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

Jake’s mother spoke about Jake reading at his own level and not on a 3rd grade level, and it made me question while I was reading…What is grade level? As Jake struggled with reading, he was always compared to his peers, such as “he was still about 6 months behind his peers who were on target vis-a-vis grade-level expectations.” I know that we have criteria for our students from the counties we work for, and the state, but most of all with No Child Left Behind, but what can we do to make the politicians see that we cannot continue to compare each child using the same information? With all these “scores” hanging over teacher’s heads that a lot of creativity is being left behind; is this what happened to Jake? Is this what is happening in most classrooms today? I know I feel an obligation to get my students on grade level and even though I am not trying to leave the ON and ABOVE grade level students behind, I feel like I do. I spend a lot of time focusing and helping the students who are not where the “higher up” say they should be, and the other students are left to do independent work. With less classroom help and higher standards, I feel as if I’m doing all I can to meet the criteria and I’m neglecting the interests of my students. What can I/we do about this situation, because if we voice our opinions we’re complaining, and if we sit back and do nothing about it, we are going to work ourselves to death? Is there really a way to not leave a child behind?
When Jake’s father said, “Don’t worry, she’s really tough,” and “He’s gonna find out himself,” it made me think about growing up and how my parents would teach me the right way to do things, and would help me out in situations, but in the end they would always say I would have to learn on my own. I know that they were always there for me if I needed them, but I was able to understand and take on the world because I learned things through my eyes, my choices, and my consequences. I think that Jake’s parents were hoping Jake would do the same, and he would be able to learn from everything he experienced in life. In today’s society children are learning a lot on their own, and for some they have the guidance and support of their parents and adults, but some do not, and are making decisions they may or may not harm them. What can we as teachers do to teach them the right way to live without stepping in someone else’s territory?
There was a clear difference between both Laurie and Jake in Hick’s book, as the two children struggled with literacy; they both took on literacy with different knowledge and focus. It was clear in the way they read and especially in the way the wrote. These were just two examples of children and their struggles with learning due to the various discourses in their lives, but there are many more we meet every day with a story to tell, we as teachers just need to find each child’s inner story and make them into authors of their own life!
From north to south, east to west, and the mountains to the cities everyone has their life to live and choices to make. No one chooses the family they are born into, but they have the rest of their lives to make their own choices to shape their future. After reading through the chapters, I have come to realize that I can’t teach based upon my upbringing and my discourses, but must learn about my students and where they come from in order to connect with them and what makes them learn and succeed. It will not happen over night for me as it didn’t for the researchers in the book, but with time and effort I will be able to find a way to reach each of my students no matter what their back ground or home life is.
Meredith