Blog Post #11

 "When you look at everything we have done this semester, what stands out to you as meaningful? "

Reflection

    When I think back to each reading and activity we have completed throughout this semester, I feel strongly and kindly about each one. I feel that this course was beneficial and necessary to my development as a teacher.     Personally, two readings and an in-class activity resonated the most. Delpit (and Johnson) helped to break the ice when speaking about issues within the education system. Johnson is an honorable mention because his philosophy was to "say the words." This helped make it easy to address topics surrounding injustice. In my service learning, I witnessed examples of Lisa Delpit's writing each time I stepped into the classroom. Often the language or phrases that were used with the students were delivered in a passive language, for example

"Are we supposed to get up from our desks?"

"Do we speak when the teacher is talking?"

"Are we supposed to be spinning right now?"

These types of phrases almost always set the teacher up for a response they were not looking for. To prompt satisfactory behaviors, the children must be told explicitly what the expectations are. We cannot expect children to know what they have not been taught or told.

    Next, I think of the Baranga card game we played. When we did this activity in class, I felt so confused. I kept rereading my instructions to make sure I was not incorrect. I felt shocked every time I witnessed someone abide by different rules that were not on my paper. I felt lost. When I connect this back to my service learning, I realize how scary and frustrating it must be for the students in the classroom who are behind. I work with 3 ESL students who are currently learning how to recognize and count numbers 1-10. Meanwhile, the rest of the class is making 5-groups, number bonds, and learning to add. I see the determination on their faces every time the teacher announces it is time for math. I watch as they try to keep up, then eventually avert their eyes to the kids at their table to copy because keeping up with the teacher's rapid instruction is too much. I see how bashful they become when the teacher announces "You got it correct, but I know you copied" or "They are so far behind, they need all the help they can get." When I worked with these students, I realized immediately that they understood the topics they were working on, they just needed slower and more individualized instruction. It wasn't that these students were not trying, their needs were just not being met.

    Finally, I connect this all back to Shalaby's writing; The Canaries in the Coalmine. There are two canaries in my service learning classroom. Both were extremely bright students. One was quiet and brooding, yet quick to act out (student A). The other was full of energy and was crying out for attention (student B). I only had the privilege of having one of these children in my actual group, but I always made an effort to greet and exchange a few words with the other child whenever possible. The teacher and these students did not always get along. On most days, student B and the teacher did not get along. I believe she was tired of constantly reminding student B to raise their hand before speaking or to stay in their seat. In my eyes, this was always the student asking for help or change. Perhaps they needed more support than the teacher was offering.

I've never had the space to have open discussions about topics such as race, power, gender, or sexuality. I have also never felt comfortable speaking on topics such as these, as I grew up in a predominantly straight, white, and upper-middle-class town. I was very used to having my voice shut down or ridiculed, so I learned to stay quiet. I am thankful for the space created in this classroom and I look forward to continuing the development of my teacher identity.

Blog Post #10

 "Queering Our Schools" and "Woke Read Alouds: They, She, He Easy as ABC"

A Reflection/Connection

My experience with queerness began in middle school. There were a lot of big changes happening in my life. Everything was overwhelming and I was desperately searching for my identity. I was constantly told I was "too young" to know what I wanted or liked, and I grew up in a family where anything other than "the ordinary" (cis and straight) was considered shameful. I felt like I was constantly biting my tongue around family members because of how insensitive their comments would be. Why was I, at age 12, more accepting and open-minded than my 30-40 year old family members? Why did I have to explain why "gay" shouldn't be used as an insult, and why "those gays" have just as many rights as heterosexual people do? I was in middle school during the year same-sex marriage was legalized and while Donald Trump was running for president. I couldn't escape the talk about politics that would somehow always lead to demeaning comments about the LGBTQ+ community. I was punished for wearing a pride shirt and banned from hanging out with certain friends; my best and only friends. I felt stifled. My identity was being molded for me by family members who were narrow-minded and uneducated. 

I couldn't help but smile at this week's video, "Woke Read Alouds: They, She, He Easy as ABC" because it reminded me of how I used to talk to my family members about pronouns. My closest friend at the time used they/them pronouns, and I was constantly arguing with my parents about why it was important to respect their pronouns and use their preferred name. It got to the point that my parents stopped letting this friend hang out at my house, and they were no longer interested when I brought that friend up in conversation. To this day, my parents still can't wrap their heads around the fact that some people use they/them pronouns. 

I believe it is important to educate the youth and keep an open conversation within schools to create community and nurture children's hearts/minds. I think it's necessary to teach children to be kind and accepting of all human beings. That's how we create kind and accepting adults. As the reading said, "Community is built by working through differences, not sweeping them under the rug" (24). We have to be bold like Johnson and Delpit to name the injustice and get comfortable speaking about it. If we continue sweeping issues like transphobia and homophobia under the rug, we are continuing the same pattern and mistakes as the educators before us. I certainly cannot be a part of that. As an aspiring teacher, I want my classroom to be safe, nurturing, and inclusive. I want to set an example for other teachers as I push for inclusivity and acceptance of all identities and family structures. Adding lessons surrounding pronouns or different family structures may seem new or "difficult" to implement, but with time and continued integration, it won't feel so daunting. 

Post #9 Hehir

 

Eliminating Ableism - Hehir

Connection

    This text made me think about a video I had seen on TikTok, posted on March 21st, World Down Syndrome Day. The video is titled, "Assume That I Can," and I was excited when Dr. Bogad ended up showing this video to the entire class. I think it is a perfect example of everything Hehir was trying to prove through their text. The video follows a woman named Marta Sodano as she narrates the experiences of someone with a disability. Her message is that often, society assumes that people with disabilities cannot do certain things or experience life the same way able-bodied people do. Society tends to put people with disabilities into a narrow box, thus creating an unfair system. Sodano includes examples of exclusion in social life, education, home living, and daily life. She says, 

       "You assume I can't live on my own, so you don't encourage me to live on my own. So I don't live                alone," and "You assume that I can't learn Shakespeare, so you don't teach me Shakespeare." 

Her words are direct and powerful because they highlight the reality that so many people with disabilities face every day. Sodano then goes on to end the video by saying, 

         "Assume that I can live on my own. So I live on my own."

         "Assume that I can learn Shakespeare. So I learn f***ing Shakespeare!"

    In the text by Hehir, he describes a model/narrative that is placed on people with disabilities. Hehir quotes Joseph Shapiro, saying, "the idea that disabled people are childlike, dependent, and in need of charity and pity" (4). I believe that this quote has a strong connection to the message in Sodano's video. I love this video because of how immediate and direct the call for change is. All too often, our biased assumptions become the reality of other people. It will take time to undo these types of biases and reactions within society, but I am hopeful that with time, adamant advocacy, and effort, we can adapt our society to be welcoming, accepting, and accessible for everyone. 

https://www.ds-int.org/blog/assume-that-i-can

Link to Video on YouTube

Reflection Post #8

 "Aria" by Richard Rodriguez

    This text highlighted the experiences of a bilingual student in an American school. It was important for me to read as it provided insight on a topic I have no personal experience with. The description of the narrator's home life and how integrating English began to change the dynamic between him and his parents was powerful. This is something that teachers most likely do not take into account, and I admit, it is something I have not thought about before either. Rodriguez states, "After English became my primary language, I no longer knew what words to use in addressing my parents. The old Spanish words I had used earlier...would have been too painful reminders of how much had changed in my life" (37). An experience like this is important to take into account when working with young bilingual students. As educators, we have to be aware of challenges like this, and encourage students to hold onto their native language, their culture, and their connection to it all. This reading really showed how easy it is to lose those things. Something else that stood out to me from this text was how Rodriguez described his parents relationship and experience with speaking English. On one hand, it was extremely difficult for his mother, as she was "restless" and wanted to connect with her children. She'd try very hard to speak with her children and, "Hers became the public voice of the family" (37). Rodriguez's father "retired into silence," though his English "improved somewhat" (37). On page five of our reading, Rodriguez writes, "In Spanish, he expressed ideas and feelings he rarely revealed in English. With firm Spanish sounds, he conveyed confidence and authority English would never allow him" (38). This text is layered with lived experience and real struggles that occur all too often amongst bilingual families. Though learning English is essential for the success of Spanish speaking students at school, we fail to take into account how it may affect their home life and familial relationships. How can we bridge this gap? 

Here is a link to an article addressing current issues in bilingual learning: https://www.idra.org/resource-center/current-problems-in-bilingual-education-part-i/

Reflection Post #7

 "Literacy with an Attitude" by Patrick J. Finn

 Week 10 Reflection

    This text brought a deeper understanding of the current situation our education system faces. There is a distinct difference in the type of education a child receives based on their parent's tax bracket. This fact is deeply disturbing in the sense that inequality is so deeply ingrained in our society, that it affects innocent children and their education. I wonder how this happens and why it is thought to be okay? The analysis and description of the working-class schools via Jean Anyon's research is particularly interesting to me because the patterns that are revealed in the text are the same patterns I witness within my volunteer work at Webster Avenue Elementary. This goes to show that the issues that are presented in the text go further than just the schools in New Jersey (where the research was done). Issues such as low-quality teaching, burnt-out educators, little access to quality materials, a distaste towards creativity, and overall disdain towards the children, are unfortunately prevalent in working-class schools. Schools that have high rates of poverty are at risk for issues such as these. In these schools, "work [is] often evaluated in terms of whether the steps were followed rather than whether it was right or wrong," and "teachers [make] every effort to control students' movement" (Finn, 10-11). The problem with this is that children's creativity and lust for knowledge or deeper understanding is being stifled and taken away at a crucial period in their lives. Children are naturally curious and creative and genuine, but the quality of education they are receiving in their working-class school is stamping out every ounce of curiosity or creativity. They are being prepared for the same lives their parents currently live; working-class, where their work is mechanical and routine. They won't need to understand deeper or have a lust for knowledge because their future is already decided by the constraints we put around their education. At Webster Avenue Elementary, I volunteer in the kindergarten classroom. There are about 23 students crammed into an--unfortunately--cluttered classroom. With little space to move around, the students are to stay at their desks and only move when commanded to do so by the teacher. The students have very little autonomy and are also expected to do things "by the book." Doing things "by the book," sometimes makes sense in the classroom when trying to teach kindergarteners new concepts, however, when students fail to understand concepts "by the book," no alternate route of teaching takes place. That student is expected to learn in one way, and if they cannot, then they risk falling behind their peers. I see the frustration in the kindergarteners. It's expressed in so many ways, often being outbursts or resistance, as the text touches on. The students that resist within a classroom, can be compared to the canaries in a coal mine that Shalaby mentions in "Troublemakers." When there is resistance from the students in a classroom, this reflects negatively on the teacher, who then feels discouraged or equally as frustrated as their students. This makes for bitterness between the teacher and their students. In the text, Finn recounts that "teachers made derogatory remarks regarding the students," and a principal reportedly said to a new teacher, "Just do your best. If they learn to add and subtract, that's a bonus. If not, don't worry about it" (Finn, 11). This type of attitude and behavior is another part of the issue within working-class schools. How can students be expected to do well or want to learn when their own teachers, their role models, don't seem to care about their success? Seeing this type of behavior amongst teachers in real life was shocking to say the least. It is one thing to learn about these issues in our FNED-246 classroom, but actually witnessing them is extremely powerful. In my experience, it makes me want to become more educated on these topics and learn stategies for how to help in these schools and what can be done to change how our education system functions. 

Here is a link to a Ted Talk about Building a Better Classroom: Building a Better Classroom TedTalk

Video Analysis Blog

Reflection Post #6

 Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

    As educators, we must strive to be culturally well-versed. We must be aware of different cultures and sensitive to the ideas and needs that accompany them. Teachers must learn to appeal to and reach all of their students. Educators should be consistently learning, as well as unafraid to try new ideas/methods within their classrooms. I believe it is also important that teachers attempt to learn from their students. Asking questions and presenting an interest in students' culture can help build a beautiful connection. In the video, "Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy" the speakers mention tangible and intangible culture. Tangible culture is the crafts, music, arts, and technology. Pairing tangible culture with Alfie Kohn's ideas of "good signs" within a classroom can help to cultivate a diverse and welcoming environment for students. Additionally, intangible culture such as values, beliefs, feelings, opinions, and perspectives, should be incorporated into the daily routines/teachings within a classroom. In the video, Jackie Jordan Irvine says, "Teachers take students' everyday lived cultural experiences and make the appropriate linkages between what the students know and do and understand and come up with examples, comparisons, and contrasts. They make the connections. They are cultural translators. They are cultural bridge builders." To be a cultural translator or cultural bridge builder, you must first be knowledgeable and willing to learn about many different cultures. It is not just acceptance, but welcomeness. We cannot give what we do not have, so we must set an example for students and be excited to learn! 

These are some notes I took from the video embedded in this post.