Looking back over the semester and reflecting on my current teaching endeavors leads me to choose the following quote by Michel Foucault. It reads like this: “There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.” This quote describes the way I felt this semester while reading our readings and continually reflecting upon them and my current teaching practices and experiences.
Taking this course this summer semester has provided me with a lot of knowledge I found within the texts we read and while communicating with my classmates. I am happy that I took this course during the summer because it has provided me with the leisure of reading deeply and self critiquing at my own pace. I think if I would have taken this course during the fall or spring semester I would have been entirely too busy with work, class, and homework to really sit back and ponder how the reading texts connects me with my own classroom.
While reading the texts this semester I tried to continually question myself on the different topics I read about from my readings. I also continually changed the ways I thought about things. I started to think differently. I also perceived things differently as well. These things were made possible because I would think about what I read and reflect on it and how it related to me as a teacher.
Being able to think differently and to be able to pull yourself out of the box per se is something educators should all be capable of doing. I myself have had to work hard at this but it is essential in the education world. Being able to pull yourself out of the box and look around at how things are while forgetting about who you are and where you have come from are very important attributes that I think teachers should have and I try to have. What I mean is that you are willing to examine your surroundings open-mindedly without judging and placing a stigma upon anything while you are observing it.
The quote says that to be able to think differently and perceive differently requires a person who is also willing to go on looking and reflecting. Thus as a teacher I should continually reflect upon my own practices and how they affect my own students. I should be considerate of their feelings, emotions, and backgrounds. I should also be willing to try new things in my classroom if they will improve or benefit my students’ learning abilities.
Several of the readings suggested flexibility in teaching methods. I believe almost all of the children in our readings like the following for example: the Lost Boys of the Sudan, Laurie, Jake, Tamisha, Kay, Alice, Zonnie, and Daniel all benefited from instructors who could alter their teaching to address their personal needs. As diverse as these students were so were their needs. That is why it is important to be able to look at your students individually and assess their wants and deprivations. Then to form a relationship that can safely fulfill what they are lacking in their lives. By replacing this void you should be able to then move on to addressing their academic needs and hopefully be able to succeed in improving them.
One way a teacher can be flexible with lessons while reaching out to underprivileged students is by using storytelling. In the Perry text, “From Storytelling to Writing: Transforming Literacy Practices among Sudanese Refugees,” 3 young men use storytelling to transform themselves. They were in need of connecting their troubled past with their present life that was so different.
Sometimes underprivileged students are overlooked. They are ignored at home and then even at school. In some cases these children are withdrawn in school and kept to. This may be in part because they are accustomed to being quiet and not being allowed to be a part of a conversation while they are at home. Therefore when they are at school they continue to keep the persona of being the introverted withdrawn person. This can be damaging for a student. They lose self consciousness. They think that their voice, ideas, and opinions are not worth any value. Therefore it is a teacher’s responsibility to reach out to these particular students. By allowing them to express themselves and use their voice in the classroom via storytelling can work a world of wonders for these students.
In Henry’s article “Speaking up” and “Speaking Out”: Examining “Voice” in a Reading/ Writing Program With Adolescent African Caribbean Girls,” three young girls who live underprivileged lives are taught to use their voice. Through reading and writing their lives are transformed. They begin to understand themselves better and thus gain more self-esteem. This even overflows into their schooling. They begin to do better in their class performance due to the improvement of their “voice.”
There are other ways that educators can be flexible and yet reach out to their students’ various needs. If a teacher has students who have some type of problem with fitting in to school or facing dilemmas at home they can use a literacy connection between school and home to satisfy their need for feeling accepted. Noll’s article “Experiencing Literacy In and Out of School: Case Studies of Two American Indian Youths,” contains two American Indian students who use writing to bridge their school and home life together. These two students seemed to feel like they were outcasts in school. Their writing of poetry and comic strips helped them to face their troubles. It also improved their writing and thus their literacy performance in school. Therefore using a literacy connection in the classroom can benefit students. I plan to continue doing this.
Another way educators can help their students is to listen to their students. Like the quote said looking on and reflecting is what we should do. Educators that continue to look back at what they are doing and how it affects their students are quite capable of insuring that they meet the diverse needs of their diverse needy students.
Our classrooms our made up of many students. Some come from wealthy families. Some come from poor families. Others come from families that are middle class. No matter what type of finances a child comes from they can still be in need.
Children and/or students can come from families that are privileged
and have all the things the child and/or student needs to live a comfortable life but they can still be missing some things. They may be missing a voice, self-esteem, creativity, support, etc. These are some things that a good educator can help to instill in these less fortunate students.
This leads me back to the quote by Michel Foucault, “There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.” In my own classroom I try to make sure I continually look back and reflect on my teaching styles and methods and how my students respond to them. I also try to be sure to get to know my students. Sometimes I do this by reading their journals that they turn into me or just working one on one with them. If I cannot work one on one with them then sometimes I even eat lunch with them. These are ways I get to know them and their lifestyles. It also enables me with the opportunity to see what lessons they like and what is working best for them in the classroom. These are examples of looking back and reflecting. Having an open mind and being able change the ways that you do things is what I try to do and how I feel all educators should operate. The readings from this semester helped me to see the importance of reflecting, looking back, and changing the way I perceive things and do things within my classroom.
Maria Blevins