I was sitting at my daughter’s band concert last month and happened to overhear a conversation between two women I was acquainted with. They were discussing their daughters, both of whom graduated in 2009, and what their plans were for the next school year. The one woman announced that her daughter was leaving UNCG and returning home to attend community college. She stated to the other mother that, “she hates it and wants to come home”. The mother of this young lady was in no way upset with her daughter’s decision and seemed quite pleased to have her back home. Both of these women were from working class families. Both were from the area and had extended family living close by. As I listened to the conversation I couldn’t help but think what a mistake this girl was making. I was also floored that the mother would allow it after she had worked so hard to get into a four year college. This story kept surfacing in my mind as I read the two chapters by Deborah Hicks. It made me start to realize just how significant what our students’ discourses really are in relation to their educational experience. Just as my upbringing and value system repelled the idea of leaving college, these families embraced the idea. I also have to assume that the young lady was unable to assimilate to college life; presumably because the discourses of university life were much too foreign to what she knew and felt comfortable with.
I see the same situations occur in my school. I have known for some time that many of my students and their families view school much differently than I do. After reading the two chapters from Reading Lives, I now have some understanding as to why. The social discourses that they bring with them tend to see education as a “necessary evil”. Something to be endured until you can get out a get a job. Many of my students do not see the correlation between school and earning potential. Their understanding of a higher education is something foreign and not-at-all connected to their reality. Many of my students have aspirations of taking over family auto shops or hair salons. They look forward to working the family farm or joining the construction business with their brothers. They do not have dreams of college or white collar careers; nor should they have to. I think the educational system has to begin to value the idea that these trades are important and relevant, and that mastery of standardized tests does not equal equal intelligence. Our county has done away with the vocational track in our high school. Now, all of the students are tracked to college, no matter what their career goals. This is ridiculous and I think greatly contributes to the drop out rate. Why should a student be forced to write a 10 page research paper on the symbolism of Look Homeward Angel if he plans to take over the family farm when he graduates? if we don't value what's important to them then, of course, they are going to view school as a foreign environment that they have no place in.
I also see the conflict between discourses when it comes to behaviors. I was reminded of this when I read the account of Jake and his little sister. I have had many students and parents tell me that if their child is bullied or hit, they have the right to hit back. The behavior is often promoted by the family. The child, in some cases, is even reprimanded for not fighting back. This seems completely unacceptable to many educators because of our understanding of how to handle conflict and violence, but to my working class families, this is just how things are done. This is how you “man up” and take care of yourself.
I do have to admit that I am still a bit confused by the “critical literacy” section in Chap. 2. I understand that it is about teaching kids to recognize and re-shape identities that are presented to them in texts; I just would have no idea how to go about that. I also look forward to more concrete examples in the upcoming chapters as that always helps to clarify new ideas for me.
Sally Elliott
Comments (4)
My mother always said I was going to college whether she had to go with me or not. Not going was never an option for me. I never even considered staying home to work. But education is very important to the members of my family, all of which have had higher education and in many cases multiple degrees. I have a hard time identifying with families that do not value education. I don’t understand why one would not want to know more and be better, at whatever you care about or are interested in. I was thinking as I was reading about the episode between Jake and Lee Ann that my family would undoubtedly have labeled them white trash. I am not saying that’s nice, but that is how their behavior would be judged from my family’s discourse. What I am seeing more clearly is how that discourse directly impacts classroom behavior. When you mentioned the girl coming home from college because she didn’t fit in, what I see is not just an inability to move from discourse to discourse, but also a lack of resiliency. My students seem to have very little task persistence and many cannot get past small upsets. It will be even more important for students like mine, who come from low socioeconomic familys, to have the persistence to make it through the adjustment period of learning a new discourse.
-Rebecca Ashby
Posted by Rebecca Ashby | June 21, 2010 2:34 PM
Posted on June 21, 2010 14:34
My mother always said “get a job and take care of yourself”. I've been working since I was 12 and was actually told by family, friends and my first husband that I could not go to college. Once I made up my mind to get a better job, I divorced and began college at the age of 26. The playing field is not level. Socio-economic differences play a part in education every day whether we decide to believe it or not. We are all given a chance to go to school and therefore a chance to better ourselves, but the struggle for different cultures can be a heavy burden. Children need to feel that education is important. They also need to grow to understand that they have choices. In many sub-groups children are told what to do and when to do it. If someone (teachers) does not tell them something different in a positive way how are they ever going to learn that there is a better way?
Elizabeth Achor
Posted by Elizabeth Achor | June 21, 2010 4:33 PM
Posted on June 21, 2010 16:33
Sally,
Your story of the young girl coming home from college reminded me of my own college experience and discourse. I remember my first year of college as I came in contact with different people of different discourses, and the lessons that I learned to value others and their discourse. I struggled switching from my college discourse (discovering my true self) to my home discourse. If you were raised in a home that valued education, it is difficult to find that the students that you teach may not have the same home discourse. In fact, it is true that the social discourse often see school as the "necessary evil", or even a "free" daycare to send your child. I also have found importance of meeting a child where they are in their schooling; find out what their interests are and help them reach their full potential.
Posted by Katie Johnson | June 21, 2010 6:21 PM
Posted on June 21, 2010 18:21
What you wrote about the young girl dropping out of a four year college and returning home it reminded me of my younger brother. In high school my brother was the star of the basketball team. He was awesome and well known in our community. He received a basketball schlorship to a small college out of state. When leaving high school my brothers discourse changed. He no longer was the star player. After two years he quit the basketball team and had to take out a student loan. My parents were not upset because after my brother stopped playing basketball he was able to come home more often. I never understood how my parents could allow my brother to give up such a wonderful opportunity. To my brothers defense he did graduate college, however he had a huge student loan.
Posted by Pam Aubuchon | June 21, 2010 9:08 PM
Posted on June 21, 2010 21:08