After reading this article, I was wondering why the main focus was on the culture of these two kids? What difference, from an educational aspect, does it really make? None that I am aware of...
When a student enters your classroom, you basically size them up academically. What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? In what areas do they need the most help? How can you make these lessons connect with them? You never have a moment to stop and think "Oh, wow. He is Hispanic. How does this affect his learning style?" As teachers, we simply look at this in no reguards to the race or cultural background of our students. We have, by almost all means, learned to look past color or race. What we tend to see before us are children who are all equally as priceless, in need of an education. And we need to attend to that education in the very best ways possible.
Sarah Hutson
Comments (3)
Sarah,
Teachers by nature, I believe, are not racist by any means. By looking at the individual students and seeing what emotional, academic, and cultural "baggage" they bring with them it gives the teacher a clear picture of whi this student is in everyway. If a child is hispanic, or any other race that would qualify them to be ELL, I NEED to know that. having limited english skills is greatly going to impact the instruction I plan for them. The educational needs they have are different than another student who has a secure grasp on the english language. By not identifing the indivudual needs of my learners, I am saying there is a "one size fits all" type of learning which we know is not true.
Michael Lemke
Posted by MIchael Lemke | June 11, 2010 4:48 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 16:48
Sarah,
I have a hard time with this. I think that it is very important to look at a child's background. The school that I work at is a very low income school. When I get my kids every year. I take into effect if they are African American, White or Hispanic. I look at their family background, and their academics. Sometimes there is a family issue that I need to know about (whether it was a recent death, or divorce) this way I know how to appropriately approach certain topics that we may talk about. So I think that it is so important to know where our students have come from so we know how best we can support them.
Posted by Natalie Enns | June 11, 2010 10:20 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 22:20
Culture is very important, Sarah. You cannot ignore a person's history or culture or other aspects of their identity. The purpose of this article was to show how ignoring their identity and literacy expression was causing difficulty in school. I hope that schools embrace the notion of teaching "the whole child" -- not simply viewing children through a cognitive lens. There is more to people -- and schools -- than cognition.
Posted by Dr. Jackson | June 14, 2010 10:10 AM
Posted on June 14, 2010 10:10