RES 5535: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (summer 2010)

It does seem apparent that what teachers place on their students as expectations is different than what their parents place on them. A lot of my students come from split homes where neither parent wants to be the one who places punishment on their child. It also seems that neither parent wants to be the one to make their child do anything they are not interested in doing. So if they were pushing for their child to speak up and out and the child didn’t want to do it they would not be forced to do it. How often do some of these students’ parents allow them to use their “voice” at home. And what I mean by “voice” is the Henry definition of it. I can’t imagine very many of my students’ parents encouraging them to express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions at the dinner table. In fact, I don’t know how many of them even eat at a dinner table. I am starting to wonder if when I have kids (by the way I have one on the way, due July 22nd, first child) I will be as adamant about them expressing their own voice as Henry was when she worked with her group. I hope I don’t forget about this article and all it entailed about “voice.” But on the other hand I think Henry was really working with the most suppressed, economically-challenged, underrepresented, children she could find at the location of her research. I hope my own children and a lot of future children in my classroom will have a “voice” and will not be this way. They shouldn’t be as suppressed, economically-challenged, underrepresented, as the students in the study. So hopefully they will have more of a voice. I also thought that was interesting how you pointed out that the Henry articled stated that voices are fashioned not found. That is true isn’t it? They must be molded and formed. They just are found that way. It takes work.

I like your question asking if your students are caught between what they really think and what they think we want them to think.I feel this is probabl the case much more than we realize. Many times we drill the "correct answers" into our kids and probably in doing so take their "voice" away from them or at the very least stifle it. Maybe we as educators need to lighten up and give our students the freedom to express themselves even if it's not exactly what we expect or want to hear. That's very hard sometimes but I think well worth it.

The comment about voice "being fashioned not found" is what I think education is all about. Students come to school with their identity of who they are. As educators, we need to recognize the values that our students bring, then teach them new ways of thinking and being. This is how we grow and learn. We need provide that delicate balance where students feel safe to express their voice and at the same time be open to new ideas and ways of thinking.
Susan Hines

Candy,

I had a professor in college who did something similar to what you described using the newspaper articles to discuss items in the news. This was a health class, but she did not limit us to topics dealing specifically with health issues. Over the course of the semester, it became a time to share our views on what was happening in the world at that time (back in 1990). I would agree with your statement about the topics getting more personal in nature. When Ryan White died of complications due to AIDS, I was very interested in the topic, even though I wasn't "out" yet and it gave me a chance to "speak up" and "speak out" about homosexuality, which I believe was a much edgier topic then than it is today. It felt good to be able to talk about an issue that was important to me.

I want to expand on the idea you presented early on in your post about the students and the culture of which they are a part. I think it is important for us to keep in mind that none of us are part of a single culture. We are, in fact, a part of many different cultures simultaneously, and our membership within certain cultures may change over time. There are those who argue that being gay is a choice and an individual can decide not to be a part of that culture and lifestyle. I grew up in a religious household and attended church every Sunday at the local Southern Baptist church. Am I a part of that culture today? No. I believe we should not limit our thinking to prescribing a single cultural label to someone, while ignoring other cultural labels that could apply equally as well.

Clyde Rice

I think that I, like most others, had never given much thought to my voice being a part of my identity. I found that to be a very interesting point as well. It made me think of all the students who may not even be aware of who they are culturally. I remember doing a "Family Tree" project in eighth grade and until that time, I did not even know much about my cultural heritage. So many of our students in the upper grades are confused about who they are as individuals and what they believe in and stand for...I think that by providing them chooses in the topic that they read will give them some power in finding out who they are. Teachers have a great opportunity not only to mold a student into who they will become, but to help them know where they come from as well.

Candy,
Pointing out that students identities are fashioned and not found is powerful. That imples that students are guided as to who they are to become in that room. That depresses me. I realize how often did I guid my students too much, rather than letting them take the lead and just guide them? I worked so hard to engage them, but in the end I was actually working against myself!
Nurturing the welcoming atmosphere is something that must be done daily. I applaude your perseverance to do so daily. Only with continued support and guidance can such a room be created.
Too often teachers look to the prfessional and outside resources to help us find the answers. Maybe we need to spend more time talking to the students to see what they really need or think!
Michael Lemke

What we think and what we think we should think. I loved how you ordered such a powerful statement when talking about a child’s voice in school and in home life. Are we doing things not only in school but in all aspects of our lives to meet the wants and needs of others, may it be through our language, statements, or actions. Overall children face this problem as you stated and are torn between what is the correct thing to do and what they feel is the right thing to do. This challenge will be something everyone faces in all walks of life. How do we teach children to do the right thing, but not lose sight of their self worth and value? Is there a way? You did a great job opening my eyes up to thinking about how to balance our values with what is correct.
Meredith

Candy,

I do think that most students want to please their teachers and their parents. They want to impress their teachers and do things their teachers will approve of. I can see how a student would bring in "safe" articles to discuss at first because they are not comfortable with their own voice. All students probably do have their own opinion, but may fear voicing it because it may not be what they think their teacher wants them to think. As teachers, we need to make students feel comfortable voicing their opinions about things they read, hear, and see. Students need to know it's okay to have different opinions than other people. We need to teach students to voice their opinions while also giving examples why they think the way they do. We need to let students know that sometimes there isn't just one answer to be found, and it's okay to voice their opinion as long as they have reasons to back it up.~Jamie Brackett

Candy-

I think you are correct in stating the question: "Do my students feel caught between what they really think and what they are expected to think?"

I think it is important that we as educators allow students to form their own opinions of ideas in schools. I think that we push our students too quickly toward the correct answer and they are conditioned to think it is not okay to disagree with what is "right". Due to EOG testing, I feel that teachers are pushed to sometimes finding themselves spoon-feeding information to their students. I know that I am guilty of this practice, and want to work on letting my students have more of a voice when it comes to reading and writing topics, as opposed to setting the stage for them to get the answer "correct" each and every time.

I really think that if a child feels like he or she is important to a classroom conversation or can contribute to an assignment without feeling "wrong" that child will succeed due to a higher self-esteem in the classroom.

Renee Hennings June 13, 2010

I like the idea you referred to of letting your children bring in articles that they chose to talk about in class and how at first they brought in things to please you but that with time, they began to bring in what was truly important to them. I also liked the way the article talked about how voice is "fashioned" not "found." It made me think of that saying "I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in my classroom..." in that we help to make the children what they are not only by using what they have when they come to us, but also by what we add to their experiences while they are with us.
-Elizabeth Norwood

I agree that the expectations from home and school are quite different. I think that some students do get caught in the world of “this is what I am expected to think so this is what I think.” I really see this with the students who want so much to please the teacher and other authority figures. They tell you what they think you want to hear. Some children are such people pleasers that they do not use their voices. Also, so much time has to be spent drilling and grilling kids to make sure they are ready for “the test.” Students want to tell you the answer so you will just move on. I think the renaming goes back to the children finding something that they feel that they are good at, and want others to notice that they are good at it. I agree that the articles were great companions. Teachers need to really pay attention to the students to help their voices to be heard. It would be nice to know what happens to the students and if this helped them in becoming more confident literate adults.

Candy, I really loved the idea of "re-authoring". It made me think of my own students. When they first come to my reading class they never describe themselves as readers. They will describe themselves as excellent baseball players, gamers, friends, dancers, or musicians, but never excellent students. By the end of the year many of my students have found a way to "re-author" themselves. Through hard work they begin to grow and flourish as readers and thinkers. My small reading class gives them a very intimate setting that is safe. They are in a room with peers who have similar strengths and weaknesses. I think this empowers them to speak more about their ideas, concerns, and opinions. When they end the school year a lot of my kids have changed their minds and they do feel as if they are competent students. Many even begin to define themselves as lovers of books, critics of literature, and experts on specific series of novels. It is great to witness this transformation!

I also love the quote in the Henry article on "Voice" It is such a powerful statement. When I was reading your post it and you stated that voices are fashioned not found, it made me reflect on my kindergarten students. I work in an upper class school and at the beginning of the year I often observe my young K girls. They seem to come in with a prime and proper attitude. Their "voices" are mature and proper. This goes back to the expectations of school verses home. In some cases I think that parents put more pressure on the children to conform and play a part than teachers do.
Angie Somers

As we examine both articles, I believe we need to notice the ages of the students. They are in the age of CONFUSION. They are trying to find their place in the world. Students need a safe place to practice using their voice. A class blog could be a powerful tool to use. The students have an audience but it is invisible to the speaker. It allows the student time to from a complete thought without feeling pressure.