Throughout the reading of these two chapters I found myself thinking back to "my raising" and the way that I grew up. It's funny. I knew that a child's background influenced the child in the classroom, but I am don't think that I had ever thought of it in this regard. The fact that the literacy of a child could be so heavily affected by how a child is raised and where he or she lives was a bit outside of my consideration. However, the more I read; the more it made sense.
One of the most interesting parts of the chapter was reading the part about Lee Ann and Jake. I knew that there were differences what children were taught in regard to how to handle situations, but I didn't think abot the fact that this would be based on working-class vs. middle-class. I found myself "ahhhh-haaa -ing" when I read it. This relates directly to how my husband and I have taught our own daughters to interact with conflict at school. My 10-yr-old was being bullied to some degree by another child at school this year. My raising (in a lower working-class family) was that you knocked somebody's head off if they hit you. My current situation was more along the Biblical lines of "turn the other cheek". So what do you do as a mother? I didn't want my child hurt (especially by this particular child). At the same time the middle-class way of handling things was not helping. My discources couldn't reconcile. In the end, we told our daughter there were a couple of ways she could handle it and different consequences for each. She had to decide which she wanted to do (this was definitely not how my parents would have handled it).
Looking at this situation and some others that came to mind as I read, I began to see how my students are affected by aspects of their lives that took place even before they began reading and writing. Situations like the Roadville children who would be criticized for "made-up" storytelling made me realize that not every child CAN behave the same way in the classroom. It's not that they are just different in who they are. They are different in how they have been made.....the core of who they were raised to be.
For me now, the question is how does this influence what I do in a middle school classroom. Not only have these children come from different situations, they have had 11 yrs. or so to perfect these differences in their upbringing. I want to work with the discources of each student and capitalize on what each one brings to the classroom.
Christy Laws
Comments (4)
You teach a very special age group! Yes, they have had 11 years to practice their discourse, but they also have had 5 or 6 years of assimilation into the school discourse. This special time in the lives of middle school children can be likened to watching animals at the zoo, sometimes you don’t understand why they are acting that way. With further observation and research we soon realize that all animals have a pattern of expected behaviors. When young male chimps feel that they are grown they challenge the older male for a place in the pack. This is usually met with aggression and the younger one learns that he is not ready to become the male in charge. Young females are taught how to groom each other and are rewarded by being able to groom the leader. My point is that we are all just looking for our place in this world. Sometimes teachers can be aggressive and just push students around or they can be nurturing and teach them how to find their place. Elizabeth Achor
Posted by Elizabeth Achor | June 22, 2010 10:26 AM
Posted on June 22, 2010 10:26
Christy-
I have been reading a textbook for another class that has to deal with middle school students and how to set up reading and writing workshops with this age group. (In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning (2nd Edition) by Nancy Atwell) The author, Nancy Atwell describes that the middle school age is a very unique age.
She takes on that middle school students are social, awkward and funny. She extends the idea that this age group should be given the opportunity to makes choices in the classroom so that they feel they are appreciated and a part of the teaching/learning process.
After reading your post, and thinking about my reading on middle school students, I feel that each student brings a unique idea to the table. Although easier to pin point the problematic behavior in a classroom and nip it in the bud, why not try and work that issue, if you will, into the classroom and channel that energy elsewhere. I feel that it is important that our students feel wanted, appreciated and that they have a voice.
Renee Hennings June 22 2010
Posted by Renee Hennings | June 22, 2010 12:03 PM
Posted on June 22, 2010 12:03
I must say all of you made some really great points. After reading the post and comments I am still finding different ways to view this text; connecting the missing pieces. Christy, as you mentioned the Roadville children, I could not believe that children would get in trouble or viewed as bad because of making up a story. As teachers we want this! But, we must realize what is and is not accepted among their culture.
Elizabeth, I like your comparison to animals. Crazy enough it is like that amongst us, but in slightly different ways. Also, teachers can either be to aggressive or to worried about being their friends and keeping students happy. Either way that type of teaching can be a lost cause.
Renee,
You are so right! Each child does bring something special to the table! It is the teachers flaw for not recognizing what that is! Students need the choice to make choices!!!
Posted by Candace B Heffinger | June 22, 2010 7:45 PM
Posted on June 22, 2010 19:45
I think that as a teacher you have to really take into consideration each child’s home life and class. I also think you have to help your students get past some of names that they have on them. A child’s family and home life is a central part of who they are at school but we have to use this to our advantage by accenting the good points. Also, we need to have high expectations for all of our students no matter what social class they come from.
Posted by Ashley Caldwell | June 23, 2010 6:21 PM
Posted on June 23, 2010 18:21