For me, the most strinking thing about this article was the type of person that each of these students is. While they both have some academic struggles, it seems that they both are very artistic and have many gifts to offer. While neither of them plays the game of school in a way that puts them at the top of the class, they are both talented children. That makes it a little more difficult to see them as potentially struggling in a classroom.
When the teacher says that he doesn't know much about Zonnie that she just exists, it reminded me a lot of a couple students that I have had in the past. It is amazing how students can be quiet and well-behaved and receive little to no attention, but a student who cuts up gets the attention. It is hard to balance this in a classroom and can be a major factor in a students lack of performance in our classrooms.
The other thing that I noticed (and appreciated) is the amount of pride in their culture that these two children have. They both are very involved in the traditions of their family and seem to have a strong connection to them. It is important as teachers that we understand how our students live and their culture. If we don't know these differences and how they affect our students, how can we really expect to reach them?
While the traditions of Daniel and Zonnie are easy to see in this article, all of our students are really like these two in their own ways. All of our students have unique intelligences that they bring to the table. If we choose not to recognize that kids can be bright in different ways, then we will miss many opportunities with our students. There are, after all, many differences that have nothing to do with ethnicity and intelligences that have little to do with the standard curriculum.
~Christy Laws
Comments (4)
Sometimes it is easy to overlook the well mannered quiet student. Each year we read “Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key” by Jack Gantos because it gives new insight to the ADHD world. This book is about a young boy with ADHD and his medication does not last all day. It describes what school is like for Joey when his medication is not working and although he has an understanding patient teacher he is not accepted by his peers because his behavior is weird. After reading the NOLL case study I am going to look for a book about a quiet, well mannered child that is ignored. Any ideas?
Elizabeth Achor
Posted by Elizabeth Achor | June 11, 2010 11:05 AM
Posted on June 11, 2010 11:05
Daniel and Zonnie were both described as quiet and well mannered students in school. I do think that students that follow directions, always do what they are told are over looked sometimes. They are over powered by the students that need extra assistance or act out in the classroom. I believe that Daniel and Zonnie needed the opprotunity to share their talents and gifts. They were not the typw of students that were going to do it own their own. I believe that it would be great to have a student of the week. During that week they would have to opprotunity to share talents and gifts and information about their family and culture. I tried this one year in kindergarten but it was time consuming. I believe that I will try it again this coming school year. This would give the children that are quiet and don't share a lot the opprotunity to have their own time and plan for it.
Angie Somers
Posted by Angie Somers | June 11, 2010 6:26 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 18:26
I was impressed with how much pride Zonnie and Daniel had for their hertiage. I thought it was amazing how Daniel took part in powwows. One of his teachers even commented that they wished that he put as more effort into his academics. Daniel never felt as if he belonged in school. I wonder if it would have made a difference if his teacher had taken the time to tell him that she had watched him at the powwow? I loved what you wrote about how each student brings their own unique intellegence to the table. Imagine how Daniel would have felt if given the opportunity to discuss his families traditions with his teachers and peers.
Posted by Pam Aubuchon | June 11, 2010 6:44 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 18:44
I think you are all on the right track. Piggy backing off of what Pam said, if Zonnie and Daniel's teachers had given them the chance to discuss their family's traditions those teachers would have been amazed at what they saw and realized that they do have the academics to make it! I find that I do not get to know my students as much as I should and that is something that I want to work on doing better next year so I know what my students are good at and what they enjoy. I think if I know them better personally it will help them in their academics as well.
Posted by Natalie Enns | June 11, 2010 9:57 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 21:57