Chan's articles create the opportunity for much thought, some of it unpleasant for me.. As a visually impaired individual, I have always had much empathy for those who exhibit apparent differences as when compared to their peers. Nevertheless, Chan's ideas have caused me to think about how I have developed those emphathetic tendencies. Before I discuss the articles, perhaps a personal story will help illuminate my points to be made later in this post. As a child, my mother always stressed to me that I could do anything, even with my visual impairment. While I still appreciate the intense love of my mother, I now realize that she was wrong (to a certain extent). There are many activities in which I cannot participate, but her unbounded optimism infused me with a spirit of almost invincibility. She stressed to me that I deserved the opportunity to participate in any activity that my peers did. I suppose that she wanted me to 'fit in.'
While it is evident, based on Chan's descriptions and field notes, that many of the children from minority groups at the Canadian school want to belong and 'fit in,' in all reality they never will until they have the opportunities to make their own decisions. Once they possess the abilities to make their own decisions, they may find that they make similar choices as their parents did for them. I think that the question is this: should a sense of belonging take precedence over minority groups' cultural values, norms, and expectations? Should children strive to 'fit in' at the expense of all a family and culture hold important? I am not sure as to how my mother would answer this question, but for me as a child in the late 1960s and early 1970s, she would have answered yes.
I think that my individual example is somewhat different than those situations experienced by the minority children at the Canadian school, yet I think that an analogy does exist in that conformity is always important to children, and even some adults. I will certainly refine this answer as time passes.
Joel
Comments (4)
Like Johnny I appreciate your willingness to share Joel. I had to chuckle at your title as I had similar thoughts as I read the articles. It seems education hands us "damned if you do and damned if you don't" moments on a regular basis. This is exacerbated by our efforts in education to be all things to all people at times. For example, some members of the public think education should be teaching values and morals while others say they do not want education to take on that role. As was illustrated in Chan, cultural differences can be a source of tension when it comes to the role education should play in the lives of students. I doubt that educators will ever be able to make all parties happy so we will likely always be "damned if we do and damned if we don't"!
Christy
Posted by Christy Forrest | June 14, 2009 9:37 PM
Posted on June 14, 2009 21:37
Such an interesting perspective! Are you saying that we do our students an injustice by offering them a future that they probably wont ever realize? You offer an interesting juxtaposition by praising your parents and wanting to fulfill your mother's prophecy yet needing an outside source to help you. Did you experience tension similar to the students in Chan's article?
Posted by Danielle | June 15, 2009 11:26 AM
Posted on June 15, 2009 11:26
Great examples Joel and Johnny. But instead of "fit in" could you insert "allowing you to find yourself". Just a thought what if your mother, was trying to show you that if she put limits on you, then you would never have developed into your own person. Maybe fitting in is something we see in hindsight after the blinders of youth have been removed. And maybe that is what the teacher in Johnny's life did for him. They provided you with opportunities to succeed or fail, while all the time loving you either way.
Posted by Melanie Honeycutt | June 15, 2009 1:40 PM
Posted on June 15, 2009 13:40
In response to Joel,
Joel, thanks for sharing your personal insights, from the CHAN article, on the subject of "belonging" and the need to "fit in."
I can relate to your story, having been in special needs classes, speech therapy sessions, and pull - out programs myself. Unlike your mom, my mother did not know how to help me. She sent me to school to be helped by teacher.
Both my parents stopped attending school at young ages. My mom stopped attending school in the 8th grade, and my father halted his educational pursuits, half-way through his 11th grade year. As a result of their lack of formal education, I watched them both work hard, long hours as textile workers, at the local manufacturing plant.
It was through their work ethic, particularly that of my mom, that inspired me to “be somebody.” So with the motivation from my mom and the academic guidance, influence, and perhaps, social narratives of the teachers, I have developed a social narrative of my own.
Because my parents lacked the formal educational background to help me with my school work, the teacher, in this instance, became my only advocate for (academic) learning. Thank God for teachers who have the ability to attract and motivate struggling, marginalized students, like me, by their personal narrative.
Johnny Smith
Cohort 16
Posted by Johnny Smith | June 16, 2009 5:29 AM
Posted on June 16, 2009 05:29