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

You are exactly right! If the students cannot make a connection to what they are learning then they will never buy into it! This is something that I need to do a better job at as a teacher,regardless of the race of the students I teach. All students need to be able to connect to something being taught in order to gain an understanding of it because otherwise they will never learn it!

Reshawna,
I also questioned the reasoning of why Daniel did not turn in his homework assignments. Homework in the world of education can be a controversial topic. Homework should be basic practice or extension to the lesson taught in class. Teaching second grade, most of my students receive help with their homework from their parents. I would like to think that all of my students' parents are capable and take time each night to work with their child; however, I know that I am wishful thinking, to think that ALL of my students' parents help them. Do you punish the student for not completing homework? I understand that teachers sometimes make the child do their homework at school, even at recess? Is it the child's fault?

I agree about teachers making connections, not only with what their learning and their life, but I think teachers need to make connections with their students. As I'm sure you've heard before..."they don't care about what you know, until they know you care."
As for students being responsible for homework...as a 1st grade teacher, I've struggled with this a lot. Parents are expected to and should help children of this age with homework, but what if the parents are not responsible enough? How do we teach the students that they are the ones who are going to have to be responsible enough to complete it and turn it in the next day? At what age do we "push" the responsibility factor? It's a tough call to make because if you there are no consequences for not turning in homework, then what message is that sending to the other students? Fortunately, in 1st grade, I don't have to deal with this problem too often. Marsha Warren

I agree with everything you are saying. Making a bond with your students is one of the best things that a teacher can do. I think that children can respond better to someone they feel connected to, even if that connection is more academic than personal. My former school was very small. There was less than 350 students. The kids lived in low income housing. From an outside perspective, one might think that these students were trouble makers that were unsuccessful in an educational setting (and many people thought that!). From the inside, we saw something completely different. These children came from low income housing but they could learn. They might not have been living the ideal life but they were trying to do their best. Because we (the teachers) took a personal interest in all the children (regardless of them being in our classroom)the kids and their families considered us like family. These kids begged to be at school. I think this is the type of connections children and their families are looking to find from educators. We spend so much time with our students, how can we not find out things about them and try to teach in a way that would make them want to excel?