" Literacy education for working-class children is sometimes viewed as a process of helping children move from more familiar language practices of home and community to the more unfamiliar textual practices of the classroom. Children from working class communities, it is argued, can experience painful cultural conflict in their primary grade classrooms. Through a [process of apprenticeship learning or more direct instruction and sometimes both, children from working class communities have to gain access to the discourses of middle class institutions." These statements by Hicks to me sum up the difficulties many working class children have once they begin the process of public education. They come from a world where they have experienced great success to one that's so different that the same success don't seem to matter very much. I have been so unaware of the difficulties these children experience or at least why they experience these difficulties. I knew the background they came from but not the degree that these backgrounds affect their " formal education."
I have seen many "Jake's" over the years. I have one that in particular comes to mind. He is in the 4th grade and excells in sports, hunting and helping to run the chicken farm where his dad works. He's the star basketball player on the recreation team, constantly speaks of all his successful hunting outings and he could probably run the chicken farm himself. His dad is his hero and has always struggled himself with reading and writing, school in general. Dad at times seems in denial to the difficulties his son is experiencing. Austin chooses projects when given the choice, that are based on his successful experiences and turns off completely when the topic is unrelated to what he is very familiar with. Many of the school discourses necessary for success don't appeal to him at all. He simply cannot make them relate to what he already knows. Just like Jake, if the activity has no value or he sees no purpose in it, he is not interested at all. As Hicks states," His problems lay more in conflict between an institutional system of middle class practices and the life world he embraces as a boy. For his opportunities to change in school a deeper process of change would be required. To make space for Jake's," or Austin's, " primary values in school would mean opening up the curriculum to the form of knowledge voiced by working class men like his father." And the saddest part to me is that, " The classist nature of schools and society at large pretty much guarantees that won't happen."
Maybe it won't happen but just maybe because of our fresh awareness of the struggles of these boys, we can make a little difference in their lives at least to show understanding and to give them the support they need in helping to bridge the gap between school and home.
Linda Bohland
Comments (5)
Linda,
I do think we can make that difference for our students. This is not an easy task. It takes time and committement on our parts to learn about out students and try to make connections for them. I also have had "Jakes" in my classroom and like you thought I understood them. Reading Hick's study of Jake really opened my eyes to the extent of their struggles. I, along with fellow teachers, took the "Ruby Paine" training and this helped somewhat (as we call "these" children, Ruby Paine kids). I can no longer minimizer their struggles.
I also have a better understanding of the parents of our kids and hope I can communicate better with them.
Susan Hines
Posted by Susan Hines | June 26, 2010 6:38 PM
Posted on June 26, 2010 18:38
Linda,
I too focus on the realities of the differences and challenges that we face when we consider the vast differences between the home life successes that working class children have v.s. the typical school environment successes. I think a lot of children feel that they never find success in school because we do not provide them with the overwhelming sense that they have done well when they complete tasks and we often ignore practice learning and engage too often in lecture learning.
Interesting post,
William Byland
Posted by William Byland | June 27, 2010 11:14 AM
Posted on June 27, 2010 11:14
I agree with you that I knew that there is a difference in the learning successes of the working/middle class student, but now am better understanding the “why” behind them. There may be a night that the working class student has had to sleep in the locked car, so that mom/dad can work. (Something that was far from how I grew up).
In my short years of teaching (3 years), I too have seen several “Jakes”. My Jake I have had for 2 years (I moved grades with this student). He is the star pitcher on the baseball team and if it weren’t for his size could play on the “big boy’s” team. However, unlike Jake, he was ready and willing to do what was asked of him. This student just needed “more time to solidify his strengths and fluency”. The problem for this student was not the discourse in home and school, it is the disconnect with the “system”. The bridge, in this case, needs to be filling in the holes where my student has been allowed to slip through. We now have the knowledge to determine some of the missing pieces…Hopefully; I won’t let another "Jake" go unassisted this next school year!
Posted by Angela Steele | June 27, 2010 9:02 PM
Posted on June 27, 2010 21:02
Linda,
I too hope that we can begin to make the differences needed to help students like Jake become successful in school. I think many people are taking the right step in awareness and desire to help, but often the tricky part is the specifics of how to help. I think this book has hellped me see a few ways to begin to do that, and inspired me to continue searching for and trying others.
Posted by Marcia Smith | June 29, 2010 8:45 PM
Posted on June 29, 2010 20:45
I agree with you on this. Our school systems are not set up for students like Jake to get all that they need. We are catering to a "typical" learner and not those that are like Jake. It is hard to teach students that are interested in specific things, when you have a class full of students to teach. However, I hate to see these students fall through the cracks. I hope that as teachers we are able to find activities that will appeal to these types of students and they won't continue to fall behind.
Posted by Odessa Scales | June 29, 2010 10:02 PM
Posted on June 29, 2010 22:02