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

Speaking with a VOICE…

Staples and Henry both explored the world of teens through their eyes, thoughts, worries and questions. Giving teens the free lane to speak about rarely discussed topics with an adult present both Staples and Henry were able to explore the group of teen’s worlds without pressure or judgment.
Gaining the trust of anyone is something that isn’t an easy task. When trust is gained, people speak more openly and feel free to discuss serious topics. Teachers have to find a way to get into the minds and lives of students, and until trust is gained doing so is almost impossible. Anybody can sit back and observe the behaviors and actions of individuals, but it isn’t until individuals allow you into their heads that someone can truly understand their thoughts. Both researchers made the learning environment comfortable for all the parties involved, and they were able to give the teens a sense of self worth and belonging, which resulted in trust between the teens and the researchers.
Henry gained the trust of Kay after months of excuses and reluctance by engaging her in topics that were important to her and her culture. Topics she would defend and speak openly about because she could relate and she felt they were important to her and her life. In the society Kay grew up in, she analyzed the events and she tried to understand the world…understand something that no one can truly grasp because it is always changing, instead she used her writing to express her thoughts, feelings and ideas, knowing she wouldn’t be judged, but provoked to think deeper and analyze the world further.
Tamisha came with questions most would brush off, but instead these questions were addressed and taught through various activities to make sure all parties felt comfortable. These “real life” questions cannot be pushed aside because they are real, they have to be addressed. When Tamisha asked the question, “When would be a good time to begin being sexually active?” I froze when reading, because that is a question that teachers of young children do not want to hear, but know is floating in the minds of the teens. Instead of ignoring her question, Henry opened discussion amongst the other students and communication and trust was developed. When Henry said Tamisha’s personal account wouldn’t be discussed made me wonder if she had been abused sexually and did not have the opportunity to choose when she lost her virginity or when she had to chance to choose who or when she would be sexually active. This issue is common among teens through peer pressure and the environment they are raised. It’s sad, but true “kids” are becoming sexually active at a young age, and maybe if they had confidence in themselves and others, they would have had the courage to talk to someone about all the issues in their lives.
Students have questions; questions about life, love, the world, everything under the sun when they enter the classroom. Many students never ask these questions because they don’t feel comfortable. Therefore teachers have to find a way to gain each students trust tin order to fully understand them and be able to help them excel as much as possible.
I had a very hard time reading Staples’ research. It has a harder read and I just couldn’t relate to it, which is similar to students in our classes. If they can’t relate to what they are reading or learning, then they lose interest and understanding. However Staples had good points including reminding educators to be aware of what is acceptable to discuss when teaching in the public setting, giving students the confidence to express their thoughts however they deem necessary regardless of their ability to read or write, and to always accept the student’s choice of language/context when writing in order to get them to continue to write freely about different topics. Doing so allows the educator to gain confidence and then later the teacher can revisit the use of correct formation and grammar when writing and speaking. The use of movie scripts seemed to me would be a difficult task, maybe because I teach younger students, but the prewritten discussion questions is similar to Direct Reading Thinking Activities we use in the lower grades with story books. Instead of using the questions when introducing a new book for prediction work, instead the teacher prepares questions to provoke conversation and discussion.
Meredith Bromley

These articles focused on being able to speak up and discuss what you believe in. The researcher found that being in a group helped the young African American Caribbean girls speak up for what they believed in more confidently. The girls were able to communicate more effectively while expressing themselves through drama, writing, and talking. The problems these girls experienced were common to all teenage girls, but the researcher found it was easier for the girls to talk among people from their own race. We can plan what to do to help students develop their voice, but sometimes the students need to take over and discuss what’s on their mind. Sometimes students can develop their voice by being in a group with people much like themselves. I think people of different cultures just need someone to give them an opportunity to open up to people with similar problems and circumstances so they will have someone to connect to.

Students often lead two separate lives (an in-school life and an out-of-school life). While they may struggle and be considered low in school, they may soar and have a totally different identity outside of school. Staples worked with struggling African-American teenagers in an after-school program who were excellent in Hip-Hop, athletics, and song-writing, but couldn’t seem to find their place in school. These students who were considered “not intelligent” in school were really talented and just needed to find ways to show it.

It is important for students to be able to get together and discuss what they really think about something they’ve read. Teachers should give students some choice in the books they choose and what they want to discuss from the reading. Teachers should try to serve as participants in reading and discussions rather than always choosing what students should read and what kind of questions they should answer about their reading and writing.

Both of these articles focused on how young men and women that were of the minority needed to express themselves to be who they really were. They needed to read, write, and study things that related to themselves so they could begin to be comfortable and proud of their identity.

All teachers need to give students the opportunity to read what interests them, discuss what they feel they need to discuss through the reading, and write to express their thoughts and feelings. I do not think traditional reading and writing should be completely left out of the curriculum, but I do think teachers need to work to find literacy activities that students from all cultures can connect with.

~Jamie Brackett

These articles went so well together. Addressing the misrepresentation of Black masculinity as well as the loss of voice in African Caribbean girls, both have groups that are misjudged by our society and thus they suffer from the retroactions of this. The authors, thus those working with these groups had to both find a way to connect with them through literacy. In both articles I was surprised to hear about the materials that were used in teaching the 2 groups of students. In the Henry article one student wrote about the O.J. Simpson murder trail and in the Henry article the movie Hustle and Flow was used to teach lessons on reauthoring. Also Tamisha was very interested in discussions on gangs, sex, and dating. She was even bold enough to ask when was an appropriate time to start having sex. Because of her interests the teacher used Just Another Girl for instruction. Because of these students’ backgrounds this was the material that they were familiar with. I don’t think Little House On the Prairie would have worked well to use to reauthor the voice of a black man. I also don’t think Tamisha could have connected with The Cosby Show. She needed material to discuss, act out, and journal about that was similar to what was on her mind and happening in her life. In both articles a group of people is misjudged. I was asking myself how many times I do this with people on the streets or in the stores. These poor African American girls were so misjudged that they felt the need to clam up and remain voiceless. Their continual misjudgment had brainwashed them to think they were inferior and their ideas worthless. While on the other hand the black masculinity was assumed to be, well, hyper-sexed, ignorant, and criminally-minded, with little regard to community, family, and self-improvement. Because of this stigma the children working in the after-school group themselves suffered. They were mainly disengaged when it came to interactions with text. The several strategies used to get these students to engage in literacy and reauthoring were quite appealing to the students. I wish there were more after school programs like this, more programs that connect with children who are not interested in what is happening at school and in the literature world. I liked how Staples used literacy engagement activities appropriate for each student. She didn’t assign poor public speakers with the public speaking. I also saw something that I already do that she used. She used journaling as a private means for students to communicate with her. If students know that this information will not be disclosed to their peers they will open up so much more. I have noticed that in my own classroom with my own students and their private journals. I found it interesting that Staples mentioned these students exhibited two identities. They separated their school and outside worlds. I wondered why this is? Is it some support of defense mechanism? I don’t know. Or is this particular group of adolescents the type that has to buff up and stand tall outside of school to protect themselves from predators and gang members, something they do not worry about in school? Going back to the Henry article and discussing these African-American children’s needs to separate school and outside life I noticed that these African-American girls that have no voice are maybe this way because of their struggles in their outside world. They may be continually suppressed. Their opinions and ideas not respected. These girls need a way to draw out their voice. I think writing is an excellent step in this journey. I have a young African-American girl that is so shy and quiet in class, but when it comes to writing she fills up the paper! She has so much to say. Like the article suggested, these young girls probably have a lot to say but they have been taught to be quiet. What does this do to their confidence? I think a lot of teachers who continually correct these students’ dialects have caused them much trouble with self-confidence. Like the Henry article stated, teachers that are not aware of the dialect may assume that these students are incorrectly speaking. I liked how Henry used lessons that required the students to interact with one another’s work. These shy children need this to get them engaged in public speaking. This will also get them to open up and express their opinions. Possibly this may even help their self-confidence. What a wonderful lesson idea! The drama used as a creative way of self expression reminded me of my readers theaters I use in class. I didn’t realize it but they are a wonderful way to entice the voiceless ones in my class. Henry’s idea of ignoring errors in the journal was one I had used in my own journals in class. I let the students’ journal entries be entitled to errors just their final published pieces must be cleaned up a bit. Henry used this to help with voice, creativity, and expression, I agree that it does get them writing more if they know their errors will be overlooked. Knowing what works with your group of students is what it takes to get through to them and to provide adequate learning in literacy.

Maria Blevins

While reading the Annette Henry article about voice I loved the definition on page 236:

“Voice is identity, a sense of self, a sense of relationship to others, and a sense of purpose. Voice is power – power to express ideas and connections, power to direct and shape an individual life towards a productive and positive fulfillment for self, family, community, nation, and the world. “

It made me think about the voice of our own students and the culture that they are a part of. It seems that the expectations we place on students is quite different than what their family views as acceptable. Do my students feel caught between what they really think and what they are expected to think?
The idea that voices are “fashioned” not “found,” in the classroom is an interesting one. When I worked with older students in the classroom I enjoyed listening to the students during our social studies, current events discussion. Students were asked to bring in recent articles or newspaper clippings that they felt were significant. In the beginning you could see that the students chose pieces that they thought would please me or pieces that were safe, which means not too much to talk about. However as the year went on they became more comfortable with sharing their thinking with each other the articles became more personal in nature and they generally had a strong opinion from the outset of the discussion. This did have to be nurtured daily and I did have to create small groups for some students to feel comfortable.
There was a smooth transition from the first article about voice into the second article about the ability to re-author oneself by Jeanine M. Staples.
One of the lines from this article led me back to the Noll article and the divide that the Native American students had between home and school.
“However, in the worlds students develop outside of school, they have opportunities to re-author themselves with different names. The new names are: ‘confident tutor’ and ‘skilled lyricist’. Because of a fear of co-option, opportunities to reauthor are often subject to aggressive privatization. Or, they are missed by educators when regarded as irrelevant to literacy education or trivialized as adolescent ‘play’.”

Maybe the division is there as a protective shield that separates a world of disappointment from a world of personal success. It is a survival strategy of sorts.

I thought the use of twenty first century literacy (popular culture) was a creative way to get these students engaged at school. I found myself wondering what has happened to this group of students after three years. Have they found a name that sticks, or are they still re-authoring? I also appreciated that the author shared both the positives and negatives of this practice.

Candy Mooney

The articles by Henry and Staples were about teens speaking out. I had an easier time reading the article by Henry. The article by Staples was difficult for me to read so I had to reread parts of it over and over. I think the main thing in Staples article was that you have to find books, movies, etc that students are interested in and use them in literacy instruction. Both articles at about teens speaking out and letting their voices be heard. Both articles talked about how schools failed in literacy instruction for minority groups, particularly African American boys and girls. I liked the quote from Henry that stated (p 236) “teachers who ignore issues in the lives of minority students leave them “voiceless”.”A student’s voice is their contribution to the discussions and literacy activities that go on in a classroom. A student’s voice is their identity. In both groups the teachers realized that they had to find topics that the students could relate to in their own lives. Students will write in a more meaningful way if they can relate to the topic. In Henry’s article the young girls were encouraged to use their voice in their journal entries. The girls were encouraged to voice their opinions in their peer groups, and this allowed them to speak without feeling inferior. These students gained confidence in themselves and their literacy abilities.
In the article by Staples an after school group was developed to help African American males. During the school day the students in the group were labeled as slow and unable to read and participate in the classroom. But, in the after school group and out of school these same students had knowledge of literacy in their own way. They were athletes, rappers, etc… The students were chosen for the after school group because they were not successful with traditional literacy instruction in the classroom. The students chose recent movies and books to discuss. Again the students had ownership of what they chose and they were more engaged in the discussion and activities.
Both studies had teachers who gained the trust of their students by listening and not judging them. I don’t teach older kids, but I bet middle and high school kids want to talk to their teachers about things, but they don’t because they are afraid of being judged by that teacher. When a teacher earns a child’s trust then the student will feel free to talk to that teacher about almost anything.
Michelle Moffitt

Both Staples, with African American males, and Henry, with African Caribbean girls, deal with adolescents finding out who they really are in terms of the school setting as well as how they find worth or value in society as a whole outside of their own personal world. Many of these students don't feel they fit into the school society and it seems others don't either since they have generally been referred to as the slow learners or simply disengaged learners. These students may be the ones who do act out in school because that is the only way they feel a part of the situation or they simply remain quiet, blending into the walls so they won't have to engage . They feel they don't know how or don't understand what is expected of them in dealing with literacies.. Both articles dealt with ways to integrate who these students are in their outside of school world with who they could be within the school setting.

Finding out the interests of these students and actually letting them be a part of the decision making for the out of school time studies was a wonderful way of bringing them together and helping them to see that they do have a lot of worthwhile feelings and contributions to the understanding of literacy in it's many forms. They learned to respect the teachers, each other and most importantly themselves.They were able to re-author or find their voice in a very non- threatening place where there was plenty of encouragement and positive reinforcement. This helped them to feel confident in using this voice in regular school settings where the literacies may not have been something they could easily relate to.

I immediately thought of my EC students who themselves at times feel they don't have a voice or anything worthwhile to contribute. It is our job as teachers to help ALL students learn to re author or find that voice. Over the years some students get the message that they just need to be quiet and let others voice when so much could be gained by everyone if we could foster
the "lyricist, the master surfer, the gamer, poet or cultural critic" that is within all our students. As stated in the Staples article,
" There are possibilities for re-authorship on the outside."

" That is where I will go."

Linda Bohland

As I was reading Henry's research I found myself intrigued by the amount of journaling used. I have always used journals, but I am now seeing how I can use them so much more effectively. If using them correctly it seems that you should be able to get your students to reflect on the text as well as reflect on themselves by making connections, which in turn helps the teacher to get to know the student on a deeper level.

I really liked how this author used relevant topics with her afterschool group. I can definitely see how African American girls would become interested and involved about these discussions. I think I would have been interested in these topics as an adolescent, but I don't remember discussing any "real" murders when I was in school. I can only imagine how engaged the whole class would be in that discussion. You could definitely see the growth Kay made in her journal throughout the group meetings. I wonder as a second grade teacher if there is a way to change up my guided reading groups (every once in a while) by gender, cultures, etc. and really dive into literature that would be interesting to each specific group. I find this to be an interesting concept and I can already picture it working in my room. I could see breaking them into groups by cultures and helping them become experts on their culture and then switching books, so all students are becoming experts on all the cultures to gain that respect of each other. I'm not sure this (switching) would quite work based on gender, but I could definitely split them up by gender and use literature that would appeal to that group. Hmmm. . . I can't wait to try this next year. I know it wouldn't be to the extent of the afterschool groups in the Henry research and Staples article, but at least it would be a step in the right direction.

I can definitely see in the classroom how students with English as a Second language would struggle with expressing "their voice" when it comes to literature. I have to agree with both the articles that the more practice these students have, even if it is oral to start, the better they will get. I really liked how Staples suggested letting them use any form of English, but challenging them to use a different form, even if it isn't Standard English they choose. The more they feel comfortable stepping out of their comfort zone, the more they might risk using Standard English.

As I was reading these articles I think it was made clear that students need to have some ownership in their learning. In the Henry article the girls were given the opportunity to change the direction of the conversation with ease. The students in the afterschool program in the Staples article helped prepare the list of text that would be used. I see how important that is to students and hope to do a better job of this in the following school year. My students are able to pick the independent book of their choice (as long as it is on their level), but I have almost always chosen the text I use during my guided reading groups. I have a feeling I will have a lot more interest and my students will be more motiviated if they are given the chance to help choose the text.

I am taking from this article that I need to use all possible resources to help give all my students a voice about literature, and that all students might not express their thoughts about literature in the same way, so it is up to me to find that outlet for each individual student.

Angie Sigmon

A Teacher’s Challenge
While reading the Henry study and Staples article, I found myself overwhelmed by their content, especially when considering the daunting task facing teachers today. In our schools, we have a diverse population of students with varied socioeconomic, racial, and cultural backgrounds. The students also bring different languages and experiences. Many come with such a broad range of issues, that trying to learn to read and write (not to mention other subjects) is difficult. We must not simply teach a subject, we must attempt to engage the students so that learning becomes something valuable to them. In doing so we have to be knowledgeable in content and skilled in teaching techniques, and we have to know how to “reach” our students. How do we make school relevant to their lives? How do we make reading and writing in school relate to the literacy experiences in their lives outside of school?
In her study, Henry outlines how to combine student interest with curriculum by giving students the opportunity to openly express their “voice.” She describes “voice as a student’s desire to express ideas in a clear, coherent way, because that student understands that his or her thoughts are important.” She also reports on the practice of combining reading and writing together (rather than teaching these separately) by having students respond to literature through journals. This therefore gives students a chance to use their voice. Moreover, this compares with Staples’ study, where students had “continual practice in reading, writing, speaking and listening.” She also makes an excellent point by stating that it is important to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses and then provide activities that bolster their strengths, while also supporting their weak areas.
A fundamental goal of teaching should be to help students see their education not only as a way to obtain information, but as a way to use that knowledge to grow as a person. This, therefore, shows students that education is a tool for exploration and personal growth. As reading teachers, we first must teach the student with limited experience (or the young student) how to read and know how to get information from print before we can teach them how to critically think about a text and voice their perspective. As we move to further engage students, reading, writing, speaking, sharing, and responding to literature become a natural occurrence.
With students who have limited school experiences or students with barriers (either cultural, social, emotional or gender related), literature can be used to help them understand their lives and situations. As teachers, we must provide a positive, cooperative atmosphere where students feel free to express themselves with acceptance and no fear. We must expect high standards and never assume students are not intelligent because of those barriers. Some students may not be comfortable with writing and this can inhibit their ability to express their thoughts. Allowing them to share and talk about their issues can help them form clear thoughts and then express themselves in writing. And in doing so, students can learn from each other. To further enforce this notion we need to allow “noise” in the classroom by letting students work in groups. The teacher can act as the facilitator. The teacher is not the only one who can impart knowledge.
Teaching….good teaching, is, at its core, an art form. As teachers we must spin a web that interconnects to reach children. We must support and embrace students’ diversities and cultures, allow them to “come to voice,” encourage a positive sense-of-self, provide a rich experience that engages all learners, AND teach the mandated standard course of study. All of this must be done while at the same time feed them, clothe them, nurse them, parent and discipline them, and see to it they are physically fit. Teaching is an art to be mastered.

Susan Hines

After reading both of these articles, I found myself thinking about the way teachers let students use their voice in the classroom. Other than a few shared prior knowledge experiences, I think journaling is about it. Students are in many ways repressed from sharing cultural ideas on topics and lessons within the classroom. There are so many opportunities to include the cultural knowledge that each student brings into the classroom in the lessons that are required to be taught by the state and by the school district. As teachers, we should jump at the opportunities to enrich a lesson with student feedback when ever possible. From this we are not only enriching the lives of the other students, but of the student that is sharing. Cultural pride is becoming a lost part of our students lives. By allowing this pride to spill over into the classroom, we are allowing students to be comfortable in who they are and not become lost in the melting pot of the classroom. By learning about each student through discussions, journaling, and shared experiences, teachers are allowing students to discover themselves and each other. A student can enrich the lives of other students by sharing a different cultural aspect and still remain true to himself as well. One of the most important parts of education is learning to apply what you've been taught while adding your own personal expertise to it.

Sarah Hutson

Control of Learning

Who is in control of the learning environment? Is the classroom a place of dictatorship, with the teacher in charge? Do the students have a voice in their learning?
There was a common connection that struck my attention, as I concluded the two articles. The two articles represent the goals of educators in working to connect literature to ALL students, despite race, gender, dialect, or culture. It was their objective to reach students where they are inside and outside of the school environment. I commend Staples and Henry in their efforts to work to implement and integrate literacy with two groups of students who are often judged as illiterate due to their race and culture. One way in which Staples and Henry worked to overcome the struggles faced by these two groups was that they gave the students both “choice” and “voice” in the classroom. The students were a part of their own learning, as well as in control of the literature experience.
“As alternative educators remind us, teaching and learning processes often inscribe us into a unidirectional model of education in which the teacher does the thinking, knowing, talking and decision making, and in which the students passively comply and regurgitate” (pg. 241, Henry). There is great truth in this statement; I highlighted it several times, and couldn’t help but come back to it, as I concluded the passages. Many teachers are known as being dictators in the classroom; many teachers find comfort in knowing that they are the “captain of the ship”, in complete control. It was imperative that in Henry’s objective to encourage the African Caribbean girls to speak up and speak out about their literature experiences, that they have a role in the discussions and development of the literature sessions. I also noted that Staples used cooperative authority when working with the students, and not just the teacher designing the learning process. During both research studies, researchers used a variety of methods to reach each student’s interests and allowed the girls and boys to be in control of the literature, discussions, and writings. I believe that when students have a choice and feel that their input is valued by the teacher, then they are more apt to being successful learners.
Traditional educational theories teach us that there is only one “right” answer, and the teacher is always “right”. Henry states that she had a difficult time encouraging the girls to speak up and speak out, because the students believed that there was only one “right answer”. A valuable piece of the research study was to “unlearn” the traditional thoughts of students that there is only “one right way”.
When implementing my own research study in my classroom this year, “book talks”, I found that students do become wrapped up in the notion that there is only one answer to a question, and that it is either “right or wrong”. There are some questions that we called, “skinny” questions that often lend to solitary answers. We also had to work on using questions in our discussions that were open-ended questions, called “fat” questions. These questions helped us further discuss the books that we read. During our first “book talk”, my students were quiet and timid; they were used to someone (teacher), leading the discussion. One of my goals in implementing the book talks was to allow my students to have control over the discussions. To be honest, it was tough to step out of control of the discussions, and allow my students to lead; they also had a tough time. However, over the course of the research study, they began to “open-up” and lead the talks on their own. Students were given choice as to the books that they read and encouraged to construct their own questions. I believe this experience of allowing them choice and control of the literature that they worked with and discussions that followed was one of the most beneficial this year.
Concluding the two articles, I am encouraged to work to find ways in which to make the classroom a place of “cooperative authority”, not “my classroom”, but “our classroom”. In what ways can teachers allow students to have control of their learning in the classroom?

Katie Johnson

Last week at the school talent show, a fourth grade girl (who was African American) stood on stage and sang a song that moved the entire gymnasium to tears. While she was singing all the teachers were exchanging glances as to say, “Who knew?” As she belted out the last note, everyone was on their feet screaming, clapping and congratulating her on a job well done. When the show was over a fifth grade teacher walked up to her and said, “Why didn’t you tell me you could sing like that?” The student’s response was, “You’ve never asked.” Simple, and to the point. No one in five years had any idea singing was her outlet. Days later the staff is still talking about the feeling of awe they had when she opened her mouth for the first note. The staff only knew her as the girl who has silent lunch regularly, and is a frequent visitor if the principal’s office.
Henry states, “ I am concerned with how schools may shortchange Black girls.” As I read that I instantly thought of the talent show and how this student has been shortchanged her whole schooling career. She struggles a little bit in reading, and lacks attention to focus in the classroom. However, had any of the staff taken a moment to connect with her, the passion for music would have come out and an easy engagement tool could have been discovered? I wonder how long she has been waiting to share her “voice” with the school.
Also stated is that “…traditional forms of literacy have required silence….” How true for so many students! The example I used above is an idea. That student has sat in silence year after year, while lessons that she cannot connect too are being taught. While she struggles to attaché herself, focus is lost and behavior becomes a problem. What type of reader would she be now, had music been tied into her literacy learning?
The view I have had of myself as an educator has been that of facilitator, rather than director. The students need to see in themselves the knowledge they have and the ability they have to master and problem solve. When students feel empowered, they begin to make connections with their learning. As we know when connections are made, the learning sores! If native languages were used as stepping stones to connect with the English being taught, students learning would become more connected and mastered.
My principal had the following comment after an observation of a lesson, “I noticed you called on a wide variety of students to answer questions from many different locations in the room.” While that may not be the most interesting of comments, it is true that I would consciously call on a mixture of boys and girls and a variety of races represented in my class. A professor had pointed that out to us in undergrad. Had he not done that, I wonder if I would call on boys, thinking the girls were “smarter” and knew what they were doing without my help.
As I reflect on the Henry article. I realize how busy teachers are. Each day we start the day with our agenda and the objectives we want to accomplish. While I know there must be some sense of direction, I wonder how we can find a better balance with mandated curriculum and student inquires. Each summer many teachers spend that time planning and thinking about what they want to change, and the students play no role in what will transpire during the upcoming year.
The Staples article evoked many of the same feelings as above. The idea of students being silenced and playing little role in what materials are placed in front of them. If we spend a small amount of time completing interest inventories (and using the data from them) throughout the year, I believe better identities would be formed. Through this a more positive self would be created so as not to exhibit one type of personality at school and another outside of school.
I was very motivated by the research showing they used many forms of media for reading. They branched out of the traditional book and used magazines and movies. Our students are vastly different from years past, and yet many educators approach each day with plans that mirror the past. Engaging students today requires more work on the teachers part, but can be made significantly easier by forming strong relationships with their students to discover what really makes each of them “tick.”

Michael Lemke

I found the articles by Henry and Staples to be more difficult than previous readings. For one reason, I think the articles used more vocabulary that was more highly specialized and/or unfamiliar (at least to me). I will be the first to admit, for example, that I know next to nothing about black feminist theories. In both articles, I could not wait to get through the introductory material and find out what the researchers actually did with the research participants, simply for the fact that I found the introductory information to be too highly technical and jargon-filled for my liking. Now that I have “voiced” that and put in my two cents’ worth, we can move on.

A commonality I see between both of the articles is that there is power in ownership. Both of the researchers gave their research participants some say in the procedures, texts, assignments, etc. that went along with the work associated with the afterschool club. In “Hustle & Flow,” Staples commented that “My students and I collaborated from beginning to end” (p. 382). She goes on further to say that the program “was led by them; each strategy, role, and question was co-developed with them, stamped with their approval or omitted as ineffective or too intrusive . . .” (p. 387). Henry encouraged her students to relate passages they had read to their own lives, thus encouraging more critical thinking and making the passages more relevant to each individual. As Henry states, “teaching and learning processes often inscribe us into a unidirectional model of education in which the teacher does the thinking, knowing, talking, and decision making, and in which the students passively comply and regurgitate” (p. 241). Such processes, in which the teacher is the all-knowing, all-seeing talking head like in “The Wizard of Oz,” serve to undermine any sense of ownership students might feel. In stripping them of this sense of ownership, the students feel a loss of power in determining what is relevant to their own lives. In my opinion, giving students of that age that amount of control would be somewhat scary in that I don’t know that I, as a teacher, would feel any sense of control, although I guess that goes back to the idea of “cooperative authority” Staples mentions on page 382.

One statement by Henry that struck me as interesting was her assertion, based on research by Staton and Tierney, that “reading and writing activities together promote greater learning than when they are treated as separate subjects” (p. 237). I had never really thought of this and I think one of the main reasons why was that my pre-kindergartners do not “write" in the sense that older children do. It is NOT common for me to read a story and then tell my students to go back to their seats and write about something from the story, such as their favorite part. I do, however, often have them think about the story and perhaps DRAW a picture about something from the story. The students might then dictate something to me related to their pictures. I had never really thought about the fact that the two activities together would increase the students’ learning more than if they were seen as separate, but I suppose this goes along with the idea of integration of subject areas.

One point that I wholeheartedly agreed with, made by Henry, was that finding one’s voice is not always liberating (p. 246). Henry made this statement when relating why Alice felt she must not talk too long to Nadia when they were acting out their play. Alice’s feeling that she must get home to cook for her husband reflected the place of a woman within the literature from Belize. My frame of reference for agreeing that finding one’s voice is not always liberating is my own experience with literature and other “popular culture narratives” (to use the term used by Staples) containing gay characters. For many years, especially in the 1980s with the AIDS epidemic starting up, many references to gay people contained language that depicted them as individuals to be despised, feared, etc. There has also been the common ground in many TV shows that anyone who is gay is the funny one, always good for a laugh, but not much more. Off the top of my head, I can think of Jack Tripper from “Three’s Company” (even though his character was only assumed to be gay) and both Will and Jack from “Will and Grace.” Lastly, for many years, there was the idea that gay people were either sexual predators or they couldn’t “score” and would thus end up living a lonely life. Not a very liberating image, to say the least! From my own experience, I can say that even though those images described above were not very flattering, I did feel a certain joy in the fact that the existence of gay individuals was acknowledged and I knew that I was not alone. I can say that there have been improvements over the years in that there are now TV shows, literature, movies, etc. that give more than a one-dimensional representation of gays. One example that springs to mind is the “Luke and Noah” storyline on “As The World Turns.” (Yes, sometimes I do watch “As The World Turns” and I know it is often considered stereotypical that a gay man would watch soap operas! It is going off the air this year, however, so I’ve got to "enjoy the liberation" while I can! :-))

Clyde Rice

In these two articles, the students learning to use their voices in order to promote literacy was addressed in ways that I would never think to address in a classroom. We, as teachers, use everything that we can to encourage the use of literacy in everyday life. Sometimes our efforts are successful and other times they are not. Both articles look at ways to help students find their identities in the classroom while maintaining who they are outside of the classroom.

In the article by Henry, she talks about how African American girls have been taught to be silent and how silence is a type of voice. I think that this could be true of all minority groups, especially new immigrates. Previously in my class, when students have been silent during a discussion, I have always assumed that these children needed more time to process what was being discussed. I never thought that their silence could be hiding a fear of literacy and language. In my class this year, I had a student from Mexico. He had been in the country for less than two years and still produced a heavy accent when speaking. He was very successful at math and by the end of the year had progressed in reading so that he was on grade level. He was very quiet in the class setting but socialized with the students in more relaxed atmospheres. This article made me think that his lack of voice in class could have been due to being worried that people would not accept his accented language in a formal class setting. Regardless of how much praise that was given, he never really found his voice in my class.

In the article by Staples, I found it very interesting how the teacher allowed to students to put themselves in multiple roles. I think that over the course of history, many people have been stereotypes and given identities based on what they looked like or where they were from. I agree that African American males have lived with changing stereotypes for much longer. All of us take on identities based on the roles we play (even today). For instance: I am a daugther, sister, wife, mother, teacher, etc. I think that teachers attempt to use students identities to encourage literacy and education but I never thought of students having competing identities. I guess everyone has competing identities but adults have learned to balance them better than children/adolescents. I think that teaching the kids to look at things from multiple perspectives is a great way to encourage literacy and discussion in the classroom. We are so stressed for time with the pressures from testing that we forget the impact of how looking at things from various angles shape our being...our lives and successes or failures. I also think that by providing children/adolescents with positive identities, they can view themselves in a differnt perspective (especially students living a rough or dangerous life) that can be more positive producing success in and out of the classroom.

When I was thinking of a title for these two articles, I started to realize that the most effective and meaningful time of their school day happened after school. If only we could have smaller more intense classes during the day to reach all these teenagers who are unmotivated and not interested in participating in their classes with texts. I suppose these groups had more leniency afterschool and the open environments that allowed topics of interest and discussion were not as regulated as they would probably be if conducted during a normal school day. I thought it was fascinating to see how these African American males in the Staples article took media and were re-authoring them. The skills they were using weren't pressed upon them, they just unintentionally were exercising them and developing them by re-authoring their pieces of work. The set up of the program was very inspiring because the teacher took away her authority and gave it to the students. The topics were related to these students' lives and more meaningful to them than texts from within a normal classroom. The time invested in this program by these students showed their dedication, freedom, value, commmunity and acceptance into this new avenue of literacy that they were developing and sharing openly with others. These students put themselves out there, and took risks. The framework for this was eye opening. What an awesome program to be apart of.
The same awe was reaffirmed when reading the Henry article. Both of these groups allowed for open discussions and a safe secure place for all members to participate. I noticed that each of the groups the students had the choice of writing in their journals or discussing the topics at hand. I was amazed to see how many chose to write. Relating that to my classroom today, it was like "pulling teeth" this year to get my kids to write. I even tried using fun writer's notebooks, and shared the Amelia's Notebook series with them to show them all the different ways a notebook could be used. I let them go with the concept of drawings in their notebooks, but then it was more drawings and less writing. But when I thought back to my teenage years, I could relate to the use of my diary. I started writing in my diary in 8th grade all the way up to my senior year in high school. It was amazing to reread as an adult.
The other part of the Henry article I found to be the most interesting was the feelings and emotions expressed through the term voice. These girls were afraid to express themselves and all their emotions were building up. I couldn't even begin to imagine how hard that would be to not be able to talk to my own mother about things because of our cultural status and expectations. But taking some time to relate to this, I didn't have that voice as a teenager either, but my restrictions were not a race issue per say. My issues were nothing compared to the limitations and expectations these girls had to live up to. The most lasting part of this article was what the research showed: "Black girls are expected to adopt female roles of passivity and complacency; they are invisible to teachers as serious learners; they receive less encouragement and rewards; they are assessed for their social skills rather than academic achievement; they are evaluated by their physical characteristics......" and it continues. Are schools helping this change? Is this something that Black girls will have to deal with the rest of their lives? As a teacher, my lasting thought was, how can I help change this?

Abby Boughton

I would like to start with a statement made by Henry that I feel like sums up both of the articles (page 244: “…students come to class with real-life questions that a teacher cannot always predict, and that students, like Kay, who may be labeled as ‘low’ or ‘poor’ readers are constantly reading the world and anxious for spaces to express their heartfelt view.” I re-read this statement several times and tried to apply it to my own teaching and educational experiences.

As teachers, we probably all have examples of times when students have asked a question about life that we were not expecting and did not include in our daily lesson plan. What should we do when we are addressed with the “tough” questions? I am sure your responses will vary depending on the grade level you teach. However, I believe that we should be open and not dismiss those “tough” questions. This might be a student’s way of saying “ I have a voice” and I really need you to hear me. We are not only called to teach the curriculum but to also take the time to invest and lend a helping hand to students who are trying so hard to figure out who they are. I was impressed with the way Henry handled Tamisha’s “tough” question about being sexually active. She realized that even though she was doing a research study that there are times when it is best to put the research aside and simply “be there” for a student.

I am also sure that as teachers we all have taught students who are considered “low” or “poor”. Do we look at these students as needing the opportunity to share their “voice” or do we look at them as another problem child or say, “How am I going to get them to pass the test?” Both studies were completed with students who had lower academics or who were considered as not caring about their education. I really liked the different activities mentioned in both articles about helping students share their voice: journaling, literature clubs, role play, re-authoring, etc… What I found sad was the fact that these activities were conducted after school. I feel like the world of education has almost silenced our students due to standardized tests. It seems like teachers are faced with more and more pressure to teach to the test. How can students truly express who they are if they have to spend the majority of their time regurgitating information or learning test tactics. I understand that we have to have some sort of method to measure our students’ success, but I just don’t think standardized tests are the best answer. How neat would it be for teachers to feel like they have a voice and be able to use some of the tactics mentioned in the articles in their classroom. When students feel like they have voice in their education they will be more willing to learn and show the world that they are truly successful in their own individual ways. We have got to stop making education a “cookie cutter” world and start letting students have a voice.

Emily Rhoney

Both of these projects seemed to be a great way for the students to become exposed to literature that is appealing to them personally and allowed them to open up to ideas and be able to do some self-evaluation on topics in a semi private arena. I applaud the efforts made through the two years by the students and Ms. Staples. She was very dedicated to the project to devote three hours a day, four days a week for two years. I dare to say that she made a tremendous impact in the lives of children that are often overlooked. I believe that there should be more after school groups that promote positive self image and literacy aimed towards inner city youth. This could help promote inner self improvement as well as academics. I can also see how using media with these children could be a great segway into reading and writing in a high school class. With technology as empowering in society as it is in today’s generation that is a great way for teenagers to feel that they can make a personal connection with their reading and writing assignments. Like these students in the study, the connections made through literature can carry over not only into educational realms, but also to their inner self. However, I feel that teachers may often have their hands tied as to what materials they are allowed to use in the classroom, especially living here in the Bible belt region. Right now I know that teens and preteens are discovering the Twilight series. To me that is great. They are reading fictional literature and devouring it as fast as they can. They are also engaging in discussions about the literature amongst friends. The interest they have towards these books could be used in classroom lessons, but I know in our library the books are banned. Children can read them on their own, but cannot get them through our library. This is alienating children from literature that parents feel may be too risky. I do believe that most communities could benefit from having afterschool projects such as the one mentioned here. This project improved the students’ responses to literacy and their self image. What a life changing impact Mrs. Staples has made. I was very impressed that Bashir, a student involved in the program, became an “activist” and started his own focus group.

The Speaking Up and Speaking Out article was another great example of a research project impact student lives educationally and interpersonally. These girls were given exposure to personally relevant literature that helped them to find their voice. I can easily see, after viewing their own writings included in the article, how these students may feel inferior to other students. That is not to say that their reflections or opinions are less important but there are lots of teachers who would say that they were unable to read/understand what these girls are trying to say in their writing due to lack of proper conventions and spellings. I believe that by participating in this program which allowed the girls to use their own language conventions and spellings, they were able to freely express themselves. It opened their minds to believe that they can contribute good ideas and thoughts to classroom discussions and group work.

One thing that I noticed in this article was the statement by Brett Blake that “girls need permission to write in formal classrooms”. She was saying that girls are often passive, timid members of the classroom and allow boys to be the dominant members. I find that this is often the case on my classes. I teach 3 classes of fifth grade reading (each with about 30 kids each) that are ability grouped- one average, one remedial, and one AIG learners. In all of these classes the boys are the vocal ones. When in literature circles the boys are the most vocal in selecting books, first to start group discussions, and first to volunteer to read. My girls almost have to be made to orally communicate in this setting. However, when writing about their reading, girls put more emotion, details, and self reflection into their written compositions. Boys’ writing tends to be matter of fact, with little reflection or personal connection. There is a school that groups students according to gender in the sixth grade. I had never given much thought to this or at least not the positive aspect of this type of grouping. Over the summer, I now plan to do some research on the topic and next year try to incorporate it on a small scale, for instance literature circles that are gender based and ability based.
Amy Reep

Henry’s article, Speaking Up and Speaking Out left me puzzled on several fronts. Henry states that she is, “particularly concerned with how schools may shortchange Black girls.” She goes on to explain how black girls lose their voices in school, voice being an all inclusive term for identity, expression, and connection to content taught. I would have liked to have seen support that this is a major problem in classrooms around the country. What research says that black girls have no voice in the classroom? That has not been my experience. My three most vocal class participants this year were black females. If anything, it is my Hispanic females, coming from a patriarchal society, whose personalities and feelings are buried deeply under the parental expectations of compliance and passivity. We also, contrary to Henry’s assertions that “Black students… are denied the right to learn about their own culture…”, learned about Nigeria as a part of our global theme this year. Henry should have identified the problem thoroughly before trying to fix it. As she speaks of black females resorting to transgressive speech in the face of oppression, I am left with the question, what oppression?
Henry later gives an example of Tamisha’s transgressive speech in regards to sex and gangs. These topics, which Henry discusses in her group, are ones traditionally shied away from in school because they represent personal and religious beliefs that should be taught by parents at home. I am not sure that I would label these topics as transgressive so much as inappropriate for most classrooms. Is the oppression Henry refers to teachers refusing to acknowledge or discuss taboo topics in the classroom? That hardly seems oppressive as there are sex education classes which would welcome such discussion should parents choose to let their children participate.
I was also puzzled when Henry spoke negatively of children learning to defer to teachers and texts as authorities on subject matter. While I do not think it is necessarily a bad thing to question authority, our students are still children, with limited understanding and experience. We defer to teachers and texts written by authorities because they have more experience and more education than we do. That is not to say we shouldn’t teach kids to question, to think for themselves, and to investigate the validity of other teachings, but children are not miniature adults, and should not be asked to make the same kinds of evaluations and judgments we do.
Furthermore, Henry sites research that says black females are, “elevated by their physical characteristics such as hair texture and skin color; they are considered sex objects as they mature.” The implication here is that schools, or teachers, view black females as sex objects. I find that preposterous, and would suggest instead that this perspective comes from black culture itself. I have often cringed at the blatantly sexually provocative clothing my first graders come in wearing. The emphasis placed on beauty and hair in no way helps to validate these girls as intellectual beings. My black students, male and female, leave early from school to ‘get their hair done.’ You have to look no further than BET to see that black women as sex objects is an idea perpetuated not by educational institutions, but by black culture itself.
As for Hustle and Flow, I am not totally sure what to think of this article. The literacy activities in the article seem solid and the framework for respect and shared values a good idea. The students in the story were invested in their learning and felt safe revealing their flaws as learners. What I am not sure about is the content of the chosen works. The movies chosen, Macolm X, Shawshank Redemption and Hustle and Flow, seem rather controversial. Also, again there is this assumption of black males being marginalized by schools, but I would have liked to have seen supporting research.
In both of these articles the researchers were looking into schools with an outside perspective. Both researchers worked with small groups of children outside of the classroom, and both place the responsibility solely on teacher’s shoulders for incorporating their findings. Such suggestions are easy to make if one ignores the volume of work already on teacher’s shoulders and the large number of students they are responsible for. Neither acknowledges that parents and home life play a crucial role in educating children.

-Rebecca Ashby

After reading Hustle and Flow, I was reminded of Zonnie and Daniel. The African American males in this study also keep school and home life separate. Just like Zonnie and Daniel, they were more confident and had a more positive outlook on themselves with the names like “confident tutor “and “skilled lyricist”. In this study in an after-school program, Staples said they “practiced respect and pedagogical strategies for inclusion”. I wondered what types of activities they did to help alleviate any tension in the group. The group of students was described as coming from very different social groups at school. But, in the end they were able to break any tension and became friends as they got to know each other better. My other question is, did they continue to be friends, once they were in the regular school setting?

From this study, Staples was trying to connect with the student’s culture and dealing with adolescence in order to motivate them to get interested in reading. She also accepted their dialect which was another way she was able to connect with the students. She also encouraged Standard English. This looks as if she is trying to plant the seed of code-switching.

I thought it was interesting how the boys began to feel proud and wanted to show everyone what they know. Staples used material that I think would be very controversial in a regular school setting. I do not think a teacher could use material from The Shawshank Redemption rated R and Malcolm X rated PG-13. Then a big part of the study that was shared was from Hustle and Flow(about pimp and three hookers) rated R, which actually occurred during a summer 2006 reunion. My question is was this reunion associated with the after-school program?

It was neat that in this after-school setting they were able to use this material because in the end it had positive results. The boys ‘eyes were opened to the media they see in the real world. I think now they will question and have more of a higher level thinking about what they see. From this program they may feel they have a little more expertise in pop culture media and in reality they do. I also found it interesting that they were able to make connections to pop culture media and traditional literature. Even though they were all considered low readers, they still had knowledge of traditional literature. So, it sounds as if this program was transferring over to school at least a little bit with the connections that they were making. This is the higher level thinking that we want students to be able to do.

The Henry article also dealt with issues that I do not think could have been talked about at school unless you were in the guidance office. Tamisha shared a personal account that was not disclosed. This program allowed her to feel comfortable enough to share what happened to her because Henry tapped into her culture and interests just like Staples did with the African American boys. Again, it is great that she was able to open up and share her story which was most likely part of a healing process for Tamisha. But, as I said with the Staples article, this type of talk could not happen during the school day. Number one the child will probably never feel that safe and number two, since what actually happened was not shared in the study, it obviously could not be shared in a classroom.

After reading these two articles, I think one avenue to reach other cultures would be to create more after-school programs. There is more freedom to choose material and build a sense of trust, where students can share what they are truly feeling and not what they think everyone wants them to say.

Trish Edwards

“Speaking Up and Speaking Out”
I’m going to be brutally honest and say that I struggled through reading this entire article. I think I got so caught up in trying to understand the research terms that were presented in the beginning that I almost lost the meaning of what was being said. As I was reading there was one point in particular that spoke to me, on page 238 Henry says that Brett and Blake (1995) did a study that showed that “girls need permission to write in formal classrooms” they need opportunities to read, discuss, write and express themselves in safe, private contexts.” For me this point struck particularly hard! This was the first year in my nine years of teaching that my female to male ratio was so different. This year I had 14 girls and 6 boys. I began to look back and think about their writing and the times that they expressed themselves. As I looked I was pleased to realize that in terms of academics my girls expressed themselves and their opinions much more frequently than my boys did. Even when I began to think about years past I realized that for the most part in Kindergarten my girls had no trouble saying what they felt and expressing their thoughts and opinions. This made me began to wonder when does that change. When do girls start silencing their thoughts and ideas to be more like the boys and why. I realize as I ask these questions that no one can pinpoint the exact age or grade that this happens, but it still leads me to wonder that if I did more to foster my girls opinions, even at an age when they have no trouble sharing them ,would I be helping them along later in life.
The other part of the article that I was able to understand and thought was a wonderful idea was letting Alice and Nadia practice their literacy skills by having them act out a skit. By doing this and letting the girls speak to each other in their native tongue the girls were able to express themselves and were also able to share their culture. I loved how they based the entire skit on their home lives and things that they experience every day. I think that allowing students to do more activities like this would enable us as teachers to learn more about them, while also allowing them to feel comfortable in the learning situation.

Hustle and Flow
“WOW” This article by far has made more sense to me than any of the others so far. I think the reason that it was so powerful was that it focused on labels. I find myself everyday trying not to put labels on my students but I would say 80% of the time I fall short. In my classroom you could probably find, talkative students, disruptive students, smart students, low students, students who try to impress, students who are annoying. The list could go on and on, yet everyday when I go in I consciously try to erase those labels, but yet in the first hour or two of the day they are back. I don’t think I realized how much labels do effect us. I loved it on page 379 when the article said, “outside of school their identities are entwined with authority and specialized knowledge that are not privileged during the course of their regular days. Outside of school my students are call “lyricist, ‘master surfer, gamer, poet, and even cultural critic.” As the article went on the explain what some of those labels entailed I began to realize that inside a classroom those would most definitely not be the labels that were placed on the students. Even as I saw how these labels could change from school to home, I don’t think I realized how truly influential a label can be until I read page 384 where it talked about, “DJay’s longing to be called author, writer, or rapper. It was clear that he did not want to be on hard times and that he longed desperately to be “someone” as opposed to a pimp.” After reading that sentence I realized the extreme effect that labels truly do have on people. In this characters mind it was almost as if someone else could see him in a different light then he could change. I once again when back to thinking about the labels that I like most people subconsciously put on my students and I began to wonder if I changed my unspoken label will this allow them to begin to change themselves. I don’t know if it will work but I do know that I am going to try.
Katie Templeton

In both action research projects, the researchers helped students find their voice by using authentic and engaging opportunities to read and write. I think some of the most important aspects of this research were focused on the texts used and how they directly related to the students' lives outside of school. This not only peaked their interest, but gave the "assignments" meaning & purpose. Both research projects included black participants who were labled "disengaged" or struggling readers and writers, yet seemed to flourish in their lives outside of school.

It's our job as teachers, no matter our race, class, or gender, to find ways to identify with every one of our students and to help them find ways to connect with who they are and express their thoughts and opinions. Many times I believe we feel constricted to our curriculum and pacing gudes that it's hard to create those authentic reading and writing experiences with and for our students. We feel that if we bring "controversial" texts into the classroom that we could get into trouble.

One way that we can make connections with our students to help them find their voice is through journaling. Allowing students to journal their thoughts about a text or connection to a text and responding back as was done in one of the studies, gives them the freedom to express themselves. They can then share these responses with a small group or a partner and receive feedback from them as well. It also allows for us to comment and share our opinions about a text without influencing the entire class one way or the other.

The most important thing I took from reading these two research articles is that we need to make every effort to equip our students with the knowledge and the tools to think critically for themselves and to give them opportunities to do so in class, so that it carries over outside of the classroom.

Reshawna Greene

Voice…what a powerful tool. I think the researches did an excellent job of helping teachers figure out how to give students a voice. Would our students find their voice if we didn’t provide an outlet for them? Are we, the teachers, merely doing “the thinking, knowing, talking, and decision making, and in which the students passively comply and regurgitate?” Sometimes we are. I think we have to make conscious decisions to pull from our students interests and teach what they want to learn in addition to our standard course of study. We have to help our students figure out who they are and where they fit in the world.
As I was reading about Kay I wondered which is more important – to be able to read a book or to be able to read the world. I think they have equal importance and one cannot stand alone. When you read, you have to be able to relate what you’re reading to the world you live in, or to what you know. Reading is making connections. If you can’t read the world, then is your book reading as meaningful? On the flip side of that, don’t you learn about the world as you read? Books help you make sense of the world around you, they help you read the world.
The focus groups helped the students read both books and the world. The girls were trying to make sense of the world around them, learn how to live and find their place. The texts, journals, and discussions were relevant to their lives. They were making connections. They were learning how to read both books and the world – and finding their voice during the entire journey. The teacher was a facilitator.
The same is true for the male participants while reading and re-authoring Hustle and Flow. They were answering the question, “is niggaz always on hard times?” This is something they have had to read in the world as well as read as text. I believe you cannot have one without the other. And through their discussions and readings, they found an answer. They found their voice through the power of re-authorship.
As educators we have to help young people find their voice. They have to be able to relate to the world around them. We must provide opportunities to discuss their world, their lives, their issues. We have to provide a safe, comfortable environment where they can speak freely and find their path for success. The kids need high interest texts relevant to the world around them. Which leads me to those awful passages that are put on the end of grade reading test – but that’s a post for another day.
Jennifer Wagoner

After reading through the Jeanine M. Staples article, Hustle and Flow, as well as “Speaking up” and “Speaking Out” I became more aware of what public school educators may be doing in a classroom to send some students on a downward spiral of feeling incompetent, incomplete and unable to succeed.

I began to think about how some of these students that were featured in Staples’ article were treated in public schools. I can only picture five younger adolescent African Americans sitting in a regular classroom slouched in their desks, talking above one another, disrespecting their teacher as well as other students around them. To be honest, the scene that I play in my head comes from a movie that I watched as a pre-service teacher at ASU, called “Dangerous Minds”. A clip can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBQf9noA7xY

After thinking about my own teaching experience and seeing the classroom management issues, the lack of focus, the lack of interest in school I realized that it all boils down to what was addressed in that short clip: choice. I think that Staples and Henry share that the number one way to get students interested is by giving choice.

I noticed as I read that Staples first brought students into her after school center and offered them a “safe place to be”. She worked hard at building a sense of classroom community, and made sure that all of her students were comfortable with each other, and with her.

Then, Staples selected materials that were appropriate for her students’ interests and that related to her students. She did not have the restrictions of public schools to limit what she could show or not show. This enabled her to really find materials that related to the lives of her students and to open conversations that would not necessarily be appropriate for public schools.

Staples conveyed to students that they were going to participate in “re-authorization”. They were to take common “norms” of characters in their studies and re-author how these characters were viewed by society. She used a sense of community, high interest literature and a restriction-free zone to finally reach these young African-American adolescent men.

In the end, Staples found that her students were comfortable with confronting her as well as each other on ideas and points made in the after school session. Once again, I believe that her findings were based on that # 1 piece…choice. If our students feel that they are respected, appreciated and given a choice in what they do in our public school system, all will reach some kind of personal success.

In reference to Henry’s article, I see the same ideas for the African Caribbean girls that are involved in the after school program. Students are set up in a community of comfort, and then give opportunities to write and journal about experiences. Then, students were paired with others to complete a series of activities that enabled them to feel competent and to feel that they had a “voice”. In the end, students gained enough comfort that they were able to speak aloud in front of the class about issues that were taboo in public schools. I can see that students were provided with a sense of community, and in turn, shared that they too, had a choice to feel important.

Here is the next scene of “Dangerous Minds” after the teacher confronts her students with making choices to come to school. Notice that there is a sense of communication about literature from a couple of students after the teacher speaks about choices that the students make to come to school each and every day. Stop around minute 2:25 to conclude this scene. Keep watching if you are interested! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hns8TDH_nmI&NR=1

Renee Hennings June 13 2010

I agree with Henry when she talks about how "black students or students of color are often denied the right to learn about their own cultures from critical or their own informed perspectives". She also stated that "teachers who ignore issues in the lives of minority students leave them 'voiceless'". While teaching at an inner-city middle school I do see this. As teachers we try to find ways to incorporate teaching about the different cultures in our society. For instance, in my inclusion class we taught a unit on the Montgomery Bus Boycott where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person. However, I think that we are limited to what we can and cannot teach in the classroom when race is involved. What fustrates me the most is that students come to school and are not fully educated about their culture, but they are quick to pull out the race card. I don't know how many times I have been called "racist" and what is frustrating about it is that you cannot be racist and teach students. That is just not possible in my opinion. Students come to school with this attitude about people being racist, which they know little about, and then they accuse their teachers of being racist. But not only is it the black students who say things like this. It is the hispanics too, and their parents! I think that these students are hearing these things from their parents, which is really sad. But maybe if we could teach more about the different cultures then students and their parents would come to the realization that teachers are far from racist and maybe teachers and parents would have a better rapport.

In Henry's article, she also talked about how students are frequently reprimanded for using their first languages and dialect. I know that many teachers do correct their students if they do not use the "correct" form of English. I know that I have been guilty of that. However, after starting the Reading Program I have been taught that kids should never be corrected because that is part of their culture and heritage and how they have been brought up. By correcting them we are saying that their culture is incorrect and their parents are incorrect, which is how they formed the language they speak. Teachers do assume that because the students do not speak like them that they are uneducated and we stigmatize them by placing them in the lower ability groups. I think that if teachers are able to educate students the different cultures and undertand them then the parents would be more willing to learn and this would make the students more willing to learn and appreciate their education. So often, students come to school with a negative attitude about school because their parents have placed these views in their head. Students will already have formed a negative attitude towards their teachers, regardless of the teacher.

The biggest point I learned from reading these two articles is that in order for students to acheive they must be taught something that is interesting to them. The students must be able to relate to what they are learning or they will take no interest in it. I like how Henry talks about how students should be able to freely read and write without the fear of being judged because of their lack of proper grammar, etc. They will feel like they can write about anything and they will not be reprimanded for what they write about. I try to do this in my Language Arts class and I try to give them topics to write about that would interest them. Journal writing should also be private unless the students would like to share. By doing this students would feel comfortable with their teacher and they would also form that trust of knowing their teacher would keep the information they share private.

Another important part I gathered from Henry's article is that she talked about how African American girls naturally do well in school. I can relate to this because since I am EC teacher and working at an inner city school, I see students from all different ethnic groups. For the past two years that I have been teaching, there have not been that many if any African American girls in the EC program. Most of them are average students. They do their work, but at the same time there are also not many African American students in the AIG program. If school systems would provide more opportunities for students of all ethnic groups to learn, even African American girls, then maybe kids would come to school eager to learn. I almost feel like the most drama at our school is with African American girls. I believe this after reading this article because they do not "know" their place in society. They want to learn and do well, but at the same time they are trying to protect themselves against what society thinks about them. Instead they are evaluated by their physical characteristics such as their hair and skin color.

During this study, which is talked about in Henry's article, many thought-provoking questions were asked during the reading and writing workshop. The girls involved in this study felt comfortable after a while knowing there was not one right answer and so they spoke out. As teachers, we should make sure every student feels comfortable in the class and able to speak out and be an individual. Girls especially, regardless of color, are more eager to think critically and think about things more so than boys.

I also thought it was interesting when she was talking about how students often come into class and automatically say "I don't have a pen" or "do we have to do this?". Many of my students do this and to me I would just assume they are lazy, but really they are uninterested and they want to learn something that fascinates them and something they can relate to.

As with both articles, I have learned that their are many ways to introduce literacy to kids without them even knowing. We can do skits, listen to music and anaylze lyrics, watch films/videos, read articles, read magazines, brochures, etc. There are so many ways to help kids become literate and a lot of the time teachers struggle with using these in their classroom.

In the article by Staples, I really like the fact that an after-school program was implemented. It was obvious that this was a success because a unity was formed from all different kinds of kids that participated in this program. Many topics were discussed that help students "get it off their chest" of just simply express themselves without being judged. The rules that were set aside from the beginning were very good such as: positive reinforcement, community respect, individual freedom, acceptance of language variations, text value, and cooperative authority. I think that I will apply these guidelines for my students next year, because too often are students afraid to speak out because they are worried about being judged or criticized by others. This is a very big deal in the middle school classroom because students are going through changes and at the same time trying to figure out who they are and where they fit in. However, my only argument with this program is that there seemed to be many topics discussed that would not be allowed in school settings. Not only that, but students seemed to view this program differently than school because it was after-school hours and they did not come into it with an attitude of not wanting to be there. In my opinion this is because no one had discussed it beforehand and put a negative attitude in their head. I wish there were more things like this around here because it would help students academically and it would also keep them out of trouble.

Overall I learned a lot from these two articles that I had not otherwise ever thought about before!

Katy Dellinger

The voice inside my head was screaming what the !@#$% is all this! The language of the articles was very specialized and it took a second read to figure out that they were using non-traditional text, videos and media. Once I was able to make sense of what I was reading I realize it was a good idea. Reading the research papers reminded me of how our children are sometimes left wondering”why are we reading this or what am I supposed to be learning from this?”
The researchers combined trust and non-traditional works in order to improve the lives of these students. We have read that trust is an important ingredient in the classroom and that we should celebrate and share each student’s cultural difference. The small group setting does empower our children to speak up! During whole group discussion students may not feel safe to express a comment or concern. They do not want to be perceived as dumb. But, put those students in a small group setting and new leaders can be created. I have witnessed this first hand. Last year while working with a small group I learned that several students loved horses. When we began reading Misty of Chincoteague these children brought in tack, pictures and eventually a horse. It was amazing to share in their excitement and having a real horse to share with the group was an unforgettable experience.
Elizabeth Achor

Henry and Staples

If I spoke my first dialect at all times, people would have a different thought about my literacy. They might would think that I held “literacy for stupidification”. Both articles discussed students using their own personal dialect, or rather their home dialect. The Henry article quoted that teachers “reprimanded” students for using their first language in school. Once again, this depends on the context of the situation. If students are discussing literature, they need to be aware of using some/most of the academic language. I think that it is even acceptable to intertwine the “home” language with the academic.

The Staples article identifies several different literacy practices – reading, writing, speaking, and listening; all of these literacy’s are affected by “actions, values, attitudes, culture, and power structures.” Even the research shows that we have to teach students where they are. Students have to have the teacher’s influence; we have to make learning relatable. Henry used diary writing to make the girls relate their life experiences to different literary works.

We have to teach our expectations too. Students are not going to readily share and relate life experiences if we do not encourage them to do so. An approach such as the Directed Reading Thinking/Listening Activity is one that helps students to make these connections. The purpose of this activity is to encourage students to engage in active reading comprehension skills. Students are to make predictions about things that they have read, basing them on what they have read and their own life experiences. It is through poor teaching that students “passively comply and regurgitate” information. Sadly, this has come to the forefront of teaching because of the emphasis put on the EOG’s and EOC’s for our students. If we, as teachers, were able to create “actively engaged” learners, then maybe they would not have to be bored by regurgitating information.

I like how both articles encouraged using “peer conferencing”. This helps to make students accountable for their own learning. I often tell my students that when you can teach someone else to do/practice a skill, then you have it mastered. Students need this accountability, which in return will also keep them actively engaged in the learning process, whether it is math skills or literacy skills.

Angela Steele

Common Threads

I think the main common thread between these two articles is the trusting relationship each teacher/researcher developed with the students involved in their research. I think it was only through those relationships that the growth and realizations of these students were possible.

I also Nadia’s quote was very revealing about what was gained through using small group meetings as a means of research and instruction. She said, “…nobody is different from…It’s good to work in group…because you get more understanding than if you work by yourself.” Working in a group as they did, it gave the girls a sense of belonging. It helped them open up about themselves and find “their voice” though interaction with others.

As mentioned in the article, I can see how research could show that school teaches students to “…defer to the teacher and the authority of the text.” The author discussed that her group had to “unlearn’ these behaviors, teaching them that their thoughts and opinions were valid, even if they were different from those of the teacher, the text, or other individuals. I think this is an important point. We do not (at least I do not) do enough to empower my students.

In the second article, Hustle and Flow, the term ‘re-author’ was introduced. I found this to be an interesting term for a familiar concept of finding or re-defining oneself. I think re-author is a great name for re-writing who you are, changing the direction of your life. The carry-over of peer engagements in the regular classroom was a great bonus, and would be worth looking at closer in additional research.

Marcia Smith

Wow, these articles are packed so full of research terms and jargon that after I finally waded through it all I was at a loss for what I had really been trying to focus on for this critique. So I read it again!!!

Finding one’s voice can be difficult even if you are not the minority. Many different circumstances can cause our students to feel that they can be open about their thoughts and feelings. In this article, the girls being black and speaking in their Creole dialects was the thing that seemed to hinder them from finding their voice in the school setting. I think the workshop helped them by providing them a safe place to express themselves in their own way without feeling inferior because they could use their own words without being forced to put it in school-accepted words. While providing this safe place to find their voice is a great thing. How can this be used in class?
Unfortunately in our schools we all, teachers included, have to comply with the State and local standards and if they are going to be successful in the school setting they will have to extend their workshop experiences into ones that can come into the school and allow them to voice their thoughts and feeling so that all can understand them. Even if their views are different, they need to be able to “voice” them. I know some things should not be voiced openly in class for instance, personal experiences or private matters like one of the girls in the article.
The article mentions that teachers “transgress” the boundaries of rote, assembly-line pedagogy, I feel it is my job to provoke my students to think and to respond to our curriculum in a way that makes them relate our learning to the world they live in. The article went on to say about transgressive speech,” It talks back to authority when necessary regardless of consequences.” This I have seen this year in one of the classes at my school, but not concerning the teacher. The student demanded that they be given their way or else they will continue to disrupt the class. It has been my experience that some black girls at my particular school have no trouble at all with finding their voice. Even when it is disruptive and rude, they feel free to express it without thought or concern for the feelings of their peers or their teachers. Therefore, while I see that the girls in this study may have felt this way I do not see that is the norm for all or the majority of black girls. This could have been true about any group of students; I think this is true about all of these articles.
The article by Jeanine Staples was interesting, but not one I ever hope to have to read again. I am still not completely clear on the idea of re-authoring. I guess if watching controversial movies, and then rewriting the parts that seem problematic to you helps you deal with the feelings they cause you to feel about being a black male then great, but I do not see this as a great new educational strategy to end the feelings of any students who deals with marginalization. I could be wrong but this is how I felt about it. Do we not as teachers at some level ask our students to digest what they have read or saw and have them to retell it in their own words or prospective? This is how I check for their individual understanding of the materials we are learning.
Tracy Icenhour

One of the main things that I got from these articles was how important it is to make things relevant for students particularly teenagers. Staples found books and movies that were relevant to the students' lives and what they were dealing with. Henry used current events like OJ and Susan Smith and also got students to role play real events from their lives. These articles reminded me alot of movies like "Dangerous Minds" where teachers inspire students by getting to know them and their problems. Even though I teach elementary school, I take this to heart. Henry said, "Whether a class is large or small, I try to talk with all students individually or in small groups so I can have a sense of their needs." When I first started teaching, I worked with a teacher who made one home visit each week. Children were chosen randomly until everyone had a turn. She would go to that child's home for an hour or two and do whatever that child wanted. She would play barbies, ride four wheelers, milk the cows, whatever. It made the children feel so important and made them feel their lives had value. I took a page from her book and, while I don't do home visits, I eat lunch with two students each week. I like to do it indvidually, but I let the student choose if they would like a friend to join us. I just sit and eat and talk with the student about wherever the converstation leads. It is always and eye-opener. From Staples, I gained a step-by-step perspective for creating the kind of groups both articles discussed. Step One: Gain trust and value all contributions. Step Two: Develop empathy among the group members so that everyone feels safe. Step Three: Let the students have choice in the decision making about discussions, materials, and activities. Step Four: Accept "their" language. The articles, as with the others we have read, have opened my eyes to topics that I do not deal with on a daily basis and have given me a greater respect for teachers who work with older students.

I found both studies and the perspectives from which they were written very informative. However, I had some trouble maintaining interest and following the author’s points in the Henry article. Perhaps if I had a student with an African-Caribbean background I would have been more interested in the findings and implications her study revealed.

I found the Staples study both interesting and informative. My favorite statement Staples writes is when she agrees that ‘the generic concept of literacy includes the many factors that influence one’s practices of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. People, both individually and communally, engage in literacy practices-intersections of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, with actions, values, attitudes, cultural and power structures-in their everyday lives.’ I couldn’t agree more.

As a result of her understandings and beliefs about literacy, Staples’ approach to motivating students was based on new literacies that included reading, writing, speaking, and listening and how the students outside the classroom used them. She incorporated these new literacies-films, Internet, and magazines-into her literacy program, bringing these ‘outside’ literacies in to be studied.

Not only did Staples conduct her study, but I love that she included practical and applicable ideas and tips for educators in the classroom. I think the bulleted list of expectations practiced by the individuals in the group allowed the students to be open and vulnerable in their writing and conversation. Without these defined boundaries, I feel that the literacy group wouldn’t have been successful.

In addition, I love that she asked the students to choose a role when approaching a piece of work. The different roles the students were asked to choose and explore allowed each to become an expert and feel pride for his or her own work. The roles the student chose reminded me of the jobs delegated in literature circles. I hope to incorporate Staples’ use of roles in literacy in my classroom.

Laura Corbello

These readings made me think about how I always perceived school growing up. I enjoyed school and didn't mind doing the assignments that were given to me to complete. I didn't have to study much and I was thankful! I never felt like school was an enemy, or that teachers didn't get me. Don't get me wrong, I never had a teacher that I felt was a friend either, but I never felt like the people in these articles felt. I had also never really taken into account before starting on my master's degree that a person may feel differently about school just because they are African American. I more thought of a person's struggles as solely related to their academics, family background, etc. not their ethnic background.

When reading the articles I couldn't help but think that they were tied to the readings that we did last week. It seems that they all go back to the fact that you really have to get to know your students and what they are interested in. What a difference it would make if teachers involved their students in what is happening in the classroom on the level that these researchers did with these groups! Having them feel that kind of connectedness and authorship in the classroom would be a powerful tool. I know that it wouldn't be easy, but it seems the benefits would be huge.

In my classroom I use a "take home journal." I start the journal by writing to the children. I ask them about their interests, what is going on at home, things they are looking forward to, etc. and then ask them to write back. The expectation I have for the assignment is that the children respond with more than a one word response and that they write back to me at least once a week. I am always pleasantly surprised when I have students that write back every day of the week! This is one of the assignments that my children get the most involved with (as far as homework goes) throughout the year, regardless of academic achievment or ethnicity. They love that they can ask me questions and direct the dialogue that we have within their journals. I love that they are writing and I am getting to know who they are outside of the confines of our classroom.

I did have a hard time reading these articles and found myself rereading over and over in some places to understand, but found myself to be a little offended when reading the Henry article comment that African American girls "are invisible to teachers as serious learners; they receive less encouragement and rewards; they are assessed for their social skills rather than academic achievement; they are evaluated by their physical characteristics such as hair texture and skin color..." (pg. 238) I cannot imagine that this is truly the case and that it is backed up by research! Does this really happen in schools in this day and age? It made me wonder if perhaps the article was a bit skewed. I know that not every teacher sees all children as equals, there are people with prejudices, but it has been my experience that children are not seen as lesser in a classroom because of the color of their skin.
-Elizabeth Norwood

The article by Henry really got me thinking. It made me think about how I teach my children. Sometimes I feel like I am the one doing all of the talking and I do not give my students the chance to really talk to me. Some of my students are like Tamisha. She asked questions that people didn’t always answer, but Henry did. Sometimes they will ask whatever comes into their head and I am not always prepared to answer it. I need to be more like Henry in this case. If my students ask me a question I need to take the time to talk to them about it. This year I had a student ask me “Is God real?” I know the correct answer to that, but instead of taking the time to ask her more I just said “Maybe you should ask your Nana that question” and the little girl ran off. I should have taken more time to talk to her but I didn’t.

This article really hit home for me. Even though it was talking about adolescent women it made me think about my students. I have thought in years past about having journals where my students have the ability to write me letters/notes and I never have. There may be students who do not feel comfortable speaking out if I give them another way to express themselves even if it is through drawing a picture in the beginning of the year then some of my students might feel more comfortable sharing. This article reminds me about the movie “Freedom Writers”. Erin Gruwell, a teacher in an inner city high school, gives all her students journals and encourages them to write to her. She tells the students that she will read them only if they want and she will never share. At first nobody shared with her but after a little while more and more people started sharing with her. She had gained their trust and she realized how amazing these students were in writing. It made me think what do my students have to say to me and I am not giving them the opportunity to share what they have. I think that I am going to start giving them more of an opportunity to share. It can either be about what they learned that day, what they have read about, their favorite thing to do, or anything they want to tell me. I need to give my students many different avenues to express themselves and this article really helped me realize that.

Natalie Enns

I found the articles a bit more difficult to read than the previous ones, but I understood that in order to reach African American students, you have to find their interests and use those interests as literacy instruction. As I was reading the Henry and Staples articles, I recognized the overwhelming challenge teachers today are facing with educating and sometimes “parenting” these students. Some students do not have any support at home, and school becomes their escape. These are the most difficult students to reach.

Most schools have students with diverse backgrounds and as teachers, our job becomes more difficult. With these varied backgrounds come different languages, different parental support networks, and different cultural differences. As a language arts teacher my job is to reach all of these students and in order to do so, I must make the content relevant to them. While most of them already know how to read when they get to the 8th grade, many do not comprehend what they read. Much of the state testing involves application and analysis surrounding topics they have no prior knowledge. Sometimes the articles on the state tests are gender and racially biased making minority groups disadvantaged.

I am currently teaching in a school that is almost all white. On my team of 110 students this year, only two were African American. Two others were multi-racial, two were Hispanic and six were Asian. I realize that I need to continue to connect the literature that I teach to the students, and by doing so, they thirst for more.

Henry’s article reminded me of a new strategy I tried this year called, Reader’s/Writer’s Workshop. I allowed my students to read anything they wanted. Each week they were to write to me or a peer about what they had been reading. I had them use a series of question stems to help break the habit of always writing a summary. I wanted them to connect to the literature. Years ago when I first started teaching, I was fortunate enough to have a principal purchase a class set of Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey by Margaret Peterson Haddix. In this novel, the character has to write in her diary for class, and the teacher collects the journals and reads them for a grade. If a student writes anything personal in the diary, the students can fold over the page and the teacher promises not to read that entry. Remembering this idea, I told my students that if they ever wrote anything private or felt that a connection to a character was too personal, I promised not to read it. I saw huge growth in the reading comprehension skills and writing skills of my students this past year. Out of 110 students, I only had 4 that didn’t pass the reading EOG for 8th grade. What I learned from this is, if we allow them a say in what they read, they will read.

Karen Chester

By the second page, I was in love with Staples.

Her line “Such a decision is politicized when it is coupled with active resistance to traditional tendencies in education policy and research to conceptualize literacy as being either a school or out-of-school based practice” nails my teaching career and its fire, thus far, on the head. We try to separate the inseparable because we cannot go against the traditional; actually, I stated that wrong, it is not that we cannot go against the traditional modalities; it is that we fear doing so.

I teach writing. I love writing. I am a writer. I am a rapper. I am a stupid kid in the back row whose lyrics are like cheap chronic/ it feels good but the beat don’t hit that shit/ I am a sound technetium/ mess wid’ it and it’ll blow your jack-it hand… this line comes from a lesson where I wrote a line, a student wrote a line, another student wrote a line… so on and so forth throughout the semester on my white board. All that was required was that students had to write what they felt, when they felt it. I had students coming into my room when they were in other classes so that they could express their thoughts. Technetium, by the way, is the lowest atom element that has no stable isotopes. It was truly authentic writing that was highly “politicized” at my school because many teachers felt that I should not allow students to use their authentic voice in writing; that instead I should have students pretend that they are nice, rich, white kids with all the proper church goin’ that comes from predominant families. But they forgot that our kids come from the hood, and that, we’ll call him Johnny so I don’t get sued, was beaten until his jaw locked for two months, and that, we’ll call her Sam, was given a home abortion with a clothes hanger and a lighter because her father was afraid that people would find out the child was his. They want/wanted me to teach my students with the traditions of decades of teaching that simply does not work with my students. They wanted me to bore them, then fail them, and then blame their parents.

If we continue to fight against what kids are doing with their literate lives, such as the authentic writing that comes from rapping in the streets, or the “beat-beat downs” that they “toung wrstel” over to see whom has the best skills, all that is going to happen is that students will continue to not be literate. When I told my kids that we had to learn SWE and write a perfect paper for the writing test, they looked at me like I had asked them to climb Everest, but when I spent the whole semester teaching them word choice through the rap they listen to every day and taught them proper phrasing through journals of students whom had gone through similar experiences that they had, they took to writing like a beaver to wood. Unimportantly, to them at least, the pass rate of my students was nearly 80 percent, an unheard of number at my school that usually averages 50 or below, but importantly they learned to write and learned to love it at the same time. When I say take out a pencil and paper, they all rush to do so, so that they can get their “words down, honestly Mr. B, it’s been killin’ me all weekend.” So my point here is that to effectively teach literacy, as Dr. Staples states, “the burden is on educators,” us, to do little of what’s been done before and to focus on what we can do to get rid of the “great divide” between in-school and out-of-school literacy.

Another great example of this is using cell phones in class. Many people see that as the destruction of English II and writing itself, but the truth is that we are enabling students to use their outside of school voice to approach an in school problem, literacy, by encouraging and teaching code switching through the mediums they are most comfortable with.

Also, to kill the “great divide” we must also work together and “design cooperative studies” of our children to discover the best ways to teach them. When I read the remainder of Staples arguments, I could not help but think about how everybody uses collected research to further their product, soldiers, and business leaders, yet, we teachers are afraid to do the same with our kids. And in reality, they are far more important than car reliabilities. I couldn’t help thinking that we need to avoid being Toyota.

I know I go too far into things, but I also read the Barton and Hamilton research, sighted in Staples argument, about discourse communities. I think that that is the heart of what we need, as the aforementioned things I have written in this post allude to, because we need to be able to utilize these communities to understand where it is our kids come from, how they speak, what they read, what they write if we ever hope to reach them and kill the divide that separates our instruction from students home life. Too, this is further represented by one of my favorite lines from Staples in her journal entry, “Inside of school, my students are called disengaged. They are known as slow and referred to as off task. In their classrooms, my students cannot read. But after school…my students are called lyricist, master surfer, gamer, poet, and even cultural critic.” I ran through the house yelling at my uncaring wife, you have got to hear this! The chill bumps of passion for what I do still linger on my arms, brought about by the chill of simple truth.

I also liked the “Speaking Up” and “Speaking Out” article, but it paled in comparison to the power and uniqueness that was “Hustle and Flow” and it was hard to “feel” it after such a powerful piece, but, as I said, I did like it as it brings the process approach of how to deal with one of the main issues also brought up in Staples argument, that we need to give our children a voice and help them re-author themselves as speakers and people worth hearing, especially our Black American students, whom often struggle with male identity and what it means to be black in America. WE NEED to give them more options than rapper, baller, or drug dealer.

William Byland

Voice is the students’ participation and acceptance of the academic and intellectual process. It is the students’ desire to express ideas in a clear, coherent way, because that student understands that his or her thoughts are important. It is the solid understanding of why an individual must communicate clearly and effectively the recognition of self within the student that gives that student the ability to express with confidence.…

I believe the definition of voice was my favorite part of the research by Annette Henry. It defines voice not just for African Caribbean female students or minority students but for all students. We know in order to become a better reader you have read. To get students to read, you find books on their level and of their interest. I believe this applies to written and oral communication as well.

Henry begins the program with reading and connecting the text with the girls’ lives. The girls experienced difficulty because of trying to find the right answer. If teachers want students to connect with text, is there a correct answer? Connecting with text is personal because it is between the text and the reader’s personal experiences. If the student can make the personal connection and elaborate on the connection, it should be accepted. The world is made for listeners. A person may not have the ability to read, but they can listen to the news and local conversations and form opinions. They do not walk into the classroom a blank slate.

Henry wants the girls to have the ability to tell a complete story without worrying about correct grammar and sentence structure. I look at this rather simple. When young children are learning to talk or tell stories interesting to them, we let them speak freely without interruption. They make grammatical errors but we ignore them because we are focusing on the story. As time goes on, the young child makes less grammatical errors but his grown in the ability to express himself. I wonder if a child was corrected every time he spoke, would he continue to express himself.

Positive reinforcement, credible, community respect, individual freedom, acceptance, text value, cooperative authority are words used in Jeanine Staples article. The same words could apply to Henry’s research. Henry and Staple work with unengaged students by meeting them in their world. They give the students the ability to speak and express themselves in a community of learners without fear of being dismissed by the authority figure.

The Staple’s students created a traditional literature group but renamed the roles. The students were the leaders and the teacher was the facilitator. The students flourished. Staple noted this model is not easy to imitate because the teacher has to relinquish control while creating a learning community with rules. The teacher has to step outside of the traditional box and learn a new method. The new method may not produce right or wrong answers but several correct answers. If this is the case, then students are becoming true critics of literature. They are no longer resisting engagement. As teachers in the 21st Century of learning, we are going to have to create a new learning environment with students as the focus, not the teacher.

Zandra Hunt

“Speaking Up and Speaking Out” and “Hustle and Flow”, focus on the idea of giving minority students the ability to become responsive and critical consumers of all types of literature and media. Though both authors have similar research inquiries, I feel that Jeanine Staples’s approach is more effective.
I have to admit that Annette Henry’s research was more difficult to me to process. I feel she started out with a very legitimate purpose; to give adolescent African Caribbean girls a voice in school; however, I feel her feminist perspective took the research a bit too far for the public education system. I was a bit concerned when she stated she would be coming at the research from a feminist perspective. To me, when we impart our own ideas and beliefs into our teaching, it is bound to cloud and influence how we approach subject matter. I don’t think it is our purpose as teachers to do this. For example, I agree with her quote from postmodern, radical, and critical theorists that states, “public discourse in literacy often refer to skills toward productive but “domesticated” workers in a capitalist system rather than creating independent and critical thinkers”, yet, I don’t like the way she continues and talks about “the false authority of European civilizations” (pg. 237). This has a touch of prejudice to me and I think it could influence what she teaches her students. I also have a hard time with the research she sites on pg. 238 by Kunjufu. I think she is trying to put African American girls into a neat little box to fit her feminist assumptions; unfortunately, I just don’t think you can do that. Also, when she gives the example of the play the two research subjects perform, she fixates on the traditional roles as if they were so wrong and negative, describing the exchange as the girls, “falling into the traditional retellings of a sexist world.” (pg. 246) I do understand her desire to give these girls a voice when it comes to not only school, but the issues and controversies of the world around them. I am glad that she recognized in her conclusion that there is more to our social identity then just race and she understands the importance of taking that into consideration when teaching the girls about their voices.
One of the main reasons I preferred Staples’s research was that she took a more objective approach. I appreciated the fact that although she wanted to teach the students the idea of “re-authorship”, she did not have an underlying agenda in the process. I completely agree with her idea that students are given a label when it comes to school. I would go a step further and say these labels become a self-fulfilling prophecy as well. The children she chose to work with were considered “disengaged”, “struggling”, or “resistant” while in school. In contrast, these same students were seen as “confident tutors” and “lyricists” outside of school. Jeanine Staples set out to see if she could change the way these students saw themselves when it came to being critical thinkers and scholars of literature and multimedia. I particularly liked the way she gave the students a say in the construction of how the text would be questioned and the framework that would be used to approach the narrative. I think this is key in getting buy-in from your students. I also agree completely when she states that teachers must be careful when working with media. Teachers have a need to over-teach as opposed to working with students to co-construct practices, guidelines, and choices of engagement. (pg. 387) I find myself guilty of this at times. It is hard to let go and allow children to drive the instruction as it goes against not only how we were taught, but also how we have been trained to teach. At the end of the paper, Staples shares a comment from her student, Cherie. Cherie states that after examining the term “cultural critic” and determining whether or not she deserved that name, she states that she “began to look at stuff with a different eye from before….with more critical consciousness”. (pg. 388) Isn’t that exactly what 21st literacy is designed to do?

Sally Elliott

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

I am not sure if I am brain-dead from end of the year school stuff or what is going on, but I had to read this article multiple times to try and wrap my mind around the main idea. At first I was extremely confused by re-authoring. I thought it was going to be about changing text to make it more culturally relevant. As I read on I began to form an understanding. I think re-authoring is taking your two worlds- education world and real world- and finding a way for them to collide in a positive way. I think using other texts to develop literacy is a positive thing but I worry that so much emphasis is put on film, tv or music that children don't develop the skills necessary to read text. If you can't read, you can't survive in the real world we are trying to prepare you for. If we lean too much toward other outlets are we doing our students a disservice? I found myself confused at one point in this article, becasue I couldn't understand why the researcher was selecting such controversial material. Why were such negative images for black men selected? It didn't sound appropraite for adolescents. What I did agree with was the life skills the researcher was trying to instill in her participants:
1. Positive reinforcement
2. Community respect
3. Individual freendom
4. Acceptance of language
5. Text value
6. Cooperative authority
All of those things are valuable and should be reinforced in our students. This study did stress the importance of critical thinking skills. I just felt like this study entered dangerous territory with young people. I would not be comfortable using anything even similar to Hustle and Flow.

On the other hand, I truly enjoyed the Henry article. I understand "coming to voice" means that you find your confidence and your ability to communicate with others. That is truly important for all children. It doesn't matter if you are a black girl or a purple boy. I appreciate the research focused on black girls, but when I look past that, I see things I learned from this article will help me with all of my students. The researcher had a goal to help black girls. I want to help all my students find their identities. Your voice is what makes you- you!. Race, gender, asge- it doesn't matter, your goal should be to create independent, critical thinkers. The steps that were taken will work with all kids. Writing about experiences, peer conferencing and critical discussion is beneficial. It was also emphasized that all children need to be able to make connections to their literacy and text. Once these connections are made, the children will develop confidence in themselves. They will also be better with dealing with real world issues. Engaging in themes that are relevant is also important as children learn to appreciate their cultures and their lives. I also appreciate when Henry made it clear that simply providing text and books is not enough. Teachers must work hard to bridge gaps and help make connections.
Carol Sherrill

As I began reading this article, I was reminded of my freshman year in high school. My English teacher had us write each day in our journal. We could write about anything at all. He told us to voice our opinions, our thoughts, and our concerns. He just wanted to see us write. He told us he wouldn’t read what we wrote that he would only count the number of words. These instructions gave me freedom to write without being judged. He wasn’t looking for grammatical errors; he only wanted to see us write. I loved this assignment. I wrote about the typical problems of a teenage girl. Thoughts I would have never said out loud. The journal was my voice.
I thought Annette Henry’s research was very interesting. I was impressed how she combined reading and writing into her research. She focused on issues of interest or concerns of working class, immigrant girls aged 13 to 15 from African Caribbean backgrounds. I viewed her research as a support group for these young girls. Not only did they get together to read and write. They had the opportunity to discuss what they read and wrote. Many of the girls began to open up and discuss topics that in any other situation would have made them feel self-conscious. They felt that they would be reprimanded for using their first language in the classroom. By working with the smaller group they began to feel more comfortable. I’m not sure how practical this is in our regular classroom. How do we find the time to allow the children to work together and discuss issues important to their daily life? Not all of the children will be interested in the same thing. And I’m afraid there will always be students that are afraid to open up to their peers in class.
Research has shown that reading and writing activities together promote greater learning than when taught as separate subjects. I agree with this statement. I was pleased to read the Staples article to see that some communities have discovered that we do need additional time for literacy practice and are bridging the gap between in-and-out of school literacy programs. I think it is important to give the children who feel self-conscious in school the outlet to voice their opinions. How you look or talk should not hinder your ability to find your voice. My hat goes off to the teachers and community helpers who are stepping up and finding time outside of school to help these children. Pam Aubuchon

Societal views of different races, genders and cultures can often shape the way in which teachers educate their students. In the Henry article these assumptions are demonstrated with the perceptions of the Caribbean teen girls. In the classroom when they are presented with forms of literacy that are not as applicable to them, they struggle with the material or become disengaged. However when they are given opportunities to integrate their outside social language and world into their literacy instruction numerous gains for the students occurred. Through this use of instruction that incorporated their sex, race and cultural principles their self-concepts were able to develop and flourish within the classroom through literacy. The use of drama, current events, discussions, and self-reflection allowed these young ladies to find a level of comfort and trust in the school setting that they had not experienced prior to this study. This comfort and trust allowed the girls to find and be able to express their inner voice in a school setting.
In the Staples article the same social misconceptions affected how the young black males shaped their literacy learning. These boys removed themselves and their true personal identities and replaced them with the typical expectations set for them by society. In the eyes of those in the world around them and to these boys the educational system had failed them. They lacked engagement again because of the literacy practices that were used in their classrooms at school. In order to reach these students basic literacy instruction was not sufficient. Different types of media and text were used to motivate the students instead of the sole use of the expected literature. These and other unconventional methods to their system were used and the students also had more input into the choices that affected their literacy instruction such as the methods of learning and selections used in the program. These methods allowed the boys to develop a sense of pride in the construction of their literacy instruction along with their own self-confidence through this engagement.
These articles helped me examine my own thoughts and opinions that I have formed towards my students. I am more aware of biases that I have created not by demonstration of my student’s personalities and educational experiences but by societal expectations. The importance of reaching into a child’s self-being and concept to draw out their passion for learning is necessary despite their own race, culture, or gender. It may take closer examination of the processes and methods that their literacy instruction is being presented in and finely evaluated for the best needs of the student instead of set by subjective views and opinions. Overall, a student must feel that they are accepted as being a unique individual before they can truly engage themselves in literacy learning.

Nikki Leggins

Henry and Staples

Both of these articles focused on giving teenagers an outlet expressing who they are as a person and a student. The term that was used for this outlet was a “voice.” “Voice is identity, a sense of self, a sense of relationship to others, and a sense of purpose.” Every person needs a voice, especially teenagers. These articles explored how it is harder for teenagers of different races and genders to expresses their voices. I found the Henry article more interesting and easier to read and understand. I felt like it was easier because the reader got to know the girls the article was written about. The real message of both articles is that literacy needs to be more centered around the students and involve the students in the curriculum. I really liked a quote from the Henry article talking the teaching model that we see in many classrooms. “Teaching and Learning processes often inscribe us into a unidirectional model of education in which the teacher does the thinking, knowing, talking, and decision making, and in which students passively comply and regurgitate.” I think this is true of many students no matter race or gender. They feel that they are disconnected from what is going on in the classroom. The curriculum and instruction has nothing to do with anything that relates to them or their life outside of school. In the Staples article it brought up the point of a great divide between in and out of school learning. As teachers we need to try to build a bridge between the student life in and out of school. I really believe it goes back to teachers getting to know their students. In both articles, the students were more involved, engaged and interested when their culture, race and gender was respected and recognized in what they were learning. The young black girls from the Henry article felt so comfortable and involved that they were sharing very private things with the group and the teacher. The girls were excited about reading, writing, listening and talking. They found their voices and were using them in other places besides in the literacy group. As teachers we need to do this for our students we need to help them find their voice and be there to listen to it. Our classrooms need to be welcoming environments where we let students have some part in the decision making. We try to include students’ interests into our instruction. As a teacher, I know we get busy and have so much to do that it is hard to take the time to do these things but I think it would make a big difference in our students’ feelings toward school and literacy.

Ashley Caldwell

Both of the readings from Henry and Staples was a little hard to follow. I had to stop a few times and come back to it so that I could let the information sink in. The title "Speaking Up" and "Speaking Out" are very fitting for both readings! Once reading both researchers findings I really liked how they implemented their design studies. I agreed with both and would like to corporate them into my own classroom. But I have a hard time relating with some of the things said because I am white and have not experienced the same things. My main focus will be on Henry.

While reading Henry's research findings I agreed and disagreed with some points. I agree with encouraging young African Caribbean girls to speak out. I believe that getting this group was essential for these young girls growth. "When I use the term voice, I am thinking of a strong sense of identity within an individual, an ability to express a personal point of view, and a sense of personal wellbeing that allows a student to respond to and become engaged with the material being studied by the other students in the classroom, and the teacher. Voice is identity, a sense of self, a sense of relationship to others, and a sense of purpose. Voice is power--power to express.." I really like this quote from the reading because voice is power, the power that encourages those who are scared to express themselves and their inner-beings.

While reading Henry and reading the text in the girls native language, it made me reflect to when I went to Jamaica last summer. I heard some that spoke better "Standard English" and other I heard speak in their native language. The ones who spoke the Standard English were the ones that worked at the resort. Those out in the community spoke their native language. I LOVED listening to this group of people talk. It was beautiful. I liked how Henry connected reading to writing, along with incorporating peer groups, drama, and journaling. The key to this group being a success was the researcher gaining the girls trust and discussing life experiences.

The girl that struck me most interesting was Kay. Reading her comments on how she thought O.J was given a fair trial and how she thought his "white" wife could have hired a hit man to kill her or even her family could have plotted her murder threw me! Honestly, I don't remember much of that trial but I just don't see the wife planning her murder. Today I feel that there are just as many good and bad people from each race/ethnicity/gender.

"Particularly, I am concerned with how schools may shortchange Black girls." I do agree but yet I disagree with this statement. I don't feel that only Black girls are being short changed. I believe many others are as well, like white girls and boys, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans, etc. The way it seems today if you are poor and or live in a "bad" community you almost don't stand a chance. Many times parents don't even care how you turn out. Don't get me wrong, I am glad Henry is taking a stand for this group of women, but I feel there are other groups being looked over. But I am sure if I were to research this more I would be able to find someone fighting for each of those groups just as Henry has.

Staples really caught my attention while incorporating all the different types of literature. I really like how the foundation was built around student interest and not the teacher. It was great how multimedia was brought into play. Today it is so crucial for teachers to capture student interest and engage them in those things. We as educators are required to figure this out on own; this is part of our job. We only have ourselves to blame at times.

Candace Barnes

Both of these articles dealt with teenagers finding their "voice," or a way of expressing themselves freely. Both groups of students felt freer to express themselves when surrounded by students similar to their own selves. I feel they felt more accepted and also felt that the students who were similar to their own selves were more than likely feeling the same emotions and having the same thoughts and questions. I loved the way both researchers found different things, pertinent to the lives of the students they were studying, to "reach," "teach," and help the students find their "voices." Such things were different books, movies, etc. that contained characters similar to the students or situations similar to those the students were facing.

While I was reading these articles, I started thinking about my own school. Our 6th grade divides classes by gender. The teachers say the students are able to be themselves without worrying about "impressing" the other gender. They also say the girls, especially, are more verbal when surrounded by other girls, instead of boys, who tease them when they open up in class. This shows that gender groups are not only beneficial for minority groups, but for all groups. These 2 articles helped me understand the logic behind separating by gender a little better. Marsha Warren

I was fascinated by the Henry and Staples articles. The study participants were students of African American and African Caribbean teenagers that did not fit into the mainstream culture of school. I was impressed with the dedication of Henry and Staples to involve and engage this group of students the way that they did. Both the teenage girls and boys needed and outlet a way to speak out and change their ideas about their culture. The research studies gave these students a voice that they did not have in the regular school day. The studies gave the students a connection to others in their culture and allowed them to freely share their ideas.

Henry’s research Speaking Up and Speaking Out was very important to the success of the African Caribbean Girls. As the article stated they had “learned” to be silent or complacent in the classroom. The silence and non- speech is a text in itself. The girls did not feel comfortable enough to share their ideas or make connections. They did not have a voice. I love the way that Henry built her research frame. She wanted to see the social and cultural world from the girls’ perspective. In order to develop the girls’ voice and connection to literature she added writing into the research. “Reading and writing activities together promote greater learning then when they are treated as a separate subject.” Also like the way that voice was defined in the research. It was stated that when someone has voice they have a strong sense of identity and are able to express point of view, “voice is power- power to express ideas and connection, power to direct and shape individual life towards a productive and positive fulfillment for self, family, community, nation and the world.” This is a very powerful statement. Everyone not matter gender of race should review this definition and examine their life and thinking. Are we all doing this? If we were then the world would be more productive and positive!

Staples also built his framework for his study around the same ideas. He wanted African American Teenagers to look at literacy work in an alternative way. He wanted the African American Students to connect and question the literacy works and films. He was also giving the African American males a voice to discuss and question works of literacy. This was not something that teachers gave these students the opportunity to do in a regular learning environment. They struggled with literacy. I believe that they struggled because they could not relate to the literacy. They needed to make connections and evaluate and discuss literacy and media of their own culture. The students needed to be engaged in their learning. By allowing the students to create their own framework for learning they were engaged and invested in their learning. They were able to communicate together in a respectful and positive way.

Both of these studies showed the dedication of the researchers and the care that they have for their students. They were not just doing a research project it turned into a valuable communication tool to bridge the gap between the culture and literacy. The researchers were not afraid to modify their study. It was truly an Action Research study that provided students with positive role models and learning that was so desperately needed for those students. They gained their confidence in voice and were engaged and building literacy learning and connections that will last them the rest of their life.
Angie Somers

For me the thing that stood out in both of these articles was the fact that someone was interested in what these students had to say. It was important that for once it mattered what their opinion was. What they knew was considered and this gave them power to "know" something.

In finding their ability to express what they knew, the students developed their abilities to express themselves. I have found over the years that this is true of people in general. We all want to have our say and feel that it matters.

When I first started teaching, I worked with a large population of African American girls. I taught them in academic settings and "coached" them as part of a step team (not that I had any knowledge there :) ). I found myself "inside" their personal lives in a way that I had never imagined. Why? Certainly, not because of the color of my skin or because I belonged in that inner circle. It was because I listened. I gave them the opportunity to talk. They were able to express themselves, and to a teacher nonetheless. They were used to teacher's telling them what to think and what they should be doing. Due to this opportunity to speak, they did just that. They talked! They talked about their personal lives, about boys, and even about school. While we didn't get into as many deeper academic discussoins, I see now where I had those opportunities. The trust was there.

In the Henry and Staples articles, I see their situations as similar (and different). They gave these students the right to speak. Not only that, but also they taught them "how". They helped the students to see that what they had to say was important. While this is important in all of our students, I feel that finding this voice is even more difficult in students who have been "held back" because of who they are (females and minorities). As mentioned in the article, they feel that it is their "place" to be in this positions. We have to work to help them understand that they are more than what is defined by these limits.

Christy Laws

In both Henry and Staples the commitment to allowing students to have their own voice is significant. “Coming to a voice” is a valuable concept that allows students to cope with adolescent struggles in accessible way. As Henry notes, “you cannot merely just ‘empower’ or ‘give voice’ to girls merely through weekly writing activities (p. 236).” It takes more than that. It takes understanding and interpreting their modes of expression. It means letting go off right and wrong and stepping outside the box. Staples also suggests teachers to facilitate re-authorship should “become a student of students, and learn to embrace the benefits of students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening in alternative contexts (p. 388).” As teachers we have to provide freedom and acceptance to hear students. For staples re-authorship and literacy work outside the classroom proved to allow that autonomy as well as using relevant modes of media texts to appeal to interests.
Henry’s work with African Caribbean immigrant young girls allows us to recognize that often teachers and peers discourage these students from expressing their thoughts in their mother tongues. Her work addresses this through attempting to connect with the girls in small group sessions through a relevant novel. From this experience she found that in that comfort zone, these girls dealt with pertinent issues of their gender roles and began to express themselves more freely divulging their inner thoughts and needs. Staples provided a similar approach with African American boys in an after school setting using a popular movie. Although the approach was more risky, the study of Hustle and Flow provided “a popular narrative” that allowed the boys to deal with issues that are relevant to their identity. In this highly risqué film, their group challenged and analyzes the story. Discussing issues of words ( pimp, nigga) and themes (oppression and liberation), the boys began to re-author and question what they viewed which is an essential part of media literacy.
I really enjoyed hearing connections that were made in both of these case studies. They both confirmed something I have long believed-that to truly connect and build literacy you have to build a trusting relationship and provide relevant instructional contexts to engage students. I loved the fact that Staples took a risk in analyzing a movie that would be deemed inappropriate. While I don’t think that we should show those kinds of movies in school, I do think that our students often view movies like that without support. Many of our students can relate to some more risqué movies, but don’t know how to create their own frameworks for analysis. All too often parents, allow their children to view these materials without discussion or analysis. That is when the bigger picture is missed and a perfect moment to build literacy has escaped. Through various media, songs, television, and movies we can challenge our students to think that they never knew possible. One-that is where our children’s interest lies. Two-they often are surrounded by media and should become aware of how media can impact their thoughts. I love using songs and movie clips to teach my students in language arts. Their interest is peaked and that builds a connection. While I may not love the music or television they watch, just by knowing and understanding what they like, there is a connection made. I can use those things to pull from to teach and build knowledge. When I use their language and tell them to “holla” at me next year there is camaraderie that is shared. I’m down. While they may think it’s silly, it is important to speak to them on their level. I become accepted as more than just another teacher. That relationship and understanding is an invaluable tool with my students. I hear them and listen.

Amy Hardister