After reading this article I thought about the minority groups that are represented at our school. I thought about how they are perceived by the other students and teachers. I thought about how the groups I have had do in school. I wonder if they feel the way that Zonnie and Daniel feel about school and their peers. Do they wish they were more like them? I know that I am guilty of not finding out a lot about their culture. I just try to teach them and help them overcome any language barriers that they may have. We have a growing hispanic population at our school. I have had different abilities represented in my class and I have never really sat down with the parents or students to talk to them about their views on literacy. The article raised some good points about the students. The family's view of their child's literacy abilities and the school's view were very different. Each family valued literacy and had done their part to read to their children and promote their music and love for writing.
Both students felt inferior at school, but felt very comfortable in their own tribe and surroundings. At school both students enjoyed doing assignments on what interested them. Zonnie enjoyed poetry and Daniel enjoyed learning about a story from the indian perspective. Both seemed to enjoy the assignments,but did not turn some of the assignments in to the teacher. I wonder if they thought she would not value their work. I think when students are rejected by their peers and school they tend not to want to voice themselves for fear of being rejected.
Daniel and Zonnie are using literacy skills in their music and poetry. They are stepping outside the box and applying literacy to real life situations. These are not recognized in school so the teachers really do not know their potential. They often do not turn in assignments and if the assignments are turned in they are often not shared with the class. How does a teacher know a child's full potential if they do not do assignments. They cannot know their true potential if assignments are not turned in. This often gives the student a negative apperaance because the teacher assumes the student is not capable of doing the work.
I think that their teachers should have taken an interest in their community interests. The qualatitive research shows that Zonnie and Daniel do have an interest in literacy. The teachers just need to get to know the students on a personal level and find out their likes and dislikes and see how they can develop their literacy skills through their interests. I can see both sides of the teachers. We have 20-23 students per class and various minoirites in our classroom. We as teachers have so much to teach that it is almost impossible to be involved in each child's homelife and community activities. You just can't teach to each child's individual intersts and get everything accomplished. On the other hand we as teachers have a responsibility to teach each child in our class. We need to get to know each child and offer a variety of assignments that meet the needs of the groups represented in our class. Each student should feel valued in our classroom.
Michelle Moffitt
Comments (6)
Your comment about Daniel and Zonnie's feelings of inferiority truly hit home for me. I teach 90 students. Of the 90- 4 are African American, 1 is Vietnamese and 4 are Hispanic. I started asking myself, "What do I do to make the children in my class more comfortable?" I didn't like my answers. I don't feel like I do enough. We have a very small minority population at my school. The Hispanic children in my school are getting a reputation for acting out and being quick to fight. Is this an attempt to get attention for their culture? I don't want to stereotype the Hispanic population and say they want to fight, but I would like to understand what is making this small group so angry and aggressive. I would love to get to know the families of my students better, but I teach 90 children. Any suggestions? I feel very inadequate in this area. Do you think studying different cultures creates a better understanding? Or does it lead to a bigger gap? How do I fit the study of these culture into my SCOS? I suppose literature is going to have to be the answer. I feel like I am rambling but every idea I have leads me to more questions.
Posted by Carol Sherrill | June 11, 2010 9:16 AM
Posted on June 11, 2010 09:16
Michelle,
I too wondered about this feeling of inferiority. Both Danial and Zonnie were such talented individuals. They had a knowledge base that so many others do not and still there was a huge divide between school and self. It was almost as if they were having an out of body experience at school just waiting to get back home to where they could be who they really were.
Posted by Candy Mooney | June 11, 2010 7:00 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 19:00
I completely agree about us as educators involving ourselves and learning about the culture of our students. It can really give you key insight into a child's being. Over the years I have attended one of our local Hispanic churches that is led by our ELL teacher that is also a minister. Those have been some of the most profound instances in my teaching career.
Posted by Nikki Leggins | June 11, 2010 7:20 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 19:20
William
Michelle,
I like your honesty in your post. Many people would not admit that they had not investigated the time to understand the cultures of their students, yet lack the courage to admit it or more importantly to fix that about themselves. Very commendable. I also liked many of the same nuances of the arguments and questions that arise as the article persists, and I too will continue to strive for cultural understandings of my students, even when it is difficult. I am currently teaching several Muslim students whose parents continue to enforce, by their own religious rights, hiding their daughters utter existence behind a veil of black. I have only seen their eyes. It is difficult for me not to include my own western bias as I, their “fav teacher,” attempt to teach a class on feminism through A Doll’s House. It is awkward and hard, but like you, I strive for cultural respect and understanding, even when it goes against my feminist heart.
PS: Moffitt is a wonderful last name for a linguist.:)
William Byland
Posted by William Byland | June 11, 2010 8:12 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 20:12
I agree that time is a major issue when it comes to fully understanding the lives of our students. This becomes even more of an issue when you are dealing with a classroom that has behavior issues or if the children that you are trying to reach out to are reluctant to share. I feel like sometimes that I spend so much time with one or two students in my classroom that I neglect some of the others--especially the quiet and/or well-behaved students. We spent some time this year discussing self-advocacy with my students. I am amazed with all that they are comfortable telling me that some of them still have troble expressing their academic needs.
While my current teaching experiences allow for little racial diversity (only 3% of our 300 students whole school PK-8 are non-white), I have found that there are MANY diversities among my students. It is difficult sometimes to appreciate all of these fully, but I have learned a lot when I am able and willing to try.
Posted by Christy Laws | June 11, 2010 11:14 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 23:14
When you mentioned the students not turning in assignments, I started rethinking the research. I wondered if the teachers asked for parent conferences or called the parents. Zonnie and Daniel’s parents seemed involved in their children’s lives and wanted the best for them. I felt the teachers dismissed Zonnie and Daniel. Basically, I felt the teachers showed indifference toward them.
If a child is not working to his potential or just not working, I believe it the teachers responsible to seek help from the parents. I know this not always possible but you have to try. I believe we should attempt to understand the culture of the students but, I feel it is more important to get to know the student as an individual. As we create relationships, the students tend to put forth more effort. I know this does not always work but it does help.
Posted by Zandra Hunt | June 12, 2010 2:37 PM
Posted on June 12, 2010 14:37