places where they could learn the standard dialect. I agree that we need to teach SE to our students, but what is the best way to teach it without alienating them from who they are and damanging their self-esteem? I do agree with Rokeach's statement that, " by fostering prejudice such a language biases, we stifle all students' cognitive development."

Even the African American students said the SE is the "proper or correct" English to use. Colleges need to continue classes such as this one. I agree with Wynne that it would be failure not to discuss the political ramifications of language use and acceptance to the students.

So now I wonder if any of you have awesome ways of teaching SE to your students, but still are respectful to their mother language?

Linda Younts

While reading the introduction and beginning of chapter 9 everything I was reading confirmed what I have been thinking. Many problems in the classroom stem from teachers and students being unaware of what they have heard or understood. The language we use in the classroom is more than the words that we speak. How we say something is just as important as what we say. In a few classes in my school, I see this and it turns into a big issue between a student and teacher or a teacher and his/her class. The distressing thing about it is the child ends up the one being blamed and is punished. Often I want to go in and tell the teacher that the tone they used or what they said caused the situation to escalate, but how do you tell a teacher what she has said it incorrect or misunderstood even when you do it in a friendly way. I find it hard to convey this message to teachers and do not want to be perceived as someone interfering in something that is not my busy, especially if the problem is not with one of my students. It’s unfair how we as adults feel we are correct in our actions or thoughts and children are wrong. I have seen it vice versa many times and the child is right in most cases. Adults misinterpret children words just as much as children do. I myself am guilty of this as well. In classrooms, we do need to listen to what students are saying as well as be mindful of what we say. I like how the author speaks of a teachers need to be topsy-turvy. I know we all need to analyze ourselves every so often because sometimes we think we are right and from someone else perspective we aren’t. This can help make a classroom environment more productive.

I had some difficulty following chapter 10 although I got a general idea of what Smitherman was saying. It seems that long before the Ebonics initiative there were other initiatives to accept everyone’s language and dialect. The author feels very strong about affirming everyone’s right to his or her own language and dialect. I can understand why. When we tell a child he/she is not speaking right, we can affect their whole world. It can have an impact on how the feel about themselves, their family, and cause them feel inferior. I agree that we should help students feel secure and accepted as we try to build their knowledge of Standard English, but I am not sure if I agree with any policies to affirm everyone’s language. One benefit of a language policy I can see is that it would possibly protect people from linguistic imperialism or feeling inferior.

It is awful when children or adults feel inferior to other races because of their oral language that it causes them to become quiet and not share their thoughts and feelings. It is wrong when society makes you feel as though you do not have anything valuable to share because you do not speak in the same manner as most people. The worst part about it is it starts in America classrooms. We have to learn how to affirm children while teaching them how to use grammar correctly. As the author cited on page 209, “by fostering prejudice such as language biases, we stifle all students’ cognitive development” and that is not what we are here to do. In order to help children we have to build them up and be mindful of how communicate our thoughts and ideas about their language.

Dawn Thomas

I can relate to Julia in Chapter 9. I have done the exact same thing because of fear of not knowing the right answer and if I do answer with the wrong answer then someone may laugh. I hope my students do not feel like they can not answer questions because of fear of humiliation. I've always worked with the younger children and this hasn't seemed to be a problem in my classes. I know Julia was in a K-1 classroom, though. Most of my students want to talk, talk, talk even when I need them to be quiet or listen. So this chapter has opened my eyes that this may not be the case in some schools. I had to think back on my teaching career to actually think of something similiar. I had a Vietnamese girl in preschool and she didn't talk much. I figured it was because she was learning English and was shy. This may not have been the case at all. It may have been because she didn't feel comfortable and didn't know the response she would get. I will definitely be aware of this in the future.

After reading this chapter, I've realized how important tone and presentation are. I believe tone especially can have an influence in the classroom. A teacher's tone of voice can make a difference in a student's attitude. I have said comments to people and they got upset. It was not the way that I meant for it to come across and I was shocked at the reaction. I asked what was wrong and was told that it was the tone that I said it in. I didn't realize it at the time but I wasn't hearing myself.

I felt for the young teacher who took the retired teacher's place. She definitely made some mistakes. It could happen to anyone. I guess we can learn from her that we need to create respect and affection in the classroom.

I have learned from reading this material that I need to listen as I'm teaching and learn what my students are hearing. As Herb Kohl says, I may need to make a topsy-turvy!

In reading Chapter 12, I believe it is very sad that the newspaper staff was afraid to ask questions because of the way they talk. That's why we as teachers need to make sure our students feel comfortable with language in our class. What are we to do to help these students feel confident? How can we do this in the classroom and it carry over to the "real world"? In conclusion, from reading this chapter it strongly urges schools to accept the home language and teach the standard dialect at the same time.

Dawn Thomas

I can relate to Julia in Chapter 9. I have done the exact same thing because of fear of not knowing the right answer and if I do answer with the wrong answer then someone may laugh. I hope my students do not feel like they can not answer questions because of fear of humiliation. I've always worked with the younger children and this hasn't seemed to be a problem in my classes. I know Julia was in a K-1 classroom, though. Most of my students want to talk, talk, talk even when I need them to be quiet or listen. So this chapter has opened my eyes that this may not be the case in some schools. I had to think back on my teaching career to actually think of something similiar. I had a Vietnamese girl in preschool and she didn't talk much. I figured it was because she was learning English and was shy. This may not have been the case at all. It may have been because she didn't feel comfortable and didn't know the response she would get. I will definitely be aware of this in the future.

After reading this chapter, I've realized how important tone and presentation are. I believe tone especially can have an influence in the classroom. A teacher's tone of voice can make a difference in a student's attitude. I have said comments to people and they got upset. It was not the way that I meant for it to come across and I was shocked at the reaction. I asked what was wrong and was told that it was the tone that I said it in. I didn't realize it at the time but I wasn't hearing myself.

I felt for the young teacher who took the retired teacher's place. She definitely made some mistakes. It could happen to anyone. I guess we can learn from her that we need to create respect and affection in the classroom.

I have learned from reading this material that I need to listen as I'm teaching and learn what my students are hearing. As Herb Kohl says, I may need to make a topsy-turvy!

In reading Chapter 12, I believe it is very sad that the newspaper staff was afraid to ask questions because of the way they talk. That's why we as teachers need to make sure our students feel comfortable with language in our class. What are we to do to help these students feel confident? How can we do this in the classroom and it carry over to the "real world"? In conclusion, from reading this chapter it strongly urges schools to accept the home language and teach the standard dialect at the same time.

I enjoyed reading Kohl's chapter especially making note of her description of Julia. She was a child who lacked self-confidence and was not completely comfortable in the presence of teachers in the classroom. It may be that Julia felt vunerable and needed reassurance and feeling comfortable enough to make mistakes. I wonder if there is a Julia in many classrooms-the child who is capable, bright, and ready to learn but is not ready to take the step and put herself out there. How can we make children feel comfortable enough to express themselves and be Ok with making mistakes? I believe the answer is to begin by putting an emphasis on a personal relationship with students. Share with them your own personal vunerabilities and insecurities. For example, I do not sing well-- at all! I try but it doesn't sound so great. I try to explain that each person in my Kindergarten class has special talents and interests, including their own teacher.
Kohl explains that children listen differently when listening to the same teacher. Since the majority of communication in the classroom is the teacher directly speaking to the class we should take a step back and realize that our instruction, our approach, sounds different and is interpreted differently among students.
Smitherman's comments on the legitimacy of non-mainstream language left me feeling agitated. I realize that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It seems as if I was supposed to feel that whites don't see non-mainstream language as legit, as a real form of communication. I don't like the feeling of being grouped into a large category and generalized. I do believe in learning and appreciating new languages. I am nearly bilingual myself having studied Spanish for eight years. Consequently the knowledge gained in studying a new language gave me the opportunity to learn simultaneously about various cultures where Spanish is spoken. It was an incredible experience. I have met and communicated with various people from several Latin American countries and found that each has their own dialect, accent, and in some cases specialized vocabulary or slang. I just don't think it's fair to make a general comment about the haves and the have nots, the whites and the blacks. It is not politically correct to group any one segment of the population.
Wynne's chapter reminded me of the discussion that many people in NC are having these days. If you're going to come to this country, then you ought to learn English. True-- in the sense that if helps when one is out in public or in need of a service. Americans are a bit arrogant and ignorant in believing that English or more specifically SE is the end all and "best" form of communication because it is the dominant language. Bilingual students leaving college are, in the end, at a tremendous advantage when entering the workforce. Those who know Spanish or another second language should be more well-respected. The United States, the most powerful country in the world, does not emphasize the benefits of learning a second language. Perhaps in our dominant culture, we may feel that our language is supreme and there is really not a need to learn another language.

Before reading chapter 9, I never contemplated all of the factors that can affect the communication process between teachers and students. I am always aware of the importance to present what I say to my students in the clearest terms possible and to be careful "what" I say to my students. However, this chapter raised my sensitivity to another aspect of classroom communication: "It has everything to do with the way in which language is heard and interpreted, with tone, presentation attitude, implication and an understanding of how to convey complex meaning in a way that is understood by the spoken to." Not all students grasp and understand in the same way. It is up to the teacher to pay attention to how he/ she is heard at the same time he/she is speaking and be aware how students hear and interpret what he/she is saying. Kohl calls this ability "attunement", a necessary skill that enables teachers to not only communicate effectively with their students, but also improves the quality of the learning that takes place in the classroom. Kohl also states "The way in which teachers speak shapes students' attitudes and is a major determinant in the nature and quality of the learning environment." This chapter highlights the powerful influence that a teacher's language has on the dynamics of a classroom and the importance of teachers needing to choose their words wisely to maintain class order and maximize student learning.

Chapter ten was a difficult chapter. Since I was a little tired when I read the chapter, it took me a while to figure out what "the language of wider communication" was. I know the author used this term to make a point, but it would have made better sense to use the term "standard English" instead. I agree that language discrimination is wrong, and that nonstandard forms of English are not inferior but linguistically valid language forms that need to be fully accepted by educational institutions and American mainstream society in general. According to Smithermann, mainstream society's acceptance and validation of nonstandard language forms could only benefit the speakers of nonstandard English forms: "In William's own research in the Seattle, Washington, Black community, he demonstrated that Blacks who were conscious of their own language as a legitimate system were more receptive to learning the language of wider communication." We've read more than once in this book about the studies language experts have done on nonstandard language forms. If all of this research exists, why isn't anything being done about it? Smitherman's chapter is a call to action for concerned citizens to get involved in the political process and do something to change the negative biases against nonstandard English that exist in American society.

Joan Wynne's chapter was interesting in the way it shined the spotlight on the need to include language studies as part of the teacher training curriculum to educate teachers about the linguistic truths about language. I have to admit that before reading this book, I would have answered the question "How would you describe Standard English" the same way as the students in the book. I have learned things about language from the book The Skin that I Speak that I have never been taught in any other class in my entire life. This is important and basic knowledge all teachers should know in order to better understand, interact with, and instruct their students.

Vickie Howell

Heather Holland

Chapters 9, 10, and 12 seemed to take me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I enjoy reading non-fiction, practical, applicable things and sometime I get so engrossed in certain issues, that I have to step back—pause and then reflect on the reading and read it again. I will discuss topics in chronological order (the same order that I read). However, I wish that I would have read chapters 9 and 12 first because I was especially hung up on chapter 10’s debatable issues.

Chapter 9 had my full attention because I was entirely vulnerable to miscommunication during my first year of teaching. Two weeks before the first day of kindergarten, I moved over 500 miles from Cleveland, Ohio to the small country town where I now live. I moved to this place by myself to teach and did not yet know or understand my children’s language. My discipline was awful because they did not know or understand my style of talking either. It was rough and downright awful. I struggled-- not because I could not teach, but because I could not speak their language. They were only five years old. I could not expect them to accommodate to me; I had to adapt to their style. I did not learn the language my first year. I offended people, unknowingly with my “Yankee” comments. I inadvertently made remarks about the differences in our language—just trying to let them know I was making an effort to understand them. However, my assumptions-- that they understood my plight, created problems for me. It was not until several years later, when I had earned their trust and confidence that they told me how brash and even insulting I seemed to them. I felt awful. I had no intensions of being offensive or rude. I was very embarrassed. I was just trying to fit in and show them that I truly cared about them and their children (my students). Eventually, they understood-- completely, but it took awhile. I overcame enormous obstacles to be accepted and feel like I am part of the community here. Now looking back on it, I never dreamed that I would have had so much trouble. In college, I worked for the International Student Affairs’ Office. I was one, of many student “ambassadors” for my college. I picked up international students from the airport at all hours of the day and night, helped them learn American customs, and become acquainted and comfortable in the United States. My job was to make them feel welcomed. I really thought that I could handle the differences between Ohio and North Carolina, if I was friends with people from all over the world.--Wow… I was naive. Listening to yourself is important. And just as Herbert Kohl stated, “... it is imperative that we are cognizant of the way in which our language is heard and interpreted, with tone, presentation, attitude, implication, and understanding of how to convey complex meaning in a way that is understood by the spoken-to.”

Chapter 10 was difficult for me to read. I thought that the author, at times, was more focused on political or personal agendas rather than the key issue/topic—“teacher knowledge”. I want to keep my comment proactive and educationally driven, not driven by my personal beliefs or ideas. From the reading that was focused on language, I found that it is imperative that we, as professional educators, stress the value of people, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, color, or culture. We must teach the children, who are our future, to embrace one another’s differences. At the same level, as Geneva Smitherman stated, we must teach to broaden children’s language base in order to facilitate communication and acceptance. Wanting to bridge the gap between languages, teachers must validate children’s feelings of acceptance and belonging. It is critical that we do this because children will become more receptive to learning the language of wider communication. We do need children to progress to this stage of language development, because—like it or not, Standard English is the power language that people view as dominant and leading in our nation.

Chapter 12

Reading about the young journalists who refused to speak at the journalism workshop because of their fears of rejection or judgment from white individuals was difficult for me to digest. As I continued reading, I began to wonder if the white members of the audience would have been judgmental or stifling to the African American students. I know that racism has not disappeared in America. But I don’t agree with the statement that “whites” take racism like morning oatmeal (I read this in a previous chapter and I am not quoting it because I have looked and looked for the page where I read this and I cannot locate it). I sometimes feel reverse racism. Because I am white, I do not automatically feel or think a certain way. That is simply not true. As a teacher, I value all of my students for the individuals that they are. I want them to see past color lines and cultural barriers so that they may learn from one another. Am I overreacting to this issue? I do not want parents of my African American students to automatically think that because I am white, I have some prejudicial ideas about their race or culture. If anything, I’d hope they think that I’m color blind.

Written by Heather Holland

I found this section of reading very difficult to read; some parts I felt a little unnerved to read and other sections I could have agreed to with a resounding, "Amen!" I especially found chapter 10 difficult to read, but I think this is mostly due to its being more technical and history oriented, which is literature I have always had trouble wading through. Chapter 9 was very interesting to me. I thought it was very insightful to think about not necessarily what I say, but rather how I am heard. This was an eye-opening revelation to me: "Teachers must analyze how they are presenting themselves and then make a 180-degree shift and construct how their students hear them." I always try very hard to break down all of my instructions and lessons into easy to understand pieces, but what I intend in my language may not be what my students are actually perceiving. I absolutely agree with the author when he stated that, "The hard thing is talking to a whole class when people listen differently." This exact thought was running through my head as I read this chapter. What a difficult task we have! How do you ensure that 20 students all comprehend something in the same way so as to accomplish the same task when all 20 of them hear something in a little bit different way? This truly intrigues me! I think of times when I explain something what seems like a million times, and also in different ways, in math and a student just has no idea what I am talking about and then just one time I explain it a little bit differently and suddenly the light bulb goes off. It's a fantastic feeling when a student does grasp something like this, but getting to this point in communication can be a very frustrating process. How wonderful it would be if we knew exactly how to say something so that a student discerned it exactly the way we intended! One of my favorite things about this chapter was the grouping of questions near the very end: "How do you sound? How is anger expressed? Who is praised? How is failure expressed in front of the class? How are you exposed when you think you are failing or perhaps even in despair? How many times a week do you express joy or thanks sincerely felt rather than mechanically administered as a matter of educational policy? Where is your joy in teaching and how is that conveyed?" These are definitely a tool I will be using in the future to determine if I am conveying my message in a way that is easily heard!

I found chapter 12 to be a great ending for this text. I found it a great resource for reviewing what I had previously read and kind of wrapping it into a more organized package than what I had in my head. I found these words from the author especially helpful: "If we want these children to be socially and economically mobile in mainstream culture, we must teach them standard English; yet, if we reject them by rejecting the language they grew up with, we alienate them from the very places where they could learn the standard dialect." The more I read about this topic, the more I am realizing that this is a fine line that we walk as educators. It is reassuring to read of successful stories from teachers who are putting this into practice in their classrooms every day. I will definitely be less quick to just say something in my class and more apt to take a moment to consider what I am saying and what I am allowing, or not allowing, my students to say.

Chapter 9 was a great chapter for me to read. It discussed teacher talk and how language impacts classrooms. This is a discussion that took place in my last Language Arts class with Dr. Pesko. Our class studied how teacher talk and student talk affected learning. We tape recorded lessons and transcribed the lessons. As we studied the teacher talk and student talk, we were able to see the percentages of what type of talk was occurring in each lesson and areas that we could improve or continue to do. It was an insightful approach to reflecting on a lesson. The recordings were eye openers and really showed me how much student talk needed to increase in my room. By the end of the semester, my student talk percentage increased by 10 percent. I hope by the very fact of being aware of the need for more student talk that the percentage will continue to increase. Mr. Kohl seemed to be well aware of the student talk taking place in his classroom when he noticed Julia turning away from his lessons. By talking with Julia and fixing the problem, he allowed her to be in charge of her learning. This gave her the power to control the situation instead of letting the situation control her.

One paragraph in chapter 9 really caught my eye also. It is the second paragraph on page 152. It discusses how students selectively listen to teacher language. Students that may appear to not be listening can very well be hearing exactly what you are saying and retaining the information. I have a boy in my class this year that fits this scenario exactly. He would appear from a person observing that he is doing anything, but listening to a lesson. He makes noises and is easily distracted, but when called on by the teacher, he can repeat and explain anything that is being taught.

Chapter 10 disturbed me a bit. I am not sure I agree with all the author is saying. I realize America is full of cultures that do not speak Standard English. I do think students should be given the opportunity to learn in any environment, but should we really change our SE teaching to their language just to increase proficiency? SE will always be the mainstream of conversations in America. Why should our children of today not be given the opportunity to learn correct grammar and conversational skills? The “real world” speaks SE and shouldn’t we be preparing our students for the “real world?” Everyone at some point in time will need to go on a job interview, speak publicly or use conversational skills in public. We should grant our children of today an opportunity to succeed in life and be able to acquire the best job possible. If SE is not taught at home and not taught at school, are we not depriving our children? Are we lowering our standards to meet the needs of the students? I think at times we are. We could turn this idea around and find ways to make the students want to strive to raise their own standards and learn how to code switch appropriately.

One area that I do agree with is the foreign language issue. Students today need to have more exposure to foreign languages. They need it at an early age too. My school system has cut the foreign language program in the lower grades due to budget cuts. It is a shame to see this happen when now more than ever students need to be able to learn how to communicate with peers that speak a different language.

Chapter 12 seemed to be written rather harshly. I do not know if it is because I disagree with parts of it or if it is truly written in an abrupt manner. I felt as though the author was focusing on how we have hindered African American children by not allowing them to use Ebonics for educational purposes. Why shouldn’t African American children learn SE? If we want to break the cycle of African American children performing lower on standardized test, which often times dictates the level of higher education that they receive, then we must prepare them for a future with an equal playing field. In the corporate world, communications skills are essential and often provide the first impression to the person’s audience. The fact remains that grammatically Ebonics is not correct. Should we lower the standards of language for one culture? I think a better option would be for us to educate their culture. Why couldn’t we utilize available resources to teach African American children SE or how to code switch when necessary? Resources can also be utilized to educate their parents.

Beth Rigsbee

I can attest to what Herbert Kohl is saying about the examples that were exhibited in Chapter 9. I do believe that when one feel that there is dissonance among students, teachers, administrators, and parents one tend to shy away from conversations and interactions with them. As adults, we mentally challenge ourselves to muster up enough courage to ask questions and answer questions in meetings amongst our colleagues, peers, and administrators in fear of being perceived as incompetent because of uncertainty. There are times when we as adults would rather avoid exhibiting what we know than for anyone to view one as having lack of knowledge. I really and truly believe that it comes from feeling safe and accepting your environment will only allow one to explore the possibilities of taking a chance on learning. Yes, we may work and learn in an environment where we put up a shield of avoidance and only allow certain events, emotions, and feelings to take place in our lives so we will not stand out in the crowd or being ridicule.

I also encountered a similar situation with a student just like Kohl experienced with his K/1 students refusing to answer a question because of their belief. This student is a person of few words. Basically, on the Unaided part of Running Records, he summed up the story in four sentences. Well, you know in reading a ten-page story, there must be more to the story than a summary of four sentences. So, I proceeded in asking him the Aided questions of the story. The question was the development of the character, the student proceeded to say, the mouse was too slow and because of that the mouse ended up on a new farm where he missed his family and he wanted to go home. When he finally returned home, he was happy to see his family and his family was happy to see him, which he was right. Then I proceeded to ask him about the events in the story and this little fellow said, I just said that. He was right again. Although there were two different questions, however, the questions had the same answer. I accepted his answer as I just said that because he did. Why must he repeat himself with the same answer?

In Chapter 10, Geneva Smitherman made a very powerful statement and it is repeated several times throughout the chapter. The statement is, “It is time to call the children in and teach them the lessons of the Blood”. I think she meant that regardless of the nationality during this particular era in history, it is time to take a stand on respecting their language and dialect and rejecting the idealism of inferiority amongst the people who does not speak Standard English (SE). All they are asking for is acceptance.

Chapter 9, 10, and 12 seem to have the same twist. When it is all said and done, they all ended up being about their fear of speaking due to uncertainties of being right or wrong, and how one is looked upon as they are learning SE, and accepting ones language and dialect as they learn SE. The jest of all this entanglement about the skin that we speak is to not make anyone feel inferior or disrespect them because of the language they speak.

Shirley Mathis

As I was reading chapter 9, I couldn't help but think of a story I was told when I first got married. It was a wonderful "topsy-turvy" for marriage and one that I try to think of when I'm interacting with my students in my classroom.

"There was an old couple who had tea and toast mid-morning each day. The woman made the tea and her husband made the toast. She always put alot of thought and love into her pot of tea. She measured the water and the tea exactly and made sure her husband had his favorite cup from which to drink his tea. She was frustrated, however, whenever the loaf of bread was at the beginning or the end because her husband always gave her the heel for her toast. Why should she always be the one to get the heel? How selfish of her husband! He saved the perfect pieces for his toast. One day, feeling exasperated from his years of selfishness of always giving her the heel, she let him have it! "Honey," she said, "You are terrible! You give me the heel EVERYTIME and NEVER take it! Why must I always suffer through the HEEL?!?" Her husband, looking shocked and a bit dismayed simply said, "Dear I gave you the heel because it's my favorite part of the loaf. I wanted you to have the joy of eating it."

This story not only shaped the way I interact with my husband, but it also made me mindful of my interactions with my students, colleagues, friends, and family. When it comes to successful interactions, it's all about PERSPECTIVE. Because I perceive something to be negative, it may not be. It's all dependent upon the intent behind what is said. Wouldn't that be a good lesson in the classroom? I love to teach my students how to interact with one another, to be respectful of differences, and to handle their own problems (within reason) in a kind manner. Wouldn't it be great to teach children (and adults) not to always jump to a negative conclusion because of the words you hear from someone's mouth? Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could look past the words (which are sometimes clumsy) and see the intent behind what their teacher, classmates, friends, siblings, parents, spouses, etc, are saying?

Like Beth Rigsbee, I took Dr. Pesko for an earlier literature class. She assigned us to tape record a typical interaction of ourselves, as the classroom teacher, and our classes. We then calculated the ratio of ourselves speaking versus our students speaking. This was eye opening to me. I dominated the conversation. Obviously I had to in certain areas of the lesson to guide my first graders' thinking, but there were so many other areas of the lesson where I didn't have to (dominate). This made me very mindful of my interactions in whole group, small group, and individualized instructional settings.

Chapters 10 and 12 focus on the frustration those who speak alternate English languages feel. If I were faced with the daily corrections many students face who speak soundly in their home language, I would feel intimidated to attempt to speak and express myself in the classroom. Is this how my students feel when I correct them when they say things like "mines" instead of mine? "Yea" instead of "yes"? When they make something plural that should be singular and vice-versa? Where do I draw that line? I certainly don't ever want my students to feel that frustration. How do I, as a classroom teacher, respect my students' language of home AND teach them standard English? Or do I? Is there a right answer?