I couldn’t help but feel saddened by Jake’s school experience. Last year I taught 7th grade, and I had class of mostly boys who were all labeled struggling readers. I could imagine any one of these young men in Jake’s position in the primary grades. Many of them came from working class families, and many of their parents owned their own businesses. Many of these boys had expressed that they helped their dads with work on the weekend. They seemed to be able to do what was asked of them at home, but were unable to in the school setting.
After reading about Jake, I can’t help but wonder if he will be written off as he progresses forward in school. He is a bright boy who is eager to learn, but not in the way kids are expected to learn in school. We are trying to make successful people come out of school, and mostly we do a good job at it. But, just like anything else, the same shoe doesn’t fit for everyone. Jake is a unique learner who needs to approach things from a practical point of view. He needs to be able to do something with what he learns and preferably do something active while he learns.
“The stories voiced about us , by those whom we most love and value, shape our identities in ways more powerful than even the most authoritative institutional systems of social regulation” (123). This statement is very powerful. To me, it shows that we, as educators, need to be very sensitive to the messages children hear about themselves at home. We cannot change everything about them in one year of class. We must work with what they bring to us, and hope that at least they can become a better them then they were upon entering the classroom.
Throughout all of the reading we have done in this class I have been stretched to think beyond standard practice to reach students. Each reading has offered insight into what it means to look through life, and school, with a different lens. We must begin to look at teaching through a different lens if we are going to reach and teach all children that we are entrusted with.
Shannon Keough
Comments (3)
I am so glad the readings have pushed you to a new level, Shannon!!! I've had many teachers actually begin reading groups with their colleagues to discuss some of these issues in their schools. The powerful content has spawned new sorts of staff development (faculty reading groups).
Posted by Alecia Jackson | June 29, 2009 9:41 PM
Posted on June 29, 2009 21:41
Shannon,
I like you feel that Jake is a students that has a different type of learning style. Everything he does has to be for a certain reason or to fix or make something. I am a kindergarten teacher and my students like Jake have many opportunities to move around and pick centers that they like. How do you interest the child in the reading aspect? He sat at the back and did not want to participate. I guess if you did small groups or worked one on one with him maybe you could find Nascar books or other books that interested him. But at some point he has to be able to do reading that pertains to the curriculum. I am all for finding unique ways to grab studnets attention and make them want to learn and enjoy learning but sometimes there are students like Jake that are super challenging and this is when we have to think outside the box.
Posted by Megan Machuga | June 29, 2009 11:57 PM
Posted on June 29, 2009 23:57
I'm worried about Jake as well. I'm afraid that he is going to get even more behind each year. Jake needs to read books about topics that he likes. Maybe if given the option to read a book about Nascar, he would find reading more enjoyable. At some point though, he will have to read about topics that do not interest him. I'm worried that he will not be prepared for this if he doesn't try now.
Dana Eudy
Posted by Dana Eudy | June 30, 2009 5:57 PM
Posted on June 30, 2009 17:57