I think what stood out in both articles for me was the sense of freedom the students felt in the programs. In both groups these students finally had an opportunity to feel safe in expressing how they felt about different types of literacy through writing, speaking and reading. I know in my own classroom I feel that there are times when I would like to go in a certain direction with my instruction, but I don’t want to “ruffle any feathers” in my school. I always have that lingering question, how can I change my students’ perspectives on speaking, reading, and writing if I can’t challenge them the way I want? I think that my instruction would flow better if I didn’t have so many restrictions. That’s why I think that both programs helped these students to feel at ease because they could now stand in the forefront and not be embarrassed.
In the article “Hustle & Flow” it was extremely powerful when the students could take ownership and decide they wanted to “change their names.” They no longer wanted those labels that had subsequently followed them from year to year. There are many students that have come with a label to my 2nd grade class. They were slow learners or trouble makers. Those are the students that I always want to have in my classroom. I want to rise to the challenge and help these students in a sense “change their names.”
In the article “Speaking up’ and ‘speaking out” I began to think of my small community and our Hispanic population. I started to think about the limited books that portray their culture in our school. Our media coordinator has finally started to get more multicultural literature as well as books in Spanish which I feel is a step in the right direction. I am really curious as to how these students feel about literacy. I have had Hispanic students for the last two years in my classroom, two last year and one this past year. I remember reading books where the main characters were Hispanic and it seemed that my students last year didn’t want me to read them. If I asked them to help me with a Spanish word they seemed to be embarrassed, whereas my student this year loved it. She wanted to share with the other students about her culture and she felt proud to hear the books. After reading both articles I know wonder if my students last year just wanted to continue to fit in and I made them essentially stand out. How in a normal classroom setting can we make these students feel comfortable in their own skin?
Odessa Scales
Comments (5)
I am glad that your librarian has started to get multicultural books. At a previous school our librarian not only bought Hispanic books but also books that she could find in Hmong. We had a large number of Hmong speaking students at the school. The problem was that Hmong is usually a spoken language, not a written one. Most students could not read the written form. Then she began to collect Hmong tales written in English. That was most beneficial. The students really enjoyed being able to hear stories from their native lands. Our librarian hosted different nights for checkouts and community groups at these meetings and had translators there to speak to parents. I thought all librarians were this way, but after moving to a new school, I have realized they are not. In the other school, there are some African American books on the shelves, but that is about as multicultural as she gets. I, as well as other teachers, have put in request for other books. I think that the school library is such a fundamental resource to so many students that would not have the exposure to books otherwise. I also believe that all children can benefit from reading books from other cultural perspectives than their own.
Amy Reep
Posted by Amy Reep | June 14, 2010 8:48 PM
Posted on June 14, 2010 20:48
I think that students, in the beginning, want to do their best to learn the language. I have a very high hispanic population also and I found the same things that you did. In the beginning of the year the students did not want to help me learn a spanish word or did not want me to read them a special story. They just wanted to do their best to fit in. I found that as the year went on my students wanted to help me. When I needed someone to translate something they jumped all over it!! I found that they were more comfortable with their English skills so they felt more comfortable helping me.
Posted by Natalie Enns | June 14, 2010 9:35 PM
Posted on June 14, 2010 21:35
Each article reinforced the sense of freedom for students. I believe it is the teacher’s job to promote this feeling in the classroom, making it a comfortable place for students. You talked about restrictions in your instruction…I taught 3rd grade this year and understand the restrictions of standardized testing. Essentially I did not feel like a successful teacher this year, well for the last few weeks of school. I felt that all I was able to do was teach to the test. Teaching students to mark out answers and look back to find answers are not skills that we have to practice as adults. We have to know how to draw on past experiences to make connections to text; all things that Henry and Staples were getting these students to participate in. What other kinds of restrictions are you feeling as a teacher?
You also talked about labels…I hate when a teacher tries to come and tell me their opinions about students. One student that you may have a difficult time with could be a student that I find manageable. I like how these students were able to change their own opinions of themselves!
Posted by Angela Steele | June 15, 2010 9:30 AM
Posted on June 15, 2010 09:30
I liked the term you used, "sense of freedom." The students in these articles were given a sense of freedom they had never experienced before. They begin to open up and express themselves through discussions and writings. These children would never have felt comfortable in doing this in their regular classroom. Pam Aubuchon
Posted by Pam Aubuchon | June 15, 2010 4:49 PM
Posted on June 15, 2010 16:49
I think many times kids come to our classroom with labels too. The school that I used to teach at was refered to by many as the school with the trouble kids. The kids at the school were from bad homes or were poor but they were not any different from the kids at the other schools. The kids we had seemed to struggle more in the classroom because their home life was not as rich as many others. The principal that hired me once told our staff that it takes a special person to work where we did because the kids needed us like they needed a parent. Many of these kids that are labeled just need someone to give them a chance and be a positive role model for them!
Posted by Erin Whisnant | June 15, 2010 6:39 PM
Posted on June 15, 2010 18:39