As I was reading one thing I needed to clarify for myself was the difference between working class and middle class because I wasn’t really sure. Based on the definitions, I think my classroom is about half middle class students and about half working class children. Middle class students come from educated homes where the parents are professionals. In my classroom these students seem to have a better attitude and work ethic towards their education. Working class students come from homes where the parents are skilled laborers and the education level is minimal in most cases. In my classroom some of these students only come to school because the law requires them to. Thankfully, there are plenty of working class children whose parents do value an education and are doing everything possible to encourage their child to do well in school. Keep in mind that I teach 8th grade and I have students in my room every year that tell me they can’t wait until they turn 16 and can drop out of school to get a job.
I think reading the study regarding the students of working class families is a valuable experience since many of our classrooms are comprised of students like Laurie and Jake. It is vital, as teachers, to understand what’s going on with the various groups of students within our school walls. This type of study can help us become more aware of what our students endure and how they adapt in the various discourses in their lives. This reading has opened my eyes to the idea of how home life effects cultural literacy and how the many discourses in their lives impacts them.
Students are not the only ones with discourse in their lives. Teachers, too, have to learn to deal with the many different discourses in life. I wear many hats: daughter, wife, mother, teacher, and coach. While in three out of five roles, I remain in teacher mode most of the time, there are differences depending on the venue. At school I have different discourses; I coach cheerleading from May until February and softball from February until May. When I am “Coach Chester,” I have certain expectations and even those differ between the two sports I coach. In the classroom, I am “Mrs. Chester,” and I maintain a friendly and welcoming, learning environment for my students. The students that have me as a coach and teacher understand the different discourses and respond appropriately. My students do a pretty good job of switching back and forth depending on the discourse.
What I find most interesting is the interaction some kids in my classroom have with their parents when we request a student, parent, team conference. I have seen students change dramatically for the better when the parents enter the equation, and I have seen students remain stubbon and defiant with teachers when their parents are present. I now realize that this is a result of the discourse that the students have at home. So often we can’t explain why our students act the way they do and as teachers we must do whatever it takes to help them, no matter what situation they are coming from.
I found myself intrigued by the gender roles mentioned by Hicks in chapter 2 when discussing Roadville and Trackton. Having been raised by a single mother, I was very strong-willed and independent as a young woman. As a result, I do make sure my female students understand that they are equally qualified for any position or career they choose to persue. It astounds me that they must choose a career pathway for high school towards the end of their 8th grade year.
Karen Chester
Comments (6)
I find it interesting that you mentioned conferences. We did student-led conferences for the first time this year. It was extremely eye-opening to see my students engage or not engage with their parents. One student in my room comes to mind. I have had a very difficult time creating a strong relationship with this child. He had a difficult time carrying on a conversation that did not pertain to academics. When he came in with his father, it was evident that he felt this same awkwardness with his father. He didn't know how to have a conversation with him about his work. He was extremely anxious and didn't even seem to want to be too close to him. I had another student who struggles acadamically and is an ELL student. It was great to see how close she is with her family and how even though she wasn't doing great, she was comfortable with showing him her strengths and weaknesses. I was able to kind of alter my relationship with these students as well as they way I teach them for the better after seeing these interactions. I know sometimes I forget the family lives of these students and where they are coming from when I am up at the front teaching or working with them in a small group.
Posted by Angie Sigmon | June 20, 2010 5:18 PM
Posted on June 20, 2010 17:18
I like how your classroom setting is so much different than mine. This made me realize that all areas of the world and ages are different. I see that a lot of my working class families have instilled into their children a work ethic above that of my middle class students. These student’s homework and classroom is always complete and NEAT. I have some working class parents who make their student do the work over if it is not neat, correct, or if the child is having difficulty in an area of study. These parents try hard to be at every function the school is involved in and they want their children to have the best of everything, because they were not able to do so for themselves. Meredith
Posted by Meredith Bromley | June 20, 2010 9:46 PM
Posted on June 20, 2010 21:46
It is funny that you mentioned that statement about your students saying they cannot wait until they turn 16 so they can drop out. My students say that to me as well and I teach 7th grade. I actually just responded to a post a few minutes ago talking about this. You also mentioned the parent conferences and you right about how students will "code switch" when their parents are present or they will become defensive along with their parents. I have experienced both. It is really hard when the parents do not support the teachers because of course the students will not either. Also, I have seen some students talk so hateful to their parents and why would we expect them to speak differently towards us? The authority figures at home allow them to talk that way to them so of course they will not respect the authority figures at school. I think I have done well the past two years with building a good rapport with my students. I have tried to get to know them and I have talked to them about things other than school. They have formed a trust with me, but then towards the end of the year it always gets hard because they start to see you more as a friend than their teacher. It is important to build relationships with your students and to learn about who they are and where they come from, but at the same time we have to remind them that we are the teachers and they should learn to respect us! By the way I think that is really cool that you are coaching, teaching full-time, and going to grad school! Must be very challenging!
Katy Dellinger
Posted by Katy Dellinger | June 20, 2010 10:14 PM
Posted on June 20, 2010 22:14
I also teach middle school and, yes, many of my students can't wait to drop out and go to work. Many of the kids I teach come from homes where no one has graduated high school and no emphasis is put on school or education. This is not to place any type of blame on anyone, it is simply their life. Realizing this, it puts us as educators in a tough situation. Do we push college and career or do we respect the blue collar lifestyle they are familiar with? As I mentioned in my critique, our high school now tracks everyone "college bound". That's great for many students but what about those that aren't interested? Don't they have a right to a basic, functional, education that will prepare them to take care of themselves and meet the day-to-day challenges of life? Should the schools try and change students to make them fit into new social discourses or should we respect the discourses they come to us with and try and work within them?
Posted by Sally Elliott | June 21, 2010 3:41 PM
Posted on June 21, 2010 15:41
I noticed some of the same similarities in my classroom. I had more children of working class parents this year than children of middle class parents. But I too noticed that the children of the middle class parents try very hard in school. Their parents are interested in what they are learning and want them to get a good education. They are given appropriate help on homework assignments and projects at home. These parents check their children’s homework before their children turn it into school. While on the other hand, the children of the working class come to school with little homework done. If it is completed it hasn’t been checked by a parent and is mostly incorrect. Their parents do not enforce the importance of education and do not really want to even be a part of it. These are the types of influences that shape our students’ literacies. Their cultural and home backgrounds affect them and their academics.
Wow, I hadn’t even thought about the change in student discourse that is evident at parent/teacher conferences. But you are right. Children do appear to act so differently at conferences when their parents are present. It must be their discourse.
As an educator I do need to be sure to address the value of both genders. I rarely incorporate that into my lessons. I rarely teach about the equality in genders, that females and males can succeed and be successful in the same things in life.
Posted by Maria Blevins | June 21, 2010 4:08 PM
Posted on June 21, 2010 16:08
It is so very interesting to see the interactions that take place at home between parent and child during conferences. I find out more from that short 15 minutes about there home life than I ever realized in spending a full nine weeks with them. It is amazing how their discourses at home can impact their learning at school yet never be discussed. From reading this I believe that I will be more aware and conscious of what kind of impact that has on my students' connections with each other and with text. Understanding and learning about our students provides teachers with a unique tool that really can empower students.
Posted by Amy Hardister | July 2, 2010 7:25 AM
Posted on July 2, 2010 07:25