“There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks,
and perceives differently than one sees,
is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.”
Michael Foucault
To stop and reflect, and critique oneself is not an easy task. I have always found that I am my worst critic because I only see myself and my views through my own personal perspective. I would assume that it is the same for most people as well. It is difficult to hold up a mirror and see anything differently than what we have always seen or to do things differently than we have always done. Therefore, why do we bother to look in the mirror if the reflection is always the same? We know we will see the same thing looking back. The reason for reflection is to look at ourselves and try to see things differently. How can it be better? Is there a side I haven’t seen? What have I missed? These are the questions we need to ask as we reflect on our students and our teaching practices.
As I read and reflected on the readings for our class, I found myself returning to my thoughts and assumptions about my students and their families. I like to assume that I have treated all of my students and parents with equal respect and understanding. I like to think of myself as open-minded and accepting of differences. This class has opened my eyes to the fact that I do carry preconceived ideas about certain students and families and I just skim the surface of understanding and respecting their differences and challenges. That was hard to admit, but unless I acknowledge that fact, I will not be able to make the changes in my actions to truly value students and their families.
“We need to rid ourselves of preconceived notions. We also need to also be aware of the challenge and responsibility we face to incorporate student’s cultural heritage in our instruction. This not only builds relationships with our students, it boosts their interest in learning as well as opens the door for tolerance and learning about each other. School needs to be a place of acceptance. Students need to be able to feel free to express themselves so that they are valued and not feel they need to hide who they are or where they come from.” These were my words from our first reading on Delpit and Dowdy. I said these words before I really had a clear understanding of what many of my students face as they come to school each day. Our charge is to educate students to be successful in the world. How each student defines success is varied and unique to each individual.
As reading educators, we are faced with the challenge of teaching students to read, write and to communicate. We teach Standard English because this is the language of our mainstream, middle-class society. What became evident through our readings is that literacy is not gaining meaning purely through various forms of oral and written language, but that relationships with family and friends impact the acquisition and expression of literacy and language. These influences shape literacy experiences. Daniel and Zonnie built an “understanding of themselves and their world through reading, writing, dance and music.” Laurie and Jake’s relationship with their families formed their identities and connection with literacy learning.
In Henry’s study, she outlines how to combine student interest with curriculum by giving students the opportunity to openly express their “voice.” She describes “voice as a student’s desire to express ideas in a clear, coherent way, because that student understands that his or her thoughts are important.” She also reports on the practice of combining reading and writing together by having students respond to literature through journals. These are teaching strategies that can be incorporated into our daily routines.
In our classrooms, I see the shifting of discourses in students. We have students who act a certain way at home and have a particular identity, but at school, their identity shifts and in response, they have to act a different way in order to fit the model of a “good student.” I have observed that acceptance and understanding of cultural diversities is easier than accepting and understanding socio-economic differences. We don’t always recognize socio-economic levels as a cultural challenge. We just expect these students to conform, behave and learn like everyone else. We need to recognize their difficult challenges as they navigate through different expectations, language, experiences and prejudices. We had the rich stories of Jake and Laurie to illustrate this for us.
As we strive to provide connections for our students and bridge discourses, we are still faced with the restrictions of curriculum and material mandates, and well as standardized testing demands. As we are trying to meet the needs of a diverse population, we are told that all children must be on the same academic levels at the same time, on the same day, using the same evaluation. The practice in the county where I currently work is mandating that the EC teachers use specific curriculum for its EC population, one for primary grades and one for elementary and beyond. These are the students who have been identified as having literacy delays and require specialized instruction. It is disturbing that as EC teachers, we are not given the professional decision to choose curriculum material for these learners. The program for the elementary and older student does not give teachers in the classroom the freedom to choose books that could provide more interest and connection to literacy for our students. It also limits the instructional strategies and ease of moving children in and out of appropriate groupings. The program for the primary grades does attempt to make connections to literacy with stories about letters and reading “rules,” but again these stories, even though seem fun to adults, may not provide the connection for all children.
The schools I am currently involved with traditionally have a middle-class population. As the economy is changing and with it, as families are moving in our area, we are seeing a much more diverse population. I am seeing the schools attempt to diversify and provide different curriculum and materials for our “at risk” learners. We are having to make changes to be able to teach students with challenges brought about by a struggling economy. Families are in crisis and this is yet another challenge for our students. After reflecting on the readings from our class, as a special educator, I have much to think about as I return to school and look at my students with new eyes. Many of them face the challenges and barriers to literacy that we have read about. I have ELL students, student from low socio-economic families, boys, girls, (mostly boys), students with physical and medical challenges. I will see them with a better understanding of the challenges they face when they walk into that foreign world called school.
I have been in education and an EC teacher for twenty years. I definitely have experience with students who struggle and have differences. At this stage of my practice, you would think I have enough knowledge of learners and teaching that I wouldn’t need to learn anything new. That is the point where I hope someone kicks me out. When we stop reflecting and learning ourselves, is when we stop being effective. I do know that teaching Special Education is my “calling.” I love working with my EC population and their families. With their ongoing struggles, I will continue to strive to find ways to help them learn.
Susan Hines